Project-based civil engineering courses

Problem solving is an essential element of civil engineering education. It has been observed that students are best able to understand civil engineering theory when there is a practical application of it. Teaching theory alone has led to lower levels of comprehension and motivation and a correspondingly higher rate of failure and “drop-out”. This paper analyses the effectiveness of introducing practical design projects at an early stage within a civil engineering undergraduate program at Queensland University of Technology. In two of the essential basic subjects, Engineering Mechanics and Steel Structures, model projects which simulate realistic engineering exercises were introduced. Students were required to work in small groups to analyse, design and build the lightest / most efficient model bridges made of specific materials such as spaghetti, drinking straw, paddle pop sticks and balsa wood and steel columns for a given design loading/target capacity. The paper traces the success of the teaching strategy at each stage from its introduction through to the final student and staff evaluation.

From mountaintop to corporate ladder: What new professionals really really want in a capstone experience!

Capstone subjects are increasingly used in Universities worldwide to complete the undergraduate program experience and to transition graduates into the workplace. As such, capstones fulfil a large role consolidating one experience and traversing the gap to another. Yet, little is known or understood about their design, their implementation or evaluation. In this study we investigate the final-year experience from the student's perspective. We surveyed graduates from five Business Schools in Australia to identify perceptions of their final-year experience. Findings indicate that the transition experience of the student to professional is unique. In their liminal or intermediate state between student and professional they recognise the value of process skills, in particular the development of generic business skills related to application and the importance of opportunities for experiencing the application of theory in practice. The findings add a new understanding to the current literature which has not previously acknowledged the insight of the transitioning professional.

The Cool Climate, Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University

A program from Brock University which includes an overview of the plan for CCOVI, a list of the courses for each year of the undergraduate program, notes from the advisory committee, budget information, industry funding requests, and a five year financial chart for spending. The program includes photographs of individuals involved with CCOVI, including two photographs featuring Donald Ziraldo. A direct quote from Mr. Ziraldo is also included: "Education and research will build on each other when they come together in the Institute. The 'cool climate' focus will be unique and attract people world-wide".

Estudio prospectivo para la facultad de odontología de la universidad cooperativa de Colombia, sede Villavicencio, 2020

Las tendencias para las Instituciones de Educación Superior, se enmarcan en ambientes cada vez menos predecibles y cambiantes. La anticipación con miras a determinar los diferentes escenarios a los que se pueda ver enfrentada este tipo de organizaciones, facilita la comprensión de los futuros posibles. Por tanto, el propósito de esta investigación se fundamenta en la realización de un estudio que permita la construcción de los escenarios de futuro para la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Sede Villavicencio, con un horizonte de tiempo al año 2020. Para esto se desarrolló la metodología basada en los planteamientos de la Prospectiva estratégica de Godet (1997), a través de tres (3) etapas: el Análisis estructural prospectivo, el Sistema de matrices de impacto cruzado y la propuesta del Escenario apuesta. Finalmente, el estudio presenta recomendaciones a los directivos de la Facultad de Odontología, relacionadas con la construcción del Escenario apuesta, catalogándose como herramienta para el direccionamiento estratégico y toma de decisiones.

Vozes d'África Transatlântica: trajetórias estudantis de Cabo Verde e da Guiné-Bissau - programa de estudantes - convénio de graduação

A presente investigação tem como centralidade a mobilidade internacional de estudantes no caso, a dos africanos oriundos de Cabo Verde e da Guiné-Bissau, participantes do Programa Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, inserida no fenômeno da internacionalização universitária, acentuada na globalização. O objetivo principal foi analisar o processo de inserção social e acadêmica desses estudantes, com ênfase para os dos cursos de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Ciências da Computação, Engenharia da Computação e Medicina, nessa Instituição de Ensino Superior - IES. A metodologia foi norteada pela conjugação dos aportes teóricos e metodológicos qualiquantitativa, em que, na primeira, utilizou-se da entrevista semiestrutura dirigida para dezesseis sujeitos; sendo, a metade estudantes e a outra docentes, cuja análise optou-se pela Análise de Discurso (AD) da linha francesa, resultando as formações discursivas: motivações da mobilidade, registro nacional de estrangeiro, identidade étnica, relações étnicoraciais e o PEC-G: seu funcionamento nas práticas sociais na UFRN. Já a pesquisa quantitativa, foi constituída pela aplicação do questionário para o universo de 40 estudantes dos dois grupos e de todas as áreas de conhecimento, cuja interpretação dos dados, recorreu-se ao Programa SPSS. Já, para o recorte dos cursos específicos, foi utilizado, o do Google Doc, os quais, estão expressos em tabelas e gráficos. Os resultados revelaram que essa mobilidade estudantil africana está imersa por um misto de semelhanças e diferenças entre o Brasil e dos Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Poruguesa - PALOP; e mais dos contextos das hierarquias entre os países centrais, semiperiféricos e periféricos, provocadas pelas políticas de reajustes estruturais sobre os serviços educacionais, Sousa (Santos 2008; 2010), que se refletem nas trajetórias acadêmicas temporária no país de acolhimento. Aqui, também, enfrenta as fragilidades e os avanços das políticas públicas do Sistema de Ensino Superior, implementadas pelo governo brasileiro nas IES. Em termos quantitativos para os quatros cursos analisados, em diferentes e curtos períodos, quanto a distribuição de vagas (acesso), formas de desligamentos e conclusão apontaram especificidades. E, grosso modo, o curso de Medicina, apresentou os melhores índices de conclusão, seguidos, pelos de Arquitetura e da Engenharia da Computação. A maioria dos estudantes são do sexo masculino, mais da metade está representada pelos oriundos de Cabo Verde, o restante, pelos da Guiné-Bissau. Enquanto, no curso de Ciências da Computação, foi nula a conclusão de curso, e em função deste histórico de baixo desempenho dos estudantes-convênio PEC-G, teria havido o fechamento de vagas. Mas, verificando-se, que os índices de conclusão nesses cursos, apresentou uma média abaixo dos cursos de graduação da UFRN, nos quais, esses estudantes são minoria ao lado dos afrobrasileiros nas universidades do Brasil.

Do modelo geométrico ao modelo físico: o tridimensional na educação do arquiteto e urbanista

In the teaching practice of architecture and urbanism in Brazil, educational legislation views modeling laboratories and workshops as an indispensable component of the infrastructure required for the good functioning of any architectural course of study. Although the development of information technology at the international level has created new possibilities for digital production of architectural models, research in this field being underway since the early 1990s, it is only from 2007 onwards that such technologies started to be incorporated into the teaching activity of architecture and urbanism in Brazil, through the pioneering experience at LAPAC/FEC/UNICAMP. It is therefore a recent experiment whose challenges can be highlighted through the following examples: (i) The implementation of digital prototyping laboratories in undergraduate courses of architecture and urbanism is still rare in Brazil; (ii) As a new developing field with few references and application to undergraduate programs, it is hard to define methodological procedures suitable for the pedagogical curricula already implemented or which have already been consolidated over the years; (iii) The new digital ways for producing tridimensional models are marked with specificities which make it difficult to fit them within the existing structures of model laboratories and workshops. Considering the above, the present thesis discusses the tridimensional model as a tool which may contribute to the development of students skills in perceiving, understanding and representing tridimensional space. Analysis is made of the relation between different forms of models and the teaching of architectural project, with emphasis on the design process. Starting from the conceptualization of the word model as it is used in architecture and urbanism, an attempt is made to identify types of tridimensional models used in the process of project conception, both through the traditional, manual way of model construction as well as through the digital ones. There is also an explanation on how new technologies for digital production of models through prototyping are being introduced in undergraduate academic programs of architecture and urbanism in Brazil, as well as a review of recent academic publications in this area. Based on the paradigm of reflective practice in teaching as designed by Schön (2000), the experiment applied in the research was undertaken in the integrated workshop courses of architectural project in the undergraduate program of architecture and urbanism at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Along the experiment, physical modeling, geometric modeling and digital prototyping are used in distinct moments of the design process with the purpose of observing the suitability of each model to the project s phases. The procedures used in the experiments are very close to the Action Research methodology in which the main purpose is the production of theoretical knowledge by improving the practice. The process was repeated during three consecutive semesters and reflection on the results which were achieved in each cycle helped enhancing the next one. As a result, a methodological procedure is proposed which consists of the definition of the Tridimensional Model as the integrating element for the contents studied in a specific academic period or semester. The teaching of Architectural Project as it is developed along the fifth academic period of the Architecture and Urbanism undergraduate program of UFRN is taken as a reference

