A avaliação da integração de um tutor virtual em cursos a distância

A evolução tecnológica tem contribuído significativamente para mudanças relevantes em quase todas as dimensões da nossa sociedade, nomeadamente na educação e, consequentemente, na Educação a Distância (EaD). Associando as potencialidades das tecnologias disponíveis, à necessidade dos estudantes e à indispensabilidade das instituições automatizarem alguns processos passíveis de serem automatizados, justifica-se a criação de um Tutor Virtual que execute algumas funções que contribuam para as situações de aprendizagem dos estudantes. Desta forma, a presente investigação teve como finalidade analisar a integração de um Tutor Virtual em algumas Unidades Curriculares dos Cursos da Universidade Aberta, nas áreas de Ciências Naturais, Ciências Computacionais e Ciências Sociais, como complemento de Tutores Humanos. A integração de um Tutor Virtual, baseado em Agentes Virtuais Encapsulados (AVE), nos ambientes de Gestão de Sistemas de Aprendizagem (LMS), assentes na integração de interfaces antropomórficas, cujas aparências e características são tão realistas e credíveis e sem piorar o seu desempenho, faz com que este tipo de agentes sejam interlocutores para complementar os tutores humanos em ambientes reais de aprendizagem. A metodologia foi um estudo de caso e os instrumentos de recolha de dados foram: documentação do projeto, inquéritos por questionário (aos alunos participantes) e entrevistas semiestruturada (aos gestores/professores envolvidos no projeto). Em relação aos resultados, é de referir que o uso dos agentes encapsulados motivou e facilitou o processo de comunicação entre os estudantes e o Tutor, para além disso, proporcionou um acesso mais rápido aos conteúdos das UC.The Technological evolution has significantly contributed to relevant changes in almost every dimension of our society, namely in education and, consequently, in Distance Education. Combining the potential of available technologies with the student’s needs and the indispensability of institutions to automate some processes that can be automated, the creation of a Virtual Tutor that performs some functions that contribute to students' learning situations. Thus, the present investigation aimed to analyze the impact of the introduction of Virtual Tutor in some Course Units of the Open University Courses, in the areas of Natural Sciences, Computational Sciences and Social Sciences, as a complement to Human Tutors. The integration of a Virtual Tutor, based on Encapsulated Virtual Agents, in Learning Systems Management (LMS) environments, supported with the integration of anthropomorphic interfaces, whose appearances and characteristics are so realistic and credible and without worsening their performance, makes this type of agents, interlocutors to complement human tutors in real learning environments. The methodology was a case study and the data collection instruments were: project documentation, questionnaire surveys (to the participating students) and semi-structured interviews (to the managers / teachers involved in the project). Regarding the results, it should be noted that the use of encapsulated agents motivated and facilitated the communication process between students and the Tutor, in addition, it provided faster access to the contents of the UCA investigação realizada no âmbito desta Tese de Doutoramento está integrada nas linhas de investigação da Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento – Laboratório de Educação a Distância e eLearning (UID 4372/FCT), da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (Projeto Virtual Tutoring PTDC/IVC-PEC/3963/2014)

Tutoria com agentes inteligentes na educação online

Revista Teias. Vol. 20 (Edição Especial - 2019): Educação ativista na cibercultura: experiências pluraisA evolução tecnológica, particularmente a Inteligência Artificial, tem contribuído significativamente para mudanças relevantes em quase todas as dimensões da nossa sociedade, nomeadamente na Educação e, consequentemente, no Ensino à Distância. Tais mudanças exigem transformações significativas, especialmente no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, de forma a minimizar a incapacidade dos docentes e tutores responderem na totalidade às solicitações de suporte por parte dos alunos e, por isso, a enorme necessidade de potenciar as tecnologias existentes, com o objetivo de minorar essa dificuldade. Este artigo tem como objetivo caracterizar os agentes inteligentes e a sua importância pedagógica para a tutoria na educação online. A metodologia utilizada baseou-se no método dedutivo, resultante do processo de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, em consonância com a investigação de doutoramento em curso sobre a temática dos tutores inteligentes. Como resultados, a literatura especializada tem destacado a enorme vantagem da utilização dos agentes inteligentes no ensino superior online.Technological evolution, particularly Artificial Intelligence, has contributed to changes in almost all dimensions of our society, in education and in Distance Learning. Such changes require significant transformations in the teaching and learning process in order to minimize the inability of Virtual Tutors to respond to students' requests for support and, therefore, the need to improve existing technologies, with the aim of reducing this difficulty. This article aims to characterize intelligent agents and their pedagogical importance for tutoring in online education. The methodology used was based on the deductive method, resulting from the bibliographic and documentary research process, in consonance with the ongoing doctoral research on the subject of virtual tutors. As a result, the literature has highlighted the enormous advantage of using intelligent agents in online higher education.La evolución tecnológica, particularmente la Inteligencia Artificial, ha contribuido a los cambios en casi todas las dimensiones de nuestra sociedad, en la educación y en la Enseñanza a Distancia. Estos cambios requieren transformaciones significativas en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje para minimizar la incapacidad de los Tutores Virtuales para responder a las solicitudes de apoyo por parte de los alumnos y por lo tanto la necesidad de mejorar las tecnologías existentes con el objetivo de aliviar esa dificultad. Este artículo tiene como objetivo caracterizar a los agentes inteligentes y su importancia pedagógica para la tutoría en la educación online. La metodología utilizada fue basada en el método deductivo, resultante del proceso de investigación bibliográfica y documental, en consonancia con la investigación de doctorado en curso sobre la temática de los tutores virtuales. Como resultados, la literatura especializada ha destacado la enorme ventaja del uso de los agentes inteligentes en la enseñanza superior en línea.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New challenges in distance learning: programming and use of Chatbots

