Scientific literacy through co-inquiry based on non-formal and informal learning

This paper presents a collaborative research on scientific citizenship developed by the Open University UK (OU) through the weSPOT project for inquiry based learning and the Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB) responsible for coordinating the Telecentros.BR training programme for Digital Inclusion in Brazil. The European weSPOT project (2013-2015) is a working environment with social, personal and open technologies for inquiry based learning (IBL). The Telecentros.BR training programme (2013-2014) is a non-credit online course supported by the Brazil Government, whose participants are more than 2000 young educators in diverse areas with low access to digital technology. The role of these young educators is to promote better use of ICT and support the Telecentro.BR’s projects created by the communities for their development in various dimensions. The objective of this research is to create a framework for applying collaborative inquiry to scaffold citizen’s scientific skills through digital technologies. This framework, drawn on qualitative and quantitative study, synthesizes key abilities related to multiple literacies to foster scientific skills in the digital age of open education, open science and open citizenship

Validação de processos

Orientador: Jose Ferreira de CarvalhoDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Computação CientificaResumo: A qualificação ou caracterização de processos produtivos, seguida da validação, será apresentada neste trabalho como uma ferramenta para o gerenciamento efetivo de um processo, que deve ser visto como parte da estratégia de sucesso de negócio em uma indústria. Esse sistema: pode ser utilizado para qualquer tipo de processo, desde que sejam feitas as adequações necessárias ao nível de qualidade requerido. O sistema aqui abordado contempla os requisitos necessários para os processos de fabricação de produtos farmacêuticos e / ou medical devices, cujas exigências são especificadas pelo FDA. O trabalho apresentado segue o seguinte esquema: Caracterização do sistema de medidas que, para processos farmacêuticos, significa validação do sistema analítico e da metodologia analítica. Como é possível perceber, sem o conhecimento da qualidade do sistema de medidas, é impossível separar o sinal do processo do erro normalmente presente em qualquer sistema de medidas. Validação do processo, que inclui a qualificação da instalação, da operação e do desempenho dos equipamentos e, em seguida, validação de processo e produto. Esta etapa é também um requisito do FDA e visa assegurar a estabilidade de produção, eliminando-se todas as fontes,. de variabilidade devido a causas assinaláveis. É a etapa de caracterização do processo em que todo o processo deve ser contemplado e documentado,. de forma especificada, pelo FDA. A estabilidade do processo é determinada nesta etapa e documentada para referência futura. As próximas etapas seriam otimização do processo e validação de limpeza. Otimização é a fase em que as variáveis do processo são estudadas, e seus efeitos avaliados para buscar as alterações que forneçam melhor resposta com menor custo e em menor tempo. E a "validação de limpeza", que previne a contaminação cruzada. Estes dois últimos itens não foram incluídos neste trabalho por serem ambos assuntos tão extensos que justificariam um outro trabalho de teseAbstract: Not informedMestradoMestre em Qualidad

Information Science : 32 years ( 1972-2004) on the way of the history and the horizons of a Brazilian scientific journal

Análise da revista Ciência da Informação, do IBICT, nas suas qualidades extrínsecas e intrínsecas. As primeiras, relativas à forma, incluem as seções, padrões bibliográficos e sistema de avaliação. As características intrínsecas abrangem a análise de conteúdo dos artigos, a produtividade de autores e padrões de autoria, tendo sido constatada tanto a sua repercussão nacional quanto internacional. O processo evolutivo da Ciência da Informação, na sua transformação para formato eletrônico , potencializou a disseminação e acesso universal à informação. Os resultados demonstram que o periódico Ciência da Informação é um espaço de discussão de temas relevantes e atuais da área, nos seus avanços, contribuindo para a consolidação e expansão da Ciência da Informação no Brasil.Analysis of Information Science (Ciência da informação) journal of IBICT, in its extrinsic and intrinsic qualities. The former are related to form and include the sections, the bibliographic patterns and the refereeing system. The intrinsic characteristics cover the analysis of paper’s contents, the productivity of authors and the authorship patterns. Results give evidence of its national and international repercussion. The evolution process of Information Science in its change to the electronic format accentuate the dissemination and universal access to information. Results demonstrate that the Information Science journal is a space to discuss relevant and current themes of the Area in its advancements and it contributes to the consolidation and expansion of Information Science in Brazil

Key skills for co-learning and co-inquiry in two open platforms: a massive portal (EDUCARED) and a personal environment (weSPOT)

This paper presents a qualitative investigation on key skills for co-learning and co-inquiry in the digital age. The method applied was cyber-ethnography with asynchronous observation (forum and wiki) and synchronous discussions (webconference) for analysing skills developed by a co-learning community. This study focuses on participants from different countries who interacted during nine months in two open platforms: the massive educational portal EDUCARED of the “7th International Conference on Education 2012-2013" and weSPOT, an European “Working Environment with Social Personal and Open Technologies for inquiry based learning”. As a result of this study, it was observed that the EDUCARED portal led to the development of more explicit digital literacies, possibly because it was a simpler and familiar interface (forum). And in the weSPOT environment, experienced participants with digital technologies had more opportunities to develop other skills related to Critical-Creative Thinking and Scientific Reasoning

Innovation in health-care companies: a strategy to increase customer service productivity

Purpose – To promote access to their services, health-care companies provide various communication channels to their customers (beneficiaries) to enable the receipt of requests, such as authorization for examinations, procedures and hospitalizations. Under the approach of innovation studies, the management of customer relationship channels for health-care companies is characterized as a knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS). The purpose of this study is presenting innovation as a strategy to increase customer service productivity, as well as the monitoring of the quality of the service, the generation of health information for beneficiaries and compliance with the regulation set by the Brazilian National Health Agency (ANS). Design/methodology/approach – The study is characterized as an applied research, as it proposes solutions to problems faced by supplemental health-care companies using the strategy of action research, i.e. an independent, social research with an empirical basis. Findings – The result of this study shows that a computerized health-care system can increase productivity by 21.96%, and it presents an innovative solution for health-care companies to guarantee the process of meeting the demands and requests of their beneficiaries, ensuring the compliance with ANS regulations. Practical implications – These results can be replicated to other healthcare companies and contribute to those seeking innovation, increased productivity and quality improvements in their services. Originality/value – This work was also motivated by the lack of lstudies in the areas of health-care companies in Brazil

EDITORIAL

EDITORIA

Silica grafted polyethylenimine as heterogeneous catalyst for condensation reactions

Primary amine groups were attached to a silica surface by using α,ω-diamines derivatives and (3-glycidyloxypropyl)-trimethoxysilane activation. The same activation was used to graft polyethylenimine, which also contains secondary and tertiary amine groups. These silica aminated structures were tested as heterogeneous catalysts in nitroaldol condensation with nitromethane, the derivative with the polyethylenimine moiety being the more active catalyst. This catalyst also showed efficiency in the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehydes with ethyl cyanoacetate under very mild reaction conditions and showed much the same efficiency when used in consecutive reaction runs. A reaction mechanism with participation of the several amine groups of the catalysts is discussed