Learning the importance of the sun as an important energy source by building “solar cars”

Learning the Importance of the Sun as na Important Energy Source by Building “Solar Cars”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Photorefraction images analysis through neural networks

The importance of an early evaluation of infants’ visual system condition is long time recognized. Non-corrected visual disorders may lead to major vision and developmental non-reversible limitations in the future. Among the objective methods of refraction, photorefractive techniques are specifically designed for screening young children. Over the years a number of photorefraction systems with different grades of complexity and automation were developed. A critical problem that one needs to deal with in any approach to these systems is the interpretation and classification of the photorefraction images. In digital photorefraction conventional image processing operators and Fourier techniques were currently used. In this communication we will report on the use of Neural Networks for automated classification of digital photorefraction images.Secretariado Nacional para a Reabilitação - programa CITE III

Robotics in child storytelling

Although the field of Educational Robotics (ER) has been growing over the last few years and its usefulness has been shown in many studies, its use in basic or elementary school levels has been scarce. This work intends to address the issue of demonstrating that ER makes a very useful tool at the elementary levels of learning, proposing a project-oriented approach, where interdisciplinary work uses children's stories and their imagination. The project involved the use of Lego Mindstorms robotics kits by students with ages between 9 and 12 years old. It involved the construction and programming of robots, addressing the dramatization of the popular tales "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three little pigs" as the final goal. Also, other groups of students implemented fashion and dancing shows, also with robots. Each of the robots performed as one of the characters of the story/ show, following a set of steps according to the script that was programmed by the students. The work involved also a previous step where the robots were built and dressed according to its role. The final results show the applicability of ER to this level of learning/ teaching. The students were able to successfully complete the project, achieving the proposed aims and also showing high levels of motivation and enthusiasm through its whole duration. The work culminated with public shows thatUniversidade do Minho. Centro de Investigação em Educação (CIEd-UMINHO

A robótica educativa como ferramenta pedagógica na resolução de problemas de matemática no Ensino Básico

A Robótica Educativa (RE) tem sido apontada nos últimos anos como uma das ferramentas educativas emergentes de maior potencial. Entre as várias características que lhe são atribuídas, realça-se a sua adequação a uma aprendizagem baseada na resolução de problemas concretos cujos desafios criados promovem o raciocínio e o pensamento crítico de uma forma activa, elevando também os níveis de interesse e motivação dos alunos por matérias por vezes complexas. Estas características tornam a RE especialmente apelativa para o ensino/aprendizagem da Matemática e das ciências naturais. Neste trabalho, disponibilizam-se um conjunto de sessões usando a RE que podem ser usadas para trabalhar a resolução de problemas relacionados com as operações de multiplicação e divisão na área da Matemática para alunos do 4º ano do Ensino Básico. Estas permitem ao professor trabalhar estes conteúdos de uma forma alternativa ao ensino tradicional. Os recursos apresentados neste trabalho são enquadrados num contexto mais amplo de um portal de RE, onde se podem encontrar outros recursos úteis para a implementação da RE no Ensino Básico.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - Bolsa de Doutoramento SFRH/BD/36919/2007

A proposal for the evaluation of educational robotics in basic schools

Educational Robotics (ER) is increasingly used to boost student performance in several subjects, being reported successful attempts to introduce ER as a non-conventional way to help students in learning mathematics, sciences or even arts and to implement novel learning approaches, such as constructivism, project-based and problem-based learning. ER has been used to promote multidisciplinarity and collaborative work, to foster students’ motivation, imagination, creativity and logical thinking. However, available studies are mainly descriptive and qualitative. Indeed, fundamental questions, such as “Is ER a suitable tool for basic school students?” or “What are the contents/skills that can be taught/learned using ER?” remain largely unanswered. This paper proposes a methodology to conduct studies that provide an answer to those questions. Our proposal has two distinct components: (i) the planning of a set of ER sessions to conduct with the students; (ii) validation instruments to apply, for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of ER as a pedagogical tool. An example is provided for subjects related to the concepts of multiplication/ division in 4th grade Mathematics.Universidade do Minho. Centro de Investigação em Educação (CIEd)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Robotics as a tool to increase the motivation levels in problematic students

The study described in this work was done by students of the Training and Education Courses (CEFs) in Informatics Operators of EB 2,3 Gonçalo Sampaio in Póvoa de Lanhoso during the academic year 2008/09. The study was conducted with two classes, with a total of 23 students. These students are aged between 15 and 18 years and the majority are males with only 4 girls. These students were not very motivated to attend school successfully, since they were students that had difficulties and failed one ornmore years. The CEFs were created to allow these students to finish their academic studies, in a less constrained pedagogical environment, that provided access to professional studies

