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Colour in the classroom, either in isolation or in conjunction with other environmental factors, is an element that has been widely discussed in the scientific literature, albeit not systematically. On the other hand, its evolution towards coloured light, made possible in recent years by light emitting diode (LED) technology, has hardly found a place among researchers. Despite the progressive rise of smart classrooms, intelligent learning environments or references by some authors to "dynamic lighting", its analogous concept, "dynamic colour", hardly appears in reviews of the scientific literature. This exploratory, quasi-experimental study shows how coloured light affects the learning process in primary school classroom environments, integrating cognitive processes, instrumental learning and affective processes, and helping to define the dynamic potential of its use. The experimental part has been carried out for four weeks, collecting data that are analysed descriptively, comparatively with the control group and in the internal variance of the experimental group. The results show positive influence tendencies in the cognitive and affective processes of the students, although not so much in instrumental learning.

To recognize and assess the job stressors that teachers face in daily practice is essential. One of the most used objective measures of stress is the heart rate (HR). This pilot study explored the use of a wearable device (smartwatch) to monitor the HR of two teachers over two weeks in the classroom. Educational context variables (subject, class size, timetable, activity learning performed) and environment variables (temperature, humidity, sun irradiance) were related with HR. The results showed significant differences on HR among the teachers according to the educational activity, time of the day, or day of the week. The environmental variables were related differently in each of the participants. The study showed the practical implications of using a smartwatch, or smart bracelet, in the field of education. It provides systematic data that be analyzed and linked to other variables, opening the possibility of measuring real-time stress in the classroom, as an alternative or complement to stress self-reports.

Teaching is a complex activity that requires a combination of different knowledges, attitudes, skills and values. Teachers are continuously making decisions in the classroom to promote the teaching-learning process. This paper presents the development of a prototype that aims to facilitate teachers' decision making in the classroom in real time, considering variables related to the students, the teacher, and the environment or environmental factors in the classroom. We used the DBR (Design Based Research) methodology for this project. We reached the first iteration when the second version of the prototype was presented. An analysis of the literature was carried out as a starting point and to establish the foundations for the first version of the prototype. A later expert judgment allowed the prototype to evolve to the second version. This is the starting point for the technological development of the designed solution. This research is a first step towards using technology to improve teacher decision making in the classroom, and has great potential benefits for both the teacher, for improving their skills, and the student, so they can have a better and more customized learning experience.

The Flipped Classroom (FC) has been gaining prominence over the past few years. Many articles have shown that the FC increases the interaction between students and between the teacher and students, allowing different learning rhythms, facilitating access to materials, increasing collaboration between students and enhancing active learning. The present research looks at how students perceive the FC based on their learning style. The research was carried out with a sample consisting of two groups of third-year compulsory secondary education students (37 students in total) in the subject of mathematics. A quantitative methodology was used. At the beginning of the term, all students were given a questionnaire (CHAEA) to determine their learning style. At the end of term they were given a questionnaire (Driscoll) on their perception of the FC. The results show that students with a theoretical style of learning value the uses of the FC more positively and perceive greater interaction with peers and the teacher. However, students with a reflective learning style rate the FC lowest and have a the worse perception of the different key characteristics of the FC. In all statements, most students answered that they agree or very agree. These results are in line with those obtained by other authors in other contexts. This study brings certain nuances to the existing literature on the perception of the FC based on the students' learning style.

The objective of this study was to examine the variables that affect the use of PowerPoint by university professors. Based on the revised unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2), a theoretical model adapted to the study context was proposed. The impact of the attitude towards PowerPoint, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivations, and habit, in the intention to use and actual use of PowerPoint was evaluated. A survey was applied to 106 university professors from two Spanish universities, and the theoretical model was subsequently tested using a path analysis. The results suggest the existence of a direct non-critical path consisting of social pressure and habit, and an indirect critical path consisting of performance expectancy via the attitude towards PowerPoint. This research highlights the importance of critical reflection in the use of technological tools such as PowerPoint in classrooms. The practical implications of these findings to improve pedagogical practices are discussed.

Previous studies have reported that adolescents were at higher risk for mental health disorders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic due to the characteristics of their developmental period and to the impact of social and mobility restrictions on their daily routines. In response to these reports, we designed, implemented, and evaluated the impact of a brief positive psychological intervention in a high school setting to increase adolescents' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pre-post experimental study was conducted to compare the levels of anxiety, academic motivation, and performance changes in an experimental and control group. A final sample of 148 students from two Spanish high schools of the Catalan region participated in the study (M[subscript age] = 12.45; 48% female). Results showed that participants in the experimental group reported a reduction in anxiety and an increase in global motivation levels compared to the control group. Regression analyses also revealed that the intervention was a significant predictor of reduced anxiety, increased motivation, and fewer failed subjects, while high anxiety predicted decreased performance and reduced motivation. These findings suggest that brief positive psychological interventions implemented in high school classrooms could be a cost-effective and systemic preventive measure for increasing adolescents' psychological well-being and strengthening their general mental health both during and after periods of pandemic restrictions.

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is introducing developments in Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and other technologies in different sectors of our society, including education. This reality leads to a paradigm shift in which web-based cyber-physical environments will shape future learning environments. Thus, learning becomes ubiquitous, and schools assume new roles with systemic changes in communication, administration and management, becoming learning organisations. The use of technologies aligned with pedagogical strategies and new methodologies must lead to more-personalised systems. In this article, a comprehensive definition of smart schools is proposed. Smart schools must be endowed with integral management systems, inclusive, sustainable, and adopt new learning methodologies and advances from Industry 4.0 in an efficient way. Despite this conception and because research, government policies and business projects are not always in line with research, there is a need for deeper knowledge of how schools are approaching their upcoming transformation. To illuminate this purpose, in this study 37 principals from primary and secondary schools in Catalonia were interviewed. Thematic analysis focusing on technological and pedagogical innovations, management systems, inclusion, and sustainability identified some analogies with related research, pointing out that schools are far from implementing advanced technologies. Inclusion is the most-respected element thanks to the existing government regulation. Sustainability is hardly considered because of a lack of economic resources, but several schools consider themselves green schools and exhibit environmental practices. Conclusions are drawn to show that, although schools are not yet prepared to cope with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, its impact relies on the technology's level of maturity and ease of use, as well as stakeholders as policymakers.

This study explores school principals' perceptions and sustainability actions held in schools, the perceived role of the management team and the role of technology in facilitating change processes towards embedding sustainability and 2030 Agenda. This study was conceived as an exploratory qualitative research, where thirty-six primary and secondary school principals from the Catalan region in Spain responded to an open-ended questionnaire. In general, school principals showed commitment towards embedding sustainability education, however different views and understandings of sustainability and diverse levels of engagement and action were evidenced between schools. A number of constraining factors persist such as staff and students' engagement, lack of resources, governmental support and an overcrowded curriculum, while technology, community projects and school initiatives that engage students in decision-making processes are identified as clear enablers. Effective frameworks and professional development programmes are needed that help develop sustainability competencies amongst school principals and help operationalise sustainability education leadership within schools.

In a course of the degree of computer science, the programming project has changed from individual to teamed work, tentatively in couples (pair programming). Students have full freedom to team up with minimum intervention from teachers. The analysis of the working groups made indicates that students do not tend to associate with students with a similar academic performance, perhaps because general cognitive parameters do not drive the choice of academic partners. Pair programming seems to give great results, so the efforts of future research in this field should focus precisely on how these pairs are formed, underpinning the mechanisms of human social interactions. [Paper presented at the International Conference on University Teaching and Innovation (CIDUI): Learning and Teaching Innovation Impacts (9th, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain, Jul 5-7 2016.)]

Most countries around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions with the aim of containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. How have schools overcome these challenges and delivered education during the confinement period? The purpose of this research was to analyse how primary and secondary schools in Catalonia (Spain) implemented the teaching and learning process during the lockdown, based on 48 semi-structured interviews with school principals from different types of schools, located in urban and rural environments, and from diverse socioeconomic statuses. This article shows that there is a digital divide in students and teachers, emotional accompaniment as a need for online learning, older students are more autonomous and self-regulate better their own learning process, each school used their own strategy because there was no programme prepared for emergency situations, teachers had difficulties in self-regulating their work and communication with families became essential.

The following is a proposal for collaboration between universities with the aim to improve curricula that require laboratory activities. A methodology is suggested to implement an innovative educational project involving the exchange of laboratory activities. The exchange of laboratory activities can be carried out on different levels of interaction, requiring different levels of complexity in setting up the activities. A first experience was carried out in the area of machine design. Google+ was the chosen social network. A Google+ community was used to share academic material (notes, videos, activity guides, etc.) and the activity itself was carried out using Google Hangouts. The survey administered at the end showed the students' satisfaction with the experience.

Purpose: This paper aims to present the results of a study aimed at performing a first diagnosis of energy literacy and energy use in a Faculty of Education, by means of identifying energy consumption patterns, as well as energy literacy and commitments regarding energy transition. This diagnosis is the basis for establishing the foundations of a path toward energy transition in the faculty and further designing energy saving and education strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in a mixed-method approach. A survey was arranged to assess the attitudes, habits and knowledge regarding the current energy system within the community of the Faculty (407 responses). Comparisons among the main collectives that make up the community were performed, i.e. students, teaching and research staff and management and services staff. In parallel, the general electric consumption of the faculty was monitored. The results of these diagnostics were presented at several forums and workshops on energy transition held in the faculty where personal commitments in favor of energy transition were gathered and further categorized (105 initiatives). Findings: Positive attitudes toward energy saving were observed, reflecting in different generic habits. Additionally, some belief or hope for a technological solution for current and future energy problems was detected, as well as a lower level of implication or commitment when specifying personal attitudes. Similarly, widespread ignorance of the current energy context was revealed, regarding both the energy system and household energy consumption. Concerning the undertaking of personal commitments, low impact energy saving habits prevailed, and knowledge was not identified as being a necessary element of energy saving education in attitudes and habits. Practical implications: This research provides relevant information for the design of educational interventions to promote energy literacy in higher education institutions. Originality/value: The survey provides valuable insights regarding future educators' and their current teachers' energy literacy in a challenging energy context. The lack of general knowledge about the energy context in the community, together with the limited impact of the commitments gathered among students, stresses the need for integration of basic energy contents, both within education degrees and the management strategy of the faculty.

This paper presents results of a focus group that gathered data from principals of several public schools in Catalonia regarding the educational impact of Industry 4.0 technologies. Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from qualitative analysis with a view to improving smart classrooms via educational innovation. Results show that the schools see development and implementation of technology leveraging Industry 4.0 as necessary for future classrooms, always based on knowledge and pedagogical principles. Furniture, lighting, acoustics, and air quality are parameters that need to be adjusted in a smart classroom. Technologies such as internet of things, artificial intelligence, and big data make it possible to automate these adjustments, with a risk that the economic cost of such developments could create a gap between schools. Further research in other contexts or countries could report slightly different results. Nevertheless, this paper offers a qualified perspective from school principals about what industry should work on in order to develop smart classrooms, and why.

The presentation of a hand grasp facilitates the recognition of subsequent objects when the grasp is coherent with the object to be identified. This outcome is usually explained as the integration of two different processes: descriptive visual processes in ventral visual areas and processes in charge of the computations of action metrics in dorsal visual regions. With the aim to explore the temporal dynamics of this interaction, we conducted an experiment in which participants categorized objects preceded by congruent and incongruent hand grasp gestures under different interstimulus interval (ISI) conditions. Hand grasp gestures and target objects were separated by five different interstimulus intervals (ISI): 0, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 ms. Results showed significant shorter response times for congruent trials than for incongruent trials for ISI conditions of 250 and 500 ms. However, no effect was found for the other ISIs (0, 1,000 and 2,000). These results suggest that the contribution of automatically driven visuomotor dorsal areas in object recognition is stronger up to 500 ms after prime offset, and that object identification is facilitated by hand gesture primes just inside this time window (250-500 ms).

In this paper, the authors examine the rates at which blended learning (b-learning) has been adopted at universities in the region of Andalusia (Spain), as well as the educational model applied to its usage. The authors explore the influence of teachers' perceptions of their competence in the use they make of digital material and to measure institutional support for teachers in this area. The methodology consists of an ad hoc questionnaire designed for a representative sample from four universities and the application of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results show that the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in universities in Andalusia is common but there is little sign of educational innovation, except in a minority of teachers. In addition, it was found that teachers' perceptions of their technological competence influenced their use of LMS but not the pedagogical model. The university pedagogical model must be reconceptualised, with a shift in traditional university values toward innovation, cooperation, and a shared construction of knowledge. (Contains 7 figures and 7 tables.)

Interactive relationships in online learning communities can influence the process and quality of knowledge building. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the relationships between network structures and social knowledge building in an asynchronous writing environment through discussion forums in a learning management system. The quality of the knowledge construction process is evaluated through content analysis, and the network structures are analyzed using a social network analysis of the response relations among participants during online discussions. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze relations between network structures and knowledge construction. Working on data extracted from a 6-week distance-learning experiment, we analyzed how 10 groups developed collaborative learning social networks when participants worked together on case resolution. The results show a positive correlation between cohesion and centralization, and the positive influence of the cohesion index and the centralization index on social presence and cognitive presence in knowledge building. However, this must be understood within the context of social networks in which messages sent to all group members occupy the center. This underlines the need for reinforcing participations that are directed to the group as a whole, and the importance of the fact the network contains both central and intermediate members. By contrast, we propose that the combination of analysis techniques used is a good option for this type of study while recognizing that it is necessary to continue validating the instruments in terms of their own theoretical suppositions. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

This article analyses an experience in collaborative learning in an asynchronous writing environment through discussion forums on a WebCt platform of the University of Huelva's virtual campus, and was part of an innovative teaching project in 2007-08. The main objectives are to describe the processes of collaborative knowledge construction and the relevance of many-to-many communication in collective case resolution in asynchronous writing contexts. Two cases were selected for the experience, and two analytical approaches were adopted: discourse analysis and social network analysis. The results show that in the Case A group, where speech occurrence was less prevalent, the social network analysis markers show considerable cohesion and low levels of network centrality. By contrast, speech prevalence was greater in the Case B group and the network centrality markers were higher, although the group was less cohesive. These results lead to the hypothesis that many-to-many communication is more important in collective knowledge generation processes than dyadic or triadic communication. (Contains 6 figures and 4 tables.)

The institutionally powered Personal Learning Environment (iPLE) constitutes our vision of how Web 2.0 technologies, people arrangement and data sharing could be applied for delivering open, flexible, distributed and learner-centred learning environments to university members. Based on the iPLE, this paper explores a strategy approach that universities could follow in order to deploy eLearning 2.0 tools and services. With that aim in mind, we review the patterns that Web 2.0 has successfully applied, and have been proved to encourage people to interact and to share information. Then, we present an eLearning 2.0 provisioning strategy based on iPLEs. Finally, we explain how this strategy can help translating Web 2.0 patterns to learning, and positioning universities as eLearning 2.0 providers.

This work, part of the Spanish government's National I + D Plan 2004/07, entitled "Observatics: the implementation of free software in ICT centres in Andalusia: an analysis of its effect on the teaching-learning process", aims to describe the most recent impact of online communication technologies on education in Andalusia (Spain), within a new environment, as are the new ICT schools, characterized by the large-scale implementation of technology in primary and secondary education. By combined qualitative and quantitative methods, the study shows that, due to the presence of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in educational centres, the frequency of computer use in the classroom has increased, along with an expansion of a teacher training process that is progressively oriented towards contextualized models of learning. After investigating the most important factors behind the success of the mass computer installation programmes at the centres, a series of recommendations at centre and governmental level are presented that will ensure the maximizing of the potential of these technological resources.

Purpose: This paper aims to report on a case study concerning the development of sustainable energy partnerships involving engineering faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Design/methodology/approach: Faculty were motivated to seek partnerships with public and private entities in the local area for the purposes of realising mutually beneficial outcomes. The educational programmes of future engineers, when sustainability is considered, are analysed. Education for sustainable development has to include multidisciplinary active learning as a desirable competence. Active learning can be obtained when problems are based on real life because they are most motivating for students. Constructive alignment component is obtained because learning objectives are linked with learning activities related to the needs of public and private entities. Findings: Through the provision of technical expertise, the adoption and success of renewable energy projects was facilitated on the one hand, while final year undergraduate students benefited in terms of hands-on experience in helping to bring these projects to life, drawing on the knowledge and skills they had acquired throughout their degree programmes. These works are addressed to students by faculty members with the aim of developing and promoting renewable energies. Outcomes from partnerships surpassed expectations; not only were different benefits realised as were initially hoped for, but this success led to partnerships being sustained over time. Originality/value: Fossil fuel-based energy systems are associated with a myriad of negative environmental and social externalities. It is difficult to overstate the importance of transitioning towards alternative low carbon energy sources for climate change mitigation which are less centralised compared to the status-quo for energy security and energy independence. By actively facilitating the development of decentralised renewable energy sources in Catalonia, the projects reported herein are of significant value in social environmental and educational terms.

One of the greatest advantages of augmented reality (AR) in education is that AR increases student motivation. Nevertheless, there is a gap between the research on student motivation in AR and the definition of frameworks to inform and guide the design and development of AR applications that effectively support student motivation. In this paper, we attempt to bridge that gap as we introduce and evaluate a framework for designing motivational AR applications. Our framework has been built upon three theoretical foundations: motivational design, universal design for learning and co-creation. The evaluation study was conducted with 58 chemistry students enrolled in the vocational education and training (VET) program for Laboratory Operations, and we found that the framework not only effectively supports the four dimensions of Keller's (2010) ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction) model of motivation, but also demonstrates exceptional results in the Attention and Confidence dimensions of motivation.

If education is an inalienable right for children and young people with disabilities, securing employment plays a key role in their inclusion into adult life. A broad study was conducted to analyse the transition between the end of compulsory education and the beginning of employment in young people with disabilities in the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. This article addresses the two key issues that arise from the study: first, the basic elements that intervene in conceptualising the topic and, second, an evaluation of the current situation in the community. (Contains 3 tables, 3 figures and 3 footnotes.)

Existing tools aim to detect university students with early diagnosis of dyslexia or reading difficulties, but there are not developed tools that let those students better understand some aspects of their difficulties. In this paper, a dashboard for visualizing and inspecting early detected reading difficulties and their characteristics, called PADA (acronym for the Spanish name "Panel de Analíticas de Aprendizaje de Dislexia en Adultos"), is presented. PADA is a web-based tool designed to facilitate the creation of descriptive visualizations required for a better understanding by students about their learner model. Through information visualization techniques, PADA shows students the knowledge in their learner models in order to help them to increase their awareness and to support reflection and self-regulation about their difficulties in reading. PADA provides different learning analytics on reading performance of students, so that they can self-identify their strengths and weaknesses and self-regulate their learning. This paper describes examples that cover a variety of visualizations (bar-charts, line-charts, and pie-charts) to show user model fragments as personal details, reading profiles, learning styles, and cognitive traits of the students. We tested PADA with 26 students (aged 21-53 years) of different academic programs and levels, dyslexic and non-dyslexic. The results show that PADA can assist students in creating awareness, and help them to understand their difficulties associated with the reading tasks, as well as facilitate reflection and self-regulation in the learning process. Implications for the design of learning analytics are discussed and directions for future work are outlined.

This article is based on a discussion with seven voluntary Spanish pre-service primary school English-language teachers on queer issues. The focus group followed a questionnaire on their knowledge and understanding of sexual identity issues in education. The facilitated discussion enabled the participants to be better prepared on the subject. At first, the researchers guided the discussion based on the main results from the questionnaire and then worked as facilitators for the focus group, prompting critical thinking. Through pedagogical suggestions, the participants discussed possible applications of queer theory in primary education in order to counter homophobia and heterosexism. The results of the discussion highlight the absence of queer issues in English-language teaching in primary education in Spain and the need for teacher training programmes, as requested by the participants. In this article, sexual identities are related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersexual (LGBTI) as well as heterosexual people. It is the first study realised in Spain to use group discussion on these topics.

Over a decade ago, researchers in Roma studies shifted their approach, from an exclusionary stance to a more communicative one. Despite major positive changes since then, researchers still do not adequately reflect the voices of the majority of the world's Roma. In this article, we draw on a communicative mixed methods case study, conducted within the INCLUD-ED project in one of Spain's most underprivileged neighborhoods, to show how it was possible to engage in intersubjective dialogue with grassroots Roma throughout the entire research process. Through such engagement, it is possible to develop new knowledge that can transform local conditions, as they shift from diagnosing social exclusion to identifying the approaches that work best to reduce it.

During the 1990s, all Spanish Universities updated the syllabuses of their courses as a result of the entry into force of the new Organic Law of Universities ("Ley Organica de Universidades") and, for the first time, "Computer Assisted Design" (CAD) appears in the list of core subjects (compulsory teaching content set by the government) in many of the technical degree courses. The law opens the door to a new type of ''elective'' subjects, which are proposed by the Schools or Faculties, and many of which are directly related to CAD. Since then, each teacher has used different methodologies and tools for teaching CAD. It is very interesting--and this was the comment of all the teachers who participated in the study we carried out--to collect all the information and most relevant opinions from all the teachers who have been teaching CAD since the law came into force. We proposed a questionnaire, which was sent to over 600 teachers, seeking information about the subject (name and if it was entirely dedicated to CAD) the practice group (number of students, classroom ''ownership''), the duration (the time dedicated to the practical classes last and the desirable duration), the CAD program used (name, updates, if they would change it for a teaching oriented program, and whether parametric programs are used) and system of evaluation (how a student is evaluated and how they think students should be evaluated) in order to discover the present state of CAD teaching.

Background: Researchers, professionals, and families have shown increasing concern with the family quality of life (FQoL) of people with intellectual disability (ID) and their families. The goals of this research were (a) to explore how Spanish families understand FQoL by developing 2 different measurement tools for families with a member with ID under and over 18 years old, and (b) to provide 2 diagnostic instruments that will be useful for designing action plans. Method: The study comprised 4 stages: (a) focus groups, (b) expert assessment, (c) pilot study, and (d) normalisation and standardisation. The data were collected in 5 regions in Spain, and 1,205 families with a member with ID took part in the normalisation and standardisation of the scales. Results: Both FQoL scales were consistent and have valid psychometric characteristics. Conclusions: The scales have a diagnostic purpose for use in designing action plans aimed at producing significant changes in families' lives.

Previous research has shown that parents underestimate their children's substance use. The aim of the present work was to analyze parental estimation of their children's use of alcohol in five countries from northern, central, and southern Europe, and to explore the variables that influenced this perceptual bias. The sample comprised 1,181 parent-children dyads living in Sweden, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Portugal. In accordance with the findings of previous studies, we found high parental underestimation of substance use, which was greater for more frequent alcohol use or the use of illegal drugs. This underestimation appears to be subject to some degree of sociocultural influence, and is also influenced by the severity of the children's use.

This paper describes the experience of applying a new teaching strategy to a basic mathematics course at the Open University of Catalonia. This strategy requires students to engage with practice and assessment tests with automatic feedback. The main aim of this research is to look into the extent to which the key elements of this teaching strategy influence the students' course completion and academic achievement. In order to achieve this purpose, qualitative and quantitative variables over one term have been measured weekly. Our findings suggest that this teaching strategy significantly reduced the number of students who dropped out and improved academic results. More specifically, regular practice activities at the beginning of the semester help to engage students in the completion of the course. (Contains 4 figures and 2 notes.)

Training is a key tool for community development processes in rural areas. This training is made difficult by the characteristics of the rural areas and their population. Furthermore, the methods used by traditional training bodies are not adapted to the peculiarities of these areas. This article analyses the training methodology used by the Institute of Community Development, Cuenca (IDC Cuenca). For 25 years, this association has been applying a training method specifically conceived and designed for sparsely populated rural areas. This methodology, known as "training/development" is characterised by the implementation of a professional project, the creation of work groups, adaptation and flexibility. The results show that this type of training is a tool for promoting and developing human resources; a catalyst for starting economic and personal promotion projects; and a means for involving the rural population in community development processes. (Contains 2 figures.)

Introduction: This article has two purposes. First, to show the correlation between two unfortunately very common academic habits: procrastination and cheating. Second, to analyse the sequential trend of these two tendencies, from the final year of compulsory secondary education (in Spain 4th year of ESO; age 16) to the final year of university (age 22). Method: The participants in the study are 171 female students from public and private schools in Barcelona (Spain). During the research they were in 4th year of ESO, 2nd year of baccalaureate, 1st year of university, and 4th year of university, respectively. All of them were individually interviewed and administered with self descriptive questionnaires about academic cheating and academic procrastination. In order to find connections between variables and to identify differences between groups bivariate two-tailed Pearson correlations and ANOVA's series were calculated for the collected data. Results: As expected both procrastination and cheating highly and negatively correlate with academic grade. Besides, the connection between the two variables, cheating and procrastination is positive and moderate. Otherwise, the incidence of both habits is low in ESO, showing a sudden and striking rise in the final year of baccalaureate -which can also be observed in the first year of university- and a dramatic drop in the final year of tertiary education, just before graduation. Discussion and Conclusion: In summary, our data show that the transition years from secondary school to university (ages 18 and 19) are the worst in terms of the students' propensity to procrastinate and cheat, two characteristics which significantly contribute to weaken academic learning. According to the results, special support for students in these two academic years should be offered to stop or at least to reduce the reported developments. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

After compulsory secondary education; many teenagers face the process of choosing a university degree. This process involves uncertainties referred to their personal abilities, interests, social expectations and professional future. The present work is aimed at determining whether the reasons behind the selection of a particular university degree differ depending on the chosen degree. Another objective is determining whether these reasons differ significantly according to gender. The sample comprises 983 students belonging to the area of social and legal sciences at the University of Seville. The obtained results reveal the existence of four main reasons behind the selection of university degrees for which significant gender-related differences were observed: easy degree, job opportunities, high wages and provision of social services. Besides, these seven reasons are observed to differ widely in six of the considered degrees. (Contains 5 tables.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between knowledge about a healthy diet and the actual food consumption habits of adolescents. Design: A survey of several food-related aspects applied to a representative sample of adolescents. Setting: One thousand, six hundred and sixty three individuals aged 11 to 18 from 40 schools randomly selected from among all the schools in the Balearic Islands. Method: The survey was administered under the supervision of a researcher during the school day. The adolescents were asked about proper eating habits and invited to classify 43 food items as healthy or not healthy. The subjects later reported the frequency with which they consumed these foods, as well as the types of products they consumed between meals. Results: The adolescents in the sample considered the abundant consumption of vegetables, fish and fruit to be the key to a healthy diet and, as of 15 years of age, recognized the need for a balanced, varied diet. They also correctly identified all the healthy foods, whereas typical fast food items, sweets and alcoholic drinks received highly negative ratings. However, only the girls' lower consumption of unhealthier products was consistent with this knowledge. The consumption of foods such as vegetables and fish by the older subjects even declined, despite their higher dietary ratings. Three-quarters of the subjects also reported that they customarily snack on calorie-rich food with scant nutritional value. Conclusion: While dietary ratings are consistent and seem to be reinforced by the constant messages in favour of the Mediterranean diet aimed at adults, the minimum impact of this knowledge on the subjects' habits observed in the study poses the need to seek new communicative strategies that are not exclusively based on providing adolescents with more information on proper diet. (Contains 5 tables.)

