CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONCEPT OF EXPANDED EDUCATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO HIGHER EDUCATION CONTEXTS

The use of technology has served to promote access to education and to overcome the spatiotemporal limits enabling the long life learning. Educational use of technology has also helped to understand the teaching-learning process differently; less hierarchically and more focused on generating knowledge than transmit of information.
In spite of that society, economy and technology have globalized, expanding its boundaries beyond the barriers previously known, the fact is that universities have implemented these advances in their functioning partially only.
It is true that the export business of academic services is increasing in higher education, and that technologies have been integrated more and more into the classroom. It is also true that elearning has grown very fast in a lot of universities, both distance studies as other blended. Furthermore, following the emergence of Web 2.0, the available resources on Internet such as blogs or social networks have opened the possibility to introduce us (teachers and students) on Internet as active people who create their own content. And there are some innovative teachers who take advantage of these technological resources to realize participatory activities with their students inside and outside the classroom.
But, is this a truly global university? , Is it possible to say that university is a cultural agent that promotes active participation and shared creation of knowledge at the service of society? . Perhaps there are some limits to be overcome for it.
According to Schmidt (2010) there is a gap between the current "knowledge society", expanded by the aid of technology, and universities with their fragmented, rigid and limited syllabus.
The current functioning of higher education institutions is not ready to adapt to a changing society marked by uncertainty, in which are valued skills such as analysis and information management, collaborative work and critical thinking. Above all, universities are still more focused on training and certification of their students than on the development of whole society.
Global society requires a global university and education that overcomes these limitations. The development of the concept of "expanded education" is an alternative to stimulate the development of higher education in this way.
This research helps to define more clearly the concept of "expanded education", in a pre-theoretical moment at the present time, so it represents a new advancement in the field of educational research, which could build the source of future research related to the topic studied. The definition of this concept or educational model will facilitate clear frameworks to assist universities in implementing the principles of the "expanded education".
The research discussed in depth the possibilities of innovation that offers the concept of "expanded education", which benefits universities according to the current technological society of information and knowledge and more relevant to the needs of their students.
In addition, we define evaluation criteria to assess universities and their suitability for integration "expanded education" practices. These criteria are integrated in the form and structure, constitute an assessment tool, appropriate to be applied in any university. This will stimulate the self knowledge of the university as an institution capable of reflecting and conduct processes of change, improvement and renewal.