The students' point of view about quality of educational multimedia software

The study reported here is part of an international project supported by EU (PEDACTICE - Educational Multimedia in Compulsory School: From Pedagogical Assessment to Product Assessment) and had as main goal to know the opinion and the perception of the Portuguese students about criteria of quality of educational multimedia software. In order to obtain elements on the student`s point of view about educational multimedia software, we decided to interview small groups of pupils who are involved in the work with multimedia materials and than gather, organize and analyse the information got. The sample of interviewed pupils can be considered as representative of the Lisbon schools attended by teachers and pupils very much interested in multimedia materials which these students use not only as an aid to learning activities but also as a support to home and school work. As main results of the study we can refer: a) the confirmation of the success of computers and multimedia among the young Portuguese student population, being manifest either in their attitudes or in the diversity of their experiences, including the technical mastery of informas; b) the acknowledgment, by the students, of the role of the school and of those of their teachers who had till now led the process; c) an unexpected emphasis attached by the students, mainly by the older ones, to the use of computer as a resource for school work which, till now, was done without it; and d) the rare use of the computer for supporting tasks of creative or autonomous nature.European Comissio

SketchyDynamics: A Library for the Development of Physics Simulation Applications with Sketch-Based Interfaces

Sketch-based interfaces provide a powerful, natural and intuitive way for users to interact with an application. By combining a sketch-based interface with a physically simulated environment, an application offers the means for users to rapidly sketch a set of objects, like if they are doing it on piece of paper, and see how these objects behave in a simulation. In this paper we present SketchyDynamics, a library that intends to facilitate the creation of applications by rapidly providing them a sketch-based interface and physics simulation capabilities. SketchyDynamics was designed to be versatile and customizable but also simple. In fact, a simple application where the user draws objects and they are immediately simulated, colliding with each other and reacting to the specified physical forces, can be created with only 3 lines of code. In order to validate SketchyDynamics design choices, we also present some details of the usability evaluation that was conducted with a proof-of-concept prototype

The students’ point of view about quality of educational multimedia software

The study reported here is part of an international project supported by EU (PEDACTICE - Educational Multimedia in Compulsory School: From Pedagogical Assessment to Product Assessment8) and had as main goal to know the opinion and the perception of the Portuguese students about criteria of quality of educational multimedia software.In order to obtain elements on the student`s point of view about educational multimedia software, we decided to interview small groups of pupils who are involved in the work with multimedia materials and than gather, organize and analyse the information got. The sample of interviewed pupils can be considered as representative of the Lisbon schools attended by teachers and pupils very much interested in multimedia materials which these students use not only as an aid to learning activities but also as a support to home and school work. As main results of the study we can refer: a) the confirmation of the success of computers and multimedia among the young Portuguese student population, being manifest either in their attitudes or in the diversity of their experiences, including the technical mastery of informatics; b) the acknowledgment, by the students, of the role of the school and of those of their teachers who had till now led the process; c) an unexpected emphasis attached by the students, mainly by the older ones, to the use of computer as a resource for school work which, till now, was done without it; and d) the rare use of the computer for supporting tasks of creative or autonomous nature.The study reported here is part of an international project supported by EU (PEDACTICE - Educational Multimedia in Compulsory School: From Pedagogical Assessment to Product Assessment8) and had as main goal to know the opinion and the perception of the Portuguese students about criteria of quality of educational multimedia software.In order to obtain elements on the student`s point of view about educational multimedia software, we decided to interview small groups of pupils who are involved in the work with multimedia materials and than gather, organize and analyse the information got. The sample of interviewed pupils can be considered as representative of the Lisbon schools attended by teachers and pupils very much interested in multimedia materials which these students use not only as an aid to learning activities but also as a support to home and school work. As main results of the study we can refer: a) the confirmation of the success of computers and multimedia among the young Portuguese student population, being manifest either in their attitudes or in the diversity of their experiences, including the technical mastery of informatics; b) the acknowledgment, by the students, of the role of the school and of those of their teachers who had till now led the process; c) an unexpected emphasis attached by the students, mainly by the older ones, to the use of computer as a resource for school work which, till now, was done without it; and d) the rare use of the computer for supporting tasks of creative or autonomous nature

Ética e clínica na atenção psicossocial: contribuições da psicanálise de Freud e Lacan

