An adaptive educational system for higher education

The main objective of an Adaptive System is to adequate its relation with the user (content presentation, navigation, interface, etc.) according to a predefined but updatable model of the user that reflects his objectives, preferences, knowledge and competences [Brusilovsky, 2001], [De Bra, 2004]. For Educational Adaptive Systems, the emphasis is placed on the student knowledge in the domain application and learning style, to allow him to reach the learning objectives proposed for his training [Chepegin, 2004]. In Educational AHS, the User Model (UM), or Student Model, has increased relevance: when the student reaches the objectives of the course, the system must be able to readapt, for example, to his knowledge [Brusilovsky, 2001]. Learning Styles are understood as something that intent to define models of how given person learns. Generally it is understood that each person has a Learning Style different and preferred with the objective of achieving better results. Some case studies have proposed that teachers should assess the learning styles of their students and adapt their classroom and methods to best fit each student's learning style [Kolb, 2005], [Martins, 2008]. The learning process must take into consideration the individual cognitive and emotional parts of the student. In summary each Student is unique so the Student personal progress must be monitored and teaching shoul not be not generalized and repetitive [Jonassen, 1991], [Martins, 2008]. The aim of this paper is to present an Educational Adaptive Hypermedia Tool based on Progressive Assessment.

A aprendizagem da divisão: um olhar sobre os procedimentos usados pelos alunos

Este artigo apresenta e discute alguns aspetos sobre a aprendizagem da divisão com números naturais, focando-se nos procedimentos usados por alunos de uma turma do 3.º ano na resolução de tarefas de divisão. Os resultados apresentados fazem parte de uma investigação mais abrangente que teve como finalidade a compreensão do modo como os alunos aprofundam a aprendizagem da multiplicação numa perspetiva de desenvolvimento do sentido do número. A investigação realizada seguiu uma metodologia de design research, na modalidade de experiência de ensino. A análise das produções escritas dos alunos e de episódios de sala de aula relativos às discussões coletivas sobre as resoluções das tarefas propostas mostra que os alunos usam uma diversidade de procedimentos e que estes evoluem significativamente ao longo da experiência de ensino. Esta evolução parece ser suportada pelas características das tarefas, os seus contextos e números, assim como pela articulação, desde logo estabelecida, entre a divisão e a multiplicação. Além disso, o recurso ao modelo retangular parece, também, ter contribuído para a progressão para procedimentos multiplicativos, baseados na decomposição de um dos fatores. Os resultados do estudo permitem ainda perceber que a evolução dos procedimentos usados pelos alunos e a sua diversidade não são alheias ao ambiente de sala de aula construído.

Studying the development of an online course on Curriculum : implications for the students' workload in light of the Bologna principles

ECER 2014 "The Past, the Present and Future of Educational Research in Europe" will take place at the University of Porto from 1 - 5 September 2014.

The flipped-broadcast learning system, application on Azores

On this work we suggest a teaching solution that can be implemented in Azores, an archipelago of nine islands of Portugal, based in already known system of e-learning, with a twist based on the flipped method. Structured in a cooperative way, the organization of the system allows to isolated groups of people to have access to a certain level of teaching, if they cannot have the possibility to have physical presence in school due to problems emerging from territory discontinuity. Our suggestion can be elaborate in a model that can be adapted to any level of education, and can be adapted also in cases that a cut of budget exists. We suggest the name of fb-learning: Flipped Broadcast Learning.

E-Learning as a shared service in shared services centers

Book Subtitle International Conference, CENTERIS 2010, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, October 20-22, 2010, Proceedings, Part II

Learner’s satisfaction within a breast imaging eLearning course for radiographers

Background: An asynchronous eLearning system was developed for radiographers in order to promote a better knowledge about senology and mammography. Objectives: to assess the learners’ satisfaction. Methods: Target population included radiographers and radiogr aphy students, in order to assess eLearning satisfaction according to different experience levels in breast imaging. Satisfaction was measured through a questionnaire developed especially for eLearning systems, using a seven - point Likert scale. Main topics related are content, interface, personalization and learning community. Results: Overall, 85% of learners were satisfied with the course and 87,5% considered that the course is successful. Main areas that were evaluated by most learners in a positive way were interface and content (between six and seven - point); on the other hand, learning community presented a wider distribution of answers . Conclusions: The course provides an overall high degree of learner satisfaction, thus providing more effective knowle dge gain on breast imaging for radiographers.

A B-learning strategy for Therapeutics at the Bachelor Level

Background Information:The incorporation of distance learning activities by institutions of higher education is considered an important contribution to create new opportunities for teaching at both, initial and continuing training. In Medicine and Nursing, several papers illustrate the adaptation of technological components and teaching methods are prolific, however, when we look at the Pharmaceutical Education area, the examples are scarce. In that sense this project demonstrates the implementation and assessment of a B-Learning Strategy for Therapeutics using a “case based learning” approach. Setting: Academic Pharmacy Methods:This is an exploratory study involving 2nd year students of the Pharmacy Degree at the School of Allied Health Sciences of Oporto. The study population consists of 61 students, divided in groups of 3-4 elements. The b-learning model was implemented during a time period of 8 weeks. Results:A B-learning environment and digital learning objects were successfully created and implemented. Collaboration and assessment techniques were carefully developed to ensure the active participation and fair assessment of all students. Moodle records show a consistent activity of students during the assignments. E-portfolios were also developed using Wikispaces, which promoted reflective writing and clinical reasoning. Conclusions:Our exploratory study suggests that the “case based learning” method can be successfully combined with the technological components to create and maintain a feasible online learning environment for the teaching of therapeutics.

Análise do recurso a novas tecnologias no ensino de autistas

A massificação das tecnologias, abrangendo cada vez mais instituições e população em geral, originou uma aproximação da informação e do conhecimento às pessoas, permitindo um novo olhar para esta área, para as novas tecnologias e para o seu uso. Tendo como ponto de partida, a sociedade de informação e o recurso às tecnologias, recursos esses tão patentes actualmente, é possível pensar em criar as condições necessárias para que seja viável evoluir sempre mais, através da imaginação e de ideias criativas. Com base na aproximação das tecnologias que são cada vez mais acessíveis, o presente estudo pretende avaliar se as novas tecnologias, nas suas mais variadas formas, podem ser uma mais valia no ensino de autistas. O autismo começa a ser encarado como um campo a desenvolver estudos e a explorar os conceitos tecnológicos. O estudo aqui apresentado, não pretende ser apenas mais um, mas antes mostrar o trabalho efectuado até à data e o que pode ser realizado, expondo propostas. No sentido de conhecer um pouco melhor os conceitos relacionados com a área do autismo, foi necessário recorrer a pesquisas na Internet, à leitura de livros e a reuniões com pessoas ligadas a essa área, tornando possível uma aquisição de saberes e uma nova visão sobre a temática. Explorados os conceitos iniciais do autismo tornou-se imprescindível a procura dos recursos educativos utilizados nesta área, não só recursos empregados no método tradicional de ensino, como também, os modelos que procuram usar as novas tecnologias. A análise dos recursos existentes permitiu conhecer o panorama actual dos métodos e modelos em uso que conjugado com o levantamento de necessidades efectuado no decorrer deste trabalho, contribuíram para compreender as carências existentes e assim com base nesse conhecimento adquirido efectuar uma proposta de modelo educativo baseado em tecnologias para apoio educativo de autistas.

Implementação de cursos em regime de e-learning em ambiente hospitalar. A MEDUCA como suporte

A sociedade moderna encontra-se numa evolução progressiva e constante no que respeita às novas tecnologias. Independentemente da área de conhecimento, é de senso comum, que cada vez mais é necessária formação sólida, sendo fundamental a preparação e a consolidação das futuras gerações na utilização das novas tecnologias. As plataformas de e-learning são hoje em dia uma realidade mais que afirmada, e com aplicação em todos os sectores de actividade. A área da saúde não foge à regra, verificando-se que os seus profissionais evidenciam falta de disponibilidade para participação nas formações presenciais, fundamentais para o seu processo de formação contínua (LLL – Long Liffe Learning). Estes profissionais necessitam de estar continuamente actualizados, de forma a melhor poderem contribuir para o desempenho das suas funções, como o aconselhamento dos utentes, acompanhamento de doentes crónicos, uso correcto dos medicamentos, entre outros. O presente trabalho pretende implementar em ambiente hospitalar o modelo de formação à distância em regime de e-learning ou b-learning, identificando potenciais vantagens e constrangimentos inerentes ao processo. Para o efeito, será utilizada a plataforma MEDUCA criada pelo GILT-ISEP e baseada em Moodle, como uma plataforma destinada á formação para profissionais da área da Saúde. Esta dissertação apresenta uma investigação sobre a implementação da dita plataforma em ambiente hospitalar. Esta dissertação apresenta todo o estudo/trabalho desenvolvido para a implementação da plataforma MEDUCA nalgumas entidades contactadas da área da saúde. Espera-se que esta ferramenta ofereça uma alternativa interactiva de educação e aprendizagem, visando melhorar constantemente o nível formativo de cada profissional de saúde.