Passado e presente: a enfermagem do Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes

This is a historically focused study with a qualitative approach whose main purpose is to investigate the trajectory of Nursing at the Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes (HUOL) and how it associates with the teaching of Nursing at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Motivation for carrying out this study is due, firstly, to a liking for history and, secondly, to the nonexistence of records on Nursing in one of the institutions with the most teaching tradition in the area of health and nursing in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The objectives of the study were to analyze the historical development of Nursing at the HUOL and its association with the teaching of Nursing at the UFRN; describe the historical development of the Hospital referred to; and to establish a relationship between the development of nursing at the HUOL and the teaching of Nursing at the UFRN. Empirical investigation was carried out based on the study of historical documents such as reports, minutes, letters, by-laws, decrees and administrative directives, as well as photographs and interviews with people who lived through this history or who kept vivid memories of it. From this research it can be gathered that Nursing at the HUOL was at first closely identified with the empirical stage of the profession. Its development is a result of the institutionalization of teaching whose starting point is an authorization for running the Nursing Aid School of Natal in 1955. Since then, gradually, teaching has enabled those who practiced nursing at that institution to become professionals through a partnership between the Nursing Aid School and the Nursing Department at the Hospital whose administration had been in charge of a professor for many years. Upon the creation of the undergraduate program in Nursing in 1973, nursing at the HUOL underwent a new transformation process with new nurses being hired. Likewise, the creation of post-graduate specialization and master s degree programs in 1982 and 1996, respectively, opened the way to the growth of the academic qualifications of nurses at that institution. Therefore, it must be asserted that Nursing at the HUOL has, over the years, gone through a continuous process of qualification of its members and in such trajectory the teaching of Nursing that is carried out at different levels at the UFRN stands as a hallmark

Educação do empreendedorismo: um estudo em instituição de ensino superior

This Thesis deals with entrepreneurship on higher education undergraduate programs. The main objective is investigating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in terms of entrepreneurial attitudes and behavior. The study is done on a University that has an entrepreneurship education program on a Business Management undergraduate program. It is conducted a survey using a questionnaire on the Business Management undergraduate students resulting in a random stratified sample of 264 students. The entrepreneurial attitudes variables used are those found on the entrepreneurship literature. The entrepreneurial behavior variables are typical entrepreneurial situations like a decision on how to apply money and if the student would leave a good job to open his or her own company. It is applied multiple regression, cluster, bivariate and chi-square analysis. The main findings are first that it was not found a strong relationship between the entrepreneurial attitudes variables found on the entrepreneurship literature and the behavior situation proposed, with a multiple regression adjusted r2 = 0,30. Second, there is no statistically significant difference among the students comparing different years of the undergraduate program. Finally, the entrepreneurship education in this research appears to be effective in change attitudes toward entrepreneurship but not in changing entrepreneurial behavior. The main theoretical implication is that the entrepreneurship education on higher education level could be effective to change attitudes but changing behavior could goes beyond the possibilities of education on a usual university environment

