The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted higher university lecturers to develop their digital skills in order to adapt to online teaching. A group of university teachers decided to evaluate the educational uses of Mentimeter to promote student participation and active learning. A questionnaire was answered by 400 students and 12 participating academics. These 12 academic respondents also participated in a focus group after experiencing this software during an academic course. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected and analyzed to conclude that this software not only facilitated student participation during the pandemic (both face-to-face and online) in synchronous and asynchronous ways but also improved attention, engagement, collaborative learning and interaction. Immediate feedback made it possible for teachers to monitor the students’ learning processes and to adjust the content and pace accordingly. Students and educators highlighted the inclusive potential of this tool, as it allows participation from a diverse audience with different backgrounds and capacities, ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all. Some opportunities for improvement were also identified, namely more functions to make the software more attractive and adapt it to different educational objectives.

The podcast in higher education is becoming widespread as a pedagogical tool that empowers students to take ownership of their own learning. In this article, we analyze a didactic experience carried out with undergraduate students at the Complutense University of Madrid and reflect on its potential for the development of curriculum content and student competencies. Using both quantitative and qualitative anthropological methodologies, we documented the process of podcast creation of undergraduate students by comparing their learning outcomes with those of students who received podcasts only as subject materials but did not engage in any creative process. Data from participant observation were supplemented with questionnaires administered to the same groups of students. The main findings indicate that the use of podcasts enhances the motivation and involvement of students in the learning process, helping them to relate in a meaningful way and to better understand theoretical content.

El solapamiento actual de distintos modelos afecto-relacionales desvela gran complejidad y flexibilidad en las relaciones contemporáneas, al disgregar los ámbitos de la sexualidad, el amor, la domesticidad o los cuidados. Dentro del ámbito del estudio de las nuevas formas de relación afectivo-sexuales, este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación etnográfica llevada a cabo en Madrid, a través de tres casos que muestran cómo los agentes abordan la negociación de los límites entre la individualidad y la relacionalidad. La tensión que emerge entre ambas dimensiones –como efecto de las significaciones otorgadas a las nociones de independencia-dependencia por parte de los agentes– supone una paradoja a resolver. En dicha tarea, se pone en juego un patrón de limitación de prácticas emocionales que hemos denominado emociones ghosting. Esta noción se plantea como una herramienta analítica útil para abordar los patrones, tanto de establecimiento como de mantenimiento de relaciones, más allá de los procesos de incertidumbre y desregulación que caracterizan el panorama actual.

This contribution examines the anthropological concept of ambiguity through the foundational work of Arnold Van Gennep and Victor Turner on liminality, originally applied to traditional societies and ritual contexts. Liminality, derived from the Latin limes meaning threshold, refers to a state of being betwixt and between social roles, spaces, and times, characterized by ambiguity and transformation. Van Gennep’s tripartite model of rites of passage—separation, liminal phase, and incorporation—is illustrated with ethnographic examples, while Turner’s contributions highlight the dynamic and transformative nature of the liminal phase as a condition of social possibility and change. Extending beyond the ritual sphere, Mary Douglas successfully relocated the concept of liminality into the everyday life of Western societies. She linked ambiguity to notions of purity and pollution, emphasizing how phenomena that defy clear categorization—represented metaphorically by the viscous, neither liquid nor solid—challenge social order and create discomfort. This contribution thus situates liminality not only as a key concept for understanding social transitions in traditional rituals but also as a powerful analytical tool for exploring ambiguity and social boundaries in contemporary life.