Clara Coutinho | Universidade do Minho (original) (raw)
Papers by Clara Coutinho
The aim of this study is to investigate the support that Facebook can provide in the development ... more The aim of this study is to investigate the support that Facebook can provide in the development of mathematical skills with regard to problem-solving. Following that premise, a case study was developed with students of the bachelor degree in Social Education. The results show that the participation in the group contributed to the learning process and, in particular, to problem solving.
Resumo: Nesta comunicação apresentamos uma revisão de estudos e investigações publicados em Portu... more Resumo: Nesta comunicação apresentamos uma revisão de estudos e investigações publicados em Portugal e no Brasil sobre a temática da utilização educativa da tecnologia podcast. Para o efeito foram pesquisados nos canais de publicação científica (revistas, actas de congressos e bases de dados académicas) os artigos/dissertações de autores lusófonos, tendo-se constituído uma base de dados documental de 28 documentos. Para efeitos da análise foi utilizada uma grelha inspirada noutras análogas publicadas na literatura, tendo sido consideradas na análise de conteúdo seis variáveis categóricas: i) ano de publicação; ii) autoria; iii) afiliação institucional; iv) tipo de publicação; v) país de origem; vi) método usado para a recolha de dados. Os resultados obtidos são apresentados e discutidos.
In Proceedings of CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Paris, France, April 27-02 May, ACM Press, pp. 3127-3130, Apr 27, 2013
In this paper we describe t-words (tangible words) an interface that consists of rectangular bloc... more In this paper we describe t-words (tangible words) an interface that consists of rectangular blocks in which children can record and then playback audio. The blocks can then be snapped together playing the recorded audio in a sequence, by reordering the blocks in different ways the audio sequence changes according to the order of the blocks. t-words does not need a computer, which makes it flexible for various contexts. The interface was presented during two workshops that took place in Kathmandu - Nepal with two schools. During the workshops children used the interface playfully exploring sounds, words and sentences while engaging in collaborative work.
Educational Technology has developed in Portugal since mid 70s. Many research studies in the fiel... more Educational Technology has developed in Portugal since mid 70s. Many research studies in the field have been deve loped since then and most of these were reviewed in a meta-analysis conducted by one of the authors that covered the period between 1985 and 2000. A great deal of work, nevertheless, still needs to be done, if we want educational technology in Portugal to flourish, becoming a recognised and established area of research. This has been the main goal of the project we present in this paper: 466 documents (papers and dissertations) published between 2000 and 2005 were analysed in order to identify the main areas of interest and research of educational technologists in Portugal. More than a simple portrait of what has been and ET in our country, we believe that the analysed data point out interesting cues that should inform governmental decisions and define priorities for research in this educational domain.
In this paper we describe a collaborative learning experience with post graduate students attendi... more In this paper we describe a collaborative learning experience with post graduate students attending a master degree course in Educational Technology in the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. The experience involved the use of wiki technology and explored advanced collaborative forms and participative assessment as part of the teaching method. We believed that learning would occur through social interaction generated by the exchange and sharing of information and opinions among a peer group in an online learning community. During the 1 st semester of 2006/2007, sixteen master students developed a collaborative wiki. Artefacts and students perceptions of the new learning experience were evaluated and findings are presented as well as suggestions for further research.
A presente comunicação apresenta o conceito de WebQuest, Blogue e Podcast, os seus mentores e car... more A presente comunicação apresenta o conceito de WebQuest, Blogue e Podcast, os seus mentores e características, reflectindo sobre a necessidade de utilizar estas ferramentas em contexto educativo como forma de promover situações de aprendizagem com recurso à Web. De seguida, apresentam-se os objectivos para a utilização desta WebQuest, bem como, a utilização do blogue e do podcast como ferramentas integrantes na realização das tarefas propostas na WebQuest. Descreve-se o estudo efectuado e reflecte-se sobre os resultados obtidos. Palavras-chave: WebQuest, Blogue, Podcast, Aprendizagem Colaborativa, Construtivismo.
