Volumen 8 No. 1 (2017)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace-test.ucuenca.edu.ec/handle/123456789/27681

Browse

Browsing Volumen 8 No. 1 (2017) by Author "Feyen, Jan"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A preliminary response from the Faculty of Psychology students of the University of Cuenca to the modified EFL teaching approach
    (Universidad de Cuenca, 2017) Berna, Marcelo; Feyen, Jan
    English teachers in Ecuadorian universities, like teachers in many non-native English-speaking countries, face the challenge of dealing with uninterested, unmotivated students, even when intermediate proficiency of English is a basic requirement for graduation. As from the end of 2014, the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Cuenca modified the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction at the three proficiency levels of English learning, by linking the training in reading to the reading of major related material and stimulating the students to practice actively the four English language skills outside the classroom using website and video hosting sites. At the end of 2016, the students’ impressions of being exposed to the modified way of student-centered instruction were assessed using a questionnaire. A total of 106 students completed online the 10-question survey. Results showed the enthusiasm of the students towards the modified more dynamic and interactive mode of EFL instruction; appreciated that more autonomy and responsibility were given to the students, and suggested that focus on grammar should not be neglected. An important side effect of the approach was the indirect harnessing of listening, writing, reading and speaking skills as well as skills in the reading and analysis of thematic research papers; considered an important benefit for the thesis project.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Análisis comparativo del comportamiento de la escorrentía de tres microcuencas andinas con diferente régimen de precipitación y cobertura vegetal
    (Universidad de Cuenca, 2017) Martínez, Erika; Coello, Cristian; Feyen, Jan
    The paper presents a descriptive comparative analysis of the precipitation and runoff of three Andean small watersheds (varying in size between 0.6 and 1 km2), using approximately 8 years of rainfall and discharge data, with the objective to relate differences in runoff behavior to the level of annual precipitation, the monthly distribution of rainfall and land use. The catchment covered with native forest receives on average the largest amount of rainfall (1,540 mm/year), whereas the two other catchments, respectively under grassland with extensive cattle breeding and pine trees, receive annually on average respectively 1,267 and 1,181 mm. Although the analysis did not permit to describe in detail the processes controlling the transformation of precipitation into runoff, the exhaustive breakdown of the daily rainfall and runoff data enabled to define the effect of climate and land cover on the runoff pattern of each of the studied micro-catchments. Furthermore, the detailed analysis allowed to accurately identify the type of events whereby the studied micro-catchments show a different response in runoff related to a difference in climate and land use, which would not have been possible to define using only the average monthly precipitation and runoff data of the catchments, a traditional approach in hydrologic consulting services.