Participation ahead: perceptions of Masters degree students on reciprocal peer learning activities

Peer Learning is broadly described as the development of knowledge or skills by individuals from similar statutory conditions who are learning from and with each other in both formal and informal ways. There is a considerable amount of published work on peer learning in the context of schools and undergraduate courses but little work has been developed around postgraduate levels, specifically with Masters courses. The goal of the research presented in this paper was to understand how Masters degree students perceive and engage with a peer learning activity set in a taught module. One specialist subject topic from the curriculum was assigned to each student who, during two sessions in regular teaching times, had to perform both as peer tutor and tutee in a reciprocal peer learning approach. Two questionnaires were applied - one for each role the students had to perform. Results reveal that the majority of students considered the peer tutor role undeniably positive; however, while performing as tutees, students expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the approach. As the credibility of peers was evidenced as an issue (when set against these students’ high expectations), this paper contends that reciprocal peer learning may not be the most suitable peer learning method for master levels

It’s Milestone, not Limescale! Milestoned group supervision as an approach to descale postgraduate projects

Postgraduate students often face the constraints of overlapping non-academic duties, for which the timely completion of their degree can become a challenging commitment. Collective supervision grounded in milestones and shareable deliverables can help in providing them with a sense of progression whilst developing confidence in their own work

Information and communication in a networked infosphere: a review of concepts and application in social branding

This paper aims at providing a contribution to the comprehensive review of the impact of information and communication, and their supporting technologies, in the current transformation of human life in the infosphere. The paper also offers an ex- ample of the power of new social approaches to the use of information and commu- nication technologies to foster new working models in organizations by presenting the main outcomes of a research project on social branding. A discussion about some trends of the future impact of new information and communication technologies in the infosphere is also included

Heuristic for brand artefacts co-design: a computer-mediated proposal

Brands undeniably constitute a significant asset for a company and are usually specified in its organisational strategy. Typically, employees are not invited to participate in debates or decisions about branding since they access brand information in a unidirectional way. Many of them do not even know how to convey appropriate messages and fail to recognise the importance of brand consistency. In this article we propose a heuristic for an interaction structure aimed at brand artefact co-design, through a computer-mediated platform, so that employees may learn about the brand, develop brand knowledge, propose meaningful brand artefacts and manage the evaluation of their peers’ proposals. We prepared a non-functional prototype of a Participatory Brand Centre and tested it in focus group sessions with the University of Aveiro's employees. We found that though our proposal is consistent with employees’ brand-related needs, authorship is a sensitive issue

Impacto do Synectics nas competências criativas de estudantes a frequentar o 2º ciclo do ensino superior

O presente estudo teve como principal objetivo perceber o contributo do uso da técnica Synectics no desenvolvimento do potencial criativo de estudantes do ensino superior universitário, num contexto de sala de aula. Assumindo uma natureza mista, pretende captar os dados, partindo das perceções dos próprios intervenientes no estudo de caso. Assim, esta investigação envolve o estudo intensivo e detalhado de um pequeno grupo, formado por estudantes a frequentar o Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédia, na Universidade de Aveiro, em Portugal. Recorre a escalas de medida específicas, entre as quais o Teste Pensando Criativamente de Torrance e um Teste de Diagnóstico, desenvolvido na unidade curricular de Criatividade na Comunicação Multimédia, para se poder cumprir com os objetivos definidos neste estudo. Conclui-se, pelos dados coligidos e pela respetiva análise, que a aplicação do Synectics não só ajudou os estudantes a desenvolverem o seu potencial criativo, como também os ajudou a melhor reconhecerem o seu perfil criativo, tendo contribuído para desenvolver a flexibilidade, a originalidade e a fluência das suas respostas, e, simultaneamente, desenvolver e incentivar o pensamento divergente. The present study aims to understand the contribution of the creative technique Synectics in the development of advanced graduation student’s creative potential, in a classroom context. Assuming a mixed nature, the aim is to capture data from perceptions of the case study’s participants. Therefore, this research involves an intensive and detailed study of a small group of university students, attending the Multimedia Communication Masters program at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. It uses appropriate measurement scales, such as a Torrance’s Creative Thinking Test, and a Diagnostics Test created for the Creativity in Multimedia Communication course, in order to fulfill the defined goals. The collected data and its respective analysis allows the conclusion that the use of Synectics not only helped students to develop their creative potential but it also helped them to further recognize their creative profile, contributing to the development of flexibility, originality and fluency of the answers provided by students and, simultaneously, developed and encouraged divergent thinking. La présente étude a comme principale objective de comprendre la contribution de l’utilisation de la technique créative Synectics, pour le développement du potentiel créatif de l’étudiant universitaire, dans un contexte spécifique de salle de classe. En assumant une nature mixte, elle prétend l’étude et de recueillir des données, fondées sur les perceptions des participants de l’étude de cas. Cette recherche implique une étude approfondie et détaillée d’un petit groupe, composé d’étudiants dans l’enseignement supérieur, fréquentant la Maîtrise en Communication Multimédia à l’Université de Aveiro, au Portugal, en utilisant des appropriées échelles de mesure, qui compris le test «Pensée Créative» de Torrance, et un test de diagnostic, développé pour la classe de Créativité dans la Communication Multimédia, afin de se conformer aux objectifs de l’étude. Comme conclusion par l’analyse des données recueillies, la technique Synectics non seulement a aidé les étudiants à développer leur potentiel créatif, comme aussi les a aidés à mieux reconnaître leurs profils créatifs, car elle contribue au développement de la flexibilité, de l’originalité et de la fluidité des réponses des étudiants, et en même temps, elle développe et encourage la pensée divergente

Like a chameleon: the polychromatic virtue of dynamic brands

The main objective for this paper was to identify the chromatic approaches in dynamic brand identities, describing and analysing new trends, patterns or shared strategies which seem to be taking place, renunciating the consistent use of corporate colours in some brands. The research consisted of a qualitative visual content analysis, based on the comparison and scrutiny of 50 dynamic visual identities, verifying the changes that their colours would undergo in their numerous forms of representation and the symbolic associations these would carry. This analysis was performed using three different studies. The results show that colour in dynamic brands does not follow any consistent pattern regarding its application and none of the most common colour harmonies seem to be an obvious strategic preference. This research provides insights for 1) brand managers to look at how this dynamic positioning can be successfully implemented without affecting recognition whilst establishing or maintaining customer loyalty, and 2) brand for designers and marketers to clarify how brand guidelines will explain the usage of such colourful approaches. This paper is a contribution to the knowledge of how a traditional visual element such as colour is being combined, deconstructed and reassembled in the context of modern visual identities. Three patterns are identified, and two of them draw attention to the apparent unnecessity of colour consistency and the way this may affect the relevance of colour in transmitting certain meanings

Smart brands and identities: building friendly bridges between design and smartness

When adapting an environment toward making it smarter than it is, every user is expected to develop a certain degree of design literacy to effectively contribute with and make use of relevant data. Little research has been done regarding both the expected level of users’ design literacy in smart environments and the developmental tactics for these essential skills to be acquired. Simultaneously, there is little acknowledgement of the relevance of these environments’ brands as important assets in supporting design literacy. This paper speculates on the relevance of investing in “smart visual identities”, which configure as a meaningful and holistic branding resource. Hermeneutics informed the qualitative analysis of content in this research. Two essential dimensions of smart visual identities were identified, and a definition of “smart brand” is proposed, suggesting that highly relatable brand identities allow individuals develop their design literacy while users of a smart learning environment

Cartazes urbanos acessíveis a pessoas cegas: proposta de um modelo de design para todos, baseado numa solução mobile

O presente artigo apresenta uma investigação em curso cujo principal propósito é explorar a área da acessibilidade a pessoas cegas, procurando compreender como um cego consegue “ver” um cartaz de rua. Pretende-se conhecer e estudar como estes indivíduos interagem com o espaço urbano e compreender quais as melhores estratégias e paradigmas de interação a utilizar neste contexto. A principal finalidade é, pois, contribuir para a construção de um espaço urbano mais acessível, como forma de proporcionar a divulgação e a inclusão de todos. Assim, de forma a analisar e validar estas melhores estratégias, foi construído um protótipo, baseado numa solução mobile, em que a sua função é, sem dúvida, o ponto-chave e dominante neste processo. Nas diferentes secções do artigo apresentamos o enquadramento desta temática, o processo de desenvolvimento do referido protótipo assim como a metodologia utilizada durante o seu desenvolvimento e as conclusões perante a observação dos dados recolhidos no sistema adotado. This article describes an on-going investigation that explores the field of accessibility to blind people, trying to understand how they can “see” a street poster. This investigation aims to study how these individuals interact with urban space and understand what are the best strategies and interaction paradigms to use in this context. The main purpose is to contribute to the construction of a more accessible urban space, in order to provide disclosure and inclusion for all. Therefore, in order to analyze and validate these best strategies, a prototype was built based on a mobile solution, where its function is undoubtedly the main point of the process. The different sections of this article present the theoretical background, the development process of the prototype as well as the methodology used and the conclusions before the observation of the data collected in the adopted system

Typography: the constant vector of dynamic logos

Visual identities can be constructed from a number of elements which together can be described as the Visual Identity System (VIS). Typography is one of the VIS’s central elements. Typically, the VIS elements have been considered as static and associated with prescribable visual mandates; however, the hypermodernity paradigm boosted the notion of mobility in everything – and brands are no exception. Brand’s logos now change in shape, colour, wear different textures, and sit on top of a variety of backgrounds. All this incredible flexibility has implications for their typographical elements too. In the empirical part of this research, 50 dynamic logos were selected, grouped according to van Nes’ categories (2012), and the changes on their typographic components were analysed under the Multilingual Typeface Anatomy Terminology framework (Amado, 2012), firstly by the researchers, and then by a group of independent coders. It was verified that dynamic logos present a consistent pattern regarding typography since they preserve consistency through type’s structural axes. This result led to a set of recommendations for both designers working with type in the context of the (re)design of dynamic logos, and academics preparing the next generation of brand designers. This research aimed at identifying the typographical inroads in brands with dynamic logos, and is a relevant contribution to the perception of how the anatomy of type can define visual consistency

Informing personal branding through self-assessed handwriting analysis: proposal of a supportive online platform

Despite the abundant existing literature on the psychological aspects of graphology and visual communication, very little research (if any), has been conducted, as to the links of interpreting personal handmade markings on graphic self-branding processes. This research aimed to investigate possible interrelations between fields of handwriting analysis (graphology) and personal branding, underpinning methods and patterns of building graphic personal identities amongst higher education students. Furthermore, it aimed to promote the use of graphology in self-branding processes. This involved secondary sources of information, along with empirical works, totalling 25 semi-structured interviews and the collection of 97 handwritten samples to detect commonalities/differences of handmade markings. Participants included higher education students and instructors from visual communication fields across two cultural contexts: Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The achieved findings were discussed with two professional UK-based graphologists. Given that self-branding is considered complex and time consuming amongst visual communication students, the outcome proposes an online personal brand design platform, innovating current methods of self-related research, yet grounded on current usages of conventional handwriting and providing a visual scope of relevant design applications, considering internal and external influencing factors