Como se aprende no jardim-de-infância utilizando o modelo do Movimento da Escola Moderna

Relatório da Prática Profissional Supervisionada Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar

Temporal lobe epilepsy in childhood – a study model of auditory processing

TLE in infancy has been the subject of varied research. Topographical and structural evidence is coincident with the neuronal systems responsible for auditory processing of the highest specialization and complexity. Recent studies have been showing the need of a hemispheric asymmetry for an optimization in central auditory processing (CAP) and acquisition and learning of a language system. A new functional research paradigm is required to study mental processes that require methods of cognitive-sensory information analysis processed in very short periods of time (msec), such as the ERPs. Thus, in this article, we hypothesize that the TLE in infancy could be a good model for topographic and functional study of CAP and its development process, contributing to a better understanding of the learning difficulties that children with this neurological disorder have.

Automatic learning for the classification of chemical reactions and in statistical thermodynamics

This Thesis describes the application of automatic learning methods for a) the classification of organic and metabolic reactions, and b) the mapping of Potential Energy Surfaces(PES). The classification of reactions was approached with two distinct methodologies: a representation of chemical reactions based on NMR data, and a representation of chemical reactions from the reaction equation based on the physico-chemical and topological features of chemical bonds. NMR-based classification of photochemical and enzymatic reactions. Photochemical and metabolic reactions were classified by Kohonen Self-Organizing Maps (Kohonen SOMs) and Random Forests (RFs) taking as input the difference between the 1H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. The development of such a representation can be applied in automatic analysis of changes in the 1H NMR spectrum of a mixture and their interpretation in terms of the chemical reactions taking place. Examples of possible applications are the monitoring of reaction processes, evaluation of the stability of chemicals, or even the interpretation of metabonomic data. A Kohonen SOM trained with a data set of metabolic reactions catalysed by transferases was able to correctly classify 75% of an independent test set in terms of the EC number subclass. Random Forests improved the correct predictions to 79%. With photochemical reactions classified into 7 groups, an independent test set was classified with 86-93% accuracy. The data set of photochemical reactions was also used to simulate mixtures with two reactions occurring simultaneously. Kohonen SOMs and Feed-Forward Neural Networks (FFNNs) were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture based on the 1H NMR spectra of the products and reactants. Kohonen SOMs allowed the correct assignment of 53-63% of the mixtures (in a test set). Counter-Propagation Neural Networks (CPNNs) gave origin to similar results. The use of supervised learning techniques allowed an improvement in the results. They were improved to 77% of correct assignments when an ensemble of ten FFNNs were used and to 80% when Random Forests were used. This study was performed with NMR data simulated from the molecular structure by the SPINUS program. In the design of one test set, simulated data was combined with experimental data. The results support the proposal of linking databases of chemical reactions to experimental or simulated NMR data for automatic classification of reactions and mixtures of reactions. Genome-scale classification of enzymatic reactions from their reaction equation. The MOLMAP descriptor relies on a Kohonen SOM that defines types of bonds on the basis of their physico-chemical and topological properties. The MOLMAP descriptor of a molecule represents the types of bonds available in that molecule. The MOLMAP descriptor of a reaction is defined as the difference between the MOLMAPs of the products and the reactants, and numerically encodes the pattern of bonds that are broken, changed, and made during a chemical reaction. The automatic perception of chemical similarities between metabolic reactions is required for a variety of applications ranging from the computer validation of classification systems, genome-scale reconstruction (or comparison) of metabolic pathways, to the classification of enzymatic mechanisms. Catalytic functions of proteins are generally described by the EC numbers that are simultaneously employed as identifiers of reactions, enzymes, and enzyme genes, thus linking metabolic and genomic information. Different methods should be available to automatically compare metabolic reactions and for the automatic assignment of EC numbers to reactions still not officially classified. In this study, the genome-scale data set of enzymatic reactions available in the KEGG database was encoded by the MOLMAP descriptors, and was submitted to Kohonen SOMs to compare the resulting map with the official EC number classification, to explore the possibility of predicting EC numbers from the reaction equation, and to assess the internal consistency of the EC classification at the class level. A general agreement with the EC classification was observed, i.e. a