University In Bogota Research Articles

Criteria for Decision-Making in Universities Stated in Institutional Documents

This article identifies the most relevant criteria used by private universities in Bogota for strategic decision-making. For it, the Institutional Development Plans (IDP) and the Institutional Educational Projects (IEP) of 10 of the 16 universities with high-quality institutional accreditation in Bogota, Colombia, were reviewed. In addition, a qualitative content analysis study was carried out, and the Atlas ti software was used to identify and classify the textual information into three categories ("decision-making criteria", "Institutional Educational Project and decision-making", and "Decision-making policies". This analysis offers two proposals for essential criteria for strategic decision-making within universities, presented in the document's results section.

Pre-Service English Language Teachers’ Levels of Reflectivity during the Process of Identity Construction in Pedagogical Practicum: A Snowball?

This research study is about the way pre-service English language teachers’ levels of reflectivity, proposed by Van Manen, give an account of the construction of their identity as language teachers during their pedagogical practicum in a BA program of English Language Teaching at a private university in Bogota, Colombia. This study follows the principles of narrative research to explore the way the participants live their pedagogical practicum experience. Data were collected from the participants’ reflective journals and audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that pre-service English language teachers possess a level of reflectivity, although they are unaware of it at the beginning of their pedagogical practicum. Thus, their identities as language teachers are constructed depending on the context, the people that are around them, and the specific time; hence, the levels of reflectivity as proposed by Van Manen are set in an incognito manner.

Digital Skills for Communication and Content Creation: Can B-learning Greatly Influence Them?

This article reports the results of a study that took place at a private university in Bogota, Colombia. An English language course was the scenario for applying a set of sessions that sought to determine how blended learning could influence the development of digital skills for creativity and communication via a pedagogical intervention during an academic term. A quasi-experimental design was carried out to measure the variable ‘communication and content creation skills’ by conducting a pre- and post-test survey. From the statistical test, the general hypothesis was accepted for the scope of this study, stating that the b-learning model did not develop the skills chosen in this implementation meaningfully. These findings imply that creativity and communication skills can be influenced by this model; also, thought-content-creation skills received a major influence according to the internal statistical tests. However, the statistical tests that comprised this method also suggested that the impact was not high enough to prove the main hypothesis. Furthermore, findings provide an opportunity to explore research designs that are not common in this field of education.

Contextos de práctica y de vida que facilitan experimentar el valor de la compasión

Con el objetivo de indagar experiencias compasivas y no compasivas que han vivido estudiantes de profesiones de salud de optometría, enfermería y medicina, se entrevistaron quince participantes de últimos semestres de la Universidad El Bosque y Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Colombia, durante los meses de febrero y marzo del año 2020. Se presentan los resultados de sus narrativas compartidas con generosidad e interés en el aprendizaje del valor de la compasión. Ellos expresaron con sinceridad y de forma crítica sus puntos de vista acerca de sus vivencias en el contexto de práctica y en su vida cotidiana. Dichas experiencias se analizaron en categorías de trato humanizado y deshumanizado, las cuales reflejan características relacionadas con alteridad, empatía y compasión. De igual forma, se indagaron las fuentes de aprendizaje identificadas, sus preferencias y sugerencias para aprender acerca de la compasión, las cuales fueron insumos importantes en el diseño de una estrategia didáctica de la compasión para profesionales de la salud.

Modern and Postmodern Views of Education that Shape EFL Mentoring in the Teaching Practicum

Educational settings are now characterised by ethnic, cultural, linguistic, sociocultural and epistemological diversity. This article analyses epistemological diversity as an important factor in shaping teacher education programmes. This involved exploring how teacher-educators and student-teachers align themselves or negotiate modern and postmodern views of education. The research employed a narrative analysis-based on a qualitative methodology to discuss the effects of modern and postmodern views of knowledge construction and pedagogical action during the English Teaching practicum at a state university in Bogota. The findings suggest that, even though teacher-educators and student-teachers position themselves with discourses of generational change regarding conceptions of knowledge construction, there is a tendency to shape practices based on the ideals of fixed-defined generations (e.g. old, young) who have fixed views of education (old/traditional, young/contemporary) which consequently give particular shapes to pedagogical actions.