In the present work, the hypothesis of the existence of diverse motivational profiles in students with learning difficulties (LD) and the differential implications for intervention in the classroom are analyzed. Various assessment scales (academic goals, self-concept, and causal attributions) were administered to a sample of 259 students with LD, ages 8 to 15 years, in Spain. The data obtained were analyzed through (a) cluster analysis to study this hypothesis and (b) MANOVAs to determine the extent to which such profiles were accompanied by significant differences in self-esteem and causal attribution patterns. The results revealed four different motivational profiles and significantly different levels of self-esteem and causal attribution process. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

Reproduction theories emphasised the idea that schools reproduce relations of oppression. Later, postmodernism has increased the language of impossibility by analysing all educational actions in terms of power relations. Therefore, educational actions in line with any of those sociological approaches cannot act as tools that schools and communities need today to tackle inequalities from education and thus contribute to social inclusion. But sociology of education is already on the move. It has become dialogic, studying and showing that, actually, there are Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) worldwide that challenge structures and provide all children with the education they deserve to not only have equal chances but also, and more importantly, equal results. This dialogic sociology of education develops in dialogue with social agents and, as a result, has greater chances to improve their lives. (Contains 5 notes.)

This paper focuses on an issue attracting increasing attention: the possible disadvantage inflicted on non-Anglophone academics by the dominance of English in scientific publication and academic exchange. We critically review the evidence for linguistic disadvantage, noting some of its limitations, and critique the native/non-native distinction as a coarse and somewhat unsatisfactory criterion for distinguishing between the advantaged and disadvantaged. In the second part of the paper we report on an empirical survey of the attitudes of Spanish academics at the University of Zaragoza to the possible disadvantage they may experience in publishing in English, and we investigate determinants of these attitudes. Though the survey shows, as expected, that a majority do feel disadvantaged in academic publication relative to Anglophone scholars, it also indicates, we argue, that attitudes are more complex and multidimensional than the literature sometimes suggests. Self-reported language proficiency emerges as a significant determinant of attitudes. The final part of the paper discusses a number of proposed language planning interventions designed to redress linguistic disadvantage. We argue that some of the more radical of these are flawed or unfeasible and suggest that more modest measures have a greater likelihood of ameliorating the situation. (Contains 10 tables and 22 notes.)

The interoperability of educational systems, encouraged by the development of specifications, standards and tools related to the Semantic Web is limited to the exchange of information in domain and student models. High system interoperability requires that a common framework be defined that represents the functional essence of educational systems. To address this need, we developed a generic model of educational systems that we called Cognitive Ontology of Educational Systems (COES) and we encoded it as functional reference ontology. It generalizes the educational system architecture, taking into account the cognitive perspective. This framework ranges from the usual e-learning systems to complex cognitive and adaptive hypermedia systems. This article describes the part of the COES related to domain knowledge representation and proposes an implementation called Generic Educational Knowledge (GEK). The GEK model is structured in a flexible way that allows the authors to codify instructional and semantic levels as needed. In order to test its feasibility, the model was applied in a distance learning course using two educational-knowledge models, GEK and ADLSCORM, and two educational systems, a traditional Web-Based Adaptive Hypermedia System and a Rich Internet Application with dialog interaction and cognitive monitoring. (Contains 13 figures.)

Moodle is an extended learning management system for developing learning units, including mathematically-based subjects. A wide variety of material can be developed in Moodle which contains facilities for forums, questionnaires, lessons, tasks, wikis, glossaries and chats. Therefore, the Moodle platform provides a meeting point for those working in a mathematics course. Mathematics requires special materials and activities: The material must include mathematical objects and the activities included in the virtual course must be able to do mathematical computations. WIRIS is a powerful software for educational environments. It has libraries for calculus, algebra, geometry and much more. In this article, examples showing the use of WIRIS in numerical methods and examples of using a new tool, WIRIS quizzes, are illustrated. By enhancing Moodle with WIRIS, we can add random learning questions to modules. Moodle has a simpler version of this capability, but WIRIS extends the method in which the random material is presented to the students. Random objects can appear in a question, in a variable of a question, in a plot or in the definition of a mathematical object. This article illustrates material prepared for numerical methods using a WIRIS library integrated in WIRIS quizzes. As a result, WIRIS in Moodle can be considered as a global solution for mathematics education. (Contains 13 figures.)

Since the introduction of gender themes into university teaching in geography in Spain in 1989, significant gains have been made but challenges remain in relation to placing gender into undergraduate curricula and developing teaching resources in local languages. Geographers in Spain have to meet those challenges in the near future in order to fully integrate gender geography into the curricula.

