European Journal of Special Needs Education Vol. 18, No. 3, October 2003 erratum

The current paper reports on the outcome of an ongoing action research project at a school for higher-functioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Sweden. The overall aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire that captures social and individual aspects of classroom learning suitable for use with students with ASD. Interview data is presented on the perceived utility of the questionnaire for understanding and planning classroom instruction for the children with ASD through the eyes of the students’ teachers and their parents, as assessed during an Individual Education Plan meeting. Further, teacher ratings obtained by means of the instrument were found to differentiate a group of students with ASD (n = 10) from a group of typically developing children matched with regard to grade year, word reading ability and receptive vocabulary (n = 10). Implications and future directions are discussed, as are limitations of this pilot study.     

La calidad en la educación abierta y a distancia en México

Abstract

Since 1947, distance education in Mexico has had an important role for nonconventional populations. Considering that distance education is a heterogeneous and dynamic field, it is important to reflect on the need to improve quality as measured by our own standards. With that perspective in mind, a national meeting was organized to start a self‐diagnosis in which quality and access were the main concerns. Five hundred and twenty specialists from fifty‐one institutions participated in a national interactive synchronous meeting held in four regions. As a result of the meeting, thirty‐five criteria and 230 parameters of quality were established. The main conclusion of the meeting refers to the need for the elaboration of our own indicators for open and distance education.     

Das System des Unterrichtswesens der Ungarischen Volksrepublik

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

National identity,social institutions and political values. The case of FC Barcelona and Catalonia from an intergenerational comparison

Using the case of FC Barcelona and Catalonia, this paper examines the relationship between national identity, social institutions and political values. Through different methods of qualitative research, we present an intergenerational comparison between age cohorts to capture continuities and discontinuities in the discursive linkage between FC Barcelona and national feelings of belonging. As the context has changed, the identity construction process should have changed in conjunction with it. The results point to how the old cohort tended to use Barça, as an escape valve, intertwined with Catalan nationalism and political freedom. In contrast, the young ones reproduce the old discourse leaving aside those political values formerly attached to the idea of Barça.     

The relevance of intellectual capital disclosure: empirical evidence from Spanish universities

The reporting of intellectual capital (IC) in higher education institutions is of vital importance, mainly owing to the fact that knowledge is the main output and input in these institutions. Furthermore, the increasing social concern about establishing procedures of accountability and ensuring information transparency in public universities prompted us to consider the need to disclose information on their IC. In this study, we developed a questionnaire that was sent to members of the Social Councils of Spanish public universities in order to identify the intangible elements about which university stakeholders demand most information. It was also used to see which groups of universities have stakeholders who are more proactive to the disclosure of IC. Our results represent a starting point for public universities to identify the most commonly requested information about IC. Universities can then develop an IC report that fits their own characteristics and environment.