El estudio de la bioética ambiental para todos los niveles de educación y su importancia en la gobernanza colombiana

En el presente artículo se analiza la importancia del estudio de la bioética ambiental en la gobernanza de los territorios dentro de un contexto de problemáticas ambientales diversas y con difícil solución. La investigación se desarrolla en la Universidad Militar Nueva Granada de Bogotá D.C. en el año 2020. Se aborda el problema ambiental en Colombia empleando un tamizaje de los postulados bibliográficos referentes a la educación en bioética ambiental, teniendo en cuenta el papel de los seres humanos en la protección del medio ambiente, la biosfera y la biodiversidad como lo señala la Declaración Universal sobre Bioética y Derechos Humanos. En la investigación se establece la educación en bioética ambiental como el acicate de la gobernanza para la solución de las problemáticas ambientales en el proceso de una transformación cultural del paradigma de desarrollo. Se concluye que la bioética ambiental es un baluarte fundamental de las interacciones entre las comunidades y las entidades del Estado para la preservación de la vida y de los ecosistemas como modelo de gobernanza en la búsqueda del desarrollo sostenible.

Re-Signifying Teacher Epistemologies Through Lesson Planning: A Study on Language Student Teachers

This paper reports the findings of a narrative study on language student teachers’ epistemological re-configurations through lesson planning in a private university in Bogota, Colombia. The study aimed at exploring the possible forms of professional yet personal–local knowledge two language student teachers encounter and produce when they plan language lessons. We employed the life story interviewing to gather information on the subjective essence of the participant’s experiences in their teacher practicum. Findings suggest that through lesson planning, language student teachers manage to re-signify certain methodological yet hegemonic constructions of teaching and learning. Furthermore, their knowledge of themselves as teachers in relation to their practicum is shaped by circumstances they face in the process of planning and teaching lessons.

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS AS AN ANALYTICAL TOOL FOR THE EVALUATION OF COMPANIES: CASE STUDY FOR THE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY IN BOGOTA, COLOMBIA

The paper discusses analytical applications of the business model canvas (BMC) formulated by Osterwalder & Pigneur [1]. From this model, a methodological tool was devised and used as part of an academic research project, in which the categories (blocks) of the BMC were taken as conceptual categories and further processed through a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). The specifics of reversing the business model canvas are examined, since the model was conceived for entrepreneurs and not strictly for the analysis of pre-existing companies. The application of the tool was done within the multidisciplinary mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) project ‘Business dynamics of the audiovisual industry in Bogota’, which was carried out from October 2017 to May 2019 at Manuela Beltran University in Bogota, Colombia. The methodological tool was applied to 32 key companies and four institutions of the local audiovisual industry through semi-structured interviews with people in managerial positions. The nine blocks of the BMC were conceptually developed to analyse the empirical data, holding them as internal variables. The assessment of the variables revealed opportunities for the growth and development of the companies and the whole industry, as well as patterns for the existing business models of the companies.

Self-Reported Muscle Strength As A Strategy For The Prevention Of Non-Communicable Diseases