The main objective is to discuss the possibility of an ethics that is relevant to the set of actions currently performed in the perspective of Psychosocial Care in the field of Public Mental Health. Using the essay method, I will start with the analysis of some important propositions about ethics in Mental Health, present in the recent literature, and with my many years of experience in the field of psychosocial care as a worker, as a clinical and institutional advisor with the Ministry of Health, and as a psychotherapist trainer. Two methods of analysis are considered: disciplinary ethics, called psychiatry ethics, including a major attempt to complement it critically from the standpoint of the "ethics of care", and ethics based on psychoanalytic conceptions of the subject and their suffering, which highlights the subject's dimensions as "between" social progress and "between" subjective or "between sense". Based on the guidelines of the National Health System and on the psychoanalysis of the Freudian field, the aim is to justify the ethics of the Psychosocial Care Clinic as the ethics of "self-care" - the necessary basis for the construction of the protagonism of the subjects of suffering in the production of the necessary meaning to overcome suffering and other dilemmas that motivated them to seek help, and also for the possibility of repositioning them on "between social" and "between sense"; health components in line with singularized subjectivity, referenced in socio-cultural ideals and in the desiring future. It is shown that this ethics demands from field workers the dialectical overcoming of the health and subjectivity production modes in line with the capitalist mode of production and its authoritarian derivatives.O objetivo central é discutir a possibilidade de uma ética pertinente ao conjunto de ações atualmente realizadas sob o enfoque da Atenção Psicossocial no campo da Saúde Mental Coletiva. Utilizando o método do ensaio, partirei da análise de algumas proposições importantes sobre a ética na Saúde Mental, presentes na literatura recente, e da experiência de vários anos no campo da Atenção Psicossocial como trabalhador, como assessor clínico-institucional do Ministério da Saúde e como formador de psicoterapeutas. Duas vertentes de análise são consideradas: éticas disciplinares, chamadas éticas da psiquiatria, incluindo uma tentativa importante de complementá-las criticamente sob o enfoque da "ética do cuidado", e éticas fundadas em concepções psicanalíticas do sujeito e seu sofrimento, que destacam as dimensões do sujeito como "entre" social e como "entre" subjetivo ou "entre sentido". Com base nas diretrizes do Sistema Único de Saúde e na psicanálise do campo freudiano, procura-se fundamentar a ética da Clínica na Atenção Psicossocial como ética do "cuidar-se" - base necessária para a construção do protagonismo dos sujeitos do sofrimento na produção do sentido necessário à superação do sofrimento e demais impasses que motivaram a procura de ajuda, e para a possibilidade de seu reposicionamento no "entre social" e no "entre sentido"; componentes da saúde em sintonia com a subjetividade singularizada referenciada nos Ideais socioculturais e no devir desejante. Demonstra-se que essa ética exige dos trabalhadores do campo a superação dialética dos modos de produção de saúde e subjetividade em sintonia com o Modo Capitalista de Produção e seus derivados autoritários

Les pratiques d’attention à santé dans les établissements psychosociaux: les effets du mode de production capitaliste

