Patterns of Academic Scientific Collaboration at a Distance: Evidence from Southern European Countries

The main objective of this chapter is to examine the trends of academic scientific collaboration (SC) at a distance among public universities located in peripheral countries: Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal. The data to capture scientific collaboration consists of a set of co-authored articles published between 2001 and 2010 by universities located in the mentioned Southern countries, indexed by the Science Citation Index expanded (SCI Expanded) of the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) Web of Science (WoS) database. We link this data to institution-level information provided by the EUMIDA dataset. In addition, we retrieved regional data on economic variables from Eurostat. The methodology relies on a descriptive analysis of the evolution of co-publications at different notions of proximity. Our results show a trend toward collaboration over longer distances, although we find heterogeneity by countries and disciplines. Building on our results, we provide some policy implications

The diffusion of energy technologies. Evidence from renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy patents

Technology innovation is widely recognised as a critical means in tackling climate change and fulfilling energy policy objectives. The objective of this paper is twofold: first, to provide a descriptive analysis of innovation in energy technology across countries and sectors and over time; and second, to explore the determining factors of patented knowledge diffusion of energy technologies by distinguishing between renewables and other energy patents, i.e., fossil and nuclear patents) thorough a regression analysis. The data employed in this paper consists of an original database on renewables and other energy patents applied by firms in the period 1990–2015 and contained in PATSTAT. By drawing on patent citations as an indicator of knowledge diffusion and focusing on characteristics extracted from patent documents, a set of econometric models is estimated. Our results show that those patents containing more citations to previous scientific literature and patents attain greater diffusion. Joint patents with other firms or universities exert a negligible effect on technology regarding renewables. Coownership with universities has a negative effect on the diffusion of other types of energy technology. Several policy implications can be determined from our results: for example, the justification for policies oriented towards enhancing the incorporation of scientific knowledge and co-inventorship in energy innovation

Macroeconomics in practice: using WIKIS for collaborative learning

This project is based on the creation of collaborative wikis for students of Macroeconomics to elaborate a final work in which they apply the theoretical knowledge learnt in the subject to the real world. The initiative was implemented during the course 2015-2016 and aimed at 140 students enrolled in the subject at the Degree of Finance and Accountancy of the University of Cadiz. To emphasize the link between the theories explained in class and the real world, in previous courses we have already used news and other resources. With this project, we now introduce the use of wikis, which consist on the creation of a website to allow collaborative creation and modification of contents and structure from the web browser. Students were organized in 44 teams, of about 3 members, to examine data on a certain macroeconomic variable (i.e. inflation or GDP), in a particular geographical context (i.e. G20 or EU countries). The objectives of the project include: i) to enhance learning and comprehension of theoretical knowledge and ii) to contribute to the development of skills related to the subject, such as the skill to apply the acquired knowledge, the skill to analyze and search information and teamwork. Students’ opinions gathered from a survey at the end of the course suggest that these objectives have been achieved

Regional scientific production and specialization in Europe. The role of HERD

This paper analyses the effects of R&D expenditure in the higher education sector (HERD) on the scientific production across regions in Europe 15. Our research questions relates to the regional production of science and the role of academic R&D expenditures on regional scientific output. The results show that money affects the production of scientific results in regions. On average, we found different impacts and lags of R&D expenditure according to the level of regional development. Our findings also suggest that scientific specialization is a significant factor affecting scientific outputs, although its effects differ across disciplines and regions.Support for this research was provided in part from the Junta de Andalucía (Grant P08-SEJ-03981)

Effects of knowledge spillovers between competitors on patent quality: what patent citations reveal about a global duopoly

This paper analyses the effects on patent quality of a type of spillovers arising from the disclosure of patent information by firms engaged in competition in a global duopoly. Both firms are involved in producing new technologies and they do not cooperate on joint patents. In this context, we explored whether the disclosure of crucial knowledge in the patents of one of the firms affects the patent quality of its respective competitor. The empirical methodology relies on forward citations as an indicator of quality, and backward citations to the competitor as a measure of spillovers. We estimated several count models with a sample of 7750 patent families (divided into subsamples) owned by two large companies, Airbus and Boeing. Our econometric findings show that, for technologies in which the two firms account for the majority of the global patents, neither of the firms in the duopoly was able to harness spillovers from the rival to improve the quality of its patents. However, knowledge from the competitor becomes relevant, at least for one of the focal firms, in explaining patent quality of other technologies in which the two firms do not exert a dominant position.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness [Grant Number ECO2016-79436-R], [AEI/FEDER/UE]. Previous versions of the paper were presented at the 2018 Technology Transfer Society Annual Conference (Valencia), the 2019 International Open and User Innovation Conference (Utretcht), and the 2019 annual International Conference on Economics and Security (Madrid). The authors express their thanks to colleagues at these conferences for their helpful suggestions. The authors are also very grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive and insightful comments

Trivianometrics, una competición académica por equipos en el aula de Econometría Financiera.

