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The aim of this study is to discover student's perceptions from the School of Education about the use of the learning platform to improve educational process in distance higher education. To this end, a descriptive study with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) has been applied according to the objectives of the study. An ad-hoc semi-structured questionnaire has been validated by experts, obtaining the response of 111 students of the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED), who are conducting social education, pedagogy, and master's degrees in education. The results showed positive values in the different dimensions analyzed: (I) Role of learning platform in distance education, (II) Instructional of the design learning platform, (III) Didactic interaction through the learning platform and (IV) The learning platform and professional practice. The analysis of the open questions, provides guidelines for improving the use of the learning platform in distance higher education regarding strengths (student's exchange, and independent learning) and weaknesses (feedback delay, and content repository).

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The effect of diisocyanate nature and hard segment content on the morphology and properties of high‐renewable content segmented thermoplastic polyurethanes was studied. Vegetable oil‐based polyether diol and corn sugar derived chain extender were used as renewable reactants together with an aliphatic (1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate, HDI) or aromatic (4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, MDI) diisocyanate as hard segment. Segmented thermoplastic polyurethanes were synthesized by two‐step bulk polymerization. Morphology and physicochemical, thermal and mechanical properties were analyzed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, atomic force microscopy, and mechanical testing. The effect of mechanical deformation over the microstructure was also analyzed. Changes in crystallinity and hard segment hydrogen bonding after mechanical testing were evaluated by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The increase of physical crosslinking sites by aromatic diisocyanate and chain extender ratio in the polyurethane results in hard segment crystalline domains with spherulitic morphology, which enhance the stiffness and hardness whereas percentage elongation at break diminish. The flexible, linear aliphatic nature of HDI favors the arrangement of urethane groups thus creating strong hard segment interactions and hard segment crystal microdomains composed of fibrillar morphology are observed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2282–2291, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers

ResumenEste artículo presenta una investigación sobre la integración del teléfono móvil por parte de los docentes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de Las Palmas (Islas Canarias, España) analizando su uso, actitudes y posibilidades. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio y descriptivo con un enfoque mixto (cuantitativo y cualitativo) para el que se ha aplicado un cuestionario de 11 dimensiones a una muestra de docentes (n=223), realizando también entrevistas personales (n=19). El análisis estadístico de los datos ha sido univariado y bivariado para obtener la máxima información del cruce de variables. Los resultados de la muestran un gran desconocimiento de los docentes en cuanto a los usos educativos del teléfono móvil como herramienta de enseñanza y aprendizaje (93,3%). No obstante, un 56,5% manifiesta interés en conocer cómo llevar a cabo su integración educativa en el aula, con mayor incidencia entre los docentes de menor edad (36-50 años), más flexibles y receptivos, coincidiendo en esta orientación, con otros estudios de incorporación escolar de las TIC para este nivel educativo. Palabras clave: Teléfono móvil, Aprendizaje móvil, Docentes, Educación Secundaria AbstractThis article presents a research on the integration of mobile phones by teachers of Secondary Education in Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) analyzing their use, attitudes and possibilities. This is an exploratory and descriptive study with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) in which a questionnaire of 11 dimensions has been applied to a sample of teachers (n=223), also conducting personal interviews (n=19). Statistical analysis of the data has been univariate and bivariate to obtain the maximum information of crossing variables. The results show a great lack of teachers regarding the educational uses of mobile phone as a tool for teaching and learning (93,3%). However, 56,5% expressed interest in how to carry out their educational integration in the classroom, with the highest incidence among teachers of younger age (36-50 years), more flexible and responsive, coinciding in this orientation, with other studies about incorporation of ICT at school for this educational level.