A evolução tecnológica, particularmente a Inteligência Artificial, tem contribuído significativamente para mu- danças relevantes em quase todas as dimensões da nossa sociedade, nomeadamente na educação e, consequentemente, no ensino a distância. Tais mudanças exigem transformações significativas, especialmente no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, de forma a minimizar a incapacidade de os Tutores Virtuais responderem na totalidade às solicitações de suporte por parte dos alunos e, por isso, a necessidade enorme de potenciar as tecnologias existentes, com o objetivo de minorar essa dificuldade. Este artigo tem como objetivo compreender os novos desafios da educação a distância (EaD) no ensino superior on-line, nomeadamente a programação e o uso de Chatbots, bem como as razões e causas para sua operacionalidade. A metodologia utilizada foi baseada no método dedutivo, resultante do processo de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, em consonância com a investigação de doutoramento em curso sobre a temática dos tutores virtuais. Como resultado, a literatura especializada tem destacado a enorme vantagem do uso de Chatbots (assistentes virtuais) na EaD no ensino superior on-line, devido aos enormes benefícios para os intervenientes diretos do processo de ensino-aprendizagem, ou seja: a instituição, os tutores e os alunos.The technological evolution has contributed significantly to relevant changes in almost all dimensions of our society, namely in education and, consequently, Distance Learning (EaD). Such changes require significant transformations, particularly in the teaching-learning process, and in order to respond to the inability of Virtual Tutors to respond fully to all requests for support from the students and therefore, there is an enormous need to strengthen technologies in order to minimize this problem. This article aims to understand the new challenges of Distance Education (EaD) in online higher education, namely the programming and use of Chatbots, as well as the reasons and causes for its operation. The methodology used was based on the deductive method, resulting from the bibliographic and documentary research process. As a result, the specialized literature has highlighted the enormous advantage of the use of Chatbots (virtual assistants) in Higher Education in online education, due to the enormous benefits to the direct participants of the teaching-apprentice process, that is: The institution, the students.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

User-Centered Design

The successful introduction and acceptance of novel technological tools are only possible if end users are completely integrated in the design process. However, obtaining such integration of end users is not obvious, as end‐user organizations often do not consider research toward new technological aids as their core business and are therefore reluctant to engage in these kinds of activities. This chapter explains how this problem was tackled in the ICARUS project, by carefully identifying and approaching the targeted user communities and by compiling user requirements. Resulting from these user requirements, system requirements and a system architecture for the ICARUS system were deduced. An important aspect of the user‐centered design approach is that it is an iterative methodology, based on multiple intermediate operational validations by end users of the developed tools, leading to a final validation according to user‐scripted validation scenarios

Nutritional intervention in the patient with COVID-19

A nutrição é uma determinante chave da saúde tanto mais que é parte integrante do tratamento das doenças agudas e crónicas. A atual pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) que está a devastar o mundo veio lançar novos desafios e ameaças sem precedentes, quer para os doentes quer para os profissionais de saúde. A intervenção e a terapia nutricionais devem ser consideradas como parte integrante da abordagem dos doentes com COVID-19 nos diferentes ambientes. Com base na literatura disponível são identificados métodos de avaliação e suporte nutricional que, sistematizados numa proposta de algoritmo, permitem uma intervenção integrada nos doentes infetados com SARS-CoV-2.ABSTRACT - Nutrition is a key determinant of health, especially since it is an integral part of the treatment of acute and chronic diseases. The current SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic that is devastating the world has launched new challenges and unprecedented threats, both for patients and health professionals. Nutritional intervention and therapy should be considered as an integral part of the approach to patients with COVID-19 in different environments. Based on the available literature, nutritional assessment and support methods are identified, which, systematized in a proposed algorithm, allow an integrated intervention in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chapter User-Centered Design

