Implementation of an innovative teaching project in a Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria,Spain

This paper shows the planning, the teaching activities and the evaluation of the learning and teaching process implemented in the Chemical Process Design course at the University of Cantabria, Spain. Educational methods to address the knowledge, skills and attitudes that students who complete the course are expected to acquire are proposed and discussed. Undergraduate and graduate engineers' perceptions of the methodology used are evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Results of the teaching activities and the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed case study are discussed in relation to the course characteristics. The findings of the empirical evaluation shows that the excessive time students had to dedicate to the case study project and dealing with limited information are the most negative aspects obtained, whereas an increase in the students' self-confidence and the practical application of the methodology are the most positive aspects. Finally, improvements are discussed in order to extend the application of the methodology to other courses offered as part of the chemical engineering degree.     

Social media's use in postgraduate students' decision-making journey: an exploratory study

Universities globally are showing increased interest in the potential of social media as a marketing recruitment tool. This paper explores how and why potential postgraduate business students looking to study internationally use social media in their educational decision-making process. Due to a lack of existing research, this study adopted an exploratory approach, gathering data through in-depth interviews with 12 postgraduate international students at an Australian university. The findings indicate that besides Facebook and YouTube, students are using blogs in their study search. The two most common reasons for social media usage are finding out about student life and reading reviews from former students. In the decision-making process, social media is mostly used in the information search and evaluation stages. Students’ use of social media also varies across source countries. Our findings are a good information source for education marketers who need to engage more actively with social media.     

The center for nontraditional learning: Problems and prospects in contemporary higher education

This paper discusses the rationale and procedure for establishing and maintaining aCenter for Nontraditional Learning. The author delineates the structure and budget for the Center. The Center includes an Unsponsored Learning Division and a Sponsored Learning Division. The author recommends that the Sponsored Learning Division be implemented before the Unsponsored Learning Division is considered. When the Sponsored Learning Division is well established, then the faculty may wish to consider a program for crediting unsponsored learning. The Center will assist the student in determining life goals, learning goals, and learning styles. This paper also delineates the process for developing a credentialing procedure for unsponsored learning. The importance of faculty support is stressed.