Abstract Background Muscle strength is considered as a health indicator and an independent predictor of future disease. For this reason, the evaluation of this component in the young population is recognised as a fundamental strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Field tests are the techniques most commonly used to evaluate muscle strength. However, an alternative method that could be applied in epidemiological studies is self-report questionnaires. The aim of this research was to evaluate the ability of a self-report questionnaire to correctly rank the levels of muscle strength in college students. Methods A cross-sectional study was developed in 135 students from the Areandina University in Bogota, Colombia. For the evaluation of muscle strength, two tests were applied. The first was the application of the handgrip protocol using an adjustable handle Digital Grip Strength Dynamometer. The second was the application of protocols to a maximum repetition in 6 different exercises. For the assessment of self-perceived strength, the third question of the International Scale Fitness Questionnaire (IFIS) was applied. The IFIS response options are presented on a Likert scale with five possible answers: “very poor”, “poor”, “average”, “good” or “very good”. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to evaluate the ability of the IFIS questionnaire to rank muscle strength levels correctly. Results Overall, 70.3% of the participants were men, and 29.7% were women. The results of the field tests and the self-perception of muscle strength were significantly higher in the male group than in the female group (P < 0.001). Students who reported having good or very good muscle strength in the questionnaire had a better result in the field tests compared to those who reported average, poor or very poor muscle strength levels (P < 0.005). Conclusions The IFIS questionnaire was able to rank real muscle strength in university students correctly. Key messages The IFIS questionnaire is a valid alternative to detect students with a potential risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. The epidemiology surveillance systems in Colombia should include the application of self-report questionnaires that evaluate potential risk factors.

The Relationship between strength and academic performance: A new reason to promote physical activity

Abstract Background Experimental studies have determined that higher strength values are associated with more efficient cognitive function and better academic performance. In spite of this, the universities in Colombia are decreasing the time available for physical activity in favour of increasing the time devoted to theoretical subjects. This is one of the reasons why in Colombia, only 18% of young people complied with the world recommendations of physical activity. To examine this problem, the objective of this research was to establish the relationship between strength and academic performance in university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was developed in 135 (21.8 ± 4.5 yr; 78.69 ± 9.1kg) students of the fifth semester of the Areandina University in Bogota, Colombia. Each participant developed incremental protocols to determine the maximum weight that he or she could move in six different exercises: squat in smith machine, leg press, leg extension, bench press, pull down and military press. The average of the results of these tests was taken as the value of maximum strength. To determine academic performance, the average of the scores accumulated in the five semesters of their university studies was evaluated. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to find the linear relationship between strength and academic performance. Results Overall, 70.3 % of the participants were men and 29.7% were women. The results of the maximum strength tests were significantly higher in the male group than in the female group (P < 0.05). Academic performance was similar in both genders (P > 0.05). A positive correlation was established between maximum strength and academic performance. (r = 0.64 P < 0.05). Conclusions The conclusion of this research was that there is a significant relationship between strength and academic performance. These results are fundamental to justify the inclusion of spaces for the promotion of physical activity in public and private universities. Key messages Universities are institutions that only focus on academic training and generate contexts in which sedentary behaviours are promoted. Sedentary lifestyles are a public health problem in Colombia.

The Pedagogical Practicum Journey Towards Becoming an English Language Teacher

This article discusses English language pre-service teachers’ pedagogical practicum experiences. We compiled, from their teacher journals and group talks, the lived teaching experiences of a group of 34 pre-service teachers who were majoring in English language education at a private university in Bogota, Colombia. The analysis of their stories makes us realize that their first practicum experiences are full of feelings and emotions, and that their first teaching practices are based on their mentor teachers’ pieces of advice. These first experiences, in turn, develop the foundation upon which they build themselves as English language teachers.

Emotional Categorization of the International Affective Picture System in a Colombian Sample

The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is a battery of images used to induce discrete emotional reactions. In this study an IAPS subsample of 200 images was analysed to elicit discrete negative emotions and propose a new categorization of them, according to which discrete negative emotions (disgust, fear, sadness, or anger) they induce, in contrast to a dimensional model of emotion including emotional valence, intensity, and dominance, usually used in the literature. Through a sample by convenience, 447 participants of 3 universities in Bogota, Colombia, were recruited and shown 60 IAPS images and asked them to what extent they felt fear, sadness, disgust, anger, happiness, or satisfaction when looking at each image. By using the overlap of 95% confidence intervals of the mean of 6 emotions ratings for every image, results revealed that 51.5% of images induced simple emotions (19.5% fear, 16.5% sadness, 13.0% disgust and 2.5% anger), 43% of images induced complex emotions, including more than one negative emotion, 1.5% emotions mixed one negative and one positive emotion, and 4% were undetermined emotions.

Alcohol Consumption in Urban Settings in the Surrounding Area of a University in Bogotá. Results of a Pilot Study

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to characterize the perceptions of university students regarding alcohol consumption and the availability of alcohol outlets in the urban perimeter of a university in Bogota. Methods: A mixed cross-sectional study was conducted among 201 undergraduate students aged 18-27 using a non-probabilistic sampling design. The perceptions regarding alcohol consumption in the surrounding area of the university were assessed via a self-reported questionnaire. Geographic Information Systems were used to identify the alcohol outlets. Results: Of the students surveyed, 66% reported that they had consumed alcohol in the surrounding area of the university, and 26% agreed with the implementation of strict measures to control alcohol consumption, with a higher percentage in those who did not consume alcohol (41.2%). The geographic analysis showed that several urban attributes were correlated with alcohol consumption. Conclusion: The results of this study show the potential influence that the availability of alcohol outlets near a university campus has as a public health issue. Further studies should be conducted in order to better understand the links between urban contexts near universities and alcohol consumption.

Conocimiento y práctica del diseño en la formación de profesionales en áreas no concurrentes del diseño en universidades públicas de Bogotá, Colombia

En el presente artículo de investigación se aborda la necesidad de establecer la estructura, el conocimiento y la práctica de lo entendido como actividades de diseño, desde sus dimensiones: pensamiento, método y estética, dentro de áreas de enseñanza universitaria no asociadas a profesiones de Diseño. Se busca identificar cómo se entienden y ejecutan procesos de enseñanza en torno a la resolución de problemas débilmente estructurados en otras áreas del conocimiento y en contextos académicos de formación superior, en universidades públicas de Bogotá, Colombia. Para ello, se desarrolla una labor de descripción, caracterización y análisis de los contenidos curriculares que siguen estas universidades en temas de creación, identificando: sus orígenes, bases, métodos, y su razón de ser en la formación de profesionales en ciencias, ingeniería y humanidades. El hallazgo principal consistió en evidenciar como en los programas de formación profesional analizados, se aplica el pensamiento, el método y la estética propios del campo disciplinar del diseño, lo cual permite establecer los niveles de influencia de este campo del saber en áreas no concurrentes del diseño.

Evolution and Creationism: Views of Students in a Colombian University—Findings from 7 Years of Data Using a Three-Question Survey

The theory of evolution is the backbone of the biological sciences. Arguably, this is the reason why evolution education is an extensively investigated issue in several countries around the world. Little is known, however, about the views of university students in Colombia. Here, we report on 7 years of data generated by a three-question anonymous survey to identify Colombian university students’ views about evolution and creationism. We hypothesized that university students’ views may be related to their major and/or age. In total, 1132 students (ages 16–23 years) from different majors at a private university in Bogota were surveyed. Our findings showed that (1) 66% of the university students held the view that human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life and that God had no part in this process, (2) 85% of university students believed that humans have developed from other species, (3) 84% of university students held the view that life on Earth has evolved over time through natural selection, and (4) the chi-square analyses of the responses to the three-question survey revealed that university students’ views about evolution and creationism were not related to their major and/or age. Our findings reinforce the key role of students’ views, which should be valued and integrated into evolution education practice.

