Prevenção primária da toxicodependência, "Do Ministério à Escola"

Neste estudo realiza-se uma reflexão crítica em torno da investigação-ação desenvolvida na Escola Secundária D. Dinis, por ocasião do Estágio. A investigação-ação pretendeu contribuir para a resposta à questão: «Em que medida é que as atividades de complemento curricular podem apoiar a alteração de comportamentos dos alunos face à Toxicodependência?» A amostra do estudo foi constituída por quarenta e um alunos, com idades compreendidas entre os quinze e os vinte e um anos, tendo a maioria dezasseis ou dezassete anos de idade. Os métodos e os instrumentos utilizados caraterizaram-se pela realização da atividade em cabanas de Tavira, a aplicação dos questionários antes e depois da atividade em Tavira e por último, a realização de uma conversa com os alunos envolvidos após a atividade acerca da prevenção primária da toxicodependência. Foram implementadas ações, no seio escolar, que permitiram envolver alunos, professores e funcionários, no sentido de realizar uma Prevenção Primária da Toxicodependência, em Tavira, com um conjunto de alunos da Escola Secundária D. Diniz. O impato [sic] das atividades foram estimadas a partir das diferenças das perceções dos alunos à entrada e saída das ações, face à temática em questão. Foi ainda analisada a formação desenvolvida e ainda uma “conversa” após a atividade, em jeito de balanço. A reflexão crítica foca-se no impato que a investigação-ação teve nos alunos, na comunidade escolar e no nosso desenvolvimento profissional, recorrendo-se à experiência vivida e à teoria para a sua fundamentação.

Observational research on golf-related injuries

The determination of aetiological factors in sports injuries is challenging. Recently, investigators have devoted significant attention to this topic. A reasonable amount of studies provides information on the occurrence, aetiology, and severity of golf-related injuries. However, gaps of evidence still limit the understanding of the injury problem in golf and the comparability of epidemiological findings. Observational studies using surveys and medical records were reviewed. Surveys are suited to find precise occurrence patterns of golf-related injuries, but fail to adequately ascertain the levels of exposure and aetiological factors. Due to the proximity to the injury event, medical records are able to clearly identify the aetiology and severity of golf-related injuries. While reviewing observational studies using surveys a comment was provided on the methodological quality and risk of bias. Overall, these studies seem to be disturbed on their ability to produce generalizations and comparison of study findings. With the information obtained from reviewing observational studies and the collaboration of a panel of internationally recognised experts on golf science and sports injury research, a web-based bilingual questionnaire was developed and tested for one of the provided languages. The bilingual nature of the questionnaire is also expected to facilitate the acceptance of the scientific community and enable the translation to different languages. A standardised questionnaire applied in different cultural contexts is expected to help and further improve the comparability of epidemiological findings. The questionnaire was proficient in capturing information on golf-related injuries and participation habits of golfers. While using a wider outcome definition focusing on any type of physical complaints, episodes of injury could be recognized despite onset and level of severity. Questions on the need for medical attention, time loss, and impact on performance also enabled additional categorisation of severity.

Cooperative learning and its influences on the diminishing of the digital divide

Digital divide is an issue that concerns our technology dominated society. The parents of ubiquitous computing dreamt of a total proliferation of information technology. But the reality we live in is not yet prepared for this future. There is current a need to develop programs in order to diminish this difference between the digitally included and the excluded one. PROEJA-Transiarte is a project ran by Universidade de Brasília in the city of Ceilândia, Federal District of Brazil. It proposes a different approach on the issue of digital divide, by introducing the cooperative creation of cyberart, based on the life stories of each participant, into the regular curriculum of EJA (Educação de Jovens e Adultos) classes, thus implementing the concept of solidary education. This research project investigated the role played by the cooperative learning the students put in practice during the workshops of the project in the diminishing of the digital exclusion a great part of the students feel. It looked into their activities, analyzing the development of their cooperation, putting it next in the context of the digital and social inclusion. After a multi-dimensional research on the theme, in the context of PROEJA-Transiarte, the conclusion shows the impact cooperative learning has in the reduction of the digital divide, analyzing the perception of the currently involved students, the researchers active in the project, or the former students that had their lives improved because of the workshops they participated in.