Carmen García-Berdonés

The Delay Mirror: a Technological Innovation Specific to the Dance Studio

This paper1. evaluates the use of the Delay Mirror (DM) in the dance studio. The DM is a device that records a video stream which is rendered immediately on a large screen, but with a delay of a few seconds. A dancer can observe her own movements in the same way she would do so when looking at a normal mirror. However, the delay allows her to observe dynamic movements which cannot usually be observed other than in video. We evaluate whether this device can be useful in the context of a dance class, and whether it complements the normal mirror, while being less intrusive than a normal video recording which is recorded and then re-played, possibly interrupting workflow. Qualitative evaluation was performed in the context of an advanced-level adult ballet course.

Teamwork in Engineering Degrees: What is it and what should it be? A qualitative approach

The ability of working with others is a key generic competence. It is usually demanded by employers and is included in most of the Engineering Degree programme results. In addition, some decisions must be taken in order to integrate teamwork development in a curriculum. However, as with other non-specific competences, universal well-defined teamwork parameters are not available and taking proper decisions is not easy. In fact, some of these parameters depend on the context of the degree (specific discipline, beliefs of educators and students or available resources). Therefore, it would be a good practice to do some research on this context before taking decisions about the curriculum. This paper presents a qualitative approach for this kind of research carried out in a Telecommunication Engineering School. Ten educators were interviewed and the analysis of the obtained data allowed us to dig into certain characteristics of teamwork, like its definition, educator requirements to teach it or the reluctances of students and teachers to practise in that context. We have proposed some topics for future discussions that we hope can help to define the best way to develop this competence on degrees.