The successful introduction and acceptance of novel technological tools are only possible if end users are completely integrated in the design process. However, obtaining such integration of end users is not obvious, as end‐user organizations often do not consider research toward new technological aids as their core business and are therefore reluctant to engage in these kinds of activities. This chapter explains how this problem was tackled in the ICARUS project, by carefully identifying and approaching the targeted user communities and by compiling user requirements. Resulting from these user requirements, system requirements and a system architecture for the ICARUS system were deduced. An important aspect of the user‐centered design approach is that it is an iterative methodology, based on multiple intermediate operational validations by end users of the developed tools, leading to a final validation according to user‐scripted validation scenarios

Contribuições da Sociologia na América Latina à imaginação sociológica: análise, crítica e compromisso social Sociology's contribution in Latin America to sociological imagination: analysis, critique, and social commitment

O artigo aborda o papel desempenhado pela Sociologia na análise dos processos de transformação das sociedades latino-americanas, no acompanhamento do processo de construção do Estado e da Nação, na problematização das questões sociais na América Latina. São analisados seis períodos na Sociologia na América Latina e no Caribe: I) a herança intelectual da Sociologia ; II) a sociologia da cátedra; III) O período da "Sociologia Científica" e a configuração da "Sociologia Crítica"; IV) a crise institucional, a consolidação da "Sociologia Crítica" e a diversificação da sociologia; V) a sociologia do autoritarismo, da democracia e da exclusão; VI) a consolidação institucional e a mundialização da sociologia da América Latina (desde o ano de 2000), podendo-se afirmar que os traços distintivos do saber sociológico no continente foram: o internacionalismo, o hibridismo, a abordagem crítica dos processos e conflitos das sociedades latino-americanas e o compromisso social do sociólogo.<br>The article focuses on the role played by Sociology in the analysis of processes of change in Latin American societies, in the process of construction of Nation and State, in the debate of social issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Six periods in Sociology in Latin America and the Caribbean are examined: I) sociology's intellectual legacy; II) sociology as a cathedra; III) the period of "Scientific Sociology"; IV) the institutional crisis, the consolidation of "Critical Sociology", and the diversifying of sociology; V) sociology of authoritarianism, democracy and exclusion; VI) institutional consolidation and globalization of Latin American sociology (since 2000). It may be said that the distinctive features of sociological knowledge in the continent were: internationalism, hybridism, the critical approach to processes and conflicts of Latin American societies, and the sociologist social commitment

Effect of lung recruitment and titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) vs low PEEP on mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome - A randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: The effects of recruitment maneuvers and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration on clinical outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine if lung recruitment associated with PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance decreases 28-day mortality of patients with moderate to severe ARDS compared with a conventional low-PEEP strategy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multicenter, randomized trial conducted at 120 intensive care units (ICUs) from 9 countries from November 17, 2011, through April 25, 2017, enrolling adults with moderate to severe ARDS. INTERVENTIONS: An experimental strategy with a lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance (n = 501; experimental group) or a control strategy of low PEEP (n = 509). All patients received volume-assist control mode until weaning. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality until 28 days. Secondary outcomes were length of ICU and hospital stay; ventilator-free days through day 28; pneumothorax requiring drainage within 7 days; barotrauma within 7 days; and ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1010 patients (37.5% female; mean [SD] age, 50.9 [17.4] years) were enrolled and followed up. At 28 days, 277 of 501 patients (55.3%) in the experimental group and 251 of 509 patients (49.3%) in the control group had died (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42; P = .041). Compared with the control group, the experimental group strategy increased 6-month mortality (65.3% vs 59.9%; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.38; P = .04), decreased the number of mean ventilator-free days (5.3 vs 6.4; difference, −1.1; 95% CI, −2.1 to −0.1; P = .03), increased the risk of pneumothorax requiring drainage (3.2% vs 1.2%; difference, 2.0%; 95% CI, 0.0% to 4.0%; P = .03), and the risk of barotrauma (5.6% vs 1.6%; difference, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 6.5%; P = .001). There were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, ICU mortality, and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with moderate to severe ARDS, a strategy with lung recruitment and titrated PEEP compared with low PEEP increased 28-day all-cause mortality. These findings do not support the routine use of lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01374022