Tele-media-art: web-based inclusive teaching of body expression

Conferência Internacional, realizada em Olhão, Algarve, de 26-28 de abril de 2018.The Tele-Media-Art project aims to promote the improvement of the online distance learning and artistic teaching process applied in the teaching of two test scenarios, doctorate in digital art-media and the lifelong learning course ”the experience of diversity” by exploiting multimodal telepresence facilities encompassing the diversified visual, auditory and sensory channels, as well as rich forms of gestural / body interaction. To this end, a telepresence system was developed to be installed at Palácio Ceia, in Lisbon, Portugal, headquarters of the Portuguese Open University, from which methodologies of artistic teaching in mixed regime - face-to-face and online distance - that are inclusive to blind and partially sighted students. This system has already been tested against a group of subjects, including blind people. Although positive results were achieved, more development and further tests will be carried in the futureThis project was financed by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation under Grant number 142793.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fiscal Policy in Brazil through the Lens of an Estimated DSGE Model

This paper takes Brazilian data to an open economy DSGE model that features realistic aspects of fiscal policy in Brazil. The model incorporates primary surplus targets, cyclical expenditures and social programs in the form of public transfers, public investment and distortive taxation. We test for two competing specifications of the role of public capital in the real economy. Bayesian model comparison favors the infrastructure approach to public capital. The presence of non-Ricardian households allows fiscal policy shocks to affect real economy aggregates and distribution. The model is used to address questions regarding the effect of shocks to different fiscal policy instruments upon the business cycle. We also investigate whether recent fiscal policy in Brazil has exerted significant inflationary pressures.

Teaching programming in e-learning environments: concerns and proposals within the scope of the virtual pedagogical model of the Open University of Portugal

O ensino e aprendizagem da programação de computadores em ambiente e-learning constitui uma área que tem vindo a atrair um interesse crescente tanto por parte das universidades de ensino em rede como pelos investigadores do e-learning. Aprender a programar computadores requer o desenvolvimento de raciocínio lógico da parte do estudante, enquanto aprende a dominar as potencialidades de uma determinada linguagem de programação, a construir estruturas de dados e a desenvolver uma estratégia de resolução de problemas pela sua divisão e modularização em problemas mais simples de mais fácil conquista. Adicionalmente importa que o estudante desenvolva competências de trabalho em grupo, de estudo individual com elevados níveis de concentração para realizar trabalho de revisão e depuração de código fonte. O ensino on-line de programação de computadores é constituído por estes aspetos, exigindo um elevado grau de interação entre estudantes e destes com o professor. Neste artigo, apresentamos um conjunto de reflexões e propostas concretas de estratégias de implementação do ensino e aprendizagem da programação de computadores, de nível universitário, explorando o método de “design” de instruções como uma abordagem do diálogo, uma adaptação da taxonomia de Bloom, com base na experiência e no modelo pedagógico virtual da Universidade Aberta de Portugal.The teaching and learning of computer programming in e-learning environment is an area that has attracted increasing interest from both the universities in network and the e-learning researchers. Learning to code in computers requires the development of logical reasoning on the part of the student, while learning to master the potentialities of a particular programming language, building data structures and developing a strategy of problem solving by its division and modularization into simpler problems of easier conquest. In addition, it is important that the student develops group working skills, besides individual studies maintaining high levels of concentration to perform review and debugging work of the source code. The online teaching of computer programming consists of these aspects, demanding a high degree of interaction between students and these with the teacher. In this article we present a set of concrete reflections and proposals of strategies for the implementation of teaching and learning of computer programming at university level, exploring the method of “design” of instructions as an approach to dialogue, an adaptation of Bloom’s taxonomy, based on the experience and virtual pedagogical model of the Open University of Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O ensino e aprendizagem da programação de computadores no ensino a distância : uma proposta de instanciação do modelo pedagógico virtual da Universidade Aberta

Hoje em dia o ensino e aprendizagem a distância online de nível universitário é, em grande medida, baseado em estratégias de aprendizagem colaborativa, onde, além de aprender sozinho, os estudantes também participam de ações colaborativas dentro de uma classe virtual. O nível de interação do estudante online representa um fator fundamental para o sucesso do processo de ensino-aprendizagem pois é a base da partilha de informação e construção do conhecimento entre estudantes e professores, enquanto todas as ações e atividades integram um modelo pedagógico comum. Existem muitas diferenças e desafios nas áreas de ensino em termos de instanciação do modelo pedagógico e adoção das estratégias de ensino-aprendizagem, como por exemplo, entre as áreas das ciências sociais e das engenharias. Uma área que atrai especial atenção como um todo é a das ciências da computação (CS), e de forma específica, a da programação de computadores. A programação de computadores exige, em primeiro lugar, o desenvolvimento de um bom raciocínio lógico e uma estratégia de resolução segundo uma abordagem “dividir para conquistar”, onde os principais problemas são divididos em problemas menores que são resolvidos individualmente. A programação exige também uma combinação entre o trabalho individual e em grupo, com elevados níveis de revisão e depuração do código fonte em desenvolvimento. O ensino online de programação de computadores é constituído por estes aspectos, exigindo um elevado grau de interação entre estudantes e entre estudantes e professor. Neste capítulo, vamos discutir e apresentar a nossa experiência no ensino online da programação de computadores com base no modelo pedagógico virtual da Universidade Aberta, e propor a sua instanciação e extensão específica para incluir novas estratégias de aprendizagem colaborativa e uma abordagem construtivista para o processo global de aprendizagem.Online distance teaching and learning at university level is nowadays, to a great extend, based on collaborative learning strategies where, besides learning alone, students also take part in collaborative actions within a virtual class. The level of online student interaction represents a pivotal factor for the success of the teaching-learning process as it bases the sharing of information and knowledge construction among students and teachers while all actions and activities integrate a common pedagogic model. Differences and diverse challenges exist among teaching areas regarding the instantiation of the pedagogic model and adoption of the teaching-learning strategies, as for instance between social science and engineering areas. An area attracting special attention is computer science (CS), as a whole, and computer programming specifically. Computer programming requires, first of all, development of a good logical thinking and a problem-solving strategy oriented to “divide to conquer” approach by splitting main problems in smaller ones and solve those individually. It requires high combinations of individual and group work engaged in very labor-intensive code revision and debugging. Online computer programming teaching comprises these aspects, which demands high levels of student-student and student-teacher interaction. In this chapter we discuss and present our own experience in online teaching and learning computer programming based on the pedagogic virtual model of Portuguese Open University while proposing its specific instantiation and extension to include new strategies of collaborative learning and a constructivist approach to the overall learning process

Evaluating the quality of studenbts actions in a distance learning programming language academic discipline

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The Multidimensional diary of fatiguefibromyalgia (MDF-fibro-17): Evidence from validity, reliability and cross-cultural comparison between Portugal and Brazil

Study 1 Abstract The Multidimensional Daily Diary of fatigue-fibromyalgia - 17 (MDF-fibro-17) instrument explores and evaluates the different components of fibromyalgia syndromerelated fatigue. Current study examined the factor structure of the MDF-fibro-17 so that it is possible to understand the general complexity of how fatigue directly affects individuals with this syndrome. Additionally, a cross-cultural analysis was carried out between a sample of Portuguese and Brazilian patients. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to examine the psychometric properties, as well as the measures invariance between the samples of these two cultures. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilians women, aged 16 to 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) participated in this study. The results revealed that the measurement model provided an acceptable fit to the data in both Portuguese and Brazilian samples, also displaying convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, the model showed acceptable internal consistency and was invariant between cultures. All in all, the MDF-fibro-17 can be applied to patients with fibromyalgia syndrome in both Portuguese and Brazilian women to measure which domain of fatigue it has the greatest impact; thus, clarifying the possible treatments to this disease.Study 2 Abstract Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is one of the most common causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain and is widespread in the mid-adult population (between 30 and 50 years old), affecting mainly female people. It is estimated that 2% to 4% of the world population suffers from FM symptoms. As it is a chronic syndrome, younger patients, who have a positive diagnosis for FM, report a fear that their symptoms will worsen as they get older. So the aims of this study, is to verify the differences in the perceptions of fatigue between patients with FM in Brazil and in Portugal, as well as to evaluate and verify if there are differences in the perceptions of fatigue between the ages of the patients and the time when they were diagnosed. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilians women, aged 16 to 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) participated in this study. The results revealed that Brazilian women have a greater perception of fatigue than Portuguese women. In addition, the model showed that regardless of the time of diagnosis and age of the patient, fatigue and its components remain relevant. The verification of the perception of the components of fatigue in comparison between cultures, and through the age and time of diagnosis bring significant contributions to the literature in the scope of FM

On the quest for economic *growth and development: The developing world, the failures based on physical capital accumulation and international rescuers, and the emergence of a new perspective

This thesis critically reviews the literature on economic growth and development focusing on the interconnections, strengthens and weaknesses of both branches. Questions arise if growth and development models have been of any relevance to developing countries. The experience with International Financial Institutions (IFIs), such as the World Bank and the IMF, is also focused on to corroborate the assertion that the alternative answer based on stabilization-structural adjustments, sponsored by these agencies, has not been useful as a reasonable way to solve the most prominent problems of developing countries. It is concluded that both the World Bank and the IMF recipes and the predictions and policy implications of growth and development theories, as far as strongly based on physical capital accumulation, have been incomplete tools to foster sound growth and development strategies in the developing world. An alternative perspective is chosen (and evidence is provided to support it) focusing on the new developments of both growth and development theories as well as on the prospects of the new political economy literature, to establish a meaningful way to help developing countries to get out of the obstacles to development. Based on the lines of the new literature on growth, development and political economy, the main conclusion of the thesis translates in offering reasonable ways to give the right incentives to governments and policy-makers in developing countries in their attempts to foster economic growth and development

Visualização de informação

O relatório está dividido em duas partes. Na primeira parte, é abordado o problema da visualização exactamente no que diz respeito à subtil correlação existente entre as técnicas (e respectivas metáforas), o utilizador e os dados. Na segunda parte, são analisadas algumas aplicações, projectos, ferramentas e sistemas de Visualização de Informação. Para categorizalos, serão considerados sete tipos de dados básicos subjacentes a eles: unidimensional, bidimensional, tridimensional, multi-dimensional, temporal, hierárquico, rede e workspace.O tema deste relatório é a visualização da informação. Esta é uma área actualmente muito activa e vital no ensino, na pesquisa e no desenvolvimento tecnológico. A ideia básica é utilizar imagens geradas pelo computador como meio para se obter uma maior compreensão e apreensão da informação que está presente nos dados (geometria) e suas relações (topologia). É um conceito simples, porém poderoso que tem criado imenso impacto em diversas áreas da engenharia e ciência.The theme of this report is information visualization. Nowadays, this is a very active and vital area of research, teaching and development. The basic idea of using computer generated pictures to gain information and understanding from data and relationships is the key concept behind it. This is an extremely simple, but very important concept which is having a powerful impact on methodology of engineering and science. This report is consisted of two parts. The first one, is an overview of the subtle correlation between the visual techniques, the user perception and the data. In the second part, several computer applications, tools, projects and information visualization systems are analyzed. In order to categorize them, seven basic types of data are considered: onedimensional, two- dimensional, three-dimensional, multidimensional, temporal, hierarchic, network and workspace