Tutorial support in higher education: building critical and interdisciplinary reflection based on the experience of four teachers

Tutoring in higher education has been adopted as an educational method to improve the quality of teaching, particularly in graduate studies. It is usually practiced at the end of the course and requires the tutor to provide descriptive feedback to their students about their academic path, or, in the case of internships, assist with the writing of the final thesis or dissertation. In a tutorial system, as learning takes place the tutor's feedback is usually customized to fit the specific needs of each student essentially through a one-to-one relationship, resulting in developmental benefits both for the student and the tutor. Still, although widely described in the education literature for nearly two decades [1]–[5], the analysis of tutorial support from an interdisciplinary point of view has not been deeply explored, nor the best practices described in this sense. Therefore, this study aimed to compare tutoring practice in different subject areas. As such, veterinary sciences, social work, pharmaceutical sciences, and education were the ecosystems in which tutoring was explored and applied, aiming to analyze common strategies, and ultimately detect and share good practices for pedagogical improvements. The present work results from a qualitative study, based on the analysis of interviews regarding the tutoring expectations of four higher education professors based on five major parameters: Learning Alliance, Mental availability, Disciplinary Specialization, Technical Expertise, and Institutional Context. The objective was to evaluate what kind of strategies were adopted by each teacher and if the pedagogical practices are effective in fulfilling the learning objectives. Overall, all four teachers agreed upon that mentoring experience is a fundamental path for the teacher's self-reflection while paving the way for the students' careers. Furthermore, it supports the notion that interdisciplinary differences, different methodologies, styles, contexts, and practices can be used to constructively inspire and improve tutoring and reinforce good teaching and the pedagogical practices of teachers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lessons, discoveries, challenges, and results in an interdisciplinary learning community of higher education teachers

The present study describes how a group of higher education teachers, from different disciplinary areas, came to constitute themselves as a learning community. Learning communities allow the exchange of information, tools, experiences, innovative practices, as well as knowledge transfer between colleagues in a faster and more relevant way. Despite the disciplinary diversity, the focus on university pedagogy grounded new practices. Teachers learned lessons through peer observation, discovered skills and competencies in the joint discussion, and accepted challenges to witness their experiences in professional forums foreign to their previous experience. It should be noted that the collaborative learning experience factor, which counts on another teacher as a reflective pair, allowed progressive social learning in this learning community that is ongoing for two years.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Paradigma: Teste de associação implícita

O paradigma do teste de associação implícita (Implicit Association Test ou IAT), proposto por Greenwald, McGhee e Schwartz (1998) como instrumento para estudar a força das relações associativas entre conceitos e representações cognitivas, tem sido utilizado como medida implícita de eleição para aceder aos mais variados constructos tais como atitudes, crenças ou estereótipos, em diversos contextos de investigação (e.g., clínica, organizacional, política) para além da cognição social. O presente artigo descreve em pormenor os aspectos metodológicos associados ao IAT, informando ainda sobre as variáveis que moderam os efeitos IAT e que devem ser consideradas no planeamento dos estudos. São apresentadas algumas das explicações teóricas para os mecanismos subjacentes ao efeito IAT que têm sido propostas na literatura, e ainda resumidas as principais críticas de que o IAT tem sido alvo

Early release from prison in time of COVID-19: Determinants of unfavourable decisions towards Black prisoners

On the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overcrowding in prisons led to efforts to decarcerate in order to prevent and control outbreaks in prisons. This study analyses how public support for such exceptional measures are determined by cognitive and ideological factors known to create and maintain racial biases in the criminal system. Participants were asked to express their level of agreement with the early-release of hypothetical prisoners. Results showed participants to be less favourable to the early-release of Black compared to White prisoners, when they had committed a stereotypically Black crime. As expected, the congruency between the crime stereotypicality and the colour of the prisoner's skin did not emerge for White prisoners. Moreover, the difference between the agreement with the release of the Black vs. the White prisoner when both committed a stereotypically Black crime was higher as the level of endorsement of Meritocracy increased. Contrastingly, Anti-egalitarianism only predicted an overall disagreement with prisoners' early-release. This paper highlights the cumulative explanation by different levels of analysis of this current problem and implications for the development of the public opinion on penal subjects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A observação interdisciplinar como contributo para o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional

A presente comunicação resulta de reflexão conjunta no âmbito da Pós-Graduação em Pedagogia do Ensino Superior, do Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, decorrente de trabalho de observação realizado por quatro docentes do ensino superior das áreas de Serviço Social, Educação, Ciências Farmacêuticas e Veterinária. Sendo a observação entre pares um espaço privilegiado para o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional, este trabalho teve como ponto de partida a construção de uma grelha de observação utilizada no contexto das aulas por cada uma das docentes. O estudo teve como objetivo colaborar para o desenvolvimento de competências de observação entre pares, constituindo-se este como um ponto de partida para a melhoria das práticas da docência. É-nos permitido referir que os resultados desta experiência apontam para a necessidade dos docentes refletirem e adaptarem as suas práticas e de serem capazes de construir feedback para potenciar o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional dos seus pares. Por outro lado, o caminho da observação entre pares revelou-se como uma possibilidade de autorreflexão de cada uma das docentes face às suas práticas pedagógicas, abrindo oportunidades de as ajustar em função das necessidades e exigências do ensino superior no mundo atual, assim como a valorização da interdisciplinaridade como espaço de construção de boas práticas de ensino-aprendizagem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Observação interdisciplinar de pares no ensino superior: uma experiência no desenvolvimento profissional de quatro docentes

O presente estudo resulta de um trabalho de observação experimental, realizado por quatro docentes do ensino superior, no âmbito da uma pós-graduação em “Pedagogia do Ensino Superior”. As áreas disciplinares de origem das docentes, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Ciências Veterinárias, Serviço Social, e Educação, foram o ecossistema para explorar e aplicar técnicas de observação inicial, pretendendo partilhar boas práticas e aperfeiçoamento pedagógico, com apoio de pares. O estudo relata a experiência de construção de uma grelha de observação e a sua aplicação, bem como as aprendizagens significativas durante a experiência de observação de pares. O estudo conclui que, ao contrário das grelhas quantitativas, a construção de uma grelha de observação de base qualitativa permite um feedback mais construtivo. Foi ainda possível concluir que o feedback dos pares é essencial para o desenvolvimento da prática profissional no ensino superior, sendo a vivência da observação um caminho fundamental para a reflexão por si próprios, na procura da sua autenticidade, tendo em conta as diferenças disciplinares, metodologias, estilos, contextos e práticas. Podemos referir que uma mais-valia deste estudo foi a interdisciplinaridade, que permitiu uma avaliação mais abrangente e com maior enfoque nas práticas pedagógicas em detrimento do conteúdo. Neste sentido, de forma a promover boas práticas de ensino é proposta uma grelha de observação bem como incentivada a prática de observação interdisciplinar por pares.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social Dominance Orientation Boosts Collective Action Among Low-Status Groups

We propose that low-status group members' support for group-based hierarchy and inequality (i.e., social dominance orientation; SDO) may represent an ideological strategy to guarantee the legitimacy of future ingroup status-enhancement. Specifically, we argue that, under unstable social structure conditions, SDO serves as an ideological justification for collective action tendencies aimed at competing for a higher status. In such context, SDO should be positively related with actions aimed to favor the ingroup (i.e., collective actions) by increasing group members' motivation to engage in direct competition with a relevant higher-status outgroup. We conducted two studies under highly competitive and unstable social structure contexts using real life groups. In Study 1 (N = 77), we induced Low vs. High Ingroup (University) Status and in Study 2 (N = 220) we used competing sports groups. Overall, results showed that, among members of low-status groups, SDO consistently increased individuals' motivation to get involved in actions favoring the ingroup, by boosting their motivation to compete with the opposing high-status outgroup. We discuss the results in light of the social dominance and collective action framework.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Orientação pedagógica: estudo sobre as perceções, expectativas e necessidades de alunos doutorandos

A presente comunicação integra a apresentação de resultados de um estudo que tem como objectivo compreender as percepções, expectativas e necessidades de alunos de doutoramento e doutorados face à orientação recebida ao longo do percurso académico. A recolha de dados foi realizada através de questionário e incluía as seguintes secções: dados sociodemográficos; aliança de aprendizagem entre o orientador e o orientando, disponibilidade mental, área disciplinar de especialização, perícia técnica, conhecimento contextual, critérios para o sucesso do doutoramento. O estudo contou com a participação de alunos doutorandos e doutorados, com idades a partir dos 25 anos, das áreas das ciências sociais, artes e humanidades, ciências exatas e da saúde, sendo que a maioria dos inquiridos se situa na área metropolitana de Lisboa Os resultados obtidos permitem-nos aferir que há por parte dos inquiridos a valorização da orientação doutoral, por ser um processo que “possibilita um amadurecimento do conhecimento obtido e disseminado” (sic), assim como aponta para as vulnerabilidades e dificuldades existentes no processo de acompanhamento. São apresentadas propostas de melhoria deste contexto que possam potenciar a relação orientador-orientando e o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional dos implicados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intracellular autofluorescence as a new biomarker for cancer stem cells in glioblastoma

The identification of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are implicated in tumor initiation, progression, therapy resistance, and relapse, is of great biological and clinical relevance. In glioblastoma (GBM), this is still a challenge, as no single marker is able to universally identify populations of GBM cancer stem cells (GSCs). Indeed, there is still controversy on whether biomarker-expressing cells fulfill the functional criteria of bona fide GSCs, despite being widely used. Here, we describe a novel subpopulation of autofluorescent (Fluo+) cells in GBM that bear all the functional characteristics of GSCs, including higher capacity to grow as neurospheres, long-term self-renewal ability, increased expression of stem cell markers, and enhanced in vivo tumorigenicity. Mechanistically, the autofluorescent phenotype is largely due to the intracellular accumulation of riboflavin, mediated by the ABC transporter ABCG2. In summary, our work identifies an intrinsic cellular autofluorescent phenotype enriched in GBM cells with functional stem cells features that can be used as a novel, simple and reliable biomarker to target these highly malignant tumors, with implications for GBM biological and clinical research.This research was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme Competitiveness Factors–COMPETE and National Funds through FCT under the projects UIDB/50026/2020, UIDP/50026/2020, and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038; by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, NORTE-01-0246-FEDER-000012, and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). J.V.d.C., C.S.G., E.P.M., and B.M.C. was funded by FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/88121/2012 to J.V.d.C.; SFRH/BD/92786/2013 to C.S.G.; PD/BDE/143154/2019 to E.P.M.; and PTDC/SAUGMG/113795/2009, IF/00601/2012 and CEECIND/00072/2018 to B.M.C.). B.M.C. was also funded by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro

Cationic Amino Acid Uptake Constitutes a Metabolic Regulation Mechanism and Occurs in the Flagellar Pocket of Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosomatids' amino acid permeases are key proteins in parasite metabolism since they participate in the adaptation of parasites to different environments. Here, we report that TcAAP3, a member of a Trypanosoma cruzi multigene family of permeases, is a bona fide arginine transporter. Most higher eukaryotic cells incorporate cationic amino acids through a single transporter. In contrast, T. cruzi can recognize and transport cationic amino acids by mono-specific permeases since a 100-fold molar excess of lysine could not affect the arginine transport in parasites that over-express the arginine permease (TcAAP3 epimastigotes). In order to test if the permease activity regulates downstream processes of the arginine metabolism, the expression of the single T. cruzi enzyme that uses arginine as substrate, arginine kinase, was evaluated in TcAAP3 epimastigotes. In this parasite model, intracellular arginine concentration increases 4-folds and ATP level remains constant until cultures reach the stationary phase of growth, with decreases of about 6-folds in respect to the controls. Interestingly, Western Blot analysis demonstrated that arginine kinase is significantly down-regulated during the stationary phase of growth in TcAAP3 epimastigotes. This decrease could represent a compensatory mechanism for the increase in ATP consumption as a consequence of the displacement of the reaction equilibrium of arginine kinase, when the intracellular arginine concentration augments and the glucose from the medium is exhausted. Using immunofluorescence techniques we also determined that TcAAP3 and the specific lysine transporter TcAAP7 co-localize in a specialized region of the plasma membrane named flagellar pocket, staining a single locus close to the flagellar pocket collar. Taken together these data suggest that arginine transport is closely related to arginine metabolism and cell energy balance. The clinical relevance of studying trypanosomatids' permeases relies on the possibility of using these molecules as a route of entry of therapeutic drugs