O modo de produção de bens materiais é correlato ao modo de produção de saúde e indica as formas de subjetivação possíveis em uma sociedade, portanto, está relacionado às maneiras como impasses sociais e psíquicos se materializam. Os conflitos da luta de classes produzem contradições, de maneira que é crucial observar que os sintomas desencadeadores das crises vêm enunciar objeção ao contexto social no qual emergiram. Partindo da análise organizacional, constatamos que os estabelecimentos institucionais de saúde mental no contexto do modo capitalista de produção têm servido para agenciar essas crises no sentido de dissuadi-las. Observa-se que, apesar dos avanços da reforma psiquiátrica brasileira, os estabelecimentos psicossociais ainda servem à adaptação social, produzindo subjetividades alienadas e reproduzindo formas históricas de dominação-subordinação, como a internação psiquiátrica e a medicalização da vida e do sofrimento.El modo de producción de bienes materiales se correlaciona con el modo de producción de salud e indica las posibles formas de subjetivación en la sociedad, por tanto, se refiere a la manera en que los puntos muertos sociales y psíquicos se materializan. Los conflictos de la lucha de clases producen contradicciones, por lo que es fundamental señalar que los síntomas desencadenantes de las crisis vienen a declarar una objeción al contexto en que surgieron. Con base en el análisis organizacional, constatamos que los establecimientos institucionales de salud mental han servido para administrar esas crisis en el sentido de disuadirlas. Se observa que, pese a los avances de la reforma psiquiátrica brasileña, los establecimientos psicosociales todavía sirven a la adaptación social, producen subjetividad alienada y reproducen formas históricas de dominación-subordinación, como la internación psiquiátrica y la medicalización de la vida y del sufrimiento.The mode of production of material goods is correlated to the mode of production of health and indicates the possible forms of subjectivation in a society, thus, the mode of production is related to the ways in which the social and psychic impasses materialize. Conflicts of the class struggle produce contradictions, so it is crucial to note that the symptoms that trigger the crises come to enounce an objection to the social context in which they emerged. Based on institutional analysis, we find that mental health institutions in the context of the capitalist mode of production have served to manage these crises in order to dissuade them. It is observed that despite the advances of Brazilian psychiatric reform, psychosocial establishments still serve social adaptation, producing alienated subjectivities and reproducing historical forms of domination-subordination, such as psychiatric hospitalization and medicalization of life and suffering.Le mode de production des biens matériels est corrélatif au mode de production de santé et indique les façons de subjectivation possibles dans une société, donc, soit lié à la manière comme les impasses sociales et psychique se matérialisent. Les conflits de lutte de classes produisent contradictions, de manière qu’est cruciale regarder que les symptômes que déclenchent des crises viennent à énoncer une objectivation au contexte socioculturel dans lequel ils ont émergé. À partir de l’analyse institutionnelle, on a constaté que les practices de santé mentale au sein du mode capitaliste de production ont servi pour traiter ces crises afin de les dissuader. On observe que, malgré les progrès de la réforme psychiatrique brésilienne, l‘établissement psychosocial sert encore à l’adaptation sociale, en créant des subjectivités aliénées et en reproduisant formes historiques de domination-subordination, comme l’hospitalisation psychiatrique et la médicalisation de la vie e de la souffrance

SketchyDynamics apoio à produção de sistemas baseados em interfaces caligráficas para a simulação da dinâmica de corpos rígidos

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática - Área de Especialização em Sistemas Gráficos e MultimédiaO paradigma de interação proporcionado pelas interfaces caligráficas constitui uma forma natural de interação humano-computador. Esta naturalidade deve-se, sobretudo, à semelhança que este estilo de interação possui com a utilização de um lápis sobre papel, tarefa comum e intuitiva. Apesar disso é ainda pouco frequente o emprego de tais interfaces em aplicações informáticas, sendo o estilo de interação WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointers) mais utilizado e favorecido. No entanto, antecipa-se um futuro no qual as interfaces caligráficas estarão cada vez mais presentes, pois é notório o surgimento de um número crescente não só de aplicações que adotam este estilo de interação, mas também de equipamentos que incentivam à sua utilização. Com base nesta premissa, é seguro afirmar a necessidade de investir nesta área, de modo a agilizar e acelerar a adoção do estilo de interação caligráfico e, assim, tornar a interação humano-computador num processo cada vez mais natural. O trabalho descrito neste documento visa um estudo à utilização das interfaces caligráficas orientada para a criação e controlo de um ambiente simulado. Mais concretamente, é apresentado o sistema SketchyDynamics, que integra um módulo de simulação da dinâmica de corpos rígidos em simbiose com uma interface caligráfica munida das ações necessárias para a manipulação da simulação. Recorrendo a este sistema, é facilitada a produção de aplicações que tirem partido destas funcionalidades, sem a necessidade de as reimplementar. É ainda descrita uma avaliação de técnicas de reconhecimento caligráfico realizada com o objetivo de determinar aquela que melhor se integraria no sistema desenvolvido. No âmbito desta avaliação são ainda apresentados alguns pormenores sobre a implementação dessas técnicas, bem como procedimentos que permitem uma maximização da sua eficácia. São também discutidos os resultados de uma avaliação de usabilidade conduzida com o propósito de validar o sistema SketchyDynamics do ponto de vista do utilizador. Os resultados desta avaliação mostram que este sistema foi bem-sucedido e que se encontra preparado para o utilizador final, não obstante a existência de margem para futuras melhorias.The interaction paradigm provided by sketch-based interfaces represents a natural method of human-computer interaction. This naturalness is largely due to the similarity that this interaction style has with the use of a pencil on a paper, an intuitive and common task. Despite that, the implementation of these interfaces on computer applications is still unusual, in favor of the WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus and Points) interaction style. Nevertheless, we can predict a future where sketch-based interfaces will be increasingly more widespread, based on the recent emergence of not only applications that adopt this interaction style, but also equipment that encourage their use. With this premise in mind, it is safe to assert the need for investment in this area, in order to streamline and accelerate the adoption of the sketch-based interaction style and thus make the human-computer interaction a progressively more natural process. The work described in this document aims the study of the use of sketch-based interfaces in the creation and control of simulated environments. More specifically, we present the SketchyDynamics system, which incorporates a rigid body simulation module in symbiosis with a sketch-based interface provided with the necessary actions for the manipulation of the simulation. Using this system, we hope to ease the production of applications that take advantage of these features, without the need to implement them from scratch. An evaluation of various sketch recognition techniques, performed in order to find the one that best fits in the developed system, is also described. As part of this evaluation, we also present some details on the implementation of these techniques, as well as procedures that allow us to maximize their efficiency. Furthermore, we discuss the results of a usability evaluation that was conducted with the purpose of validating the SketchyDynamics system from the user’s point of view. The results of this evaluation suggest that, despite the existence of room for further improvements, the system was successful and is ready for final users

