The establishment of links between the University and the community in which it is embedded is a permanent challenge. Exploring new ways to open university doors to vulnerable populations is a means of developing young adults’ civic responsibility and global citizenship. This relationship of enrichment and mutual benefit does not only crystallize through the transfer of knowledge but also through service. When, within the community, this service is aimed at students with specific needs of educational support (SNES), we enter fully into the field of inclusive education, developing competencies and reaching sustainable development goals, which go far beyond those of mere knowledge-sharing. This paper presents service-learning (SL) projects carried out in English class by undergraduate Engineering and Education students at a Special Education Center for adults. The main goal was to develop a basic linguistic competence in English so that SNES students could understand science texts and technological instructions to handle ICTs with some autonomy. Face-to-face versus online modality use, forced by the pandemic, are contrasted and results are compared over a three-year period. University students’ perceptions on how this pedagogical approach of service learning contributes to their personal growth and consolidation of global citizenship are presented.

Online assessment of foreign-language learners, particularly of their oral skills, is a challenge for both students and teachers. Assessing language skills face to face, during a conversation between the examiner and the candidate, facilitates natural communication and is likely to provide a more accurate assessment of the student’s language proficiency level. A change in the scenario and the use of digital tools can intimidate students and take away the naturalness and warmth of the interview. The purpose of this paper is to examine the suitability of Blackboard Collaborate as a learning management system for assessing English speaking skill and other factors that influence students’ online performance. A total of 180 students from 7 different undergraduate programs in the fields of technology, environmental sciences and health sciences were assessed according to the structure of a standardized test. Using a mixed-methods approach, their results were contrasted with responses to a final survey to examine the positive or negative impact of online testing on students’ attitudes, performance and achievement. The Blackboard digital platform proves to be a suitable and convenient online framework for optimal speaking performance, and the examiner’s attitude is also a determining factor in students’ success.

Las tecnologías digitales ofrecen un acceso universal e instantáneo a la información y la comunicación, incrementando con ello las oportunidades de aprendizaje, innovación, inclusión educativa y participación social de las personas. No obstante, en la última década se han acentuado en un mundo globalizado profundas diferencias en el acceso y uso de las TIC. Al mismo tiempo, existe el riesgo de que éstas se vacíen de contenido y de valores y no respeten los derechos o la dignidad de las personas. El presente artículo pretende dar respuesta, a través de una revisión bibliográfica de fuentes, tanto de la literatura educativa como oficiales, a los retos planteados por el rápido desarrollo de las tecnologías digitales y por el sentido y las implicaciones éticas de la innovación y el desarrollo tecnológico educativo en el marco de la brecha digital. Los resultados encontrados detectan una doble vertiente de usos positivos como negativos de las TIC y apuntan a la educación como elemento clave para promover la formación en el uso crítico de las tecnologías digitales. Asimismo se muestra necesario fomentar el compromiso ético en la competencia digital, que permita un uso más humano e inclusivo de los medios tecnológicos.

Information about the paper titled "FOSTERING INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING: THE ROLE OF STUDENTS’ MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS" at IATED Digital Library