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This research paper discusses the benefits and implications of bringing authentic assessment into listening comprehension classes. The study was run in 2016 based on a mixed-methods model to research and included 38 college students enrolled in a listening comprehension class at an English Teaching Major (ETM) from the University of Costa Rica (UCR). Data collection instruments included plans of improvement, portfolios, self-assessment forms, teacher-student conferences, verbal calls, and impromptu reflections. Data were validated through several procedures (e.g., triangulation and reflexivity) and analyzed in the form of emerging themes from the information collected. Findings are that authentic assessment can and should be used more in listening comprehension classes to bring assessment and instruction together, as well as to provide opportunities for skills integration. The study yields implications for theory and practice, and it constitutes a proposal to move from traditional to process evaluation, and from norm-referenced testing towards more criterion-referenced assessment. Nonetheless, the aim should not necessarily be a radical 'no' to paper-and-pencil tests, but a more balanced use in combination with other strategies so that assessment becomes more reliable, valid, fair, and authentic for all EFL actors involved.

In EFL composition courses, teaching and learning normally orbit around norms of unity, coherence, support, and sentence skills that L2 learners are expected to comply with, at the expense of opportunities to develop voice. Against this backdrop, we resolved to examine the extent to which students' exposure to and practice with lexical bundles, boosters/hedges and stance-taking strategies allows them to build a stronger discoursal and authorial voice as future academic writers. Evaluation of the students' works revealed their level of success in this endeavor and analysis of student surveys unveiled the tensions and struggles they faced along the way. At the end of this paper, we advocate for academic writing courses to be transformed into spaces where students not only come to terms with the basic norms they have to conform to, but also build a discoursal and authorial voice as L2 writers.

In this paper I explore Goodwin Liu's proposal to ground the pedagogy of service-learning in the epistemology of pragmatism from the perspective of a reflective practitioner. I review Liu's epistemology and his claim that from within it three features common to service-learning--community, diversity, and engagement--become pedagogical virtues. I then describe an international community service learning program and use it to illustrate the role that these virtues might play. I then argue that Liu's proposal needs to be amended in two ways: he needs to use his pragmatism to rethink the connection between epistemology and pedagogy, and he needs to acknowledge the normative implications of his approach by aligning pragmatism with critical approaches to community service learning.

In issue 183 of the Journal of Social Sciences, different studies are presented on voices and career paths, identities, and resistances. One of the studies analyzes the working conditions of call center workers in Costa Rica and their perspective on their work. Another study investigates the waist weaving done by female artisans in Peru and their contribution to the preservation of cultures and identities. The implementation of the Supported Employment method in companies in Mérida, Mexico, for people with disabilities is also examined. In addition, bibliometric analyses of graduation papers in Anthropology are presented, as well as reflections on mobilizations in El Salvador, the perception of insecurity among university students in Ecuador, Bourdieu's social critique, and the concept of inequality in political discourse in Costa Rica. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: This article focuses on students dedicated to the study of agronomy. To identify the general perception of students about animal welfare in production systems, four categories were developed and presented through a survey. The four constructs of animal welfare used in this study were as follows: (1) sociodemographic aspects; (2) generalities about animal welfare; (3) ethical and bioethical dimensions of animal welfare; and (4) animal welfare within the framework of bio law. The results indicate that most respondents agreed that animal welfare is important within animal production systems and that causing unnecessary suffering to animals is ethically questionable. Overall, the results indicated significant associations between sociodemographic factors and the different ethical perspectives related to animal welfare, concerning aspects of suffering and the use of animals in experimentation or entertainment activities. These sociodemographic factors mentioned included gender, educational level, and upbringing environment. Understanding the perceptions of university students in agronomy regarding animal welfare is the necessary substrate to improve on and update study programs related to animal production systems. This should be paramount in the training of future professionals who will manage animal welfare issues as part of their future careers in the livestock sector. Ethical considerations regarding our treatment of animals have gained strength, leading to legislation and a societal focus across various disciplines. This is a subject of study within curricula related to agri-food sciences. The aim was to determine the perceptions of agronomy university students concerning animal welfare in livestock production systems. A survey was conducted to encompass various aspects, from participants' sociodemographic attributes to their attitudes and behaviors regarding animal welfare and the consumption of animal products. Statistical analysis, performed using R software, delved into the associations between participants' characteristics and their perspectives on the ethical, bioethical, and legal dimensions of animal welfare. Associations between demographic factors and ethical viewpoints among students were identified. Gender differences emerged in animal treatment perceptions, while rural and urban environments impacted perspectives on various animals. Bioethical considerations revealed distinctive disparities based on gender and education in concerns regarding animal welfare, value perceptions, evaluations of animal behaviors, and opinions on animal research. It is crucial to distinguish between animal welfare and the ethical considerations arising from coexisting with sentient beings capable of experiencing suffering. Ethical theories provide a lens through which we perceive our obligations toward animals. The responsibility to ensure animal welfare is firmly rooted in recognizing that animals, like humans, experience pain and physical suffering. Consequently, actions causing unjustified suffering or mistreatment, particularly for entertainment purposes, are considered morally unacceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of the research findings documented in literature about factors associated with academic scores in college students and their relationship with the quality of higher education in general, using as a reference studies carried out in Spain, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica. These factors are grouped in three categories: personal determinants, social determinants, and institutional determinants that, at the same time, hold their own indicators. Emphasis is given to the fact that the search for educational quality is a desired good for different sectors of society, and for which universities fight from different fields, with major concerns in the public sector due to the investment involved. The search for quality implies ah integral review of the university that includes studies about the academic results of students, because those results are an important input and allow the identification of limiting and enabling elements of academic performance and, consequently, facilitate the control of public resources and the social impact mediation. The analysis of the educational quality must include research results about the academic results of the students since it is of great use in the decision making process aiming for a more fair educational system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Estudios Sobre Educacion is the property of Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Navarra, S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents information on sustainable farming of banana at EARTH University in Costa Rica. EARTH University, funded mainly by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) endowment, has created an ecologically friendly, lower-pesticide variety of banana. It is stated that EARTH University has made banana production more sustainable, provides better working conditions, and produces banana and other farm products worth nearly 1 million dollars per year.