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

Questões de linguagem: rigor versus compreensão

O “imediatismo” característico da era da comunicação em que vivemos parece traduzir-se num “facilitismo linguístico” que, com o intuito de chegar a um maior número de pessoas, corre o risco de induzir a perda da principal característica de qualquer linguagem: a sua Universalidade. Este facto, (que podemos constatar abrindo a página das msg do telemóvel de “kualker adolxent”) também se verifica na Matemática, apesar desta ser uma linguagem mais “técnica” e Universal. Em prol da dita “compreensão” pelas “massas” abdica-se com uma frequência, algo assustadora, do rigor exigido pela “técnica” intrínseca à natureza de uma ciência, dita, exacta. Esta tendência parece difícil de contornar se não exigirmos a nós mesmos uma atenção constante no rigor da linguagem que utilizamos. Este rigor deverá surgir, quanto mais não seja, como uma formalização da linguagem “corrente” que utilizamos para uma melhor compreensão dos conceitos expostos. Pretendemos promover a discussão em torno de duas questões, quanto a nós extremamente importantes, e frequentemente perdidas num manancial de objectivos a cumprir e de competências a serem adquiridas: • A linguagem Matemática é (ou não) uma linguagem Universal? (com eventuais, mas nem sempre óbvias, adaptações à língua materna) • Não devemos ser nós, professores de Matemática, a insistir no rigor da linguagem que utilizamos diariamente? Se não formos nós quem mais o irá fazer

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

Diferentes formas de multiplicar

A matemática é um edifício intelectual complexo, subtil, construído ao longo dos séculos sobre diversos princípios e regras lógicas. O tão “básico” algoritmo da multiplicação que “mecanicamente” utilizamos é o resultado de uma evolução histórica. Ao longo dos tempos, diferentes povos, em diferentes lugares, desenvolveram variadas técnicas para multiplicar e aqui serão recordadas algumas. Desde o processo de duplicações sucessivas dos egípcios da Antiguidade, e de algumas variações a este, ao processo de multiplicação utilizando as mãos, dos camponeses franceses, passando pelo método da gelosia utilizado pelos árabes que, provavelmente, o aprenderam com os hindus, vários serão os métodos analisados à luz dos conhecimentos actuais. Para terminar, não poderá deixar de se abordar o algoritmo usual da multiplicação, frequentemente "ensinado” como se de uma “receita” se tratasse, justificando todos os seus “porquês”

Abordagens não convencionais em manuais do ensino secundário: um exemplo

Os matemáticos do séc. XIX só ficaram plenamente tranquilizados quando o conceito de limite se viu completamente “livre” de qualquer conotação "metafísica", ou seja, quando se soube, graças à astúcia genial dos “épsilon – delta” de Weierstrass, exprimir no estilo Arquimedes a ideia intuitiva de "verdadeiro valor" de uma quantidade indeterminada sem invocar os acréscimos "infinitamente pequenos” que, no entanto, tinham tido êxito no século XVIII. Mas o preço a pagar para apenas manipular conceitos bem definidos a partir das noções algébricas sobre os números, foi a “inversão” dos raciocínios na Análise, ou seja, o facto de que é necessário raciocinar ao contrário relativamente ao caminho heurístico e adivinhar a escolha estratégica “vencedora” em cada junção ou desdobramento lógico. Perante esta dificuldade o ensino da noção de limite viu-se “arrumado” para o 12º ano (para não dizer, aí minimizado) e os conceitos que dela dependem, como o de derivada, viram-se, nos anos anteriores, esvaziados de significado formal, sendo apresentados através de noções (próximas, mas não formais) das não convencionais reduzindo-se à expressão característica de “tende para”. Esta “tendência” não possui na Análise Clássica qualquer significado formal, e apesar de se poder considerar próxima da definição Não Convencional de limite, não lhe sendo feita qualquer referência, fica assim, impossibilitada qualquer formalização da “intuição” em questão, no entanto, pretendemos alertar, através de um exemplo, para uma “pseudo” utilização das suas noções e conceitos. Constatamos, mais uma vez, que a Análise Não Convencional parece ser um caminho possível para uma abordagem da Análise num nível não universitário

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

Web portal: total challenge

The Web is an extraordinary success, for its simplicity. This simplicity has brought disadvantages, because with vast amounts of information available, the search is a difficult, time-consuming and sometimes inefficient task, creating the need for a strategic information management. To overcome this need came the portals. The characteristics of portals differ from each other, which made them appear different definitions. Also arose several classifications of portals, one of which considers three dimensions to classify them: the scope of content, the aim of the portal and the range of its intended users. With this work, the authors intend to build a Web Portal to support one or more serious games. A database is shared with the Web Portal. This portal will serve to make an interface between the user and the games, for the dissemination and support of these and as a platform for managing and monitoring results.(undefined

Integrated solution of a back office system for serious games targeted at physiotherapy

Serious games targeted at physiotherapy can be a solution to help the physical therapy professionals. However, the entire game management, in its various aspects, is under the professional's responsibility. One way to reduce the professional management work will be to integrate a Back Office system in the game. Following this trend, the purpose of this paper is to present a modular Back Office system for centralized management of one or more games targeted at physical therapy.This work has been supported by Fundac ¸˜ ao para a Ci ˆ encia e Tecnologia (FCT) in the scope of the project: UID/CEC/ 00319/2013. The authors are also grateful to the Portuguese Foundation (FCT) for funding through SFRH/BD/74852/ 2010Ph.D.scholarship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

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