Introduction: The current study describes the planning process and aims of the university reforms in Spain and suggests an innovative proposal, namely the design and evaluation of a week-long induction programme for first-year bachelor's degree students at the University of Lleida (Spain), organised within the European higher education framework. The purpose of this induction programme is to help new students adapt to university life. Method: A total of 102 students and ten lecturers were involved in the study. These participants responded questionnaires and interviews. We contrasted all the results in order to obtain some results that were useful to evaluate the induction programmee which the University introduced in the first four degrees. Results: Findings of the study revealed that participants gave very positive feedback regarding the programme, and the results also highlighted areas which could be improved. Conclusion: The new proposals clearly require a higher level of staff participation to make them work, highlighting the need for appropriate training of university staff and improving coordination with appropriate systems. (Contains 4 tables.)

Introduction: The aim of this research is to analyze the influence of time management, particularly in connection with university teachers' assigned class hours, on psychosocial factors relating to perceived health and stress symptoms. Special attention is given to the effect of very early and very late class hours. Method: The sample comprised 172 professors from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (99 men and 73 women). A Spanish version of the ISTAS21 was used. Results: Professors whose classes were held in the early morning or late evening hours reported a less healthy perception of themselves and a larger number of stress symptoms. Results showed no difference related to gender, but significant differences were found in the gender-teaching shift interaction. Early/late class hours show a stronger effect on females. Discussion and Conclusions: A university professor's possibilities to arrange his or her work time, and so balance work and personal life, have an impact in preventing illnesses and stress symptoms. It is not so much a question of general time management as the avoidance of time conflicts with highly valued personal activities. This effect is most notable in the women in our sample, who show a preference for a female social role that gives priority to family. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

Universities can offer eLearning 2.0 tools and services to learners while obtaining clear benefits from releasing the control over some learning content. This means a shift from the institution centred and monolithic model of traditional virtual learning environments (VLEs) to a more heterogeneous and open model. This article tries to plot an architecture to be put in practice by universities to give learners the control of their learning processes by using eLearning 2.0. We propose an institutionally powered personal learning environment (iPLE) that constitutes our vision of how Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, starting pages), services ("del.icio.us, Flickr, YouTube") and people arrangement and data sharing (social networking, learn-streaming) could be applied in an integrated manner to learning processes. First, this article justifies the suitability for a PLE in the context of eLearning 2.0 and European Higher Education Area. Second, an overview of the evolution from VLEs to PLEs is given, and different PLE approaches are reviewed. Third, the concept of an iPLE is presented, and a conceptual architecture for it is detailed. Finally, this article also describes the technological aspects of a prototype of iPLE Network designed for the University of the Basque Country, which will be used as a test-bed for a case study in the Faculty of Medicine. (Contains 4 figures.)

We report the naming performance of a Spanish patient (AQF) suffering from Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). AQF's performance revealed a grammatical category-specific deficit, with poorer performance in verb than in noun naming. Furthermore, this dissociation was only present in written naming. Importantly, the patient's dissociation between nouns and verbs was present also when we studied her performance with homonymous words. We argue that this dissociation is not due to a range of semantic factors but is a true grammatical category-specific deficit located at the lexical level of orthographic processing. Thus, we bring in new evidence in favour of grammatical category representation at a post-semantic level where output modalities are represented separately. (Contains 4 tables and 5 figures.)

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This paper provides an in-depth study of the relationship between the company's training strategy and its learning capability. On a sample of 111 Spanish companies from the chemical industry, tests a set of hypotheses which link four different training strategies with the learning capability dimensions. The results obtained from the regression analyses clearly show that ongoing training, team-based training and job rotation programmes have a positive influence on company learning capability. The present study presents evidence of how a specific human resources strategy (training strategy) influences the development of a strategic capability (organisational learning). Future studies should analyse the influence of training on performance, using organisational learning capability as a moderating variable. Additionally, the relationship between human resource management and learning should also be studied using a configurational approach. This would enable to take into account the synergic effect deriving from the joint use of complementary human resources strategies. (Contains 5 tables.)

Background: In adolescents aged 12-14, we measured attitudes to tobacco advertising. Our purpose is to understand the relation of these attitudes to tobacco use and identify the groups most influenced by the advertising. Methods: Survey of adolescents on Gran Canaria Island, Spain, about aspects of family, school, peers, tobacco consumption, and tobacco advertising. The subjects of the double-stratified cluster sample were 1910 students at the same grade level in 33 schools; 86.6% were 13 or 14 years old, and 51.2% were boys. We generated measures for attitudes to tobacco advertising from replies to seven questions with ordinal scales by an analysis of categorical principal components. To relate attitude to tobacco advertising and the profiles of these adolescents, we used multiple regression and logistic regression models. Results: Attitudes to tobacco advertising are related to some home and school factors, but most significantly to tobacco and alcohol consumption, to amount of time at home without adults, and to peer influence. Conclusions: It is possible to draw up profiles of the students most vulnerable to tobacco advertising, and to cluster them in two groups, the "vitalists" and the "credulous." The effect of cigarette ads is different between these groups. This study can help to orientate smoking prevention. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)