The objective of higher education institutions is to integrate reflective learning that contributes to the development of a greater awareness among individuals of the importance of facing the 21st century’s sustainability challenges. This paper analyzes the impact of an extracurricular volunteer activity in Tangier, Morocco in the development of student reflection at a Spanish university. To this end, two objectives were proposed: (1) to explore the students’ primary reflections of the experience, and (2) analyze the students’ perceptions of the importance of participating in the experience in order to develop reflective learning. In the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 students who participated in the volunteer activity. Data analysis was carried out using Iramuteq software to conduct a descending hierarchical classification (DHC), and MAXQDA software to conduct a constant comparison analysis. This research highlights the value of voluntary extracurricular activities in the development of reflections that guide change in the beliefs, attitudes, and daily behaviors of students that ultimately result in sustainability. Due to this, not only is it considered essential that students participate in social projects, but also that they undertake these projects with peers and instructors who can create environments of support and trust.

Recientemente se está desarrollando una línea de investigación en educación superior que muestra evidencia de que las actividades fuera de programa o extracurriculares estructuradas tienen un impacto positivo en la formación integral del alumnado (Ivanova & Logvinova, 2017). Los trabajos existentes son mayoritariamente empíricos e identifican algunas contribuciones relevantes, sin existir una revisión sistemática del conjunto de funciones y beneficios derivados de estas. Además, el término y tipología de actividad extracurricular (ECA) siguen siendo ambiguos y todavía no existe una definición ni una clasificación generalmente aceptada para este concepto (Greenbank, 2015).En este contexto, el trabajo que se presenta en este artículo tiene como objetivos: (a) describir el concepto y tipología de las actividades extracurriculares en educación superior; y (b) identificar las funciones y beneficios de estas en el desarrollo humano integral del alumnado universitario. La metodología llevada a cabo siguió la declaración PRISMA para las revisiones sistemáticas (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff & Altman, 2009). Los estudios se seleccionaron de las bases de datos WoS, Scopus y ERIC y se analizaron de acuerdo a los objetivos planteados.El análisis de los 50 trabajos de investigación seleccionados aporta luz a la literatura académica no solo en torno al concepto y tipología de actividad extracurricular sino también respecto a los efectos de esta en la empleabilidad, rendimiento académico, bienestar, adaptación a la vida universitaria y participación y transformación social. Asimismo, se exponen los beneficios que aportan dichas actividades en cuanto al desarrollo de habilidades personales, sociales y profesionales. Finalmente, se pone de relieve la necesidad de abordar investigaciones sobre lo que supone la formación extracurricular en el ámbito universitario, así como la importancia de potenciar dicha formación para promover el desarrollo humano integral del alumnado en educación superior.

The relevance of participating in structured extracurricular activities (ECA from here onwords) in higher education is increasing. Involvement in these activities helps students develop personal and social skills that positively affect academic and professional training, well-being, and the development of attitudes toward community involvement. This study analyzes the role of social interactions in the perceived benefits of students, who have participated in an ECA in a developing country. Moreover, this research aspires to explore whether students perceive that these interactions positively impact academic training, professional development, and adjustment to the university context, psychological well-being, and development of community involvement attitudes. As a result, 46 in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 students who participated in the experience. 23 in-depth interviews were conducted before the experience and another 23 after it. Data analysis was carried out using the IRaMuTeQ software to conduct a descending hierarchical classification (DHC). This study highlights the value of social interactions in an ECA to increase the motivation of students to improve academic and professional performance, to build shared knowledge with others, and to develop personal and social skills that contribute to the integral development of participants. ECAs help students reflect on their actions and privileges and develop positive attitudes toward themselves and others. This fact is linked to the achievement of high levels of well-being that allow the enhancement of the students’ self-esteem. Finally, this experience has allowed volunteers to become aware of other sociocultural realities and to reflect on the possible ways of contributing to the development of a more sustainable society.

La guía docente manifiesta la planificación y orientación del proceso de aprendizaje de una asignatura. A pesar de instaurarse en el ámbito universitario hace más de dos décadas y ser un género técnico de referencia en el espacio académico, este no ha recibido especial atención en comparación a otros géneros que circulan en la universidad. Sobre un enfoque lingüístico-discursivo, este estudio analiza las estrategias de posicionamiento del profesorado en guías docentes, así como su estructura retórica, sus propósitos comunicativos y su función comunicativa. Para ello, se analizan 118 guías docentes del área de Didáctica de la Lengua y la Literatura de 67 universidades españolas a través de un análisis de tipo inductivo-deductivo. Los resultados muestran un género donde prevalece el discurso informativo-persuasivo y con una preponderancia de la dimensión jerárquica. Del mismo modo, el género presenta una estructura retórica estable, aunque con un etiquetaje diverso en su entitulación

Advances in health care have led to an increased life expectancy for the older populations. An increasing body of research warns of the need to provide opportunities for older people to develop their potential for physical, mental, and social well-being during the aging process. In this context, universities have incorporated the service-learning (SL) methodology into their curricular and extracurricular programs. They attempt to offer their students experiences that allow them, from their experience and reflection, to advance in knowledge, skills and attitudes toward the older population group. Therefore, this methodology allows linking academic activities with social commitment, involving young people, as genuine agents of social change, in constructing a fairer, more inclusive, and supportive society. Despite the large body of research on the definition and benefits that students generally derive from SL, there are no systematic reviews of the full range of benefits that SL experiences, specifically with older people, provide to all participants. In this context, a rigorous systematic review was conducted by referring to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and based on Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) databases, to answer one research question: What benefits do SL experiences that engage university students with older people, provide to the groups of participants? The analysis of the 28 selected research papers provides insights into the academic literature on the benefits of such experiences. On the one hand, they refer to the integral development of the student. On the other hand, they refer to the intergenerational relationships that promote the well-being of the elderly. Finally, the ethical commitment of the university, residences, agencies, and other organizations is mentioned. As a result, the positive impact on the community is highlighted.