Paradigmas diversos no campo da assistência social e seus estabelecimentos assistenciais típicos

Visando entender qual seria a situação das entidades que atendem a crianças e a adolescentes na atualidade, bem como a trama institucional que compõe esses estabelecimentos, procuramos formular um conjunto de possibilidades paradigmáticas que nos permitisse compreender como se configura o campo dialético de pulsações diversas, no qual as entidades estão situadas. Detectamos as figuras que associamos aos paradigmas homólogos da Caridade, da Promoção Humana, da Filantropia, do Clientelismo Assistencialista, da Assistência Social como Política de Estado e, finalmente, outro conjunto de acontecimentos que propomos designar como paradigma do Sujeito Cidadão, que associamos à perspectiva ética da Educação Popular. Tais possibilidades paradigmáticas vão das simplesmente diversas e contrárias, incluindo as similares e concorrentes, até as dialeticamente contraditórias. Seu espectro oscila entre a tutela e a cidadania. A caracterização didática desses paradigmas pode fornecer uma bússola, necessária num campo social altamente complexo, permitindo compreender a variedade dos efeitos éticos que promovem no campo social.Afin de comprendre quelle est la situation des entités qui s'occupent des enfants et les adolescents d'aujourd'hui, ainsi que les structures institutionnelles qui composent ces établissements, nous recherchons un ensemble de possibilités paradigmatiques qui nous permettrait de comprendre la configuration de la variété d´impulsion du champ dialectique, dans lequel les entités sont situés. Nous avons détecté des élements que nous associons a des paradigmes homologues et organismes de bienfaisance, humanitaire, la philanthropie, du clientélisme de l´action sociale, l´assistance sociale et politique de l'État, et enfin une autre série d'événements que nous proposons de désigner comme un paradigme du citoyen, nous associons le point de vue éthique de l'éducation populaire. Ces possibilités paradigmatiques comprennent: les diversifiées et les opposées, les similaires et les concurrentes, même les dialectiquement contradictoires. Elles oscillent entre la tutelle et de la citoyenneté. La caractérisation didactique de ces paradigmes peut nous fournir une direction necessaire dans um domaine sociale très complexe, permettant ainsi de comprendre la variété des effets éthiques promu.In order to understand what is the situation of entities that serve children and adolescents today, as well as the institutional plot that comprises these institutions, we aimed to formulate a set of paradigmatic possibilities that would allow us to understand the configuration of the dialectical field of various pulses, in which these entities are located. We detected the subjects we associate with counterparts paradigms of Charity, of Human Promotion, of Philanthropy, of assistentialist government patronage, of Social Work as a State Policy, and finally, another set of events that we propose to designate as the paradigm of Citizen Subjects we associate with the ethical perspective of People Education. These paradigmatic possibilities range from the simply various and contrasting ones, including the similar and competing ones, to the dialectically contradictory ones. Its spectrum oscillates between tutelage and citizenship. The characterization of these didactic paradigms can provide us a compass that is required in a highly complex social field, allowing us to understand the variety of ethical effects promoted by these paradigms in the social field.Para ayudar a entender cuál sería la situación de las entidades que, actualmente, atienden a niños y adolescentes, así como el entramando institucional que componen esos establecimientos, procuramos formular un conjunto de posibilidades paradigmáticas que nos permitiera comprender cómo se configura el campo dialéctico de diversas pulsaciones, en el que las entidades están situadas. Detectamos las figuras que asociamos a los paradigmas homólogos de la Caridad, Promoción Humana, Filantropía, Clientelismo Asistencialista, de la Asistencia Social como Política de Estado, y, finalmente, otro conjunto de acontecimientos que proponemos designar como paradigma del Sujeto Ciudadano, que asociamos a la perspectiva ética de la Educación Popular. Tales posibilidades paradigmáticas van desde las puramente diversas y contrarias, incluyendo las semejantes y contendientes, hasta las dialécticamente contradictorias. Su espectro oscila entra la tutela y la ciudadanía. La caracterización didáctica de esos paradigmas puede proporcionar una brújula, necesaria en un campo social, en extremo, complejo, permitiendo comprender la variedad de los efectos éticos que promueven en el campo social

