Abstract:

The relevance of creative and experiential projects in Higher Education shows that the configuration of their main attributes for satisfaction and happiness in the classroom is a very important question. From a pedagogical perspective, the application of marketing paradigms and student-focused didactic projects shows the usefulness to intervene on certain variables and dimensions at different levels of performance in the classroom.

The main objectives of this manuscript are the following:
1) to describe the configuration of learning experiences in Higher Education as a set of evidences causing positive outcomes in the behaviour of professors and students; and
2) to evaluate empirically the main dimensions for satisfaction and happiness in the classroom in a virtual university in Spain. Firstly, this research presents a review of this theoretical approach and secondly a managerial process for professors in the classroom is designed and validated.

This research shows the relevance to explore several dimensions for success in the classroom and present an inventory of indicators to promote positive learning experiences, happiness and satisfaction to different levels of management. To sum up, the results and conclusions of this research are relevant in decisions of educational policy, but also on the teaching practice and theory in the scope of this study.

The outline of this manuscript is the following. The first section refers the introduction and justification of this research. Second, we review the theory and empirical background on approaches and best practices in order to promote happiness and satisfaction in the classroom, in particular in Higher Education. Third, a parsimonious and simple process to measure learning experiences, happiness and satisfaction of students in the classroom are described in this research. Fourth, a comprehensive interpretation and discussion of the results were carried out and analyzed. Finally, the last section is devoted to the conclusions, implications in the classroom and further research.

Keywords:

Teaching, learning experiences, Higher Education, virtual university, Spain.