Universitat Oberta De Catalunya Research Articles

Factors that influence the teaching use of Wikipedia in higher education

A key impact the Internet is having on university teaching involves the new choices being provided because of open educational content. Wikipedia is a clear example of these new options. It is a gigantic open repository of knowledge, and it can also be considered a platform that facilitates collaboration in knowledge creation and dissemination. Our research objective is to understand what the main factors are that influence the teaching uses of Wikipedia among university faculty. Based on a technology acceptance model, and using data from a survey sent to all faculty members of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, we analyze the relationships within the internal and external constructs of the model. We found that both the perception of colleagues' opinions about Wikipedia and the perceived quality of the information in Wikipedia play a central role. These two constructs have a significant direct impact on the perceived usefulness of Wikipedia. This perceived usefulness affects, mediated by the behavioral intention of using Wikipedia, the effective use behavior of the encyclopedia. The degree to which an individual considers it is important to participate in open collaborative environments and the Web 2.0 profile of the faculty members also play an important role in our model.

Educational Research on Diversity and Quality Improvement in Education

Julie Spencer-Rodgers1, Antonio Cortijo-Ocana21Dept. of Psichology, California Politechnical University, University of California, Berkeley, USA {rodgers@berkeley.edu}2Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA fanncortijo@ainn.conn}Received on 18 December 2014; revised on 18 December 2014; accepted on 29 December 2014; published on 15 January 2015DOI: 10.7821/naer.2015.1.121We must face many challenges in order to improve the quality of our Education if we want it to be based on basic and applied research. Contemporary advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which arrived years ago with the intention of remaining among us, allows us to derive from them (from a deep reflection about and investigation on their possibilities of utilization) several applications destined to improve the quality of Education per se and to maybe contribute to a change of paradigm. Despite the intrinsic great capabilities of ICT to process information, this cannot be based on a simple manifestation of 'brute' force, that is a simple displaying of 'brute' data; rallier it must be based on the relational capability and the development of cognitive possibilities that contribute efficiently to the production of knowledge. And this must come in turn from a healthy and intelligent interdisciplinary based on the contribution of many epistemological points of view, diverse techniques, disciplines, personal experiences, and concepts. Also, it must be based on healthy biodiversity and the practice of exogamy, that is a large number of scholars that represent several research teams working from numerous highly reputable universities in several countries. We are talking not only about magnitude, quantity, and size but also -and particularly, we must add-about a fine-tuning that promotes-from concrete data-an access to a refined knowledge.Die articles that we are proud to present in this new issue of the Journal of New Approaches on Educational Research amply satisfy the abovementioned requirements. In addition, and to use the keywords of the very title of the journal, they include new approaches and the utilization of new techniques, disciplines, and concepts on the benefits that Education can effectively derive from an interdisciplinary research about the great options provided by the ICT.In tliis regard, and upon fulfilling the strict requirements of a double blind peer review, we are happy to present the results of the original research of these articles: Determinants of Internet Use for Interactive by Jonatan Castano, Jo sep M. Duart, and Teresa Sancho (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya); Media Literacy through photography and participation. A conceptual approach by Angel V. Rabadan (Universidad de Huelva);Educative Supervision in International Cooperation Contexts by Ana Ortiz (Universidad de Jaen), Pedro Valdivia-Moral (Universidad de Huelva), Javier Cachon (Universidad de Jaen), and Joel Prieto (Cardenal Herrera); Enhancing Learning with tiie Social Media: Studient Teachers' perceptions on Twitter in a Discussion Activity by Gema Tur (Universitat de les Illes Balears); The Evaluation questionnaire of Teaching Skills at tiie University Level by Juan Antonio Moreno-Murcia, Yolanda Silveira Torregrosa, and Noelia Belando Pedreno (Universidad Miguel Hernandez); and Analysis of Risks in a Learning Management System: A Case Study in tiie Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED) by Esteban Vazquez-Cano, and Ma Luisa Sevillano Garcia (UNED).To these articles we must add those belonging to the Special Section Diversity Issues in Psychology and Education. This section is based on tiie idea that in a world of increasing globalization and immigration, psychologists and educators are continually faced with issues related to diversity in the classroom, practice settings, and tiie workplace. This diversity can take tiie form of cultural, linguistic, racial/ethnic, gender, and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) differences among students, clients, and employees. …

EL DESARROLLO DE HERRAMIENTAS DE APOYO PARA EL TRABAJO COLABORATIVO EN ENTORNOS VIRTUALES DE APRENDIZAJE

The purpose of this article is to analyse the development of tools to support collaborative learning environments. In our view more effort is needed to examine how the use of scaffolding, improved evaluation systems and following up on the work of students can improve the learning process. We analyse results of research in this area and describe related studies initiated at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

Developing teacher skills to support collaborative online language learning

The significance of collaborative learning through social interaction and interdependence is widely recognised in the social constructivist perspective on learning and the ability to work collaboratively is a core graduate skill. The importance of online learning systems has been widely recognised, with the arrival of new Web 2.0 environments greatly enhancing opportunities for fostering increased peer interaction, collaboration and learner autonomy. However, although many language teachers are keen to exploit these possibilities, their training and experience may not have equipped them to develop and support collaborative learning or to adapt to the different teacher roles required. This paper describes a project between the Department of Languages at The Open University (UK) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Spain, which gave a group of teachers practical experience of organising and engaging in collaborative online language learning in order to understand how it feels in practice. The experience of the participants was explored via a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews in order to produce some guidelines for teacher development to support collaborative learning.

Automatic evaluation for e-learning using latent semantic analysis: A use case

Assessment in education allows for obtaining, organizing, and presenting information about how much and how well the student is learning. The current paper aims at analysing and discussing some of the most state-of-the-art assessment systems in education. Later, this work presents a specific use case developed for the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, which is an online university. An automatic evaluation tool is proposed that allows the student to evaluate himself anytime and receive instant feedback. This tool is a web-based platform, and it has been designed for engineering subjects (i.e., with math symbols and formulas) in Catalan and Spanish. Particularly, the technique used for automatic assessment is latent semantic analysis. Although the experimental framework from the use case is quite challenging, results are promising.

Coordination and Teacher Development in an Online Learning Environment

This paper shares some of the experiences in online coordination and teacher development which have emerged in the English Language Department at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. The advantages and disadvantages of coordination in an asynchronous computer-mediated environment form the backdrop to those issues which we consider to be vital, both for the success of online language courses and in the training and support of online instructors. Among the issues discussed are the course coordinators' role in developing awareness of the specific needs of the online learner, encouraging teacher reflection and the construction of knowledge on new pedagogical approaches inherent in online learning, and promoting a sense of community among online teachers. Specific examples of coordinating activities developed within the English Department will be examined, such as face-to-face meetings, training of new teachers, reference documents for teachers, coordinators' feedback on teachers' work in the classroom, and online discussions of pedagogical issues. These all play their part in helping educators to deliver online courses "to learn from the experience of others and to encourage and evaluate educational innovation" (Gooley & Lockwood, 2001, p. 12).

NUEVOS ENTORNOS PARA UNA COMUNIDAD VIRTUAL CONSOLIDADA

On August 2004 de Virtual University of Quilmes Program (UVQ Program), of the National University of Quilmes implemented the platform “University Campus on Virtual Environments” (Campus nUEVo). The UVQ Program, born on 1999 and pioneer in Argentina, begun a process of innovation after five years of using an adaptation of the Virtual Campus of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya as a medium and environment for developing formation proposals. The main objective of this work is to keep track of the process in which a college community of over four thousand members, migrated from the technologic environment where it was originally constituted, set and socialized to another, new and novel. Here we will go over the institutional strategies of contention, re-socialization inside the environment and solutions to most relevant problems. Also we will analyze the dynamics of the relationship between pedagogical method, technological alternatives and characteristics of the virtual community, as strong conditions of the design of the platform and strategy of implementation. Last we will expose the prospective of developing and innovation at the UVQ Program, from that change.

Designing Innovative Open Spaces for Learning: The Case of the Open University of Catalunya

The present paper summarizes the new proposal for the reconceptualization and understanding of the learner experience at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). As an unaivodable effort to go along with our students practices and realities, the UOC is opening a new space within its learning technologies and pedagogical practices, where students will have the freedom to work and integrate the knowledge spread in the Internet, to collaborate and nurture from each other without strict rules, to create new knowledge by using the web tools they usually use, and in general to construct their own learning process according to their own formula. At the present time, we are in the phase of design of the experience, and this paper will describe the design of new learning spaces according to the Activity Theory.

Are online learners frustrated with collaborative learning experiences?

<p>Online education increasingly puts emphasis on collaborative learning methods. Despite the pedagogical advantages of collaborative learning, online learners can perceive collaborative learning activities as frustrating experiences. The purpose of this study was to characterize the feelings of frustration as a negative emotion among online learners engaged in online computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) experiences and, moreover, to identify the sources to which the learners attribute their frustration. With this aim, a questionnaire was designed to obtain data from a sample of online learners participating in the Master of ICT and Education program of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Results revealed that frustration is a common feeling among students involved in online collaborative learning experiences. The perception of an asymmetric collaboration among the teammates was identified by the students as the most important source of frustration. Online learners also identified difficulties related to group organization, the lack of shared goals among the team members, the imbalance in the level of commitment and quality of the individual contributions, the excess time spent on the online CSCL tasks, the imbalance between the individual and collective grades, and difficulties in communication, among other factors leading to frustration. The analysis of the students’ sources of frustration in online CSCL is followed by a list of recommendations to the distance education stakeholders, aiming to reduce students’ frustration and improve the quality of their experiences in online CSCL contexts such as the UOC.</p>

Evaluation of ICT Applications in the New Lleida Museum, Spain

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the use of different multimedia displays (3D recreations, interactives, audiovisuals) in the Museum of Lleida (in northeast Spain) which opened its new venue in November 2007. This art and archaeological museum has actively used information and computer technology (ICT) applications in its permanent collection in order to improve communication with its public. However, after a couple of years it was realized that some applications were not properly used by visitors and most of them did not fulfill all the expectations. For this reason, the group Òliba from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya conducted an evaluation in 2008 aiming to find the reasons for such behavior. A new methodological framework for evaluating ICT applications is proposed and its application at the Museum of Lleida is discussed. The framework focuses not only on visitor behavior, but also on technological aspects (i.e., usability, comfort, accessibility) and communication practices.

Distance language learners' perceptions of assessed, student-led speaking tasks via a synchronous audiographic conferencing tool

This paper describes a project conducted at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia) aimed at providing distance learners of English as a foreign language with real-time speaking practice. Due to the unfeasibility of scheduling tutor-led sessions, carefully structured speaking tasks were developed which did not require the presence of the teacher and which were to be used by small groups communicating via a synchronous audiographic conferencing tool. The details of the study will be presented, along with an exploration of learner perceptions of the experience based on the results of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with some of the participants.

APTIC: a social network to improve the quality of life of members of patients' associations

The APTIC social network has been developed by PSiNET research group at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya together with Hospital de St. Joan de Deu and Fesalud Foundation, and has been partially funded by Tic Salut Foundation (health department of the Catalan government). Our social network aims at enabling the individual members of patients’ associations (mostly parents of children with chronic and rare diseases) to share experiences, information, advice and, ultimately, to offer them on-line tools to improve the quality of life of the entire family. Participation in specialised social networks like APTIC offers a great opportunity to use technology to improve quality of life with low cost and with a large impact on health. From the health psychology perspective, variables such as the perception of self-efficacy, empowerment and social support are key to improving quality of life. For this reason, like health psychologists we are interested in the analysis of these variables and in their impact on the quality of life of members of patients’ associations. We are examining these variables and network usage in order to establish whether social networks are indeed useful for parents. Our social network has been built on open source software and through collaborative work between organisations (the hospital itself, patients' associations...) and individual users. We will offer our first results and some thoughts about the work with patients and families through social networks. Our goal is to enhance their positive effects, for instance using them as a tool to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge in the field of rare diseases.

A model of equitable and sustainable redistribution of knowledge

Education is one of the pillars in which a Welfare State is effectively based on in order to achieve an equitable distribution of wealth. In contemporary society, knowledge and education are among the most appreciated goods, and everyone should have the right to acquire them, without distinction of gender, race, age, health or religion. From our experience of over 15 years at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya we can claim that virtual learning makes access to education easier for certain population strata, whereas otherwise, they would be excluded from such a right. A very significant group of students to consider are women with family burdens who, thanks to this kind of education, are able to gain access to higher education for the first time in their lives and at their maturity ages. Another significant group is students with disabilities, for whom virtual education makes it possible to get training in fields for which it would be more difficult to get in the case of the non-virtual university. Geographic factors are also relevant, since virtual education has provided rural areas and other places with poor infrastructures with a chance to gain access to higher education. This brings with it a redistribution of wealth among territories, and also among different social strata with fewer resources and limitations to commute long distances to higher education institutions. Another issue that needs pointing out is virtual communication. As it is asynchronic, it can lead to a high degree of reflection. All these elements enable us to have a virtual discussion about cultural and linguistic issues which have huge educational value.

Document Management in the Open University of Catalunya (UOC) Classrooms

Through its document management services in Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) classrooms, the UOC Library acts as a true learning and teaching facilitator and plays a central role in the university's learning model. Moreover, it serves as a role model for other university libraries in terms of what is expected of them under the new European Higher Education Area (EHEA) framework and the increasing need for them to operate as learning resource centers. Contributing to the library's success is the Virtual Campus, UOC's learning and teaching model that creates a virtual and asynchronous learning environment for students, and allows the UOC's library to be present in all of its classrooms.