relationship between the similarity of MOLMAPs and the similarity of EC numbers. At the same time, MOLMAPs were able to discriminate between EC sub-subclasses. EC numbers could be assigned at the class, subclass, and sub-subclass levels with accuracies up to 92%, 80%, and 70% for independent test sets. The correspondence between chemical similarity of metabolic reactions and their MOLMAP descriptors was applied to the identification of a number of reactions mapped into the same neuron but belonging to different EC classes, which demonstrated the ability of the MOLMAP/SOM approach to verify the internal consistency of classifications in databases of metabolic reactions. RFs were also used to assign the four levels of the EC hierarchy from the reaction equation. EC numbers were correctly assigned in 95%, 90%, 85% and 86% of the cases (for independent test sets) at the class, subclass, sub-subclass and full EC number level,respectively. Experiments for the classification of reactions from the main reactants and products were performed with RFs - EC numbers were assigned at the class, subclass and sub-subclass level with accuracies of 78%, 74% and 63%, respectively. In the course of the experiments with metabolic reactions we suggested that the MOLMAP / SOM concept could be extended to the representation of other levels of metabolic information such as metabolic pathways. Following the MOLMAP idea, the pattern of neurons activated by the reactions of a metabolic pathway is a representation of the reactions involved in that pathway - a descriptor of the metabolic pathway. This reasoning enabled the comparison of different pathways, the automatic classification of pathways, and a classification of organisms based on their biochemical machinery. The three levels of classification (from bonds to metabolic pathways) allowed to map and perceive chemical similarities between metabolic pathways even for pathways of different types of metabolism and pathways that do not share similarities in terms of EC numbers. Mapping of PES by neural networks (NNs). In a first series of experiments, ensembles of Feed-Forward NNs (EnsFFNNs) and Associative Neural Networks (ASNNs) were trained to reproduce PES represented by the Lennard-Jones (LJ) analytical potential function. The accuracy of the method was assessed by comparing the results of molecular dynamics simulations (thermal, structural, and dynamic properties) obtained from the NNs-PES and from the LJ function. The results indicated that for LJ-type potentials, NNs can be trained to generate accurate PES to be used in molecular simulations. EnsFFNNs and ASNNs gave better results than single FFNNs. A remarkable ability of the NNs models to interpolate between distant curves and accurately reproduce potentials to be used in molecular simulations is shown. The purpose of the first study was to systematically analyse the accuracy of different NNs. Our main motivation, however, is reflected in the next study: the mapping of multidimensional PES by NNs to simulate, by Molecular Dynamics or Monte Carlo, the adsorption and self-assembly of solvated organic molecules on noble-metal electrodes. Indeed, for such complex and heterogeneous systems the development of suitable analytical functions that fit quantum mechanical interaction energies is a non-trivial or even impossible task. The data consisted of energy values, from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, at different distances, for several molecular orientations and three electrode adsorption sites. The results indicate that NNs require a data set large enough to cover well the diversity of possible interaction sites, distances, and orientations. NNs trained with such data sets can perform equally well or even better than analytical functions. Therefore, they can be used in molecular simulations, particularly for the ethanol/Au (111) interface which is the case studied in the present Thesis. Once properly trained, the networks are able to produce, as output, any required number of energy points for accurate interpolations.

Mobile and web tools for participative learning

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Using remote experimentation in a large undergraduate course: initial findings

The use of remote labs in undergraduate courses has been reported in literature several times since the mid 90's. Nevertheless, very few articles present results about the correspondent learning gains obtained by students, and in what conditions those systems can be more efficient, thus suggesting a lack of data concerning their pedagogical effectiveness. This paper addresses such a gap by presenting some initial findings concerning the use of a remote lab (VISIR), in a large undergraduate course on Physics, with over 550 students enrolled.

Using VISIR in a large undergraduate course: preliminary assessment results

The use of remote labs in undergraduate courses has been reported in literature several times since the mid 90's. Nevertheless, very few articles present results about the learning gains obtained by students using them, especially with a large number of students, thus suggesting a lack of data concerning their pedagogical effectiveness. This paper addresses such a gap by presenting some preliminary results concerning the use of a remote laboratory, known as VISIR, in a large undergraduate course on Applied Physics, with over 500 students enrolled.