As medidas da educação. Medição e gestão mediante indicadores

O processo da globalização exerce um impacto forte sobre os sistemas educacionais nacionais no mundo inteiro. Parte deste processo é a implementação de um sistema de indicadores para a mensuração da qualidade educacional. De importância especial neste contexto é a disseminação de avaliações de larga escala (PISA). Medir não é mais uma prática exclusiva para as ciências exatas, mas se tornou em um dos objetivos principais nas ciências educacionais, também. Porém, embora haja uma plentora de indicadores educacionais, uns deles fazendo parte de conhecidos índices (HDI, SESC, ICM), há apenas poucas initiativas até agora para criar um índice composto para o desenvolvimento educacional. O artigo presente tem como objetivo revisar de forma crítica os problemas de mensurações representativas nas ciências humanas apontando que a maioria dos indicadores compostos e índices não correspondem à axiomática da teoria representacional de medição. Medições mediante índices são consideradas como substitutos para medições representativas. Seus níveis escalares e o significado são muitas vezes desconhecidos de modo que precisam de ser aproximados através de critérios de fiabilidade e validade. A diversidade teórica é considerado como um dos motivos principais para a falta de medidas constistentes e relevantes no campo educacional. Além do mais, muitas variáveis na esfera educacional não são quantificaveis. A preocupação principal no tocante a medição por indicadores se refere ao caráter ambivalente deles. Por um lado eles podem proporcionar informações relevantes ao nível descritivo e subsidiar decisões politicas, por outro lado, a «cultura de indicadores» assume de forma crescente vertentes de um sistema normativo de controle.

A evasão no Ensino Superior público no Brasil:O caso da Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Die vorliegende Untersuchung analysiert die Entwicklung der Studienabbruchsraten an der Bundesuniversität von Paraíba/Brasilien (UFPB) während des Strukturreformprogramms REUNI (Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais) von 2007 bis 2012 und deren ökonomische und soziale Konsequenzen für die Universitätsverwaltung. Auf der Grundlage von Sekundärdaten die vom Zentrum für Informationstechnologie und dem Department für Statistik der UFPB bereit gestellt wurden, erfolgte eine retrospektive Longitudinalstudie der Abbruchsquoten der Jahre 2007-2012 für die gesamte Universität und desaggregiert für Campi und Fachbereiche. Ergänzend hierzu wurden elf Angehörige der Universitätsverwaltung aus unterschiedlichen Abteilungen und Ebenen hinsichtlich der durch den dropout verursachten finanziellen Verluste und möglicher Strategien zu seiner Verringerung, interviewt.Die Resultate zeigen, dass sich die jährliche Abbruchquote während der untersuchten Periode jährlich nur sehr geringfügig variierte und insgesamt bei etwa 15% verblieb. Auf desaggregierter Ebene von Fachbereichen ergibt sich jedoch ein ambivalentes Bild. Einigen Fachbereichen gelang es die Abruchquoten zu verringern, in anderen jedoch war eine Erhöhung festzustellen.Zusammenfassend läßt sich sagen, dass das Programm REUNI bezüglich der Verringerung der Abbruchraten sein Ziel nicht erreichen konnte. Der durch den Studienabbruch verursachte finanzielle Verlust belief sich auf ca. R$415 Millionen (213 Millionen US$ auf Basis 2007). Hinzu kommen die nur schwer monetarisierbaren Verluste an Zeit und Humankapital.The present study aims to analyse the phenomenon of dropout at the Federal University of Paraiba (UFPB) during the period of the REUNI (Restructuring and Expansion of Federal Universities) programme 2007-2012 and its economic and social impacts on the institutional management. Based on secondary data provided by the Centre of Information Technology and the Department of Statistics of the UFPB a longitudinal retrospective research of the dropout rates in the graduation courses during the period 2007-2012 was conducted at university level and disaggregated by Campuses and Centres. Additionally, a sample of eleven managers from different sectors and levels of the UFPB were interviewed about the losses caused by dropping out and the options to reduce it.The results reveal that the annual dropout rates during the period analysed remained virtually the same, around 15% in average with only small variance at the institutional level. However, data disaggregated by Centre present an ambivalent scenario with progress (reduction of dropout rate) and throwbacks (increase of dropout rate).In general, the REUNI programme did not attain its respective objective. The total of economic losses caused by dropping out, was around R$415 million (213 million US$ based on 2007). Additionally there were losses, which are hard to monetarise, such as time and human capital.<br

O Impacto de Aplicativo Móvel sobre a Aprendizagem de Operários

Este estudo visa avaliar o impacto de celulares como ferramenta pedagógica complementar sobre competências digitais, letramento, satisfação na aprendizagem e taxa de evasão de alunos adultos em cursos de alfabetização. Um aplicativo foi implantado em duas salas de aula da Escola Zé Peão em João Pessoa/PB. No grupo de controle, o ensino se efetuou de forma tradicional sem aplicativo. Os resultados evidenciam que a estrutura e a metodologia do programa impactaram de forma positiva os resultados do processo de alfabetização e aprendizagem dos operários. Porém, a evasão continua representando um desafio pedagógico que o smartphone não contribui para reverter. Como fator interveniente, se destaca o peso da experiência do professor sobre a permanência do aluno na sala de aula e na sua aprendizage

Temperature Effects Explain Continental Scale Distribution of Cyanobacterial Toxins

Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.Peer reviewe

Bildungstransfer zwischen Intervention und Seinlassen

Half a century of co-operation between industrialised and developing countries in the field of education achieved ambiguous results. Rapid growth of enrolment on all educational levels have helped to come closer to the principal target: "education for all". On the other hand, the data indicate that the impact of educational investment on economic growth and social development has not been as great as espected and the gap between North and South, rich and poor countries did in fact increase. This article analyses, in a compact form, the main reasons for this situation and suggests strategies how to improve the internal and external efficiency of educational projects. Despite the fact that education by itself cannot initiate development processes, intensive co-operation and much effort by industrialised and developing countries is required in order to contribute to a more humane world in the future. (DIPF/orig.

Cycle4Value: a Token-based Incentive System to Promote Cycling

Despite various measures to promote cycling, the overall proportion of journeys taken by bike in Austria has improved only slightly in recent years. As part of its mobility strategy, the Austrian Federal Government has set itself the target of doubling the proportion of journeys taken by bike in in 7 years. To this end, motivational or behavioural approaches should be preferred to costly infrastructural measures. In this context mobile apps for tracking but also for monetising users’ own data – as a technological manifestation of the "quantified self" – are developing rapidly. Sweepstakes and even performance-related rewards are booming in many areas. At the same time, however, there is increasing awareness of data protection in Europe. In this respect, blockchain technology has great potential for handling user data due to its decentralisation, transparency and security (Buhl et al., 2017). Applications on the blockchain are disruptive innovators for a wide range of applications, from transaction processing to land register entries to logistics chains. In all these, data can be stored using decentralised, unforgeable blockchain records (Hopf & Picot, 2017). Applying such innovative measures can also support cycling promotion with all its associated benefits in reduced emissions, positive health effects and reduced infrastructural costs. The solution envisaged in the project reward cyclists for regular cycling with so-called "Cycle Tokens". The key technologies – machine learning and blockchain – present an innovative solution for the validation of routing data and transaction processing. As proof of concept, it is tested whether and how a safe and transparent process of value generation for regular cycling can be created via a utility token, to translate the macroeconomic effects of cycling into value units