Implementing a metasearch engine: Metalib and SFX

This article presents the main characteristics and functions of the e-resource management and access tools MetaLib and SFX. Both applications are analysed and their functions and their operating procedures are explained. The article outlines the experience of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC), a member of the Consortium of Catalan University Libraries (CBUC), in setting up these tools and describes the challenges and difficulties that arose.

ICT and Older People: Beyond Usability

This study examined the use that older, regular users of computers make of information and computer technology in their daily lives. Opinions from such users were obtained regarding what they want these technologies to offer them in the future. By means of a discussion group and an online questionnaire, our critical case examined a group of mature senior students from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (online learning) who have used computers and the Internet in their activities. In general, the participants needed to know the function of the tool beforehand and to have continued support and confidence. In particular, they need the certainty that the future technology will allow them to maintain their independence and autonomy. Older people's adoption of IT needs to be treated as more than merely a question of usability. Attitudes, experience of use, and perceived benefits are also key aspects that must be taken into account.

Estrategias de innovación en la educación superior: el caso de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

El objetivo fundamental de este artículo es analizar el concepto de «innovación» referido al ámbito de la formación en educación superior, a través del modelo de innovación abierta adoptado en la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (uoc). En la actualidad, el desafío del sistema universitario es la diferenciación, tanto en la investigación como en la oferta formativa, y un proyecto de innovación debe responder a esa necesidad de diferenciación estratégica. El proyecto implementado por la uoc es un modelo de innovación estratégica cuyo objetivo principal es producir una apertura a la colaboración y el conocimiento elaborados en el ámbito de la formación en entornos virtuales de aprendizaje y, al mismo tiempo, posicionar la universidad como institución generadora de conocimiento dentro de una cultura de transformación y mejora continua.

Quality of Life Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Relationships to Healthy Behavioral Patterns

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of life in a healthy population from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) using the Quality of life Questionnaire (QoLQ), which was developed in our cultural context and to examine its psychometric properties. A secondary goal is to explore the relationship between quality of life perception and healthy behavior profiles. Data were obtained from 264 participants with access to the online Campus who answered a web version of the questionnaire (QoLQ). Our results indicate that the psychometric properties of the instrument are satisfactory and the original factorial structure is confirmed: Social Support, General Satisfaction, Physical/Psychological well-being and Absence of work overload/Free time. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for internal consistency ranged from 0.82 to 0.89 for the subscales and was 0.93 for the total items. A new variable called healthy behavioral pattern was generated from the answers of a chronogram of daily activities. The statistical significant differences (95% CI and t-values) across more healthy and less healthy behavior profiles reveal that the former perceive a higher quality of life.

ENGLISH

As a part of the cultural offer of the Forum of Cultures, held in Barcelona in summer 2004, the organisers designed an exhibition called Voices focused on diversity, one of the thematic axis of the Forum. The central objective of Voices was to celebrate the fact of human communication and linguistic and cultural diversity. Apart from the presential exhibition, and taken advantage of the use of media asone of the themes, a virtual version of the exhibition Voices was created. This work is the result of an agreement between the exhibition organizers of the Fourm of Cultures, and the group Oliba (Dept. Humanities of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) with the collaboration of the Multimedia Studies of the same University.DOI: 10.14429/djlit.28.4.202

E-learning and Labour Market: Wage-premium Analysis

The link between ICT and the demand for high-skilled labour is due to the fact that the introduction of digital technologies alters the skill requirements of occupations in three main ways (Spitz, 2003): 1) ICT capital substitutes repetitive manual and repetitive cognitive activities, 2) ICT capital is complementary to analytic and interactive activities, and 3) ICT capital increases the requirement for computing skills. Within this framework, we have analysed the determinants of labour productivity of individuals that have taken higher education programmes online to test how occupational skill requirements and the degree of ICT adoption by the industry matches skills of online students. In order to do this, we have assumed an implicit relationship between education and ability (Griliches and Mason, 1972), recognizing that online students may acquire specific skills, such as computing skills and abilities related to ICT use. For the empirical analysis we have used a database of degree students from the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya). The results from our model based on Mincerian equations show three important facts: 1) schooling is not a significant variable to explain wage differentials; 2) experience, understood as previous productivity and production losses avoided, is the most important variable explaining improvement of wages; and 3) ICT skills have a positive and significant effect on wage levels.