Questioning the Psychiatric Reform nowadays: mental health as a field of praxis

A Saúde Mental, encarnada sob o modelo da Reforma Psiquiátrica, e o Movimento Antimanicomial não desconsideram a produção do conhecimento sobre aquele campo, sobretudo em decorrência da consolidação da Saúde Coletiva como campo do saber. O artigo explora alguns autores que tomam a Saúde Mental como novo campo de conhecimento, introduzindo um novo paradigma na percepção da saúde - Doença e Atenção -, contudo, o objetivo é introduzir a Atenção Psicossocial como meio para efetivar as práticas transdisciplinares e multiprofissionais. A possibilidade é que a Saúde Mental provoca desdobramentos na Saúde, consolidando as políticas públicas. Na prática, ainda há o aprisionamento ao modelo hospitalocêntrico-medicamentoso, existindo percalços a serem superados através do aproveitamento das brechas capazes de romper o instituído.Mental Health, in the form of the Psychiatric Reform, and the Anti-Asylum Movement do not ignore the production of knowledge about that field, mainly due to the consolidation of Public Health as a field of knowledge. The article explores some authors who consider Mental Health as a new field of knowledge, introducing a new paradigm in the perception of health - Disease and Care -; however, the goal is to introduce Psychosocial Care as a means to enforce the transdisciplinary and multiprofessional practices. The possibility is that mental health produces developments in Health, consolidating the public policies. In practice, the hospital-centered and drug-based model still predominates, and there are setbacks to be overcome by taking advantage of loopholes capable of breaking with what is instituted

Tools for Online Collaboration: Do they contribute to Improve Teamwork?

In the last decades, the fast growth of Information and Communication Technologies changed our way to communicate and share information. Traditional groups or teams frequently give way to virtual teams, working with tools for online collaboration. Interaction between persons geographically dispersed has become easier. However, the use of new collaboration tools can also bring many challenges. Some technologies, like e-mail, can create delays on reply or even misunderstandings, case the message is not well understood by the recipient. Can these new technologies improve the productivity and enhance the creativity between group members, improving also their confidence and motivation? Although virtual teams have a high capacity to adapt to constant market changes, personal interactions are still important, mainly to clarify tasks and goals. The main purpose of this study is to understand how tools for online collaboration may improve the productivity (and enhance creativity) in teamwork. This study was conducted through an internet platform and the survey was hosted online by SurveyMonkey.com. We intended to verify, among other questions, what users think about different collaboration tools, how often they use these tools, and how they perceive these technologies as adequate ways to communicate, to work with, and to improve productivity. Findings show that e-mail is the most used tool, and personal contact is still more important for teamwork than any tools for online collaboration. Our results contribute to perceive in what extent collaboration tools are indeed an asset or a barrier in teamwork. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s4p51