Memoria en formato artículo de los resultados del proyecto de innovación docente PI_14_011 realizado en la Universidad de Cádiz durante el curso 2013/14. El proyecto recibió el tercer premio de innovación docente y diploma de excelencia otorgado por la Unidad de Innovación Docente de la UCA y el Consejo Social de la Universidad de Cádiz. http://www.uca.es/recursos/doc/Unidades/Unidad_Innovacion/Innovacion_Docente/2013_2014/1266175410_285201512844.pdfMotivar a los alumnos para estudiar con regularidad y participar en clase es una tarea compleja pero fundamental en asignaturas de aprendizaje continuo, donde los nuevos conocimientos se fundamentan en conocimientos previos adquiridos en las mismas. Con el objeto de incrementar el interés y estudio de la asignatura, propusimos a los alumnos participar en una competición académica por equipos donde se pone a prueba sus conocimientos de Econometría Financiera. El diseño de Trivianometrics combina dos elementos fundamentales en el aprendizaje: 1) trabajo continuo durante el curso y 2) un incentivo a corto plazo que motive a superar las dificultades de la materia de estudio. La competición se llevó a cabo durante el curso 2013/14 donde se creó una clasificación de equipos a partir de los puntos obtenidos en mini rondas de preguntas. Semanalmente, los alumnos tenían la posibilidad de ganar puntos para su equipo y mejorar la clasificación que se actualizaba al final de cada ronda. La distribución de los puntos se planificó de modo que se mantuviera el interés hasta el final. Tras desarrollarse la competición, se nombraron tres equipos ganadores que fueron recompensados con una nota extra en el examen y el reconocimiento público en clase con la entrega de un diploma de recuerdo. Al final del curso, los alumnos rellenaron un encuesta de opinión sobre la utilidad y los efectos del Trivianometrics en su motivación, proceso de aprendizaje y nota final de la asignatura con resultados muy satisfactorios. Más del 70% de los alumnos encuestados consideró que la actividad había tenido efectos positivos en su estudio regular. Además, nos sorprendió gratamente que más de la mitad de los alumnos consideró más motivador el reconocimiento hacia los ganadores que los puntos extra en el examen.Unidad de Innovación Docente UCA, Universidad de Cádi

El uso de códigos QR para mejorar en Econometría. Una experiencia docente.

Memoria final en formato artículo del proyecto de innovación docente PI_13_016. El proyecto fue llevado a cabo durante el curso académico 2012/13 y recibió un accésit y diploma con mención de excelencia por la Unidad de Innovación Docente y el Consejo Social de la Universidad de Cádiz. http://www.uca.es/recursos/doc/Unidades/Unidad_Innovacion/Innovacion_Docente/2012_2013/891466831_195201411523.pdfLos teléfonos móviles, máximos representantes de la integración tecnológica en nuestra sociedad, siguen ampliando su oferta de aplicaciones para facilitar nuestra vida diaria. Sin embargo, el mundo formativo continúa sin dar el paso definitivo a estos nuevos dispositivos. Con el trasfondo de que nuestros estudiantes empiecen a utilizar sus móviles en actividades formativas (m-learning) y con el objetivo de facilitar el aprendizaje de la asignatura de Econometría, se desarrolló una serie de actividades disponibles en el móvil mediante la lectura de códigos QR que permiten a los alumnos afianzar conceptos sobre la materia de estudio. Al finalizar el curso se realizó una encuesta de opinión cuyos resultados se analizaron para detectar los factores que influyen en el uso del móvil en las actividades que se pusieron a disposición de los estudiantes. Los principales resultados muestran la importancia de tener un conocimiento previo en la lectura de códigos QR para que los alumnos consideren esta actividad una ventaja en lugar de un inconveniente. Asimismo, se detectó que ventajas del móvil como la inmediatez de uso y la portabilidad pueden quedar menoscabadas por la lentitud de las conexiones de datos y el reducido tamaño de las pantallas de estos dispositivos.Unidad de Innovación Docente UCA, Universidad de CádizEl archivo contiene la memoria en formato artículo: 4 página

