Online assessment through moodle plataform

The differences between secondary education and Higher Education (HE) are numerous, both in terms of teaching methodologies and as well as evaluation/validation procedures. Until a few years ago, the HE assessment practices were reduced, with some exceptions from practical/laboratory curricular units, to written exams, carried out on the same day and at the same time by all, or, at most, two frequencies (tests) over the course of the semester or year. With growing concerns in terms of learning outcomes and students’ success, globalisation and the massification of education, several alternative models have been tested, both in terms of teaching/learning methodologies (flipped, project-based, “blended”, among others) and assessment practices (portfolio, continuous, segmented, formative, and others). The fast development of electronic devices has been promoting the development and sharing of several digital educational tools and their use seem to be a good choice to promote actual students’/professors’ interaction and corresponding socialization, even in some assessment tasks. In this particular case, online activities can be transformed into powerful self-assessment resources for students, stimulating reflection and promoting independent learning. Moodle, as an open Learning Management System (LMS), has all the requisites and potential features to be a fine supporting tool to several activities, specifically to assessing ones. In this paper, we will briefly describe Moodle potentialities, with some application examples based on literature review and present the work developed on several Mathematic curricular units from different schools of the Polytechnic of Porto, where Moodle is used as an online assessment tool, to promote a continuous/segmented model with specific and different activities designed for each course.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using moodle analytics for continuous e-assessment in a financial mathematics course at Polytechnic of Porto

The relevance of electronic learning, commonly called e-learning, has been growing exponentially in the last decade. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) disclosed new paths for interactions and motivation promotion, offering basic learning analytics functions and are becoming progressively popular. Moodle (acronym for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is one of the most used VLEs, it is a free learning management system distributed as Open Source. The VLE Moodle gives professors access to an “endless” use and performance database like the number of downloads for each resource, participation of students in courses, statistics of performed quizzes, among others. The data stored by Moodle offers a good and handy source for learning analytics. One popular definition, from the First International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge in 2011, states that “Learning Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about students and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs”. Thus, using appropriate learning analytics methods and techniques, it would be helpful to analyze what particular learning activities or tools were practically used by students in Moodle, and to what extent. Considering the importance of the student engagement and the benefits of continuous assessment in higher education, as well as the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on educational processes, it is important to integrate technology into continuous assessment practices. Since student engagement is connected to the quality of the student experience, increasing it is one way of enhancing quality in a higher education institution. In this study, will be demonstrated how the use of several educational resources and a low-stakes continuous weekly e-assessment in Moodle had a positive influence on student engagement in a second year undergraduate Financial Mathematics Course. Students felt that their increased engagement and improved learning was a straight result of this method. Furthermore, this suggests that wisely planned assignments and assessments can be used to increase student engagement and learning, and, as a result, contribute to improving the quality of student experience and success.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estilo de vida, percepção e estado de saúde em estudantes do instituto politécnico de Viseu: influência da área de formação

Recentemente, as ciências sociais e humanas têm dado um contributo importante para o estudo da saúde e do bem estar das populações. Neste contexto pensa-se que uma das principais funções dos profissionais de saúde é ajudar a promover nas pessoas comportamentos saudáveis. Porém, muitos destes profissionais, quando sugerem que, por exemplo, não se beba em excesso, que se faça exercício físico ou que não se fume, etc., em pouco tempo se apercebem e interiorizam que os seus bem intencionados programas de intervenção não têm um resultado satisfatório, não se verificando, muitas vezes, mudanças significativas nos comportamentos dos indivíduos. Assim, para que seja viável promover a aprendizagem de estilos de vida saudáveis não basta a boa vontade e o bom senso. É preciso muito mais. Há que compreender a dinâmica da saúde-doença nas pessoas. Há que conhecer quais os factores – biológicos, sociais e psicológicos – que acentuam a vulnerabilidade e como agir para reforçar a resilience individual

Math without stress: an open online learning project

MOOC (as an acronym for Massive Open Online Courses) are a quite new model for the delivery of online learning to students. As “Massive” and “Online”, these courses are proposed to be accessible to many more learners than would be possible through conventional teaching. As “Open” they are (frequently) free of charge and participation is not limited by the geographical situation of the learners, creating new learning opportunities in Higher Education Institutions (HEI). In this paper we describe a recently started project “Matemática 100 STRESS” (Math Without STRESS) integrated in the e-IPP project | e-Learning Unit of Porto’s Polytechnic Institute (IPP) which has created its own MOOC platform and launched its first course – Probabilities and Combinatorics – in early June/2014. In this MOOC development were involved several lecturers from four of the seven IPP schools

Matemática 100 stress: um projeto aberto no IPP

A Era Tecnológica em que nos vemos inseridos, cujos avanços acontecem a uma velocidade vertiginosa exige, por parte das Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) uma atitude proactiva no sentido de utilização dos muitos recursos disponíveis. Por outro lado, os elementos próprios da sociedade da informação – flexibilidade, formação ao longo da vida, acessibilidade à informação, mobilidade, entre muito outros – atuam como fortes impulsionadores externos para que as IES procurem e analisem novas modalidades formativas. Perante a mobilidade crescente, que se tem revelado massiva, a aprendizagem tende a ser cada vez mais individualizada, visual e prática. A conjugação de várias formas/tipologias de transmissão de conhecimento, de métodos didáticos e mesmo de ambientes e situações de aprendizagem induzem uma melhor adaptação do estudante, que poderá procurar aqueles que melhor vão ao encontro das suas expetativas, isto é, favorecem um processo de ensino-aprendizagem eficiente na perspetiva da forma de aprender de cada um. A definição de políticas estratégicas relacionadas com novas modalidades de ensino/formação tem sido uma preocupação constante na nossa instituição, nomeadamente no domínio do ensino à distância, seja ele e-Learning, b-Learning ou, mais recentemente, “open-Learning”, onde se inserem os MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses (não esquecendo a vertente m-Learning), de acordo com as várias tendências europeias (OECD, 2007) (Comissão Europeia, 2014) e com os objetivos da “Europa 2020”. Neste sentido surge o Projeto Matemática 100 STRESS, integrado no projeto e-IPP | Unidade de e-Learning do Politécnico do Porto que criou a sua plataforma MOOC, abrindo em junho de 2014 o seu primeiro curso – Probabilidades e Combinatória. Pretendemos dar a conhecer este Projeto, e em particular este curso, que envolveu vários docentes de diferentes unidades orgânicas do IPP.The Technological Era in which we live in, whose advances happen extremely fast, demands to the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) a proactive attitude reflected in the use of the diverse available resources. On the other hand, the information society own elements – flexibility, long-term training, accessibility to information, mobility, among others – act as strong external driving forces for HEI to seek and analyse new qualification ways. Facing a growing mobility, which has revealed as massive, learning tends to become much more individualised, visual and practical. The combination of several ways/typologies of knowledge transmission, didactic methods and even environments and situations’ conveying, induce a better adaptation of the student who can now seek those that better meet his expectations, meaning, those that better favour an efficient teaching-learning process, from the individual learning perspective. The definition of political strategies related to new ways of teaching/learning has been a constant concern inside our institution, namely in the domain of long-distance learning, either through e-Learning or b-Learning or even, and most recently, the “open-Learning”, where these MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses (not forgetting the m-Learning angle) are a player, according to the several European tendencies (OECD, 2007) (Comissão Europeia, 2014) and according to the “Europe 2020” objectives. In this sense, we present the project “Matemática 100 STRESS”, (Math without STRESS) integrated in the e-IPP project | e-Learning Unit of the Oporto Polytechnic which created its MOOC platform, being June/2014 the initiating date of its first course – Probabilities and Combinatory Calculus. We intend to present this project, and particularly this Course, which involved several lecturers of different IPP faculties

Anorexia nervosa and family relationships: perceived family functioning, coping strategies, beliefs, and attachment to parents and peers

This ex post facto study explored the differences in perceived family characteristics between a group of 34 female patients with anorexia nervosa and 34 females without eating pathology. All participants filled out the following self-report scales: FACES II, F-COPES, IPPA and the Family Beliefs Questionnaire. The results showed that, in contrast with participants without pathology, patients perceived their families as less cohesive and less capable of redefining stressful events in order to make them more manageable. However, they perceived their families as being more able to acquire and accept help, and presented more family beliefs related to a sense of an individual responsibility/self-blaming. In addition, patients seemed to trust less their mothers and peers and to communicate less with their peers, and to show more detachment to mothers, fathers, and peers. Of all studied variables, detachment from friends and mother, as well as perceived higher family capacity to seek out community resources and accept help were the most important variables to the discrimination between groups.Este estudio ex post facto ha explorado las diferencias entre la percepción de características familiares de 34 mujeres jóvenes con anorexia nerviosa y 34 mujeres jóvenes sin patología alimentaria. Todas las participantes completaron los siguientes instrumentos de auto-respuesta: FACES II, F-COPES, IPPA y el Cuestionario de Creencias Familiares. Los resultados demostraron que, en comparación con el grupo de mujeres sin patología alimentaria, las pacientes consideran a sus familias menos unidas y menos capaces de redefinir de una forma más aceptable las experiencias y situaciones de estrés. Sin embargo, consideran a sus familias más capaces de buscar y aceptar ayuda, y presentan más creencias familiares relacionadas con la responsabilidad individual/auto-censura. En comparación con el grupo sin patología alimentaria, las pacientes parecen confiar menos en sus madres y amigos, parecen comunicarse menos con los amigos, y tienden a demostrar una mayor alienación en relación a la madre, al padre y a los amigos. De todas las variables en estudio, la alienación en relación a los amigos y a la madre, así como la mayor capacidad para buscar y aceptar ayuda fueron las variables más importantes para discriminar los grupos

Online assessment using different tools and techniques in higher education

Assessment can be a crucial component in the teaching and learning process and should measure or certify results. Online assessment means using the technology to provide assessment which can be diagnostic, formative or summative and can be considered a valuable tool in higher education as it allows teachers, on one hand, to have quick access to students’ performance and, on the other hand, students can receive instant and individual feedback, which helps them to structure their own learning path. There are many different ways to efficiently assess students’ learning online, the purpose of this paper is to introduce some online assessment tools and techniques that can be used in education to assess student performance using technology. In general, learning management systems, such as Moodle, use online assessment tools, some of which will be presented, based on the corresponding learning requirements and objectives. Several online assessment techniques, that undeniably support training, engage students, and provide instructors with perception of their students' learning process, will also be analyzed. Furthermore, several tools and techniques related to mathematics will be presented, like for instance STACK (System for Teaching and Assessment using a Computer Algebra Kernel) and iSpring Suite 9. STACK, an online assessment package for mathematics, is an open-source system that supports the development of sophisticated and challenging assessments for STEM subjects, enabling the direct and systematized feedback delivery to help students improve their performance and understanding. The iSpring Suite 9, a fully e-learning toolkit, with a Math equation editor which allows the development of interactive assessments and quizzes for e-Courses. Some advantages and disadvantages about the online assessment process will be also presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

M100S project: math MOOCs from Polytechnic of Porto – development, continuance, and use

This chapter presents the M100S project, a math MOOC platform from the e-learning unit of the Polytechnic of Porto (P.PORTO). Reference is made to all motivational, structural, and fundamental steps of this process of creation and development, from its origin to the present day, and a brief analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of these recent educational resources. The general structure adopted for these mathematics MOOCs is presented, with all its features, and the difficulties inherent to the development of these courses from scratch are analyzed, both regarding the technological and financial support available as well as the human resources enrolled. Finally, several internal practices and applications made by means of the most varied open resources, specifically developed for these MOOCs and other existing ones from the MatActiva project, in Portuguese, both in a b-learning perspective and in the development of flipped teaching strategies, are mentioned.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio