Jogos digitais com contos infantis - Uma proposta de brinquedo-jogo para dispositivos móveis

O desenvolvimento e proliferação de equipamentos e produtos multimédia, permitindo a combinação de som, imagem e texto despoletou a emergência de novos estímulos que se associam a sensações, novas formas de interagir, de comunicar e também de brincar e aprender. Jogar e brincar são excelentes fontes de estímulos, principalmente para as crianças, pois potenciam a evolução da lógica, do raciocínio, das associações e da capacidade de escolha. No contexto dos jogos, decorrente da evolução tecnológica, o mercado dos jogos digitais tem vindo a expandir-se consideravelmente, nomeadamente na área dos jogos educativos. Os jogos educativos baseados em contos infantis permitem um enriquecimento de experiências, de capacidades sequenciais de lógica e promovem a apetência da criança para fantasiar num mundo paralelo. No entanto, do nosso ponto de vista, o mercado dos jogos digitais ainda tem um longo caminho a percorrer para fornecer de forma equilibrada este tipo de jogos educativos. Com este trabalho abordam-se as potencialidades que os jogos educativos baseados em contos infantis podem ter no desenvolvimento de algumas competências das crianças, nomeadamente através da análise das suas vantagens e dos seus aspetos negativos. O mercado dos jogos digitais é também analisado para determinar os seus contributos e as ideias principais presentes. A componente prática deste trabalho de mestrado contempla a criação de um jogo educativo baseado em contos infantis que corresponda aos interesses das crianças entre os 3 e os 5 anos de idade, e que fomente o desenvolvimento de algumas das suas competências a nível da linguagem. Os testes feitos com o protótipo do jogo permitem aferir a recetividade por parte das crianças. A simplicidade no manuseamento da aplicação e o facto de integrar histórias do imaginário infantil consideram-se fatores positivos e motivadores à utilização do jogo “Contos Baralhados: Brinca com as Histórias”.

Development Process and Cognitive Testing of CARATkids - Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test for Children

Background: Allergic rhinitis and asthma (ARA) are chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways that often coexist in children. The only tool to assess the ARA control, the Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) is to be used by adults. We aimed to develop the Pediatric version of Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARATkids) and to test its comprehensibility in children with 4 to 12 years of age. Methods: The questionnaire development included a literature review of pediatric questionnaires on asthma and/or rhinitis control and two consensus meetings of a multidisciplinary group. Cognitive testing was carried out in a cross-sectional qualitative study using cognitive interviews. Results: Four questionnaires to assess asthma and none to assess rhinitis control in children were identified. The multidisciplinary group produced a questionnaire version for children with 17 questions with illustrations and dichotomous (yes/no) response format. The version for caregivers had 4-points and dichotomous scales. Twenty-nine children, 4 to 12 years old, and their caregivers were interviewed. Only children over 6 years old could adequately answer the questionnaire. A few words/expressions were not fully understood by children of 6 to 8 years old. The drawings illustrating the questions were considered helpful by children and caregivers. Caregivers considered the questionnaire complete and clear and preferred dichotomous over the 4-points scales. The proportion of agreement between children and their caregivers was 61%. The words/expressions that were difficult to understand were amended. Conclusion: CARATkids, the first questionnaire to assess a child’s asthma and rhinitis control was developed and its content validity was assured. Cognitive testing showed that CARATKids is well-understood by children 6 to 12 years old. The questionnaire’s measurement properties can now be assessed in a validation study.

Relatório de estágio

A realização do presente relatório está prevista no Complemento Regular Específico do Curso de Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico da Escola Superior de Educação do Politécnico do Porto. Pretende espelhar os saberes adquiridos e vivenciados ao longo da Prática Pedagógica Supervisionada na Educação Pré-Escolar e no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e, também, os conhecimentos construídos ao longo da frequência das várias unidades curriculares do mestrado supramencionado, e da Licenciatura em Educação Básica. De facto, os conteúdos dos quais a mestranda se foi apropriando contribuíram para a construção do seu perfil enquanto futura profissional de educação, e para a criação da visão de educação que pretende assumir. O presente relatório demonstra, assim, a prática da mestranda, que se norteou pela metodologia de investigação-ação, considerando o ciclo observação-planificação-ação-reflexão-avaliação, atentando sempre na escuta ativa da voz das crianças, procurando compreender as suas características, necessidades e interesses. Para este delineamento constante, o papel da reflexão foi fulcral, essencialmente pelo seu culminar na elaboração de um portfólio, basilar para a criação do relatório que aqui se apresenta. Para esta construção do perfil profissional ressalva-se ainda o papel da supervisão e da colaboração propiciada pelo trabalho em díade com o par pedagógico, pela possibilidade de desenvolvimento e crescimento pessoal que oferecem através da partilha de saberes, opiniões e experiências, contribuindo, em larga escala, para a delineação do que é, de facto, ser educador e professor.

Development of The Viking Speech Scale to Classify the Speech of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Surveillance registers monitor the prevalence of cerebral palsy and the severity of resulting impairments across time and place. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy can affect children’s speech production and limit their intelligibility. We describe the development of a scale to classify children’s speech performance for use in cerebral palsy surveillance registers, and its reliability across raters and across time. Speech and language therapists, other healthcare professionals and parents classified the speech of 139 children with cerebral palsy (85 boys, 54 girls; mean age 6.03 years, SD 1.09) from observation and previous knowledge of the children. Another group of health professionals rated children’s speech from information in their medical notes. With the exception of parents, raters reclassified children’s speech at least four weeks after their initial classification. Raters were asked to rate how easy the scale was to use and how well the scale described the child’s speech production using Likert scales. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to substantial (k > .58 for all comparisons). Test–retest reliability was substantial to almost perfect for all groups (k > .68). Over 74% of raters found the scale easy or very easy to use; 66% of parents and over 70% of health care professionals judged the scale to describe children’s speech well or very well. We conclude that the Viking Speech Scale is a reliable tool to describe the speech performance of children with cerebral palsy, which can be applied through direct observation of children or through case note review.

CO2 Concentration in Day Care Centres is Related to Wheezing in Attending Children

Poor ventilation at day care centres (DCCs) was already reported, although its effects on attending children are not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between wheezing in children and indoor CO2 (a ventilation surrogate marker) in DCC and to identify behaviours and building characteristics potentially related to CO2. In phase I, 45 DCCs from Lisbon and Oporto (Portugal) were selected through a proportional stratified random sampling. In phase II, 3 months later, 19 DCCs were further reassessed after cluster analysis for the greatest difference comparison. In both phases, children’s respiratory health was assessed by ISAAC-derived questionnaires. Indoor CO2 concentrations and building characteristics of the DCC were evaluated in both phases, using complementary methods. Mixed effect models were used to analyze the data. In phase I, which included 3,186 children (mean age 3.1±1.5 years), indoor CO2 concentration in the DCC rooms was associated with reported wheezing in the past 12months (27.5 %) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) for each increase of 200 ppm 1.04, 95 % CI 1:01 to 1:07). In phase II, the association in the subsample of 1,196 children seen in 19 out of the initial 45 DCCs was not significant (adjusted OR 1.02, 95 % CI 0.96 to 1.08). Indoor CO2 concentration was inversely associated with the practices of opening Windows and internal doors and with higher wind velocity. A positive trend was observed between CO2 and prevalence of reported asthma (4.7 %). Conclusion: Improved ventilation is needed to achieve a healthier indoor environment in DCC.

Environment and Health in Children Day Care Centres (ENVIRH) - Study Rationale and Protocol

Background: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is considered an important determinant of human health. The association between exposure to volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, house dust mite, molds and bacteria in day care centers (DCC) is not completely clear. The aim of this project was to study these effects. Methods --- study design: This study comprised two phases. Phase I included an evaluation of 45 DCCs (25 from Lisbon and 20 from Oporto, targeting 5161 children). In this phase, building characteristics, indoor CO2 and air temperature/relative humidity, were assessed. A children’s respiratory health questionnaire derived from the ISAAC (International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Children) was also distributed. Phase II encompassed two evaluations and included 20 DCCs selected from phase I after a cluster analysis (11 from Lisbon and 9 from Oporto, targeting 2287 children). In this phase, data on ventilation, IAQ, thermal comfort parameters, respiratory and allergic health, airway inflammation biomarkers, respiratory virus infection patterns and parental and child stress were collected. Results: In Phase I, building characteristics, occupant behavior and ventilation surrogates were collected from all DCCs. The response rate of the questionnaire was 61.7% (3186 children). Phase II included 1221 children. Association results between DCC characteristics, IAQ and health outcomes will be provided in order to support recommendations on IAQ and children’s health. A building ventilation model will also be developed. Discussion: This paper outlines methods that might be implemented by other investigators conducting studies on the association between respiratory health and indoor air quality at DCC.

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis in Infants and Preschool-Age Children

Food allergy (FA) prevalence data in infants and preschool-age children are sparse, and proposed risk factors lack confirmation. In this study, 19 children’s day care centers (DCC) from 2 main Portuguese cities were selected after stratification and cluster analysis. An ISAAC’s (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) derived health questionnaire was applied to a sample of children attending DCCs. Outcomes were FA parental report and anaphylaxis. Logistic regression was used to explore potential risk factors for reported FA. From the 2228 distributed questionnaires, 1217 were included in the analysis (54.6%). Children’s median age was 3.5 years, and 10.8% were described as ever having had FA. Current FA was reported in 5.7%. Three (0.2%) reports compatible with anaphylaxis were identified. Reported parental history of FA, personal history of atopic dermatitis, and preterm birth increased the odds for reported current FA. A high prevalence of parental-perceived FA in preschool-age children was identified. Risk factor identification may enhance better prevention.

The influence of animation on functional food intake in children

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

How to promote healthy eating habits in children

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Effects of corporate social responsibility on brand reputation and brand identification with children

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The impact of the social class on the development of money knowledge

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Medium-short-term and repetition effects of advergames on children consumer behaviour

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Kids nature camp

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The effectiveness of a teacher’s training workshop on Media Smart Program

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Promoting healthy eating standards on children through CSR educational programs: An evaluation of impact on eating preferences, attitude towards the brand and perceived brand reputation

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics