Interoperability frameworks for competencies and learning outcomes: databases vs ontologies

The changes introduced into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by the Bologna Process, together with renewed pedagogical and methodological practices, have created a new teaching-learning paradigm: Student-Centred Learning. In addition, the last few years have been characterized by the application of Information Technologies, especially the Semantic Web, not only to the teaching-learning process, but also to administrative processes within learning institutions. On one hand, the aim of this study was to present a model for identifying and classifying Competencies and Learning Outcomes and, on the other hand, the computer applications of the information management model were developed, namely a relational Database and an Ontology.

Dimens��es para a constru����o de um curso em b-learning: um estudo de caso

Cet article d��crit la m��thodologie qui a ��t�� employ�� dans le d��veloppement d���un cours de post graduation et qui a eu pour base les crit��res de qualit�� dans les dimensions de l���institution, la technologie, le design des media, la p��dagogie et l�����valuation. En parall��le, nous avons aussi analyse quelques r��sultat provenant d���un questionnaire que les ��tudiants ont r��pondu et o�� ils ont identifi�� les crit��res de succ��s. Nous concluons avec quelques suggestions pratiques pour ces qui aimerions proposer des cours em b-learning.

Portuguese entrepreneurial women ��� fostering learning communities

This article repports findings on a project - DONA EMPRESA - that the Portuguese Association of Women Entrepreneurs has been promoting for four years now. The project aims at supporting unemployed women, having a business idea, to create their own employment. So far about one hundred enterprises have been created in the scope of this project, their surviving rate being very high after one year of business running.

Adaptive learning in agents behaviour: A framework for electricity markets simulation

Electricity markets are complex environments, involving a large number of different entities, playing in a dynamic scene to obtain the best advantages and profits. MASCEM (Multi-Agent System for Competitive Electricity Markets) is a multi-agent electricity market simulator that models market players and simulates their operation in the market. Market players are entities with specific characteristics and objectives, making their decisions and interacting with other players. This paper presents a methodology to provide decision support to electricity market negotiating players. This model allows integrating different strategic approaches for electricity market negotiations, and choosing the most appropriate one at each time, for each different negotiation context. This methodology is integrated in ALBidS (Adaptive Learning strategic Bidding System) ��� a multiagent system that provides decision support to MASCEM's negotiating agents so that they can properly achieve their goals. ALBidS uses artificial intelligence methodologies and data analysis algorithms to provide effective adaptive learning capabilities to such negotiating entities. The main contribution is provided by a methodology that combines several distinct strategies to build actions proposals, so that the best can be chosen at each time, depending on the context and simulation circumstances. The choosing process includes reinforcement learning algorithms, a mechanism for negotiating contexts analysis, a mechanism for the management of the efficiency/effectiveness balance of the system, and a mechanism for competitor players' profiles definition.

Math without stress ��� an open online learning project

MOOC (as an acronym for Massive Open Online Courses) are a quite new model for the delivery of online learning to students. As ���Massive��� and ���Online���, these courses are proposed to be accessible to many more learners than would be possible through conventional teaching. As ���Open��� they are (frequently) free of charge and participation is not limited by the geographical situation of the learners, creating new learning opportunities in Higher Education Institutions (HEI). In this paper we describe a recently started project ���Matem��tica 100 STRESS��� (Math Without STRESS) integrated in the e-IPP project | e-Learning Unit of Porto���s Polytechnic Institute (IPP) which has created its own MOOC platform and launched its first course ��� Probabilities and Combinatorics ��� in early June/2014. In this MOOC development were involved several lecturers from four of the seven IPP schools.

A survey of e-learning content aggregation standards

As e-learning gradually evolved many specialized and disparate systems appeared to fulfil the needs of teachers and students, such as repositories of learning objects, authoring tools, intelligent tutors and automatic evaluators. This heterogeneity raises interoperability issues giving the standardization of content an important role in e-learning. This article presents a survey on current e-learning content aggregation standards focusing on their internal organization and packaging. This study is part of an effort to choose the most suitable specifications and standards for an e-learning framework called Ensemble defined as a conceptual tool to organize a network of e-learning systems and services for domains with complex evaluation.

ESEIG Mobile: an m-learning approach in a superior school

In recent years, mobile learning has emerged as an educational approach to decrease the limitation of learning location and adapt the teaching-learning process to all type of students. However, the large number and variety of Web-enabled devices poses challenges for Web content creators who want to automatic get the delivery context and adapt the content to mobile devices. This paper studies several approaches to adapt the learning content to mobile phones. It presents an architecture for deliver uniform m-Learning content to students in a higher School. The system development is organized in two phases: firstly enabling the educational content to mobile devices and then adapting it to all the heterogeneous mobile platforms. With this approach, Web authors will not need to create specialized pages for each kind of device, since the content is automatically transformed to adapt to any mobile device capabilities from WAP to XHTML MP-compliant devices.

Literary texts and intercultural learning: exploring new directions

Hoje em dia, a interculturalidade faz parte das an��lises, estudos e pensamentos de muitos estudiosos e te��ricos das mais diversas disciplinas.

Comportamento do consumidor digital: o caso do e-learning nas licenciaturas do ensino superior portugu��s

Disserta����o de Mestrado apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administra����o do Porto para a obten����o do grau de Mestre em Marketing Digital, sob orienta����o do professor Doutor Manuel Silva

Development and Assessment of an E-Learning Course on Breast Imaging for Radiographers: A Stratified Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Mammography is considered the best imaging technique for breast cancer screening, and the radiographer plays an important role in its performance. Therefore, continuing education is critical to improving the performance of these professionals and thus providing better health care services. Objective: Our goal was to develop an e-learning course on breast imaging for radiographers, assessing its efficacy , effectiveness, and user satisfaction. Methods: A stratified randomized controlled trial was performed with radiographers and radiology students who already had mammography training, using pre- and post-knowledge tests, and satisfaction questionnaires. The primary outcome was the improvement in test results (percentage of correct answers), using intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. Results: A total of 54 participants were assigned to the intervention (20 students plus 34 radiographers) with 53 controls (19+34). The intervention was completed by 40 participants (11+29), with 4 (2+2) discontinued interventions, and 10 (7+3) lost to follow-up. Differences in the primary outcome were found between intervention and control: 21 versus 4 percentage points (pp), P<.001. Stratified analysis showed effect in radiographers (23 pp vs 4 pp; P=.004) but was unclear in students (18 pp vs 5 pp; P=.098). Nonetheless, differences in students��� posttest results were found (88% vs 63%; P=.003), which were absent in pretest (63% vs 63%; P=.106). The per-protocol analysis showed a higher effect (26 pp vs 2 pp; P<.001), both in students (25 pp vs 3 pp; P=.004) and radiographers (27 pp vs 2 pp; P<.001). Overall, 85% were satisfied with the course, and 88% considered it successful. Conclusions: This e-learning course is effective, especially for radiographers, which highlights the need for continuing education.

B-learning quality: dimensions, criteria and pedagogical approach

Measuring the quality of a b-learning environment is critical to determine the success of a b-learning course. Several initiatives have been recently conducted on benchmarking and quality in e-learning. Despite these efforts in defining and examining quality issues concerning online courses, a defining instrument to evaluate quality is one of the key challenges for blended learning, since it incorporates both traditional and online instruction methods. For this paper, six frameworks for quality assessment of technological enhanced learning were examined and compared regarding similarities and differences. These frameworks aim at the same global objective: the quality of e-learning environment/products. They present different perspectives but also many common issues. Some of them are more specific and related to the course and other are more global and related to institutional aspects. In this work we collected and arrange all the quality criteria identified in order to get a more complete framework and determine if it fits our b-learning environment. We also included elements related to our own b-learning research and experience, acquired during more than 10 years of experience. As a result we have create a new quality reference with a set of dimensions and criteria that should be taken into account when you are analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating a b-learning environment. Besides these perspectives on what to do when you are developing a b-learning environment we have also included pedagogical issues in order to give directions on how to do it to reach the success of the learning. The information, concepts and procedures here presented give support to teachers and instructors, which intend to validate the quality of their blended learning courses.

A teaching-learning sequence of colour informed by history and philosophy of science

In this work, we present a teaching-learning sequence on colour intended to a pre-service elementary teacher programme informed by History and Philosophy of Science. Working in a socio-constructivist framework, we made an excursion on the history of colour. Our excursion through history of colour, as well as the reported misconception on colour helps us to inform the constructions of the teaching-learning sequence. We apply a questionnaire both before and after each of the two cycles of action-research in order to assess students��� knowledge evolution on colour and to evaluate our teaching-learning sequence. Finally, we present a discussion on the persistence of deep-rooted alternative conceptions.

3C@CTDI: colabora����o, contribui����o e comunidade em CTDI

Los profesores de la licenciatura en Ciencias e Tecnolog��as da Documenta����o e Informa����o (CTDI) se preparan para sacar partido de las herramientas Web 2.0 como un complemento de su actividad lectiva. En este contexto, se presenta el Grupo de Investigaci��n PlGeCo que pretende, por un lado, implementar la utilizaci��n de herramientas Web 2.0 de tal forma que se pueda conseguir ciertas premisas que actualmente orientan la nueva generaci��n web (colaboraci��n, contribuci��n, comunidad), aplicando-las �� la actividad lectiva e, por otro lado, el est��mulo de la producci��n cient��fica de los profesores y acad��mica de los alumnos, as�� como su posterior an��lisis. Se ha hecho una valoraci��n de los proyectos en curso y se discuten las expectativas esperadas presentado un an��lisis de las perspectivas y ambiciones futuras del grupo

Task-based learning : fonte de sucesso e motiva����o na apredizagem de uma l��ngua estrangeira

Relat��rio apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necess��rios �� obten����o do grau Mestre em Ensino de Ingl��s e de L��ngua Estrangeira (Espanhol) no 3�� Ciclo do Ensino B��sico e no Ensino Secund��rio

Mobile learning: recetividade e predisposi����o do ensino superior para a sua utiliza����o

A evolu����o dos dispositivos m��veis e a mudan��a de paradigma educacional, permitiu o surgimento de um novo conceito no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, o mobile learning. O mobile learning pode ser visto como um conceito multidisciplinar, dependendo da perspetiva de cada autor, pois ainda n��o existe um consenso em rela����o �� defini����o do conceito. No entanto, todos os autores concordam que o mobile learning consiste na aquisi����o de conhecimento ou compet��ncia atrav��s do uso de tecnologias m��veis, em qualquer lugar e momento. A presente investiga����o, de natureza explorat��ria, pretendeu estudar a receptividade e predisposi����o dos estudantes e docentes do ensino superior para com a utiliza����o do mobile learning, uma vez que o ensino superior parece ser o ambiente ideal para a realiza����o deste estudo. Por um lado, devido �� democratiza����o dos dispositivos m��veis, por outro, porque o Instituto Polit��cnico do Porto pretende vir a implementar um projeto de mobile learning, enquadrado no e- IPP. Deste modo, para a concretiza����o desta investiga����o, foi realizada uma revis��o bibliogr��fica exaustiva que serviu de base de sustenta����o para todo o trabalho, complementada com um question��rio, de forma a dar resposta ��s quest��es de investiga����o. Depois de recolhidos todos os resultados obtidos atrav��s do question��rio, procedeu-se �� an��lise e discuss��o mesmos, bem como ��s respectivas conclus��es.