Compendio para la enseñanza de la interculturalidad y la negociación a través del juego de roles

El presente artículo contiene las teorías y los conceptos que han sido trabajados e investigados para la elaboración y desarrollo de los cursos, las investigaciones, los bloques y los módulos de estudio de la Universidad EAN de Colombia, con componente de negociación intercultural. Además, se presenta la revisión conceptual de los aspectos culturales de la región de América Latina y el Caribe y, por último, la exposición sobre el juego de roles como instrumento o herramienta pedagógica para que los estudiantes pongan en práctica los conocimientos adquiridos y se aproximen a escenarios reales de la vida empresarial. Durante el desarrollo del juego de roles desde el año 2014, se ha impacto un promedio de 230 estudiantes de pregrado y de posgrado de la Universidad EAN, universidades locales de Bogotá y una universidad mexicana, lo que ha enriquecido la labor docente y el desarrollo formativo de los estudiantes.

It’s not what you know but who you know: Heterogeneous peer effects at a Colombian University

This paper uses matched survey and administrative data on first-year Economics students who were studying at the Javeriana University in Bogota, Colombia, in 2015 in order to estimate peer effects ...

Educación del derecho internacional en Bogotá: un primer diagnóstico a partir de los programas de clase y su relación con las epistemologías de no conocimiento

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un diagnóstico inicial realizado en 24 programas de cursos de derecho internacional (DI) de 10 universidades bogotanas para analizar y problematizar la educación del derecho internacional, a la luz de las epistemologías de la ignorancia (agnotología). Este primer estudio sobre el tema busca sentar las bases para discusiones futuras que lo complementen o contradigan y que resulten en, por ejemplo, trabajos que hagan propuestas para repensar los alcances de la enseñanza en derecho internacional en Bogotá.El estudio preliminar muestra que la forma actual de educación del DI en Bogotá se caracteriza por una línea eurocéntrica clásica, no interdisciplinaria y donde la relación de la educación del DI con las problemáticas locales es limitada. El artículo muestra cómo la enseñanza del DI en Bogotá crea puntos ciegos epistemológicos o epistemologías de ignorancia. La creación de estas epistemologías de ignorancia limita la percepción y problematización para que los estudiantes y abogados, mediante la práctica de DI, puedan ver alternativas de conceptualización, reflexionando sobre los orígenes del DI, su relación con los proyectos coloniales e imperiales y su conexión con el contexto local.

¿¡El profesor tiene una historia!?

Este estudio explora la experiencia de un grupo de practicantes de una universidad en Bogotá, Colombia, sobre una propuesta enfocada en la lectura animada a través de técnicas de cuentería. En este estudio exploratorio, los instrumentos de recolección de información fueron videos de las clases de los practicantes, bitácoras, las cuales se escribieron en dos fases del proceso, diarios de campo y encuestas. Los resultados del estudio sugieren que presentando metodologías que incluyan entrenamiento en prácticas no tradicionales, como la lectura animada con técnicas de cuentería, puede tener efectos positivos en cuanto al crecimiento personal y profesional de profesores en formación. Factores tales como estrategias para llevar a cabo la lectura animada de un cuento, implicaciones pedagógicas y factores que inhiben el desarrollo de la lectura animada haciendo uso de las técnicas de cuentería son temas que surgieron del análisis de la información recogida

La identificación con la nación propia de maestros en formación en una universidad pública de Bogotá

El artículo presenta y somete a discusión la estructura y los resultados de una investigación sobre imaginarios sociales de nación y procesos de identificación con la nación propia de jóvenes universitarios, que se forman como maestros de ciencias sociales en una universidad pública de Bogotá. Utilizando un enfoque cualitativo interpretativo, el estudio se enfocó en el análisis de relatos biográficos (orales, fotográficos y escritos) de 84 estudiantes. Además, se realizaron 17 entrevistas y 2 grupos focales. El estudio permitió establecer una estrecha relación entre los imaginarios sociales de nación de los jóvenes, sus vínculos y pertenencias identitarias y los estereotipos de nación que circulan en la escuela. De este modo, se problematizan los dispositivos mediante los cuales la sociedad actual crea o sostiene sentimientos de filiación nacional entre sus ciudadanos, así como las justificaciones morales a las que estos apelan en el momento de ser interpelados como “colombianos”