Applying the PEN-3 Cultural Model to Address HIV/AIDS Prevention in Rural Guatemala

Guatemala has an accelerating HIV rate, where prevalence is three times higher among indigenous than nonindigenous, comprising 21% of all cases. Vulnerability is exacerbated by high poverty, low literacy, and poor access to testing and treatment options. This study develops a community-engaged HIV prevention campaign plan for the Mayan town of Santiago Atitlán. The PEN-3 model of cultural sensitivity frames this formative research project. Assessment domains of the PEN-3 model (Cultural empowerment and Relationships & expectations) identify culturally relevant factors affecting HIV prevention behaviours. The Cultural identity domain is utilized to identify entry points enhancing cultural acceptance and efficacy.     

Profiles of self-perceived competencies and conceptions of academic writing in university students / Perfiles de competencias y concepciones sobre la escritura académica en estudiantes universitarios

Abstract

This study analyses Spanish undergraduates’ perceptions of their competency in academic writing, as well as their perception of the criteria that define its quality. We identified student profiles and examined their relationship with (1) certain sample characteristics, such as years of university experience, area of study and students’ gender, and (2) variables related to the process of writing, namely the students’ perception of the writing process and the importance they attribute to its characteristics. The data obtained came from the European Writing Survey (EUWRIT) which was administered to 1,044 students from nine Spanish universities. Profiles were identified by means of k-means cluster analysis. The relationship between these profiles and the variables studied was examined by means of chi-squared analyses and univariate ANOVAs. Two profiles were identified: students who are confident about their writing skills and who acknowledge the importance of writing in their field of knowledge; and students who are relatively confident about their writing ability and who consider writing to be relatively important in their subject area.     

Cognitive-motivational variables of beginner university students in the first year of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area / Variables cognitivo-motivacionales del alumnado de nuevo ingreso en el primer año de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior

Abstract

Within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) the student is the main protagonist of the learning process. This means that teachers must be aware of the cognitive-motivational aspects that influence their learning. This study analyses the academic goals, learning strategies and levels of academic engagement shown by university students in their first year of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area, as well as the relationship between these variables. The results indicate that most students are averagely oriented towards learning goals and highly oriented towards achievement goals, regularly use a wide variety of learning strategies, and show average levels of academic engagement. The correlations between some of these variables are positive and significant. Further research needs to be carried out to understand the role played by different variables in constructing quality autonomous learning processes, not only in relation to students, as in the case of this study, but also in relation to teachers, tasks, contexts, and academic institutions, as well as the different interactions between them.     

The Design of Stereotype and the Image

Our everyday life is influenced by an overproduction of images and by an iconogenic surplus that is connected to the proliferation of media. These contribute to both the quality and quantity of communication, but simultaneously amplify the knowledge gap between an audience that is able to critically process messages and another that is affected uncritically by prejudices and stereotypes. Bellino argues for a critical media education to address this gap by encouraging the development of students' critical thinking and social awareness. In this article we will discuss the results of a research‐driven design project in which visual communication design students engaged with theories of cultural stereotypes and critiqued the role of media in their perpetuation. We adopted Kolb's model of experiential learning as recent published research demonstrates that art and design students have difficulties in conventional academic approaches to learning theory. In this regard students learned theories of stereotype through doing and making and embodied this learning in their critical project outcomes.     

Learning environment of a distance and partly-distance postgraduate coursework programs

Learning Environments Research - To provide ongoing learning for busy professionals, universities are increasingly offering postgraduate opportunities by distance and online. This research examined...