Skills in European Higher Education Mobility Programmes: Outlining a Conceptual Framework

Purpose Credit mobility has been acknowledged not only to broaden personal and intellectual horizons but also to have positive effects on the skills development and employability of undergraduate students. Academics, policymakers and organizations representing the labour market have presented a broad number of skills-related explorations proposing different frameworks to help develop students" skills. However, the identification of explicit skills is still a difficult endeavour. This study aims to revise main conceptual skills frameworks applicable in the European higher education area (EHEA), determine the skills relevant in European credit mobility and categorize skills among the examined schemes in order to create a normative model of the skills students should obtain in exchange programmes. Design/methodology/approach – The approach used to identify related literature was a search in three main databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for scientific and relevant articles after 1990 using the following combination of keywords: 'skill frameworks” AND 'higher education” OR 'skill frameworks” AND 'mobility exchange programs”. It produced 391 articles but only 32 deal with skill frameworks in European higher education. After the review of these existing literature (summaries, tables and conclusions), we found out that most articles focused on specific skills (transferable, employable, etc.) in the EHEA, but merely 16 academic publications offered a complete depiction of skills frameworks applicable in credit mobility programs. Most current accounts about skills outlines, specifically the ones related to employability, come from grey literature, namely comprehensive records and reports. Findings – Data seem to confirm that there is scarce agreement on a common taxonomy of skills. However, considering the results, which summarize relevant educational, institutional and occupational perspectives, it can be noticed that there is consensus on the classification of only four skills: ICT, literacy and numeracy, which are considered basic, key or core skills in most researched papers together with problem solving, which is generally regarded as a cognitive skill. The general tendency is that policymakers and academia focus on some particular domains: basic/key, core/global foundation/fundamental skills, transferable, transversal and other skills. Studies analysing the workforce skill requirements have projected mainly cognitive and learning skills, whereas mobility programmes concede relevance to employability, management, career and life skills. Research limitations/implications – Measuring skills involves limitations as records vary depending on continuous emerging data from institutions, occupations and education. The key frameworks surveyed have provided a representative classification and depiction of the current skills from specific perspectives which are also believed to have their shortcomings. In combination, however, it is believed that the results presented can help provide a theoretical basis for assessing skills in credit mobility and Erasmus programmes within the EHEA. The resulting framework presents a founded basis for skills appraisal which expects to be meaningful for various stakeholders and helps determine how mobility policies can help improve the attainment of skills in the EHEA. Practical implications – Research has suggested that education systems will have to adapt to the changing needs of the labour markets" reshaping roles to balance technology and human intellect. The workforce seems to realize that cognitive skills such as problem solving, organization and decision-making are needed in today"s society; advanced basic learning skills such as numeracy and literacy are essential. Findings appoint to new areas for exploration in skills development in order to prepare European higher education students for current trends in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the fusion between digital, physical and biological sphere

Three frameworks for developing CLIL materials

Este artículo propone tres marcos de Aprendizaje Integrado de Contenidos y Lenguas Extranjeras (AICLE) para el \ud desarrollo y elaboración de materiales en Educación Infantil y Primaria siguiendo una disposición u orden específicos. \ud El primer marco, basado en Mohan (1986), relaciona la estructura y el tema de los materiales con el conocimiento de \ud los estudiantes. El segundo marco revisa la taxonomía de Bloom (1956) y sugiere actividades de secuenciación que \ud comprenden desde el nivel de pensamiento mas bajo (recuerdo simple o información), al mas alto, que es la aplicación. \ud Finalmente Coyle et al. (2010) plantean la planificación de materiales en función de un tríptico lingüistico que \ud desarrolla contenidos más específicos. Todos estos modelos comparten, de alguna manera, el principio común basado \ud en la idea de que la integración del contenido en el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera desarrolla la comunicación y \ud pueden servir de herramienta práctica a profesores de AICLE con necesidad de producir sus propios materiales en las \ud primeras etapas educativas.This paper proposes three illustrated frameworks made by remarkable researchers to develop effective Content and \ud Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) materials in Infant and Primary Education following a specific arrangement. The \ud first framework, based on Mohan (1986), relates materials structure and topics to students’ knowledge. The second \ud framework revises Bloom’s taxonomy and suggests sequencing activities from low cognitive to high cognitive thinking \ud skills. Finally, Coyle et al. (2010) suggest a language triptych that enables lesson planning in three stages using more \ud specific content. All these models share, in some way, the common principle of integrating content and language \ud learning to exploit communication and may serve as a practical tool for CLIL teachers to produce their own materials at \ud the early stages of schooling

Human communicative dialogic practices in content and language-based educational interactions with technology

Anthropology has paid close attention to linguistic interaction andforeign language learning. This study approaches the use of dialogic learning that has strong roots in anthropology, sociology and applied linguistics. Following earlier research on teaching content in English in different subjects of teacher training through dialogic interaction, this paper focuses on the specific use of digital technology as a support for analysis through teacher-instructor interaction, as a means of social interaction, and as the creation of self-designed materials for content language integrated learning. Data is obtained from group discussions using digital content. Results indicate that technology represents a shifting pedagogical paradigm to enhance interaction in the Zone of Proximal Development and promote learning content in English through self and peer reflection.The findings of this study may serve as a monitor for content and language integrated learning educators aiming to enhance principled communicative insightful teachingwith technologyMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovació

Linking Technology and Reflective Practice in Primary ELT Teacher Education

This paper presents the qualitative results of a study on the use of technology based dialogic interaction in Primary ELT teacher education. In this research technology was focused on its use to support and act as an elaborative interface in the dialogic interaction between the teacher educators and the teacher learners by (1) providing support for analysis, (2) enhancing social interaction through richer contextualization and (3) favouring the design of new teacher training materials. In this research two teacher educators at the Faculty of Education of Universidad de Alcalá (Madrid, Spain) studied the interactions of their own student teachers in microteaching activities for their own classmates, recorded the teaching-trainee-teaching-trainee and teaching-trainee-teacher interactions, and had a dialogic intervention after watching the recordings. Results indicated that dialogic interaction in the zone of proximal development (ZPD) leads to a general learning improvement along with a better self-image and higher motivation. This is due to a significant reduction of performance anxiety, the development of teaching skills, and capacity to self-observe and reflect on their own performance

Using virtual tools for developing autonomous learning and teaching communicative English for professional purposes in Primary Education Degree

Este artículo refleja la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa mediante el desarrollo de actividades colaborativas relacionadas con el perfil profesional de estudiantes del Grado en Educación Primaria. Esta acción se ha centrado en el uso de internet y de varias aplicaciones tecnológicas (la plataforma virtual, el blog y Youtube) como medios eficaces para el desarrollo de acciones cuyo enfoque comunicativo se desarrolla con tareas. Esta línea de trabajo contempla la utilización de nuevas tendencias pedagógicas y la integración técnica de las distintas competencias lingüísticas, a la vez que se facilita el aprendizaje autónomo, la evaluación y la reflexión sobre la enseñanza-aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. La revisión de contenidos relacionados con la futura actividad del estudiante utilizando las nuevas tecnologías facilita la adquisición de la lengua inglesa al desarrollar un aprendizaje comunicativo y constructivo en contextos reales.This article reflects how to learn and teach English carrying out collaborative activities related to the professional profile of the subject Foreign Language (English) in Primary Education using blended learning, the Internet and different technological applications (virtual platform, blogs and Youtube) as effective means for developing a communicative task-based approach. Considering that learning English for Specific and Professional Purposes involves identifying the students´ needs (learning English in order to subsequently teach it to future teachers of Primary Education) and practising in real contexts such as the Web 2.0, this paper explores the use of new educational trends and the technical integration of different skills in foreign language acquisition while facilitating self-evaluation and autonomous learning. This study outlines how teaching and learning contents related to the student´s future profession using new technologies involves English language acquisition through the students´ exposure in real constructive and communicative contexts

Using virtual tools for developing autonomous learning and teaching communicative English for professional purposes in Primary Education Degree

Este artículo refleja la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa mediante el desarrollo de actividades colaborativas relacionadas con el perfil profesional de estudiantes del Grado en Educación Primaria. Esta acción se ha centrado en el uso de internet y de varias aplicaciones tecnológicas (la plataforma virtual, el blog y Youtube) como medios eficaces para el desarrollo de acciones cuyo enfoque comunicativo se desarrolla con tareas. Esta línea de trabajo contempla la utilización de nuevas tendencias pedagógicas y la integración técnica de las distintas competencias lingüísticas, a la vez que se facilita el aprendizaje autónomo, la evaluación y la reflexión sobre la enseñanza-aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. La revisión de contenidos relacionados con la futura actividad del estudiante utilizando las nuevas tecnologías facilita la adquisición de la lengua inglesa al desarrollar un aprendizaje comunicativo y constructivo en contextos reales.This article reflects how to learn and teach English carrying out collaborative activities related to the professional profile of the subject Foreign Language (English) in Primary Education using blended learning, the Internet and different technological applications (virtual platform, blogs and Youtube) as effective means for developing a communicative task-based approach. Considering that learning English for Specific and Professional Purposes involves identifying the students´ needs (learning English in order to subsequently teach it to future teachers of Primary Education) and practising in real contexts such as the Web 2.0, this paper explores the use of new educational trends and the technical integration of different skills in foreign language acquisition while facilitating self-evaluation and autonomous learning. This study outlines how teaching and learning contents related to the student´s future profession using new technologies involves English language acquisition through the students´ exposure in real constructive and communicative contexts

Critical Reflections on Teaching ESP through Constructivist, Communicative and Collaborative Technological Integrated Procedures

AbstractAccording to the constructivist approach, that considers learning an active process of construction in which the student occupies a central position, this paper is an attempt to critically reflect on the approaches of teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) carrying out real practices in internet and using different multimedia tools. Taking into account that the acquisition of a foreign language implies training in real contexts and social interaction, this study analyses the use of new pedagogical tendencies such as the Web 2.0. (Wikis, Blogs, Blackboard, etc.) and internet (online dictionaries, YouTube, Google search, etc.) as effective resources to carry out communicative and task-based activities for teaching ESP. This study, based on the impressions and experiences of developing constructive real tasks related to a professional subject using new technologies, reviews not only current language teaching paradigms related to social participation, but also how the technical integration of the different linguistic skills promotes communicative learning in real contexts. The findings from this exploratory study provide a better understanding on the efficiency of technology in teaching English for Specific Purposes

Online Teaching Methodologies in Higher Education Credit Mobility Courses: ErasmusX pilot project

Este documento se considera que es un capítulo de libro en lugar de un artículoSixth International Conference on e-Learning (econf)Based on Erasmus credit mobility programs, ErasmusX is a project envisaged to offer students the possibility to add value to international exchange periods by combining online certified studies with further professional or academic experiences abroad. However, differences between national higher education systems and teaching styles can lead to issues concerning the recognition of credits, which makes necessary to establish common basic procedures. For this purpose, five different European Higher Education Institutions which have traditionally based their academic organization in the face to face credit system, have joined to develop on-line certified courses on several pre-defined areas following common practices. Bearing in mind this purpose, this communication focuses on the proposal of key pedagogical models, approaches and strategies to consider when designing online courses for mobility students. The revision of existing practices underline that online teaching requires not only an adjustment of the role of professors and students, but also a different structure of the courses based on a flexible online instructional design. The methods and models revised in this preliminary study point to the need of incorporating a collaborative online teaching approach with processed educational technology in English mediated instruction