The effect of economic distance on academic scientific collaboration: evidence from southern European regions

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es examinar el papel de la distancia económica sobre la colaboración científica entre instituciones universitarias del sur de Europa, usando para ello datos correspondientes a co-publicaciones para el periodo 2006-2010. Adicionalmente se explora el efecto de otras nociones de distancia señaladas en la literatura. Los resultados muestran que la distancia económica favorece la colaboración científica, en el marco de la hipótesis centro-periferia. La proximidad geográfica, cognitiva, institucional y social también actúan como factores que fomenta la colaboración científica. En cuanto a la proximidad organizativa, los datos no muestran resultados concluyentes.The main objective of this paper is to examine the effect of economic distance on academic scientific collaboration in peripherical countries in Southern Europe (period 2006-2010). For this purpose, we use co-publications as an indicator of collaboration. Besides, we explore the effect of other proximity notions argued in the extant literature. Our results show that economic distance promotes academic scientific collaboration, supporting the centre-periphery hypothesis. It is also shown that geographic, cognitive, institutional and social proximity facilitates scientific collaboration, while the effect of organizational proximity is not clear

Using Interactive Response Systems in Economics: utility and factors influencing students’ attitudes

[EN] The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) involves changing traditional methods to promote innovative teaching experiences. This paper has two main aims: a) to show evidence of the use of Interactive Response Systems (IRS) to identify gaps in the understanding of the course contents and b) to investigate factors influencing students’ attitudes towards the use of IRS. The experience was developed through a collective tutoring session in the subject of Economics using IRS. Economics is a first-year subject in the Degree of Business Administration and Management offered by the University of Cadiz, which includes contents of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics and uses economic models to explain the function of the economy and the behaviour of economic agents. Results show that IRS technique allows detecting gaps in learning and comprehension. From our econometric estimations, we also identify two strongly significant variables affecting students’ attitudes towards IRS: gender and received explanations regarding the use of IRS. Variables such as first enrolment in the subject and the number of hours devoted to studying have a positive and significant effect on the attitude to IRS, but at a lower level of significance (from 5% to 10%).Bares López, L.; Fernández Pérez, AM.; Ferrándiz León, E.; Flores Varo, ME.; León Rodríguez, MD. (2017). Using Interactive Response Systems in Economics: utility and factors influencing students’ attitudes. Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences. 4(1):16-36. doi:10.4995/muse.2017.5476.SWORD163641Anthis, K. (2011). Is It the Clicker, or Is It the Question? Untangling the Effects of Student Response System Use. Teaching of Psychology, 38(3), 189-193. doi:10.1177/0098628311411895Butler, J. A. (1992). Use of teaching methods within the lecture format. Medical Teacher, 14(1), 11-25. doi:10.3109/01421599209044010Camacho-Mi-ano, M. D. M. and del Campo, C. (2014). Useful interactive teaching tool for learning: clickers in higher education. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-18.Cabrer, B., Sancho, A. and Serrano, G. (2001). Microeconometría y Decisión. Pirámide, Madrid.Caldwell, J. E. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9-20. doi:10.1187/cbe.06-12-0205Carnaghan, C., & Webb, A. (2007). Investigating the Effects of Group Response Systems on Student Satisfaction, Learning, and Engagement in Accounting Education. Issues in Accounting Education, 22(3), 391-409. doi:10.2308/iace.2007.22.3.391Dallaire, D. H. (2011). Effective Use of Personal Response «Clicker» Systems in Psychology Courses. Teaching of Psychology, 38(3), 199-204. doi:10.1177/0098628311411898Emenike, M. E., & Holme, T. A. (2012). Classroom Response Systems Have Not «Crossed the Chasm»: Estimating Numbers of Chemistry Faculty Who Use Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 89(4), 465-469. doi:10.1021/ed200207pFallon, M., & Forrest, S. L. (2011). High-Tech Versus Low-Tech Instructional Strategies. Teaching of Psychology, 38(3), 194-198. doi:10.1177/0098628311411896Fies, C., & Marshall, J. (2006). Classroom Response Systems: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 15(1), 101-109. doi:10.1007/s10956-006-0360-1Gebru, M. T., Phelps, A. J., & Wulfsberg, G. (2012). Effect of clickers versus online homework on students’ long-term retention of general chemistry course material. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 13(3), 325-329. doi:10.1039/c2rp20033cGül, H., Gül, S. S., Kaya, E., & Alican, A. (2010). Main trends in the world of higher education, internationalization and institutional autonomy. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1878-1884. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.417Han, J. H., & Finkelstein, A. (2013). Understanding the effects of professors’ pedagogical development with Clicker Assessment and Feedback technologies and the impact on students’ engagement and learning in higher education. Computers & Education, 65, 64-76. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.002Kay, R., & Knaack, L. (2009). Exploring the Use of Audience Response Systems in Secondary School Science Classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(5), 382-392. doi:10.1007/s10956-009-9153-7Kennedy, G. E., & Cutts, Q. I. (2005). The association between students’ use of an electronic voting system and their learning outcomes. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21(4), 260-268. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2005.00133.xKing, S. O., & Robinson, C. L. (2009). ‘Pretty Lights’ and Maths! Increasing student engagement and enhancing learning through the use of electronic voting systems. Computers & Education, 53(1), 189-199. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.01.012Lasry, N. (2008). Clickers or Flashcards: Is There Really a Difference? The Physics Teacher, 46(4), 242-244. doi:10.1119/1.2895678Liu,T., Liang, J., Wang, H., Chan, T. and Wei, L. (2003). Embedding Educlick in Classroom to Enhance Interaction. In Lee, K., Mitchell, K. (eds.) Proceedings International Conference Computers in Education (ICCE), 117-125. Hong Kong (China).Ludvigsen, K., Krumsvik, R., & Furnes, B. (2015). Creating formative feedback spaces in large lectures. Computers & Education, 88, 48-63. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.04.002MacGeorge, E. L., Homan, S. R., Dunning, J. B., Elmore, D., Bodie, G. D., Evans, E., … Geddes, B. (2007). Student evaluation of audience response technology in large lecture classes. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(2), 125-145. doi:10.1007/s11423-007-9053-6Morling, B., McAuliffe, M., Cohen, L., & DiLorenzo, T. M. (2008). Efficacy of Personal Response Systems («Clickers») in Large, Introductory Psychology Classes. Teaching of Psychology, 35(1), 45-50. doi:10.1177/009862830803500112Moss, K., & Crowley, M. (2011). Effective learning in science: The use of personal response systems with a wide range of audiences. Computers & Education, 56(1), 36-43. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2010.03.021Palmer, E. J., Devitt, P. G., De Young, N. J., & Morris, D. (2005). Assessment of an electronic voting system within the tutorial setting: A randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN54535861]. BMC Medical Education, 5(1). doi:10.1186/1472-6920-5-24Poirier, C. R., & Feldman, R. S. (2007). Promoting Active Learning Using Individual Response Technology in Large Introductory Psychology Classes. Teaching of Psychology, 34(3), 194-196. doi:10.1080/00986280701498665Schackow, T., Milton, C., Loya, L. and Friedman, M. (2004). Audience Response Systems: Effect on Learning in Family Medicine Residents. Family Medicine, 36, 496-504.Siau, K., Sheng, H., & Nah, F. F.-H. (2006). Use of a Classroom Response System to Enhance Classroom Interactivity. IEEE Transactions on Education, 49(3), 398-403. doi:10.1109/te.2006.879802Stowell, J. R., & Nelson, J. M. (2007). Benefits of Electronic Audience Response Systems on Student Participation, Learning, and Emotion. Teaching of Psychology, 34(4), 253-258. doi:10.1080/00986280701700391Van Dijk, L. A., Van Der Berg, G. C., & Van Keulen, H. (2001). Interactive lectures in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 26(1), 15-28. doi:10.1080/03043790123124White, P., Syncox, D., & Alters, B. (2011). Clicking for grades? Really? Investigating the use of clickers for awarding grade-points in post-secondary education. Interactive Learning Environments, 19(5), 551-561. doi:10.1080/10494821003612638Wooldridge, J.M. (2003). Introductory econometrics, a modern approach. Second ed. South-Western College Publishing, Cincinnati, OH