International organisations and the evaluation of education systems

This article seeks to develop research involving a macro-level critical comparative analysis of reference documents produced by international organisations (UNDP, OECD, UNESCO, the World Bank and the European Union) which guide world education policy decisions. The primary objective was to consider the key guidelines currently defined for education in terms of major millennium goals. In other words, to what extent do education policy evaluation and monitoring indicators incorporate the new paradigm of lifelong learning as a human development model, and meet the millennium development goals in a context of globalisation?info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Simulations in virtual reality: assessment of firefighters' decision-making competence

This study focuses on the use of virtual reality simulations for the training of portuguese firefighters in emergency operations management and the assessment of decision-making competence. The research was carried out through the action-research method. In the first cycle a pilot training course was carried out in a group of eight trainers from the Portuguese National Fire Service School, in which data were collected on the performance of trainees and in the evaluation of training. In the last step, corrections and improvements to the training course were identified. In the second cycle of action-research the steps were repeated with the formal implementation of the training course for eight fire officers of several fire brigades in the country. Every trainee played the role of incident commander in two different training scenarios and their performance was assessed at both times using a common evaluation tool. The evaluation of the impact of the changes introduced in the second cycle was carried out through a comparative analysis of the learning assessments, the evaluations of the trainees of the two groups and the evaluation of the team of trainers. The results of the trainees' performance and the training evaluation allow to conclude that the training course promoted the development of decision-making competence in the management of emergency operations using virtual reality simulations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reatividade cruzada entre penicilinas e cefalosporinas: mudança de paradigma

Allergic reactions to beta-lactam antibiotics are the most common cause of allergic drug reactions. The incorrect diagnosis prevents patients from receiving a highly effective therapy. The potential cross-reactivity between penicillin and cephalosporin has very significant therapeutic implications. Penicillins and cephalosporins share a common beta-lactam ring and side chains. A number of studies indicate that the R1 side chain, rather than the ring itself, is the determining factor for cross-reactivity. Herein is presented a review of the immunologic mechanisms implicated in penicillin and cephalosporin cross-reactivity and a practical approach to the use of cephalosporins in patients allergic to penicillin.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring the impacts of distance higher education on adult learners' lives and reclaiming lifelong learning as a human development process

This article intends to launch discussion and reflection on two main themes: lifelong learning and digital literacy in nowadays societies. In looking for the intersections between these concepts to connote them with a more humanistic and holistic perspective, we explore the potentials of distance learning in the lives of adult learners. The empirical basis for this exploration is a survey applied to 706 (143 respondents) graduates in the education of the Portuguese Open University to know their future projects and the impact of this degree in the various dimensions of their personal, social and professional lives. The conclusions of this analysis point to recognition, by the respondents, of the positive impacts that distance higher education has in their personal and social lives. However, these impacts are not as visible in professional terms since the answers show little significant professional progressions. In this sense, the article concludes that it is important to rethink the founding ideas of the concept of lifelong learning from a humanistic perspective and to approach it with a holistic and transversal conception of what is now defined as digital literacy. Distance education, for adult learners, is a scenario that not only strengthens the personal, social and professional development of individuals, but also the development of competencies applied not only to the digital world but also to each person’s daily activities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diplomados Licenciatura em Educação 2011 - 2015

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A supervisão pedagógica : significados e operacionalização

Estamos perante um texto de natureza teórica que procura analisar e situar o conceito de supervisão no campo pedagógico. Decidimos, portanto, elaborar uma análise percorrendo duas etapas: na primeira refletimos sobre o conceito de supervisão e numa segunda transportamos este conceito para um composto que o adjetiva: a supervisão pedagógica. Entretanto, o conceito de supervisão pedagógica tem conhecido uma evolução de significado, o que se projeta no alargamento da sua abrangência. Assim, a segunda etapa deste estudo estrutura-se em três pontos: linha evolutiva do significado de supervisão no campo pedagógico; relação entre os conceitos de supervisão, liderança e regulação no campo pedagógico; e proposta de uma definição de supervisão pedagógica

A general estimator for the right endpoint with an application to supercentenarian women's record

We extend the setting of the right endpoint estimator introduced in Fraga Alves and Neves (Statist. Sinica 24:1811{1835, 2014) to the broader class of light-tailed distributions with finite endpoint, belonging to some domain of attraction induced by the extreme value theorem. This stretch enables a general estimator for the finite endpoint, which does not require estimation of the (supposedly non-positive) extreme value index. A new testing procedure for selecting max-domains of attraction also arises in connection with the asymptotic properties of the general endpoint estimator. The simulation study conveys that the general endpoint estimator is a valuable complement to the most usual endpoint estimators, particularly when the true extreme value index stays above -1/2, embracing the most common cases in practical applications. An illustration is provided via an extreme value analysis of supercentenarian women data

Headteachers and Inclusion: setting the tone for an inclusive school

Inclusion is an unavoidable dimension of education and the school’s mission. Educational organisations must therefore seek approaches and practices that materialise in the effective management of diversity, equity and inclusion, since these are conditions for the involvement of the whole community to achieve the goals of education for all. This study sought to answer (i) How do school leaders conceptualize equity and inclusion? (ii) What guidance and administrative procedures do headteachers use to facilitate inclusion? (iii) What characterises their practices concerning leadership for equity and inclusion? The empirical focus of the research was a set of school principals of Portuguese public schools, where a qualitative methodology was used, namely the interview survey technique. The sample gathered 11 interviewees. The results show that, although from an ideological point of view, headteachers have a broad conception of inclusive education, from an operational point of view, the evidence shows the implementation of normative practices. The data point to a reproduction of Portuguese policies and their priorities, showing a leadership engaged in targets, outcomes and performance indicators. The conclusions of the article point to the need to explore new possibilities for understanding inclusion and leadership, and these understandings may impact the school’s transformation toward successful inclusion.LE@D - Laboratório de Educação a Distância e E-learninginfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio