Chatbots are a promising resource for giving students feedback and helping them deploy metacognitive strategies in their learning processes. In this study we worked with a sample of 57 university students, 42 undergraduate and 15 Master's degree students in Health Sciences. A mixed research methodology was applied. The quantitative study analysed the influence of the variables educational level (undergraduate vs. master's degree) and level of prior knowledge on the frequency of chatbot use (low vs. average), learning outcomes, and satisfaction with the chatbot's usefulness. In addition, we examined whether the frequency of chatbot use depended on students' metacognitive strategies. The qualitative study analysed the students' suggestions for improvement to the chatbot and the type of questions it used. The results indicated that the level of degree being studied influenced the frequency of chatbot use and learning outcomes, with Master's students exhibiting higher levels of both, but levels of prior knowledge only influenced learning outcomes. Significant differences were also found in students' perceived satisfaction with the use of the chatbot, with Master's students scoring higher, but not with respect to the level of prior knowledge. No conclusive results were found regarding frequency of chatbot use and the levels of students' metacognitive strategies. Further studies are needed to guide this research based on the students' suggestions for improvement.

Higher education is one of the driving forces behind the social and economic development of countries, with the ultimate aim of providing quality academic training. At present, teaching-learning models in virtual environments face a number of important challenges, particularly in the current situation caused by COVID-19. Some of these challenges will be addressed in this study. We worked with 225 third-year undergraduate students in health science degrees over two academic years during the pandemic. The objectives were: (1) to ascertain whether there were significant differences in student satisfaction with the teaching process in the first year of the pandemic (e-learning teaching) vs. the second year (b-learning teaching); (2) to determine whether there were significant differences in academic performance between the two groups. Quantitative research (using a 2x2 factorial design, ANOVA and ANCOVA) and qualitative research (using a comparative design with categorisation analysis) were carried out. The results indicate differences in some aspects of satisfaction and learning outcomes in favour of teaching in the second of the two years. Students rated the use of active methodologies and technological resources positively, although they concluded that their use required more work time. Future studies will seek to compare student satisfaction in other areas of knowledge. La Educación Superior es uno de los motores del desarrollo social y económico de los países, teniendo como objetivo último el de facilitar una formación académica de calidad. En la actualidad, los modelos de enseñanza-aprendizaje en entornos virtuales implican retos importantes, específicamente en la actual situación por la COVID-19. Algunos de estos desafíos se abordarán en este estudio. Se trabajó con 225 estudiantes de tercero de grado en titulaciones de Ciencias de la Salud, a lo largo de dos cursos académicos impartidos durante la situación de pandemia. Los objetivos fueron: 1) comprobar si existían diferencias significativas en la satisfacción de los estudiantes con el proceso docente respecto del primer año de pandemia (se aplicó docencia e-Learning) vs. el segundo año (se aplicó docencia b-Learning); 2) comprobar si existían diferencias significativas en los resultados académicos entre ambos grupos. Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa (se utilizó un diseño factorial 2x2, ANOVA y ANCOVA) y otra cualitativa (se utilizó un diseño comparativo con análisis de categorización). Los resultados indican diferencias en algunos aspectos de la satisfacción y en los resultados de aprendizaje, a favor de la docencia en el segundo año. Los estudiantes valoraron positivamente el uso de metodologías activas y de recursos tecnológicos, si bien concluyeron que su uso exigía más tiempo de trabajo. Futuros estudios se dirigirán a contrastar la satisfacción de estudiantes en otras ramas de conocimiento.

Monitoring through the use of eye-tracking technology helps in understanding the cognitive load learners experience when doing tasks. This data gives the teacher and the student important information for improving learning outcomes. This study examined whether students’ participation in a learning virtual laboratory, with a self-regulated video monitored with eye-tracking, would influence their learning outcomes. It also examined whether students’ prior knowledge affected their learning outcomes. Lastly, the study identified clusters related to cognitive load in relevant Areas of Interest vs. non-relevant Areas of Interest. The sample comprised 42 university students of health sciences. The results indicate that participation in the virtual laboratory was related to better learning outcomes. In addition, prior knowledge did not affect cognitive load. A number of different clusters were found related to indicators of cognitive load in relevant and non-relevant AOIs. More applied studies are needed about the effects of monitoring on learning outcomes and on what it means for individualization of learning.

Purpose: Recent research in higher education has pointed out that personalized e-learning through the use of learning management systems, such as Moodle, improves the academic results of students and facilitates the detection of at-risk students.Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 124 students following the Degree in Health Sciences at the University of Burgos participated in this study. The objectives were as follows: to verify whether the use of a Moodle-based personalized e-learning system will predict the learning outcomes of students and the use of effective learning behaviour patterns and to study whether it will increase student satisfaction with teaching practice.Findings: The use of a Moodle-based personalized e-learning system that included problem-based learning (PBL) methodology predicted the learning outcomes by 42.3 per cent, especially with regard to the results of the quizzes. In addition, it predicted effective behavioural patterns by 74.2 per cent. Increased student satisfaction levels were also identified through the conceptual feedback provided by the teacher, arguably because it facilitated a deeper understanding of the subject matter.Research limitations/implications: The results of this work should be treated with caution, because of the sample size and the specificity of the branch of knowledge of the students, as well as the design type. Future studies will be directed at increasing the size of the sample and the diversity of the qualifications.Originality/value: Learning methodology in the twenty-first century has to be guided towards carefully structured work from the pedagogic point of view in the learning management systems allowing for process-oriented feedback and PBL both included in personalized e-learning systems.

Rechazo y victimización al alumnado con necesidad de apoyo educativo en primero de primaria

Emotional intelligence is the key to students’ psychological-social well-being and academic performance, and teachers must provide socioemotional education in the classroom. To achieve this, teachers must display high levels of socioemotional skills that ensure their own personal, social, and career well-being and, as a result, that of their students. This study seeks to gain an insight into the levels of socioemotional skills of emotional perception, emotional understanding, and emotional regulation and how these are linked to the sociodemographic and career profile of teachers in infant and primary education. For this, we surveyed 351 teachers—310 female and 41 male—aged between 20 and 69. We used the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) together with a questionnaire (ad hoc) to determine the sociodemographic and career profile of participating teachers. Statistical analysis of the data showed that gender impacts on emotional regulation and emotional perception, while age and number of the children were also seen to have significant difference on emotional regulation and emotional perception. In contrast, professional qualifications were only seen to affect emotional perception. The variable reflecting the level at which staff teach showed significant difference on emotional perception and emotional understanding, while administrative posts held by teachers also demonstrated significant difference on their emotional understanding. The results confirm that sociodemographic and work-related variables impact the level of socioemotional skills of infant and primary education teachers. These aspects should be taken into account in the structure and planning of training aimed at developing socioemotional skills in order to ensure their success.