Narrativas de professores em formação sobre a didatização de podcasts para o ensino de inglês na floresta

Considering the following conditions: (1) the fluency demands of students in an undergraduate program in Languages and Literatures/English in the Amazon region; (2) the listening and speaking needs of pre-service teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL); (3) my continuing education as a professor of EFL and my academic literacy as a teacher-researcher and pre-service-teacher trainer, this study, which is based on Narrative Inquiry, reports on a teacher experience of working didactically with oral genres through podcasting an activity that emerged with the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Through this process, I engage with some theorists who promote teaching as a process that is driven by a concept of language as social practice. Subsequently, I make use of the notions of context of culture and context of situation, derived from Systemic Functional Linguistics, as well as the concept of genre and register derived from the perspective of this theory. Based on these principles and beliefs, the Amazon region constitutes the register (situation) of the genres used in this study. These principles also provide, opportunities for building learning strategies appropriate to this local context, and also to teach listening and speaking skills from a task-based approach. During the experience, based on the reflective teacher-education model, the participants produced narratives about the process, which I then analyzed according to Ely, Vinz, Downing and Anzul (2001), who propose possibilities of composing meanings in Narrative Inquiry. Based on this perspective, I discuss the following topics, which were highly emphasized in the participants narratives: the lack of didactic activities using oral genres; the relevance of context within teacher education; and collaborative work as a strategy to overcome gaps in digital literacy, language fluency and teaching skills. The meanings I thereby compose point to a paradigm shift in English language teaching within this context. I also argue for a pedagogical practice that is engaged with historical and socio-cultural issues, and with the development of language skills, also one that promotes the implementation of ICTs at the very start of teacher training programs, adopting teaching and learning strategies that correspond to the demands of fluency in this particular context, and deficiencies imposed by geographical isolation

O atletismo nos cursos de graduação em Educação Física

This study has the purpose to investigate the characteristics and the role of the athletics-related sports disciplines in four Physical Education undergraduate courses. In order to reach the goal, it was conducted as a qualitative-type research. Data was collected through documental analysis on disciplines briefings and programs, and also from classes observations and interviews with professors and students from the institutions (two State-boarded and two private) responsible for the courses. Through these analyses it was perceived that those disciplines have surpassed some characteristics of the traditional undergraduate program, which is based on sports. Regarding the role of the disciplines, it was noted that professors consider them as responsible for providing students with basic conditions, so they could benefit from sports as instrumental subjects for their professional intervention.

Reflexão e identidade profissional do professor de LE: que histórias contam os futuros professores?

Este artigo relata os resultados de um estudo realizado com alunas de graduação em Letras, Português - Língua Estrangeira (Inglês, Espanhol, Italiano, Japonês, Francês e Alemão). Objetivou verificar as metáforas, regras da prática e princípios que as alunas identificaram durante um processo de reflexão sobre suas formações profissionais. Foi possível identificar o impacto desses elementos em seus processos individuais de desenvolvimento de identidades como professoras. O resultado foi um conjunto de histórias biográficas escritas (fontes de experiências) nas quais as participantes se baseavam para constituir suas identidades profissionais como professoras de línguas estrangeiras. Nesses processos, elas puderam construir ligações significativas entre os aspectos teóricos evidenciados nas leituras que realizaram durante o período da pesquisa e os vários eventos marcantes de suas narrativas orais acerca da carreira profissional. A associação dos vários aspectos de suas histórias pessoais às questões teóricas que foram discutidas durante a pesquisa revela processos de construções de identidades profissionais como professoras de línguas estrangeiras.

Aprender para ensinar: a reflexão na formação inicial de professores de física

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O laboratório de anatomia sob a perspectiva da 'descrição densa': interfaces da cultura e o ensino de Ciências

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Peças de uma história: formação de professores de matemática na região de Mossoró (RN)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Percepção e atitudes de estudantes de odontologia sobre a pobreza

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)