Portuguese primary and secondary education in times of COVID-19 Pandemic: an exploratory study on teacher training and challenges

The discussion about the use of digital technologies in education is not new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the total closure of schools around the world, that forced millions of students to attend their classes from home, has demonstrated the importance of this discussion. It has highlighted the need to revisit debates about the interactions between technology and education, and the added value of digital resources to enhance the educational process. This article, based on an exploratory analysis, aims to understand how the transition from face-to-face to digital was accomplished in Portuguese primary and secondary education, namely regarding teacher training and the difficulties experienced during the emergency remote education period. The data analysed in this article were collected through an online questionnaire, disseminated through online social networks, and answered by 136 Portuguese primary and secondary education teachers. The questions focused on this article were open-ended, and the information collected was analysed using content analysis methodology. The results show how teachers have been forced to modify their pedagogical work, the importance of training, and the inherent challenges and critical reflections associated with the process, as well as the opportunities presented in a post-pandemic educational reality.This paper was published with the support of the Portuguese Government, through the Strategic Funding of the RD Unit UIDB/03126/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mediating towards digital inclusion: the monitors of internet access places

Local dynamics play a key role in individual and collective empowerment for digital literacy and citizenship. This paper presents the results and reflections from a broader investigation into the public Internet access places in Portugal in the inland municipalities of the country's coast, undertaken by ObLID Network. Specifically, we intend to reflect on the actual mission of these places and reveal the actual profile, activities and training needs of their monitors and coordinators. In the first stage of the empirical study, several documents available on the Internet Spaces Network are analyzed. In the second stage, a questionnaire was applied to monitors and coordinators of the Internet access places, in seventeen Portuguese municipalities. The research results warn of the need to redefine and clarify the social and educational value of Internet spaces, indicating that the dominant activities of monitors in the Internet access places do not induce the foster of literacy and digital inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. In this context, actions are proposed that can contribute to improving the mission of Internet places, as well as the training quality of their monitors and coordinators. Internet Access Spaces, made available by municipalities, should be used to promote digital literacy programs, for individuals and groups.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EaD e eLearning na perspetiva da teoria das redes: uma proposta metodológica

Na sociedade atual, em rede, em que impera a interação baseada nas Tecnologias Digitais, a Educação a Distância (EaD) e o eLearning têm vindo a ganhar um lugar decisivo nos panoramas educativos nacionais e internacionais. Falamos de ambientes educomunicativos baseados em processos de aprendizagem colaborativa, numa perspetiva construtivista, e fundamentalmente sociais, e que fazem emergir verdadeiras comunidades virtuais de aprendizagem. A Análise de Redes Sociais (ARS), por sua vez, é uma metodologia que se tem vindo a aplicar para descrever e analisar comportamentos em rede em diversas áreas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho procurará fazer, através de uma revisão de literatura, um breve levantamento do que é a teoria das redes, especialmente a teoria das redes sociais de acordo com alguns autores-chave, no que consiste a metodologia de Análise de Redes Sociais e as potencialidades que se apresentam na aplicação destes construtos ao campo da Educação a Distância (EaD) e eLearning.In today's networked society, where ICT-based interaction prevails, Distance Education and eLearning have gained a decisive place in national and international educational frameworks. We speak of educative-communicative environments based on collaborative learning processes, from a constructivist perspective, and fundamentally social, and which give rise to true virtual learning communities. Social Network Analysis (SNA), in turn, is a methodology that has been applied to describe and analyse network behaviours in several areas. In this sense, this paper will try to make, through a literature review, a brief survey of what is the network theory. Especially the social network theory according to some key authors, in which consists the methodology of Social Network Analysis and the potential that is present in the application of these constructs to the field of Distance Education and eLearning.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Literacy(ies) and skills in times of digital education: exploring communication and interaction in digitally mediated learning worlds

This article seeks to explore the notions of literacy(ies) and competences in times of digital education. The aim of the study was to understand, from perspectives of experts, what literacy(ies) and competences are in digital teaching-learning contexts, how they are operationalised, which strategies can be used for their development, and what are the opportunities and challenges for their application in digital education. Through a qualitative approach, four experts were interviewed as privileged informants in their areas of expertise. The individuals interviewed are academics with extensive research in the areas of literacy(ies), digital and infocommunication skills and digital education. The interviews were conducted during the first quarter of 2023, as part of a larger ongoing study - digital and infocommunicational competences in virtual learning environments: practices in e-learning curricular units in Portuguese Higher Education. According to these experts, digital is largely responsible for the recent changes in the world, but the most important thing is not learning or teaching digital: it is developing citizens' skills or competences, exploring communication and interaction in digitally mediated learning worlds. This demands the mobilization of competences to search and exchange information, and to interact with another people in digital environments. This can help citizens become more confident, critical, and open-minded users of today’s technologies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The importance of teaching and learning in a prison environment and the emergence of digital education in a female prison in Portugal

Na atualidade, a utilização e apropriação das Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação (TIC), permitem a criação de novos espaços e tempos de vida social, educativa e cultural. Esta nova era do conhecimento, de transição digital, assumida na forma de rede e alimentada pelas TIC, abre diferentes possibilidades para o entendimento de conceitos como o de inclusão, e de capital cultural e social. Neste cenário importa pensar onde se situam as pessoas em situação de privação de liberdade, a cumprirem penas em presídios. O presente estudo procura explorar a perceção dos atores presentes em ambiente prisional, quer dos trabalhadores quer daqueles que cumprem as penas a que foram condenados, perceção essa relativa aos processos formativos para futura reinserção social, bem como para a não reincidência. Para o efeito foram entrevistados membros da direção, técnicos superiores de reeducação, professores, guardas prisionais e reclusas de um presídio feminino em Portugal. Os resultados mostram a importância de investir numa educação enriquecida com o digital, mas revelam também as fragilidades, as limitações e as diferentes visões dos atores envolvidos no processo.Today the use and appropriation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), allow the creation of new spaces and times of social, educational and cultural life. This new era of knowledge, of digital transition, taken in the form of a network and fed by ICT, opens up diff erent possibilities for the understanding of concepts such as inclusion, cultural and social capital. In this scenario, it is important to think about the situation of persons deprived of their liberty, serving sentences in prisons. This study seeks to explore the perception of the actors present in prison environment regarding the formative processes for future social reintegration, as well as for non-recurrence. To this end, board members, senior rehabilitation workers, teachers, prison guards and female prisoners in Portugal were interviewed. The results show the importance of investing in digital education, but also reveal the weaknesses, limitations and diff erent views of the actors involved in the process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of microplastics on microalgae populations: a critical review

Microplastics are persistent contaminants accumulating in the environment. Aquatic ecosystems have been studied worldwide, revealing ubiquitous contamination with microplastics. Microalgae, one of the most important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, could suffer from microplastic contamination, leading to larger impacts on aquatic food webs. Nonetheless, little is known about the toxic effects of microplastics on microalgae populations. Thus, the objective of this review was to identify these effects and the impacts of microplastics on microalgae populations based on currently available literature, also identifying knowledge gaps. Even though microplastics seem to have limited effects on parameters such as growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS), current environmental concentrations are not expected to induce toxicity. Even so, microplastics could disrupt population regulation mechanisms, by reducing the availability or absorption of nutrients (bottom-up) or reducing the population of predator species (top-down). Microplastics' properties can also influence the effects on microalgae, with smaller sizes and positive surface charges having higher toxicity. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand the effects of microplastics on microalgae, such as adaptation strategies, effects on population dynamics and microplastics properties influencing toxicity.publishe

Hybrid learning scenarios and the design of virtual communities in higher education

A evolução das tecnologias digitais e das redes de comunicação propiciaram o surgimento de uma sociedade reticular marcada por mudanças acentuadas na economia e no mercado de trabalho, impulsionando o nascimento de novos paradigmas, modelos, processos de comunicação educacional e novos cenários de ensino e de aprendizagem. Esta realidade, exige, pois, que se pense, urgentemente, em criar e desenvolver estruturas que respondam a estas mudanças, com instituições digitalmente inovadoras, capazes de transformar a realidade educativa. Com efeito, integrar tecnologias audiovisuais em contexto educativo pode ser uma estratégia muito adequada para revitalizar a experiência educacional, e é precisamente, a criação de cenários híbridos de aprendizagem enriquecidos com a presença do audiovisual que pretendemos analisar, descrevendo o seu impacto na construção de uma comunidade virtual, a partir da análise qualitativa das perceções de vinte estudantes a frequentar o Ensino Superior, a nível de pós-graduação, tendo como referencial os modelos pedagógicos desenvolvido por Garrison e colaboradores (2000) e Moreira (2017). Os resultados revelam que a criação destes cenários híbridos, de um ecossistema de educação digital enriquecido com tecnologias audiovisuais, ancorado nos modelos referenciados, pode ter efeitos muito positivos na criação e desenvolvimento de comunidades virtuais de aprendizagem.The evolution of digital technologies and communication networks has led to the emergence of a reticular society marked by significant changes in the economy and the labor market, driving the birth of new paradigms, models, educational communication processes, and new teaching and learning scenarios. This reality, therefore, demands urgent thought to create and develop structures that respond to these changes, with digitally innovative institutions capable of transforming the educational reality. Integrating audiovisual technologies in an educational context may be a very appropriate strategy to revitalize the educational experience, and it is precisely the creation of hybrid learning scenarios enriched with the presence of the audiovisual that we intend to analyze, describing its impact on the design of a virtual community. For that, we use the qualitative analysis of the perceptions of twenty students attending Higher Education, at postgraduate level, having as reference the pedagogical models developed by Garrison, Anderson & Archer (2000) and Moreira (2017). The results reveal that the creation of these hybrid scenarios, of a digital education ecosystem enriched with audiovisual technologies, anchored in the referenced models, can have very positive effects on the creation and development of virtual learning communities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Environmental exposure to microplastics: an overview on possible human health effects

Microplastics are ubiquitous environmental contaminants leading to inevitable human exposure. Even so, little is known about the effects of microplastics in human health. Thus, in this work we review the evidence for potential negative effects of microplastics in the human body, focusing on pathways of exposure and toxicity. Exposure may occur by ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact due to the presence of microplastics in products, foodstuff and air. In all biological systems, microplastic exposure may cause particle toxicity, with oxidative stress, inflammatory lesions and increased uptake or translocation. The inability of the immune system to remove synthetic particles may lead to chronic inflammation and increase risk of neoplasia. Furthermore, microplastics may release their constituents, adsorbed contaminants and pathogenic organisms. Nonetheless, knowledge on microplastic toxicity is still limited and largely influenced by exposure concentration, particle properties, adsorbed contaminants, tissues involved and individual susceptibility, requiring further research.publishe

Motives to engage with sports brands on Facebook and Instagram – the case of a Portuguese football club

Purpose Social network sites are key marketing tools that allow brands to connect and engage with consumers. However, there is still a lack of evidence of their value for football brands. This research aims to understand the motivations for fans to engage with their favourite football brands on Facebook and Instagram. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was performed, resulting in 214 valid responses. As the social media strategy followed by the football brand analysed was built around games, the authors divided fans into two groups based on the main method in which the club's games are watched: in stadium versus mediated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between motivations and fans' engagement, through content consumption and contribution, on Facebook and Instagram. Analysis was performed first with the whole sample and then by group (stadium attendance vs mediated attendance fans). Findings The findings show that social influence, entertainment, searching for information and rewards are the most relevant motivations for consumers to engage with brand-related content on Facebook. Entertainment, rewards and social influence are the main motivations influencing consumer interactions on Instagram. Group moderation was only confirmed in the impact of social influence on Facebook page content consumption. Originality/value The results provide valuable insights into the social media marketing activities of sports brands, which will assist brand managers to develop strategies for effectively stimulating engagement with the different groups of fans.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Molecular techniques and target selection for the identification of Candida spp. in oral samples

Candida species are the causative agent of oral candidiasis, with medical devices being platforms for yeast anchoring and tissue colonization. Identifying the infectious agent involved in candidiasis avoids an empirical prescription of antifungal drugs. The application of high-throughput technologies to the diagnosis of yeast pathogens has clear advantages in sensitivity, accuracy, and speed. Yet, conventional techniques for the identification of Candida isolates are still routine in clinical and research settings. Molecular approaches are the focus of intensive research, but conversion into clinic settings requires overcoming important challenges. Several molecular approaches can accurately identify Candida spp.: Polymerase Chain Reaction, Microarray, High-Resolution Melting Analysis, Multi-Locus Sequence Typing, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-mass spectrometry, and Next Generation Sequencing. This review examines the advantages and disadvantages of the current molecular methods used for Candida spp. Identification, with a special focus on oral candidiasis. Discussion regarding their application for the diagnosis of oral infections aims to identify the most rapid, affordable, accurate, and easy-to-perform molecular techniques to be used as a point-of-care testing method. Special emphasis is given to the difficulties that health care professionals need to overcome to provide an accurate diagnosis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio