scholarly journals Self-Assessment of Soft Skills of University Teachers from Countries with a Low Level of Digital Competence

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 2532
Author(s):  
Álvaro Antón-Sancho ◽  
Diego Vergara ◽  
Pablo Fernández-Arias
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
American University ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Global Innovation ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Digital Development

The lockdown of March and April 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced relevant changes in the educational environment in a very short period of time, making it necessary to suspend in-person instruction and generating the need to implement virtual learning mechanisms. In a future post-COVID-19 hybrid educational model, it will be necessary for university teachers to acquire an optimal degree of digital competence, as a combination of different competencies, namely, (i) technical, (ii) digital, and (iii) soft. Soft skills have been shown to have a decisive influence on the development of digital competence. The aim of this study was to analyze the degree of acquisition of soft skills in Latin American university teachers whose countries are less digitally developed. For this purpose, the countries with the lowest Global Innovation Index (GII) were selected: (i) Panama; (ii) Peru; (iii) Argentina; (iv) El Salvador; (v) Ecuador; (vi) Paraguay; (vii) Honduras; and (viii) Bolivia. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to develop a questionnaire on the self-concept of soft skills, based on the soft skills included in the Bochum Inventory of Personality and Competences (BIP). Results obtained from statistical analysis of the data collected from a sample of 219 participants show that university teachers are sufficiently prepared, in terms of their soft skills, for the increase in digital competence required as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, despite the low level of digital development in their respective countries.

scholarly journals Soft Skills of American University Teachers: Self-Concept

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12397
Author(s):  
Pablo Fernández-Arias ◽  
Álvaro Antón-Sancho ◽  
Diego Vergara ◽  
Amelia Barrientos
Keyword(s):  
Soft Skills ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Educational Model ◽  
American University ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Age Range

Today, soft skills (transversal competencies) are increasingly appreciated by employers as essential skills for professional success. Likewise, these competencies are necessary to be able to operate as individuals in today’s society. In view of this situation, in the future post-COVID-19 educational model it is necessary to design training programs that promote both hard skills (specific competencies) and soft skills. This fact brings to the table the need for university teachers to have an optimal level of soft skills so that their students can acquire them. Given this situation, this paper aims to analyze the degree of acquisition of this type of competencies in American university teachers from different regions: (i) North America; (ii) Central America, and (iii) Southern Cone. To achieve this objective, it has been necessary to develop a questionnaire on the self-concept of soft skills, based on several variables: (i) gender, (ii) age range, (iii) geographic area, (iv) area of knowledge, (v) years of teaching experience, and (vi) university tenure (public-private). The questionnaire developed was based on the soft skills included in the Bochum Inventory of Personality and Competences (BIP). Results, obtained by descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the means and deviations of the data collected from a sample of 473 participants, reflect that, in general, the American university teachers have a high self-concept about their degree of soft skills development. Although results show significant differences depending on each variable considered in this study, it can be suggested that the American university teachers are prepared to face a mixed university educational model, which promotes equally both hard skills and soft skills.

scholarly journals Digital Content Creation Tools: American University Teachers’ Perception

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 11649
Author(s):  
Álvaro Antón-Sancho ◽  
Diego Vergara ◽  
Victoria Eugenia Lamas-Álvarez ◽  
Pablo Fernández-Arias
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Digital Content ◽  
Academic Degree ◽  
Academic Characteristics ◽  
American University ◽  
Content Creation ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Latin American Countries

This paper studies the perception of Latin American university teachers about the effectiveness of digital content creation (DCC) tools for the creation of e-learning training actions. For this purpose, the opinions of a group of 564 teachers from different universities in 16 Latin American countries have been collected and their answers have been analyzed according to different sociological and academic characteristics (gender, age, teaching experience, area of knowledge, and academic degree). The results indicate that Latin American university teachers express high levels of digital training and highly value the didactic effectiveness of DCC tools to develop e-learning training actions. This valuation is significantly higher among females than males. Gender is also revealed as the most influential characteristic in the perception of teachers about the use of digital resources in the classroom, above any other aspect.

scholarly journals Perceptions on Regulation and Asymmetry of Information as Critical Factors in University Governance in Latin America

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110231
Author(s):  
Juan Bautista Abello-Romero ◽  
Daniel López ◽  
Francisco Ganga ◽  
Claudio Mancilla
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
American University ◽  
American Universities ◽  
Asymmetry Of Information ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
National Differences ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
Latin American Universities

This article analyzes the results of an inquiry into Latin American university community members’ perceptions about regulatory processes and asymmetries of information, as influential factors in the governance of Latin American universities. It does so, by examining the national laws in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. Previous studies in this continent have not considered these aspects and perspectives. Our research found significant differences between countries in terms of the Board of Directors’ capacity to act and the control mechanisms they can employ—which can be interpreted as national differences in the availability of their resources and their regulatory capacities. On the level of asymmetry of information, there are differences between countries, which depend on the position of the university members in their institutions. Thus, regulation and information are important factors when it comes to the governance of Latin American universities, and can explain its’ diversity.

Brazil at World Stage

2012 ◽  
pp. 59-67
Author(s):  
E. Dabagyan
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
The United States ◽  
Great Powers ◽  
American Continent ◽  
The North ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Short Period ◽  
International Reputation ◽  
The Military

The author puts forward and substantiates a thesis about the transformation of Brazil into an important actor of the international relations. This becomes possible because a number of factors, including the well-designed, multi-tasked and balanced foreign policy strategy. It was founded during the military regime. Then, it was maintained and developed by the civilian Brazilian governments, primarily by such an outstanding figure as the president L. da Silva. His successor D. Rousseff s in a short period of time managed to gain a solid international reputation. She successfully copes with the mission to lead Brazil into the club of world’s great powers. To perform this task Brazilian government constantly makes efforts to strengthen relations with the neighbors on the Latin American continent, to gradually smoothen tensions with the United States. Also, it closely works with the countries of BRICS, contributes to building bridges between the South and the North, as well as actively participates in the activities of international organizations and the settlement of contentious issues in the world.

scholarly journals Implementation of the online learning at vocational high school during Covid-19: Between obligations and barriers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ummi Mukarromah ◽  
Wiwik Wijayanti
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Vocational Schools ◽  
Vocational High School ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Teacher Creativity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hotel Accommodation

Vocational schools are no exception to implementing the online learning policy during the covid-19 pandemic, including students majoring in hotel accommodation. This study aims to describe how the school develops its readiness to implement the policy, particularly its challenges. This study also aims to determine the constraints and impacts of implementing the policy. Using a qualitative method, this study involved two vocational schools in Yogyakarta that have Hotel Accommodation major. The heads of the departments, the productive teachers, and some students were invited to several interviews. Documentation was also used to obtain detailed information. The results were categorized into two aspects: hard-skills and soft-skills. From the first aspect, challenges that are faced as the impact of the policy are (1) online learning at vocational schools majoring in hotel accommodation requires facilities and infrastructure that do not include internet quota, (2) teacher digital competence and teacher creativity in carrying out learning need to be improved, (3) students feel bored with online learning, so motivation needs to be grown, (4) skills/ practice-based learning implemented in school alternately with a limited number of students. The second aspect indicated that the policy makes it difficult to develop students' soft skills that are also measured as the learning objective. These constraints are important to note for the implementation of the online learning policy to be successful.

scholarly journals Política, Políticas e Imigração Internacional no Brasil: mudanças recentes e perspectivas

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-192
Author(s):  
Roberto Rodolfo Georg Uebel ◽  
Caroline Adorne Da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Latin Americans ◽  
Environmental Migration ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Thematic Mapping ◽  
Integration Project

From the field surveys performed in the South, Centre-West, Southeast and North regions of Brazil between 2014 and 2018, new migration routes, transbordering relationships of human mobility and the impacts of the desired South and Latin American regional integration were identified in the immigration profile of Brazil. In this sense, this article aims to review the cartographies, policies, routes and the state of the art of international immigration in Brazil for the last five years, which saw profound changes in the domestic and foreign scenarios. From the country of the “Brazilian dream” of Latin Americans and Caribbeans, the country changed to the country of remigrations and forced emigrations, including refugees who settled here during the short period of the migratory Eldorado. Using the instruments of thematic mapping, which is now revisited and revised in relation to our previous productions, we will discuss what remained of the “new immigration country” from the ruptures that occurred with the 2016 impeachment and with the approval and effectiveness of the new Immigration Law from 2017. The article also broaches the recent discussions on the migration of Venezuelan refugees to the Brazilian territory and its repercussions on the Latin American integration project, apparently discontinued with the rise of such disorganized governments in the region. Finally, we bring in topics the immigration perspectives for Brazil in the coming years and linked to issues of defence, geopolitics and geoeconomics, including also the discussion on environmental migration.

Latin American University Students

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Liebman ◽  
Kenneth N. Walker ◽  
Myron Glazer ◽  
Seymour Martin Lipset
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Latin American ◽  
American University

scholarly journals Getting a Grip on Cognitive Flexibility

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 470-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senne Braem ◽  
Tobias Egner
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Contextual Cues ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Control Functions ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Learning Principles

Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to quickly reconfigure our mind, as when we switch between different tasks. This review highlights recent evidence showing that cognitive flexibility can be conditioned by simple incentives typically known to drive lower-level learning, such as stimulus–response associations. Cognitive flexibility can also become associated with, and triggered by, bottom-up contextual cues in our environment, including subliminal cues. Therefore, we suggest that the control functions that mediate cognitive flexibility are grounded in, and guided by, basic associative-learning mechanisms and abide by the same learning principles as more low-level forms of behavior. Such a learning perspective on cognitive flexibility offers new directions and important implications for further research, theory, and applications.

scholarly journals Modeling and Solving a Latin American University Course Timetabling Problem Instance

Mathematics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1833
Author(s):  
Oscar Chávez-Bosquez ◽  
José Hernández-Torruco ◽  
Betania Hernández-Ocaña ◽  
Juana Canul-Reich
Keyword(s):  
Tabu Search ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Unified Modeling Language ◽  
Problem Instance ◽  
Object Constraint Language ◽  
American University ◽  
Timetabling Problem ◽  
University Course Timetabling ◽  
Academic Assignments ◽  
Course Timetabling Problem

Timetabling problem is a complex task that is performed by a number of institutions worldwide, which has been usually addressed as an optimization problem where every approach considers the particular constraints of each institution under consideration. In this paper, we describe, model, and propose a solution to the timetabling problem at the División Académica de Ciencias y Tecnologías de la Información of the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), México. We modeled the specific constraints of this problem instance using the Object Constraint Language (OCL) of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), and we validated the model while using the state-of-the-art tool USE: UML-based Specification Environment. The solution strategy tackles the problem in two stages: (1) ACA: academic assignments, i.e., assign lectures to professors and (2) TTP: the timetabling process. We developed a Tabu Search customization named Tabu Search with Probabilistic Aspiration Criterion (TS-PAC) in order to solve the timetabling problem, and we developed a software prototype to test our proposal. Two feasible timetables for two different semesters were obtained according to the modeled constraints.

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