Bot’n roll robotic kit as a learning tool for youngsters

Activities involving robotics, projecting assembling and programming robots are in essence hands-on and inquiry-based activities leading to an effective learning of different aspects of science and technology among others. Different approaches have being used to introduce robotics in the education of young children. In this communication we will present an approach that in an inquiry based science education, IBSE, perspective, uses an informal environment to introduced robotics, as well as a range of other science and technology, concepts and competencies to young students. Many youngsters are getting interested on general technology and the robotics field in particular. Even though their knowledge is very basic they are very enthusiastic and willing to learn quickly. Most robotics events consist of competitions, and that means the youngsters still need guidance by professionals. RoboParty is a different educational robotics event that teaches the participants, with IBSE hands-on techniques, how to build a robot from scratch to program it and in the end they keep the robot they built for themselves for further exploration. Such robot to be built by the young children for the first time needs to be very easy and with a friendly programming language. The Bot’n Roll robotics kit was developed specifically for the RoboParty event, and has since then been improved with more sensors and actuators, which are simple to built and easy to use. The Bot’n Roll robot family launched recently another more complex robot that uses omnidirectional wheels and that can be used on other robotic competitions like world known RoboCup. This paper describes also the Bot’n Roll robots and show how they are built, bearing in mind that these robots were developed for youngsters who never worked with robotics

Portuguese 16th to Early 18th Century tin Glazed Ceramics Found at the Tagus Estuary Saltpans

UID/NAN/50024/2019 M-ERA-MNT/0002/2015 UIDB/04209/2020 UIDP/04209/2020Salt was extracted from saltpans, in the South shore of Tagus River by evaporation of the salted sea water which penetrates into the estuary. The walls and the bottom of those saltpans were made of local clays to retain the sea water, and ceramic sherds have been used to endure those walls and also to allow people to walk on the saltpans’ walls. Those sherds constitute an example of the ceramics production in Lisbon workshops, starting in the mid-16th century and reaching high levels of quality in the 17th and 18th century. A detailed archaeometric study of 14 selected sherds dated from the 16th to the early 18th century has been made and the conjugation of the information provided by the micro-Raman, XRD and XRF experiments for those sherds and clays collected locally, allowed us the characterisation of the Lisbon ceramics in that period. Three main groups could be identified in the ceramic bodies; all made with locally collected clays of Miocene origin. In the first group, the potters used raw materials from the clay sources located at Santa Catarina area in Lisbon, most probably mixed with Lapa clays, which were fired at a high temperatures, ranging from 850ºC to 950ºC. Gehlenite and quartz are the dominant minerals of these ceramic bodies. In the second and third groups of Lisbon ceramic bodies, made with Prazeres clays, diopside was also detected but with variable amounts of gehlenite. Clay formations mineralogy mainly include kaolinite, muscovite/illite, quartz, calcite, and feldspars (albite and microcline).publishersversionpublishe

The impact of overnight orthokeratology on accommodative response in myopic subjects

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two months of orthokeratology (OK) treatment in the accommodative response of young adult myopes. Twenty eyes (21.8 ± 1.8 years) were fitted with the Paragon CRT® 100 LENS to treat myopia between −1.00 and −2.00 D. Low- and high-contrast visual acuity (LCDVA and HCDVA), central objective refraction, light disturbance (LD), and objective accommodative response (using the Grand Seiko WAM-5500 open-field autorefractometer coupled with a Badal system) were measured at baseline (BL) before lens wear and after 1, 15, 30, and 60 nights of OK. Refractive error correction was achieved during the first fifty days of OK lens wear, with minimal changes afterwards. LD analysis showed a transient increase followed by a reduction to baseline levels over the first 30 nights of treatment. The accommodative response was lower than expected for all target vergences in all visits (BL: 0.61 D at 1.00 D to 0.96 D at 5.00 D; 60 N: 0.36 D at 1.00 D to 0.79 D at 5.00 D). On average, the accommodative lag decreases over time with OK lens wear. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.050, repeated-measures ANOVA and Friedman test). This shows that overnight OK treatment does not affect objectively measured the accommodative response of young, low myopic eyes after two months of treatment stabilization.This research was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) PTDC/FIS-OPT/0677/2014, the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013 at Center of Physics, UMinho, and predoctoral grant SFRH/BD/136684/2018 to A.A.S

An approach to promote social and communication behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders : robot based intervention

Most autistic people present some difficulties in developing social behavior, living in their own world. This study has the goal to improve the social life of children with autism with a main focus in promoting their social interaction and communication. It is necessary to call for children’s attention and enforce their collaboration, where a robot, LEGO MindStorm, behaves as a mediator/promoter of this interaction. A set of experiments designed to share objects and fulfill simple orders, by the 11 years old autistic child at the time of daily routine work and in-game with the robot, are described. The generalization of the acquired skills by the child in new contexts and environments are also tested. Results are described showing the outcomes of the experiments.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - R&D projecto RIPD/ADA/109407/200