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The Mexican national educational reforms are favouring the learning of English in 10 grades of the public educational system and prompting a change in the instructional approach, to foster the social function of language use among secondary school learners in the last grade of public education. Building upon the national teaching competences put forward in the Professional Development Framework for in-service Public School Teachers (SE, 2009), this study analyzed the educational practice of 74 EFL teachers in 37 secondary schools of the Mexican state of Tabasco to identify teaching strengths and professional development needs. Analysis of the data collected through a professional development questionnaire, a teacher self-evaluation questionnaire and the observation of 60 EFL teaching hours suggest that teachers' practices deploy some minimal traces of the competences required. Moreover, the results point to various professionalization needs of the participants within the in-service teaching competence framework put forward by the National Ministry of Education to favour the integration of language across the curriculum and the social practice of language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some findings of a distance learning programs study from a study of distance learning programs, which methodological design was inspired by a self assessment model for higher education programs designed by ANUIES, this model was applied in the different distance learning programs of the Universidad Juarez Autónoma de Tabasco. This model is complemented by a historical and administrative search and systematization of information. The results allowed on the one hand, detect some failures of the subsystems involved in the System of Open and Distance Education, and the other hand, analyze the possibilities, as well as the limitations of such models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documented the perception of ten visually impaired university students about the development of their digital skills. All participants answered a 20-item questionnaire; the items were grouped in four dimensions that covered the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for: (a) social and collaborative learning, (b) information search and processing, (c) interpersonal communication within the university context and (d) virtual and social interaction through the university's distance learning enviornment. Our results showed that students perceive themselves competent to use ICTs to establish interpersonal relationships using non educational ICTs only. The results of a repeated measure ANOVA revealed that students' perception of the use of technologies for interpersonal relationships significantly exceeded the other potential uses of ICTs. It is concluded that visually impaired learners do not perceive a sound development of their digital skills, in regard to the potential benefits of ICTs to establish and mantain educational collaboration and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the strengths and weaknesses of the current instructional materials and e-platform of distance education programs in a higher education institution in Southeast Mexico to assist visually-impaired learners. This project was funded by the National System of Distance Learning. Using an ethnographic design, the materials and e-platform were assessed through expert-analysis, interviews, and observations. The data analysis procedures focused on usability, problems, problem source, and possible improvements. The analysis results suggest that the materials and e-platform can be effectively adapted to favor distance education among visually-impaired learners. In the article, we present a discussion of the needed adaptations and their institutional and educational implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]