Autores/as:
Hernández-Pérez, Mariana and Manuel Hernández-Castellano, Pedro and Alexis Alonso-Sánchez, José and Gregorio Quevedo-Gutiérrez, Eduardo
Resumen:
The persistence of gender inequality in STEM careers among high school students represents a significant and ongoing concern. A decline in interest in science and technology, particularly among female students, is a notable finding in the research. From an early age, this disparity intensifies, prompting a comprehensive examination of the factors that perpetuate it. This study examined strategies to enhance female involvement in STEM, with a particular focus on hands-on workshops where women assume a pivotal role. These workshops aim to inspire and motivate students by showcasing examples of successful women in STEM, while also fostering their confidence and empowerment. The methodology encompassed surveys of middle and high school students, which revealed that nearly half of the students lacked familial or pedagogical encouragement to pursue STEM careers, underscoring the pivotal role of close role models in academic decisions. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was conducted to examine the discrepancies between students from private/subsidised and public educational institutions. The findings emphasise the necessity of initiating vocational guidance at an early stage of development, thereby counteracting the biases that are often established during adolescence, such as the impostor syndrome. Following their participation in the workshops, a notable proportion of students indicated an enhanced interest in pursuing university studies in STEM, with female students reporting heightened motivation and empowerment to explore these career pathways. This approach aims not only to equip young women with the requisite tools for success in STEM, but also to inspire a new generation of women leaders in science and technology.
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Autores/as:
Hernández-Medina, Patricia and Pinilla-Rodríguez, Diego and Ramírez-Torres, Gabriel and Paublini-Hernández, María
Resumen:
This study develops a bibliometric analysis of research on models of technology acceptance in education, identifying possible changes in the orientation of this research because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Using the Scopus database, 2,000 documents worldwide and 233 publications for Ibero-America were compared. The Bibliometrix package of the R-Studio software made it possible to analyse productivity through publication, visibility and impact metrics for both groups. The results support Lotka and Bradford’s Law, both globally and in Ibero-America. From the scientific mapping and the conceptual structure, structural equation models (SEM) are identified as the most frequently repeated estimation methodology, while TAM and TAM3 models reflect the highest number of repetitions, and in second place UTAUT and UTAUT2. The social structure shows the main collaborative networks in terms of authors and countries. In the case of the Ibero-American countries, Spain stands out with a high proportion of publications and citations.
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Autores/as:
Gerbaudo-González, Noelia and Feijoó-Quintas, Susana and Gandoy-Crego, Manuel and Gutiérrez-Moar, María del C. and Diz-López, María J. and Furtado, Samuel and Gonçalves, Gil and Facal, David
Resumen:
Entrepreneurship Education (EE) plays a pivotal role in stimulating entrepreneurial performance and nurturing innovative ideas. Recognizing the essential role of doctoral programs within the education system, it becomes crucial for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to integrate EE into these programs. This study presents the development of the Training for Innovation Driven Research program, specifically designed for Ph.D. students in the early stages of their research trajectories. The methodologies used to train participants include design thinking and lean start-up, and draw on the EntreComp network. To assess the training program’s effectiveness, a comprehensive set of tools has been designed, The training program consists of 32 hours of courses and 18 hours of autonomous work, designed to assist researchers in transferring the results of their projects or Ph.D. thesis to society and to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among Ph.D. students and researchers. Evaluation tools include observation checklists for ongoing evaluation, rubrics for evaluating tangible products against basic criteria, and surveys with structured questionnaires to assess the impact of the programme on the target population. The proposed training model offers a framework for fostering innovation, adaptability, and creativity among doctoral students, underscoring the importance of learning-by-doing approaches in realizing the objectives of EE within the academic setting. The program is intended to provide researchers with the competencies needed to navigate and lead in complex, innovation-driven environments, and to strengthen the role of HEIs in the global knowledge society.
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Autores/as:
Diaz, Heylin and Poór, Peter
Resumen:
Developing Communication protocols has played a crucial role in the industry’s success. The featured article deals with the main communication protocols used in industrial automation. Materials and methods section summarizes different technologies in primary communication protocols used between devices, represented by the automation pyramid that occurs at different levels or layers. The main contribution of the article is presented in results section as a practical study on using industry protocols with EdMES software to automate production processes. This is maintained by using different communication technologies in an automated process. The article’s conclusion specifies the communication technologies identified and how they allow the interaction between other process actors, which are a part of the earlier presented automation pyramid.
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Autores/as:
Vidales, Miguel Ángel Sánchez and Lamo, Paula
Resumen:
Collaboration between universities and companies has become vital in training future professionals. However, on many occasions, this collaboration could be more agile and efficient to avoid a disconnect between the supply of trained professionals and the demand of the labor market. This situation is aggravated in the case of online training, where students are geographically delocalized and need the opportunity to interact directly with companies. To address this issue and ensure up-to-date and relevant student training, an innovative program that promotes collaboration between the university and various organizations in the Master in Industry 4.0 is presented. The proposal offers a new subject that uses learning based on challenges proposed and directed by leading companies in the sector. This allows students to apply their knowledge and gain insight into the industry in which they will work. Four calls have been carried out, and there are 14 challenges available, covering various industrial sectors and applications related to Industry 4.0/5.0. This paper presents the results of this program. Companies have obtained innovative and valuable solutions for their specific needs. In contrast, students have been able to apply their knowledge in real situations and gain valuable experience in the business world. Many students come from different geographical environments, especially from LATAM, and they value the subject and teaching staff positively. Due to the success of the program in Master in Industry 4.0, the same approach has been implemented in the university’s master’s program in the Internet of Things, with equally satisfactory results.
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Autores/as:
Manuel Soriano-Alcantara, Jesús and Guillén-Gámez, Francisco D. and Ruiz-Palmero, Julio
Resumen:
The purpose of this study was to have a more general and holistic view of the basic digital competencies self-perceived by the main agents of the educational community (teachers, students and parents) of all educational stages (Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education and Higher education). Specifically, the incidence of sociodemographic settings (urban-rural) and gender (female-male) in the Dominican Republic was analyzed and compared, for each educational stage. To achieve these purposes, an ex post facto design was used, and with a non-probabilistic sampling of 1149 participants. Among the main findings, the digital competencies of teachers are satisfactory and high in all educational stages and sociodemographic settings environments, while the group of students and parents shows lower scores, especially in the early educational stages. Regarding gender, no significant differences were found in the group of students for any educational stage, while in the group of teachers and parents, differences were found in some educational stages, in favor of the male gender. These findings suggest the need to design specific interventions to improve students and parents’ digital competencies, especially in Primary Education and rural areas, where minimum levels are observed. In addition, the importance of considering gender differences in the digital competencies of teachers and parents is highlighted to promote equity and equal access to digital education.
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