Using social networking sites for language learning to develop intercultural competence in language education programs

This article examines the ways a social networking site for language learning (SNSLL) enhances or hinders intercultural communicative competence (ICC). The study identifies the components of intercultural competence that emerge from students’ interactions and reflections about the SNSLL Livemocha. The research was conducted with second-year students of an English class in a Colombian university. Data were collected through screen recordings, students’ logs, surveys, and a focus group. Findings indicate that, of the five dimensions of ICC, the components of Attitudes, Knowledge, Skills of Interpreting and Relating, and Skills of Discovery and Interaction featured strongly on students’ exchanges and reflections. SNSLLs hold potential to enhance intercultural skills; however, pedagogical adjustment and refocusing of some of their activities are required to expand opportunities for intercultural engagement.     

Collaborations Between Multicultural Educators and Archivists: Engaging Students with Multicultural History Through Archival Research Projects

When multicultural educators and archivists collaborate to design projects that engage students with multicultural history through archival research, students can learn in-depth research skills with primary source documents, creatively share their knowledge, and, on a broader level, engage with their local community history. The projects shared in this article serve as examples of how partnerships between multicultural educators and archivists can occur, the types of projects that can be developed and how they are implemented, and students' responses to their work. The three student projects, including a display, a history guidebook, and an oral history project, are intended to offer a variety of ideas to inspire multicultural educators to reach out to their local archivists to develop archival research projects of their own. And, to promote effective and fruitful partnerships, also included are lessons learned as well as tips for successful collaborations between multicultural educators and archivists.     

Foreign Languages in the Engineering Programmes in Spain: The State of the Art

Following a brief introduction, the extension of engineering education in Spain is described. A scheme of the national education system is given. We consider the impact of the current implementation of new university curricula as a way of improving the quality of the programmes. Attention is paid to the fact of including foreign languages in the engineering programmes of the Spanish universities. Throughout the article, the question of the need of communication for engineers both during their undergraduate and postgraduate studies in engineering as well as in their practical training in industry is emphasized. The core of the paper is devoted to the fact of considering English as the lingua franca for new technologies. A programme called English for Engineering Environments is presented as a way of improving not only the training and understanding of students while at university, but also as future professionals for industry.     

Academic self‐attributions for success and failure in mathematics and school refusal

The aim of this research is twofold: to analyze the mean differences scores in mathematic self‐attributions based on school refusal and to verify its predictive capability on high scores in school refusal. The Sydney Attribution Scale and the School Refusal Assessment Scale‐Revised were administered to 1078 Spanish students (50.8% boys) aged between 8 and 11 years (M = 9.63; SD = 1.12). School refusers based on negative affect or anxiety attributed their failures more to the lack of capacity and effort, whereas students searching for tangible reinforcements outside of the school were more likely to attribute their successes to capacity. In turn, academic attributions acted as both positive and negative predictors of high‐school refusal. Results are discussed considering more adaptive attributional styles.     

A critical narrative analysis of the perspectives of physical trainers and fitness instructors in relation to their body image,professional practice and the consumer culture

The purpose of this study was to critically analyse the perspectives of physical trainers and fitness instructors in relation to their body image, professional practice, and the consumer culture. Fourteen fitness professionals (8 personal trainers, 6 fitness instructors), between 28–37 years of age, volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed inductively through narrative content analysis. Two main categories emerged: (a) multiple representations of body image as an instrument of professional practice and (b) strategies for keeping a lean, youthful, and professional body image while coping with the standards of the consumer society. Each had its corresponding subcategories. The results show that there exist several links between corporeal identity, body image, and the consumer culture. Some of these connections represent sources of credibility and cultural capital, whereas others have detrimental physical and psychological consequences for fitness professionals.     

Del término descolonización y sus derivas pedagógicas

RESUMEN

En tiempos de globalización neoliberal, de enorme sufrimiento de nuestros pueblos y naturalezas, resulta necesario (re) visitar las ideas de los pensadores anticoloniales y a Frantz Fanon (1925–1961). Sus aportes son una vía crítica para recuperar historias de resistencia al colonialismo, se parte de su producción intelectual para luego observar sus derivas y las marcas que este intelectual dejó en la obra de Paulo Freire. Mi intención es analizar las influencias de Fanon, observar como el martinico es una referencia ineludible en el pensamiento latinoamericano, caribeño y del mundo periférico en general. La crítica política que nos propuso puede sintetizarse en el par descolonización-liberación. En tanto enunciación interpelante permitió analizar en clave de sospecha muchos de nuestros presupuestos teóricos-prácticos de fuerte contenido eurocéntrico que se encuentran presentes en la educación. En la actualidad las discusiones sobre la descolonización han vuelto, están de algún modo a reconfigurando nuestras bibliotecas, a pesar de ser parte de nuestra memoria, y biografías políticas han podido ir más allá ellas. Para responder a los avances y la complejidad de la descolonización-liberación, en tanto núcleo de sentido, es necesario realizar una genealogía del concepto para estudiar como nutre los debates actuales de las teorías sociales críticas y de la pedagogía de la liberación.     

Teaching and learning in information retrieval

A literature review of pedagogical methods for teaching and learning information retrieval is presented. From the analysis of the literature a taxonomy was built and it is used to structure the paper. Information Retrieval (IR) is presented from different points of view: technical levels, educational goals, teaching and learning methods, assessment and curricula. The review is organized around two levels of abstraction which form a taxonomy that deals with the different aspects of pedagogy as applied to information retrieval. The first level looks at the technical level of delivering information retrieval concepts, and at the educational goals as articulated by the two main subject domains where IR is delivered: computer science (CS) and library and information science (LIS). The second level focuses on pedagogical issues, such as teaching and learning methods, delivery modes (classroom, online or e-learning), use of IR systems for teaching, assessment and feedback, and curricula design. The survey, and its bibliography, provides an overview of the pedagogical research carried out in the field of IR. It also provides a guide for educators on approaches that can be applied to improving the student learning experiences.