We developed the responsive environment AIM‐Mobile Learning Platform, which permits to assess students using smartphones and to design online educational packets. We carried out a qualitative and quantitative study in Higher Education subjects using the case study and the triangulation data methods. Results demonstrated that the environment promotes a dynamic learning‐teaching process inside class, increasing the motivation, participation, and attention of students and helping them to be more conscious of their self‐learning process.

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RESUMENLas necesidades detectadas en los estudiantes de nuevo ingreso de las Escuelas Técnicas Superiores de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación han llevado a plantear iniciativas de mentoría formal en sus grados. Estas carencias están relacionadas con una escasa orientación previa a la Universidad, gran heterogeneidad del alumnado, alto índice de fracaso académico en el primer curso y falta de información acerca de la inserción laboral. Este artículo pretende dar a conocer el programa MENTUm cuya finalidad es que estudiantes de últimos cursos ofrezcan apoyo e incentiven el aprendizaje e integración de estudiantes de primero con el objetivo de detectar las dificultades personales y académicas que presentan y desarrollar competencias instrumentales. La metodología de investigación empleada consiste en un Estudio de Caso desde un enfoque mixto, empleando técnicas tanto cuantitativas como cualitativas con la finalidad de alcanzar la mayor comprensión del programa en una de sus cuatro dimensiones: dar respuesta a las necesidades del alumnado de nuevo ingreso. Para la recogida de información, se han empleado tres técnicas de recogida de datos: cuestionarios, observaciones y entrevistas. Los resultados muestran que las dificultades personales tienen que ver con la falta de concentración, planificación y organización del tiempo, mientras que las dificultades académicas tienen que ver más con la falta de conocimientos previos ante los contenidos de las asignaturas. Como conclusiones hemos constatado que los estudiantes son conscientes desde su ingreso a la Universidad de la importancia de desarrollar competencias instrumentales de aprendizaje autónomo y planificación a medida que transcurre el año académico.ABSTRACT The needs detected in the new students of the Higher Technical Schools of Telecommunication Engineers have led to propose initiatives of formal mentoring in their grades. These shortcomings are related to a poor orientation prior to the University, great heterogeneity of the students, high rate of academic failure in the first year and lack of information about the labor insertion. This article describes the MENTUm program, whose purpose is for senior students to support and encourage the learning and integration of first-year students with the aim of detecting the personal and academic difficulties they present and developing some instrumental skills. The research methodology used consists of a Case Study from a mixed approach, using both quantitative and qualitative techniques in order to achieve a greater understanding of the program in one of its four dimensions: respond to the needs of new students. For the collection of information, three data collection techniques have been used: questionnaires, observations and interviews. The results show that personal difficulties have to do with the lack of concentration, planning and organization of time, while academic difficulties have more to do with the lack of prior knowledge regarding the contents of the subjects. As conclusions, we have verified that the students are aware from their beginning at the University of the importance of developing instrumental skills of autonomous learning and planning as the academic year progresses.

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Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) has become a relevant field among researchers and practitioners in social and cognitive sciences as well as ICT engineering; thus, it constitutes a new trans-disciplinary field. However, systematic analysis of authentic experiences is necessary to asses practitioners on how to apply the existing know-how to their practice. That´s why, in this paper we describe a case study called UVA-CA (University of Valladolid-Computer Arquitecture) carried during four years in an undergraduate Computer Architecture course at the University of Valladolid (Spain). We illustrate a pedagogical innovation applicable to engineering courses that suggests a formative model supported in the principles of the CSCL field and based on Project Based Learning educational designs. It also emphasizes the idea of how Qualitative Case Studies can contribute to make generalizations based on a thorough reflection upon a particular situation, yielding a number of "lessons learned" during the process that can be transferred to other practitioners in real environments.