Nasometric values for european portuguese: preliminary results

Nasal sounds frequencies in European Portuguese represent 21% of Português Fundamental corpus sounds (Nascimento et al. 1987), revealing how nasality plays an important role in this language and how a speech problem affecting nasality can interfere severely in one’s speech intelligibility. In order to obtain the first standard nasometric values for European Portuguese we developed two tests (syllable repetition and text reading) and collected data from 25 adults. Preliminary results showed that: oral stimuli achieved an average nasalance score of 10%; syllables with nasal consonant and nasal vowel achieved 77% and the reading passages with nasal saturation presented an average score of 44%. Considering these results, we acknowledge the existence of three different levels of normal nasality

Do predators always win? Starfish versus limpets. A hands-on activity examining predator-prey interaction

In this article we propose a hands-on experimental activity about predator–prey interactions that can be performed both in a research laboratory and in the classroom. The activity, which engages students in a real scientific experiment, can be explored not only to improve students’ understanding about the diversity of anti-predator behaviours but also to promote their understanding about the various stages of experimental scientific procedures, such as the definition of a research problem, the statement of testable hypotheses, designing the experiments and drawing conclusions based on the evidence

O impacto social dos agentes pedagógicos animados em ambientes interactivos de aprendizagem

O estudo de caso, aqui apresentado de forma sucinta, foi realizado com a finalidade de se analisar a interacção entre os alunos de uma turma de sexto ano, do Ensino Básico, e os agentes virtuais presentes no software educativo TeLL me More® Kids. Os dados obtidos a partir de diferentes técnicas e instrumentos permitiram tentar compreender a influência dessas personagens, não só no desenvolvimento de apetências e de competências transversais e específicas da área disciplinar de Inglês, mas também noutros domínios tais como a motivação, a emoção, as relações aluno-professor e aluno-aluno, a autonomia, as atitudes e valores e a criatividade. As conclusões resultantes do estudo, implementado no ano lectivo de 2004/2005, convergem com as que têm vindo a ser apresentadas pelos investigadores da área em questão, ou seja, que os agentes pedagógicos animados actuam essencialmente ao nível da emoção e da motivação, o que pode ajudar no desenvolvimento e/ou construção de conhecimento. Por este motivo, julga-se fundamental uma avaliação sistemática dos agentes virtuais, de modo a tentar evitar qualquer impacto social menos positivo, principalmente nas crianças

Relatório de projecto

Relatório de Projecto no âmbito do Mestrado em Tradução e Interpretação Especializadas, sob orientação da Professora Doutora Clara Sarmento.O presente relatório consiste na edição, tradução e análise do livro In Permanent Transit: Discourses and Maps of the Intercultural Experience. O relatório começa com uma breve introdução e descrição dos quinze ensaios que compõem o livro, e que são a base deste trabalho. Logo após uma referência a textos paralelos, procede-se à identificação e contextualização dos ensaios, assim como a uma análise reflexiva sobre o trabalho realizado. São também apresentadas e estudadas algumas das questões mais problemáticas de cada ensaio analisado. Este capítulo é seguido de uma compilação de palavras-chave, as quais constarão no Índice Remissivo do livro. Finalmente, expõem-se e discutem-se os resultados obtidos e os futuros passos conducentes à publicação. This report consists of editing, translating and analysing the book In Permanent Transit: Discourses and Maps of the Intercultural Experience. It begins with a brief introduction and description of the fifteen essays that comprise this book and are the basis of this work. After pointing out some parallel texts, the essays are identified and contextualized, before presenting a reflexive analysis of the work developed. Some of the most challenging problems of each essay here analysed are categorised and followed by the compilation of their keywords, which will be included in the Index of the book. Finally, the results obtained are revealed and examined, as well as the future steps that will lead to the publication

School-visit to a science centre: student interaction with exhibits and the relevance of teachers’ behaviour

This study is centred on the behaviour of students and teachers during a school-visit to a Science Centre, with the purpose to answer to the following research questions: How do the students interact with the exhibits? With whom students interact during the visit? How do the teachers behave during the visit? The study was conducted in two science exhibitions, a permanent one and a temporary one. A total of 52 students and 23 teachers were observed. Data analysis showed that students used to wandering around, interacting with the exhibits for very short periods of time. However, some differences were detected between both exhibitions. In the temporary one, most students seemed to miss the interpretation of the phenomena under observation, just manipulating the exhibits, whereas in the permanent one, they tried to interpret the results of their manipulation. These results can be related to teachers’ behaviour. In fact, only in the permanent exhibition teachers remained focused in the visit for almost all the time, manipulating the exhibits while explaining it to students. It is suggested that the role assumed by the teacher during a school visit to a science centre could determine the level of students’ engagement with the visit

Investigating school guided-visits to an Aquarium: what role for science teachers?

The main goals of this study were to understand the different roles played by teachers and students during a school-guided tour to an aquarium and to analyse their different perspectives about the visit. The study focused on students’ and teachers’ behaviour during school-guided visits to an aquarium; students’ and teachers’ perspectives about this type of school visits; and the reasons provided by teachers to engage in a guided tour to a science museum. Direct observations of 39 guided tours were performed in order to describe the structure of the visit and the participants’ behaviour. A questionnaire was given to 145 teachers and 191 students after the visit, in order to describe their perspectives about the visit, and an online questionnaire was sent to a sample of 11 teachers, in order to understand their ideas about school visits to science museums. Data analysis showed that the guided visits, although well evaluated by both students and teachers, were mainly guide-directed and lecture-oriented, giving students and teachers very little choice and control over the learning agenda. Moreover, teachers showed a very passive role during the visit and reported limited plans for preparation and follow-up activities that would support the visit. Despite this scenario, the teachers who were questioned preferred guided visits to non-guided visits and recognized the potential of museums for learning. The possible role of teachers in establishing the necessary connection between guided tours and school science, and helping to bridge school curriculum, museum content, and student inquiries is discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

U.dream goes to market - an evaluation of crescer com consciência and analysis of the internal and external environments affecting its strategic pPosition

U.Dream is a social enterprise targeted at developing social leadership skills. It recently launched U.Purpose (service) and Crescer com Consciência (product) aiming to ensure future financial sustainability. However, these were launched without conducting a market research and clear guiding strategy. The focus of this project is to assess the attractiveness of the CSR and children’s book markets and U.Dream’s current strategy, providing a strategic revision. An in-depth analysis concluded that, in order to face the stagnant book market conditions and the fierce competition, the way for the Crescer com Consciência initiative to prosper is through differentiation and effective communicatio