INTERFACES ENTRE TECNOLOGIAS EDUCACIONAIS E GESTÃO DE INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO SUPERIOR PRIVADA

O uso de recursos tecnológicos como facilitadores do processo ensino-aprendizado em todos os níveis de ensino tem sido objeto de polêmica entre os pesquisadores do tema. Por um lado aqueles responsáveis pelo ensino os professores resistem às mudanças que a cada dia ocorrem no mundo moderno; por outro os estudantes solicitam um ambiente de aprendizagem que utilize as tecnologias as quais estão acostumados e dominam. Por fim, os gestores das instituições de ensino, que possuem um grande desafio de proporcionar os recursos no interior das instituições, sem permitir, contudo, que comprometam a saúde financeira da instituição. Não obstante, no Brasil a concorrência entre as instituições de ensino tem sido acirrada, principalmente nas instituições de ensino superior privadas. Assim, as instituições procuram um diferencial para atrair seus clientes, objetivando manter a sua sustentabilidade financeira. Esta pesquisa se dispõe a aproximar os temas de gestão do ensino superior com a implantação do uso da tecnologia representada pelo equipamento tablet, demonstrando os resultados para a gestão da instituição de ensino superior antes e depois de sua implantação. A metodologia do estudo de caso - na instituição onde foi analisada mostrou que a implantação da tecnologia proporcionou vantagens competitivas para a gestão - por meio da análise dos indicadores financeiros e a evolução da base de alunos. A tecnologia por si só não prova as vantagens desejadas, porém, com um projeto correlacionado ao modelo de ensino utilizado e material didático que contemple o uso da tecnologia, os custos logísticos foram reduzidos e aumentou a atração de novos alunos, promovendo as vantagens competitivas da Instituição de Ensino.

APRENDIZAGENS NA MODALIDADE EAD: A ÓPTICA DE ALUNOS DO CURSO DE LETRAS DE UMA INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO SUPERIOR DO GRANDE ABC

Com os avanços tecnológicos de comunicação e informação (TICs) e a utilização em larga escala da internet, tem-se uma inovação no processo educativo que pode se valer de instrumentos diferenciados e permitir acesso à informação e à educação para um maior número de pessoas. A partir dessa evolução, a implantação de programas nacionais de Educação a Distância (EAD) no país começou a ocorrer de forma significativa. Esta modalidade acompanha o avanço das tecnologias e a democratização do acesso à educação, expandindo-se de forma visível, conquistando novos espaços e permitindo que o processo da educação aconteça de maneira eficiente, buscando formar discentes críticos e participativos do seu processo de formação educacional. Com base nesta perspectiva, este trabalho teve como objetivo discutir a aprendizagem sob a óptica do aluno de um curso de Letras na modalidade EAD. Realizou-se, para tanto, a contextualização histórica da EAD no mundo, no Brasil e na instituição alvo desta pesquisa. A metodologia utilizada para este fim foi uma pesquisa qualitativa e o corpus de pesquisa são as respostas dos sujeitos participantes a um questionário de caráter exploratório. Foram elaboradas três categorias para análise do conteúdo das respostas Opção pelo curso em EAD: tecnologia versus disponibilidade temporal; Interação via AVA: desvelando o preparo dos atores atuantes na modalidade e Fatores que implicam no processo de aprendizagem na modalidade EAD: autonomia, organização e comprometimento. Alguns aspectos se evidenciaram nesta pesquisa e possibilitaram concluir que a EAD na instituição pesquisada tem buscado contemplar as necessidades existentes nesse cenário, por meio do oferecimento de ações educativas e de recursos tecnológicos que possam oferecer aos alunos uma educação de qualidade, com uma relação de interação contínua, na qual a distância não seja uma limitação. Para tanto, requer dos alunos uma postura de comprometimento, interesse, organização e disciplina, pois dessa forma, as aprendizagens nessa modalidade podem ser tão significativas e eficazes quanto na presencial. Nesse sentido, foi possível inferir também, que os alunos da EAD têm procurado responder a tais exigências adequando-se a elas de forma consciente ao demonstrar, sobretudo, autonomia e visão crítica de que só assim poderão se tornar sujeitos ativos e participativos do processo de construção do próprio conhecimento.

FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE E ENSINO SUPERIOR A DISTÂNCIA: TRANSIÇÃO PARADIGMÁTICA E OS IMPACTOS E CONTRIBUIÇÕES DAS TECNOLOGIAS DE INFORMAÇÃO E COMUNICAÇÃO

O século XXI trouxe profundas modificações na organização das sociedades e consequentemente no mundo do trabalho no âmbito da educação. O crescimento exponencial da dinâmica da comunicação nas sociedades possibilita a multiplicação generalizada de visões de mundo, a tecnologia é um agente de mudança e as inovações tecnológicas podem resultar em uma revolucionária quebra de paradigma educacional. Diante dos impasses de um mundo globalizado, em constante mutação cultural, surgem novas possibilidades de mediações que geram diferentes perspectivas para os processos educativos com a introdução das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs) e da Educação a Distância (EaD). Por esta razão, a Formação Docente é pesquisada tendo como objetivo analisar os impactos e as contribuições que as tecnologias trazem para este campo, especialmente no curso de Pedagogia, considerando uma experiência em EaD e sua relação com o curso na modalidade presencial a partir dos pressupostos norteadores do Projeto Pedagógico Institucional (PPI) na instituição pesquisada. Foi relevante perceber no decorrer da pesquisa bibliográfica e do estudo de campo que as duas modalidades apóiam-se na concepção de educação que está subjacente e que orienta as escolhas teórico-metodológicas adotadas pela instituição no seu PPI. A educação a distância possibilita a construção de um ambiente de aprendizagem mediado pelas TICs e novas compreensões sobre o processo de ensinar e aprender. O estudo mostra que a formação docente nesta modalidade deve estar articulada com o processo educativo e ter como eixo a concepção de um sujeito capaz de estabelecer novas formas de expressão e conhecimentos para trabalhar em uma educação do futuro. Portanto, é necessário pensar na Intencionalidade de sua formação, de modo a capacitá-lo com visão pedagógica crítica e objetivando que seja capaz de intervir no desenvolvimento educacional como um intelectual transformador.(AU)

PAPÉIS SOCIAIS DOS TUTORES EM CURSOS DE LICENCIATURA EAD: UM ESTUDO SOBRE AS REPRESENTAÇÕES SOCIAIS

Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar quais as representações sociais que os tutores têm, sobre a própria atuação na educação a distância, em cursos de Licenciatura. Com o propósito de analisar se o tutor se reconhece como docente e participante no processo de formação do aluno o estudo de campo teve como sujeitos tutores com formação acadêmica em licenciaturas e que atuam em cursos do mesmo nível nessa modalidade, em instituição particular de Ensino Superior da Grande São Paulo. Os caminhos percorridos para tal investigação justificam-se na trajetória formativa pessoal e nos espaços da experiência que se constroem no cotidiano dessa atividade. Um estudo sobre os modelos disponíveis na modalidade a distância no ensino superior do país, um breve histórico sobre os aspectos da EAD no Brasil e uma explanação sobre o modelo no qual esses tutores atuam, além de uma aproximação com as representações sociais da profissão docente, são abordagens presentes neste trabalho, que pretendeu contribuir para a educação aprofundando conhecimentos sobre o tutor responsável pelo acompanhamento dos alunos nos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, considerando as possibilidades de ampliação, de alcance e democratização da educação no país. Os Resultados demonstram que há uma tendência de ser considerada, pelo tutor, uma atuação que se confunde com a essência da profissionalidade docente, numa indicação de que é necessária uma reflexão mais aprofundada sobre a função e a atuação desses profissionais.(AU)

A EDUCAÇÃO A DISTÂNCIA NO BRASIL LIMITES E POSSIBILIDADES NA IMPLANTAÇÃO DA EAD NO ENSINO SUPERIOR

O presente trabalho apresenta um panorama da Educação a Distância no Brasil, fazendo uma contextualização histórica da modalidade, desde as primeiras experiências registradas em nosso país até os dados atuais, que confirmam o seu crescimento, em todos os níveis de ensino. Neste contexto, apresentamos uma análise sobre a evolução da legislação brasileira específica para a Educação a Distância, bem como os processos de credenciamento e implantação desta modalidade no ensino superior, procurando compreender o que a legislação pode representar em termos de qualidade, crescimento, avanço ou atraso para a Educação a Distância no Brasil. Apresentamos, ainda, uma experiência concreta sobre a implantação de disciplinas a distância em dois cursos de graduação presenciais, analisando a questão das resistências enfrentadas durante o processo e como se deu a superação dos desafios encontrados. Objetiva-se, com este trabalho, situar o leitor sobre a realidade da educação a distância em nosso país, trazendo elementos históricos e estatísticos, mostrando como este processo pode ocorrer na prática educacional, no contexto da universidade; e analisando os limites e possibilidades da implantação desta modalidade no ensino superior.(AU)

WASOP, a qualitative methodology for waste minimization: systems thinking, HAZOP principles and nuclear waste

Purpose – The international nuclear community continues to face the challenge of managing both the legacy waste and the new wastes that emerge from ongoing energy production. The UK is in the early stages of proposing a new convention for its nuclear industry, that is: waste minimisation through closely managing the radioactive source which creates the waste. This paper proposes a new technique (called waste and source material operability study (WASOP)) to qualitatively analyse a complex, waste-producing system to minimise avoidable waste and thus increase the protection to the public and the environment. Design/methodology/approach – WASOP critically considers the systemic impact of up and downstream facilities on the minimisation of nuclear waste in a facility. Based on the principles of HAZOP, the technique structures managers' thinking on the impact of mal-operations in interlinking facilities in order to identify preventative actions to reduce the impact on waste production of those mal-operations.' Findings – WASOP was tested with a small group of experienced nuclear regulators and was found to support their qualitative examination of waste minimisation and help them to work towards developing a plan of action. Originality/value – Given the newness of this convention, the wider methodology in which WASOP sits is still in development. However, this paper communicates the latest thinking from nuclear regulators on decision-making methodology for supporting waste minimisation and is hoped to form part of future regulatory guidance. WASOP is believed to have widespread potential application to the minimisation of many other forms of waste, including that from other energy sectors and household/general waste.

Management development within the construction industry:building on success?

This article explores the notion that the workplace is a learning environment, and that the line manager is a key player determining its effectiveness. The work discusses how performance management systems may be used to clarify expectations made of line managers with regard to employee development. The work, in addition, suggests that line manager people management expertise may be a factor inhibiting workplace development for subordinates, and makes a number of suggestions about how to prepare the line manager for effective employee development. Key issues are illustrated by reference to a case study example. The case demonstrates that a high profile management development programme within a major international organisation failed to meet all objectives because of the unwillingness of the line management team to participate in the development of subordinates back in the workplace.

Engineering education for the 21st century:scholarship, synergy and student success

Starting with the question “How can University level Engineering Education be developed in such a way so as to enhance the quality of the student learning experience?”, this discussion paper proposes an approach to engineering education developed by a senior engineering educator working alongside a pedagogical researcher in an attempt to engage colleagues in contemporary debates about the issues currently faced across the Sector. Such issues include difficulties with recruiting students onto programmes as well as high levels of student attrition and failure. Underpinned by three distinctive concepts: Synergy, Variety & Relationships (S+V+R), the approach brings together pedagogic and engineering epistemologies in an empirically grounded framework in such a way so as to provide an accessible and relevant learning approach that, if followed, engenders student success [S2]. Specifically developed with the intention of increasing retention and positively impacting student success [S2], the S+V+R=S2 approach provides a scholarly and Synergetic (S) approach to engineering education that is both innovative and exciting. Building on the argument that Variety (V) in education is pivotal to promoting originality and creativity in learning and teaching, this paper shows how, by purposefully developing a range of learning and teaching approaches, student engagement and thus success can be increased. It also considers the importance of Relationships (R) in higher education, arguing that belonging and relationships are crucial factors impacting student experiences. When taken together (Synergy, Variety and Relationships) and applied within an Engineering Education context, students are provided with a unique learning environment – one that both promotes individual success and improves organisational effectiveness. The uniqueness of the approach is in the synthesis of these three concepts within an Engineering Education epistemology.

Writing for success:mentoring as a pedagogical tool – a cross- institutional study

The prominent position given to academic writing across contemporary academia is reflected in the substantive literature and debate devoted to the subject over the past 30 years. However, the massification of higher education, manifested by a shift from elite to mass education, has brought the issue into the public arena, with much debate focusing on the need for ‘modern-day' students to be taught how to write academically (Bjork et al., 2003; Ganobcsik-Williams, 2006). Indeed, Russell (2003) argued that academic writing has become a global ‘problem' in Higher Education because it sits between two contradictory pressures (p.V). On one end of the university ‘experience' increasing numbers of students, many from non-traditional backgrounds, enter higher education bringing with them a range of communication abilities. At the other end, many graduates leave university to work in specialised industries where employers expect them to have high level writing skills (Ashton, 2007; Russell, 2003; Torrence et al., 1999). By drawing attention to the issues around peer mentoring within an academic writing setting in three different higher education Institutions, this paper makes an important contribution to current debates. Based upon a critical analysis of the emergent findings of an empirical study into the role of peer writing mentors in promoting student transition to higher education, the paper adopts an academic literacies approach to discuss the role of writing mentoring in promoting transition and retention by developing students' academic writing. Attention is drawn to the manner in which student expectations of writing mentoring actually align with mentoring practices - particularly in terms of the writing process and critical thinking. Other issues such as the approachability of writing mentors, the practicalities of accessing writing mentoring and the wider learning environment are also discussed.

Analysis of constructivist, network-based discourses:concepts, prospects, and illustrations

The authors propose a new approach to discourse analysis which is based on meta data from social networking behavior of learners who are submerged in a socially constructivist e-learning environment. It is shown that traditional data modeling techniques can be combined with social network analysis - an approach that promises to yield new insights into the largely uncharted domain of network-based discourse analysis. The chapter is treated as a non-technical introduction and is illustrated with real examples, visual representations, and empirical findings. Within the setting of a constructivist statistics course, the chapter provides an illustration of what network-based discourse analysis is about (mainly from a methodological point of view), how it is implemented in practice, and why it is relevant for researchers and educators.

How can HRM promote organizational innovation

Our work investigating managerial practices in UK manufacturing organisations has shown that people management practices play an important role in promoting innovation. Having developed an instrument to analyse innovation (defined by West and Farr in 1990 as “the intentional introduction and application in a job, work team or organisation of ideas, processes, products or procedures which are new, and designed to benefit the job, the work team or the organisation”), we were able to give each of the 30 organisations in our sample a score of between one and seven to capture innovation in a range of domains. This instrument took into account the magnitude of the innovation in terms of the number of people involved in its implementation, and how new and different it was. We found that much innovation involves relatively minor, ongoing improvements, rather than major change. To achieve sustained innovation, organisations must be able to draw upon the skills and knowledge of employees at all levels of the business. So which HRM practices are most likely to promote a positive learning environment? We developed a scale to take into account three facets of HRM that shape the learning environment and predict the extent to which individuals can gain the skills to promote innovation. First, organisations should have a vision statement capturing their approach to learning and development and communicating to staff the importance that they attach to these processes. Second, they must implement and endorse mentoring schemes. Last, they should consider offering staff the opportunity to have regular career development meetings. Where a positive learning climate exists, organisations tend to be more innovative. The results also show that organisations that make explicit the link between appraisal and remuneration perform relatively less well in innovation terms than those whose appraisal systems have no relationship with pay. Many have argued (for example, Lawler,1995) that pay-for-performance schemes provide a “line of sight” between performance and reward, thereby enabling individuals to make appropriate decisions about where best to direct the effort. Our findings do not imply that performance-related pay is ill advised in all circumstances, but we suggest that organisations should exercise caution before introducing such schemes. People are central to innovation, and this study suggests that high innovation can be achieved when people are empowered to make changes at local levels. HRM has an important, perhaps crucial, role to play in creating an environment that enables people to develop the skills and confidence necessary to affect change. Key points: Organisational innovation is an important determinant of competitive performance and advancement, enabling organisations to anticipate and respond to the challenges of globalisation. HRM has an important, perhaps crucial, role to play in promoting organisational innovation – to the extent that it creates a positive environment for learning and removes barriers that may inhibit creative performance (for example, linking appraisal to remuneration).

How are task reflexivity and intercultural sensitivity related to the academic performance of MBA students?

Higher education in business school environments is increasingly focused on how to best equip students with the skills necessary for leadership in the global workplace. This paper examines the impact of two particularly important cognitive capabilities - task reflexivity and intercultural sensitivity, on academic performance in an MBA programme. It was hypothesised that in an intercultural learning environment, task reflexivity would be associated with higher academic performance, and that this relationship would be mediated via intercultural sensitivity. Questionnaire data from 77 MBA students was analysed alongside academic performance. Results demonstrated that task reflexivity was indirectly related to academic performance through intercultural sensitivity. These findings suggest that engagement in task reflexivity enables students to develop greater levels of intercultural sensitivity, allowing them to reap the positive effects of diversity in their peer group for their own learning and performance. Limitations and practical implications of the research for professional practice are discussed. © 2014 © 2014 Society for Research into Higher Education.

The attitudes of students and academic staff towards electronic course support:are we convergent?

The present study investigates the views and attitudes of both the students and staff with regard to the usefulness of electronic course support throughout all four years of the MPharm programme at Aston University. Students were sampled between January and March 2001 using a self-completion questionnaire administered during the start of a practical or tutorial class. All internal academic staff were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Response rates were 100 and 89.5%, respectively. The study found that students rapidly embraced the use of electronic course support within the undergraduate programme, although they view its role as augmenting traditional course delivery. This view was mirrored by the academic staff, although only around a half currently place their material on the University's virtual learning environment (VLE), WebCT. The failure of staff to completely embrace the VLE is grounded in a lack of confidence and ability in its use. A majority of the academic staff indicated that they wish to be trained further in the use of information technology. Academic institutions need to understand and meet these needs in parallel with the introduction of any electronic course support.

Innovation, networking and globalisation:the role of regional innovation systems in the global innovation process

In the global economy, innovation is one of the most important competitive assets for companies willing to compete in international markets. As competition moves from standardised products to customised ones, depending on each specific market needs, economies of scale are not anymore the only winning strategy. Innovation requires firms to establish processes to acquire and absorb new knowledge, leading to the recent theory of Open Innovation. Knowledge sharing and acquisition happens when firms are embedded in networks with other firms, university, institutions and many other economic actors. Several typologies of innovation and firm networks have been identified, with various geographical spans. One of the first being modelled was the Industrial Cluster (or in Italian Distretto Industriale) which was for long considered the benchmark for innovation and economic development. Other kind of networks have been modelled since the late 1970s; Regional Innovation Systems represent one of the latest and more diffuse model of innovation networks, specifically introduced to combine local networks and the global economy. This model was qualitatively exploited since its introduction, but, together with National Innovation Systems, is among the most inspiring for policy makers and is often cited by them, not always properly. The aim of this research is to setup an econometric model describing Regional Innovation Systems, becoming one the first attempts to test and enhance this theory with a quantitative approach. A dataset of 104 secondary and primary data from European regions was built in order to run a multiple linear regression, testing if Regional Innovation Systems are really correlated to regional innovation and regional innovation in cooperation with foreign partners. Furthermore, an exploratory multiple linear regression was performed to verify which variables, among those describing a Regional Innovation Systems, are the most significant for innovating, alone or with foreign partners. Furthermore, the effectiveness of present innovation policies has been tested based on the findings of the econometric model. The developed model confirmed the role of Regional Innovation Systems for creating innovation even in cooperation with international partners: this represents one of the firsts quantitative confirmation of a theory previously based on qualitative models only. Furthermore the results of this model confirmed a minor influence of National Innovation Systems: comparing the analysis of existing innovation policies, both at regional and national level, to our findings, emerged the need for potential a pivotal change in the direction currently followed by policy makers. Last, while confirming the role of the presence a learning environment in a region and the catalyst role of regional administration, this research offers a potential new perspective for the whole private sector in creating a Regional Innovation System.

Using Sensitivity as a Method for Ranking the Test Cases Classified by Binary Decision Trees

Usually, data mining projects that are based on decision trees for classifying test cases will use the probabilities provided by these decision trees for ranking classified test cases. We have a need for a better method for ranking test cases that have already been classified by a binary decision tree because these probabilities are not always accurate and reliable enough. A reason for this is that the probability estimates computed by existing decision tree algorithms are always the same for all the different cases in a particular leaf of the decision tree. This is only one reason why the probability estimates given by decision tree algorithms can not be used as an accurate means of deciding if a test case has been correctly classified. Isabelle Alvarez has proposed a new method that could be used to rank the test cases that were classified by a binary decision tree [Alvarez, 2004]. In this paper we will give the results of a comparison of different ranking methods that are based on the probability estimate, the sensitivity of a particular case or both.