Resumo: Nesta comunicação vamos equacionar cenários para a educação no contexto da sociedade da i... more Resumo: Nesta comunicação vamos equacionar cenários para a educação no contexto da sociedade da informação e do conhecimento. Começaremos por caracterizar alguns pressupostos da teoria da complexidade para sustentar que os contextos de aprendizagem colaborativa se constituem como sistemas complexos cujo funcionamento importa compreender porque mais imprevisíveis e propensos à mudança. Na fase seguinte apresentaremos alguns sistemas tecnológicos que possibilitam o acesso à informação e ao conhecimento na educação em rede. Começaremos por referir os sistemas da 3ª geração de educação a distância, que se costumam designar por e-learning, com algumas das suas variantes como sejam o blearning e o m-learning. Apresentaremos ainda ferramentas tecnológicas já disponíveis e que, se correctamente exploradas, podem desempenhar um papel de destaque na comunicação e partilha de informação nos novos espaços de aprendizagem. É o caso dos blogues, dos SMS (Short Message Service) dos MMS (Multimedia Message Service), do podcasting e do Wiki, sistema de software aberto que possibilita o armazenamento barato de enorme volume de informação em formato digital bem como ferramentas para o acesso personalizado e restrito a uma comunidade de aprendizes falaremos um pouco sobre o trabalho colaborativo. Por último, teceremos algumas considerações finais. Palavras Chave: Sociedade do Conhecimento, TIC, Ensino Colaborativo Adaptado de Corcoran (s/d)
This paper has as main goal bring to discussion new educative ways of using information and commu... more This paper has as main goal bring to discussion new educative ways of using information and communication technologies, specifically the use of m-learning to access a webquest. We developed a webquest entitled "Learning with Plants" and it should be used in the Sciences classes in the 5 th grade. The mobile devices allow students to access the webquest from the real world, joining theory to practice. Therefore, we believe in the advantages of using these mobile technologies in education.
This work has as proposal the introduction of new technologies when teaching engineering, namely ... more This work has as proposal the introduction of new technologies when teaching engineering, namely to use interactive multimedia resources and mobile devices as assistance to fight the failure in school performance and to motive students to learn Structural Analysis I of the 3rd year of the Civil Engineering course in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). We introduce the problem, the results of approvals/failures and discontinuance of the subject. We also present the advantages of using information and communication technologies in higher education.
This paper introduces the concept, advantages and the development methodology of the virtual labo... more This paper introduces the concept, advantages and the development methodology of the virtual laboratories. It will be presented examples of usage of the virtual laboratories in an educational context as well as the conclusions of the comparative analysis of these projects. At the end it will be presented the virtual Organic Chemistry laboratory developed in Pontifica Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, which was the object of study of the research project developed by one of the researchers of this article.
Resumo: Num mundo globalizado onde o tempo é escasso, o podcast surge como uma tecnologia alterna... more Resumo: Num mundo globalizado onde o tempo é escasso, o podcast surge como uma tecnologia alternativa extremamente potente para ser utilizada a serviço do processo de ensino e aprendizagem tanto na modalidade a distância (e-learning) ou como no complemento ao ensino presencial (b-learning). De facto, o podcast permite ao professor disponibilizar materiais didácticos como aulas, documentários e entrevistas em formato áudio que podem ser ouvidos pelos estudantes a qualquer hora do dia e em qualquer espaço geográfico. O estudante pode aceder à informação disponibilizada pelo professor e descarregá-la para o seu dispositivo móvel, utilizá-la onde e quando quiser e ainda interagir com o professor sob a forma de comentários deixados no aplicativo. Palavras-chave: Podcast, Web 2.0, TIC
In this paper, we describe the design process and a first pilot study of t-books, a toolkit consi... more In this paper, we describe the design process and a first pilot study of t-books, a toolkit consisting of an electronic platform, a book with slots on it and a set of picture cards that children place on the book to interact and explore the narrative. t-books was motivated by the wish to offer children an environment where they can play with the language elements, while engaging as story authors. In this process children can enlarge their vocabulary, experiment different storylines and learn to create meaningful sequences that evolve to a narrative. At the same time children can build their own story world by choosing among a diversity of different characters, settings and actions according to their needs and preferences, thus generating a simulation environment within the story universe, where alternative scenarios, and what-if questions can be posed and tested. A first insight of children's interaction with t-books showed that children were highly motivated to create and share their own stories.
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
In an effort to better understand the learning potential of a tangible interface, we conducted a ... more In an effort to better understand the learning potential of a tangible interface, we conducted a comparison study between a tangible and a traditional graphical user interface for teaching preschoolers (In Portugal, children enter preschool at the age of three and they attend it till entering school, normally at the age of six) about good oral hygiene. The study was carried with two groups of children aged 4 to 5 years. Questionnaires to parents, children’s drawings, and interviews were used for data collection and analysis and revealed important indicators about children’s change of attitude, involvement, and preferences for the interfaces. The questionnaires showed a remarkable change of attitude toward tooth brushing in the children that interacted with the tangible interface; particularly children’s motivation increased significantly. Children’s drawings were used to assess their degree of involvement with the interfaces. The drawings from the children that interacted with the tangible interface were very complete and detailed suggesting that the children felt actively involved with the experience. The results suggest that the tangible interface was capable of promoting a stronger and long-lasting involvement having a greater potential to engage children, therefore potentially promoting learning. Evaluation through drawing seems to be a promising method to work with preliterate children; however, it is advisable to use it together with other methods.
In this paper, we describe the design process of a flannel board augmented with audio and video r... more In this paper, we describe the design process of a flannel board augmented with audio and video recording capabilities. A participatory design methodology was followed by working with five-year-old children, over a six months period. The result was highly influenced by their behavior and spontaneous feedback. The resulting digital flannel board prototype supports the recording of the children's narration, the
We present the design of the first prototype of TOK -a tangible interface for children to create ... more We present the design of the first prototype of TOK -a tangible interface for children to create their own stories. Based on data collected with two groups of five years old preschoolers we present our findings regarding the interaction design of the system. The picture cards have shown to generate ideas, acting as input for the creation of stories, promoting creativity while proposing a framework that supports and guides the construction of logical structures. This is a first step in an effort to build a toolkit of tangible interfaces allowing children and teachers to build their own digital enhanced learning activities.
This paper presents an ongoing study comparing the potential and the quality of the experiences p... more This paper presents an ongoing study comparing the potential and the quality of the experiences provided by tangible versus traditional interfaces. The study was carried with two groups of kindergarten children using two interfaces that aim to motivate children to the practice of oral hygiene. Children"s drawings were one of the methods used to assess their experience. We found differences quantitatively and qualitatively between the drawings of the children interacting with the tangible interface and the traditional interface. The drawings suggest that by interacting with the tangible interface children felt more actively involved with the task.
The aim of this study is to investigate the support that Facebook can provide in the development ... more The aim of this study is to investigate the support that Facebook can provide in the development of mathematical skills with regard to problem-solving. Following that premise, a case study was developed with students of the bachelor degree in Social Education. The results show that the participation in the group contributed to the learning process and, in particular, to problem solving.
Resumo: Nesta comunicação apresentamos uma revisão de estudos e investigações publicados em Portu... more Resumo: Nesta comunicação apresentamos uma revisão de estudos e investigações publicados em Portugal e no Brasil sobre a temática da utilização educativa da tecnologia podcast. Para o efeito foram pesquisados nos canais de publicação científica (revistas, actas de congressos e bases de dados académicas) os artigos/dissertações de autores lusófonos, tendo-se constituído uma base de dados documental de 28 documentos. Para efeitos da análise foi utilizada uma grelha inspirada noutras análogas publicadas na literatura, tendo sido consideradas na análise de conteúdo seis variáveis categóricas: i) ano de publicação; ii) autoria; iii) afiliação institucional; iv) tipo de publicação; v) país de origem; vi) método usado para a recolha de dados. Os resultados obtidos são apresentados e discutidos.
In Proceedings of CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Paris, France, April 27-02 May, ACM Press, pp. 3127-3130, Apr 27, 2013
In this paper we describe t-words (tangible words) an interface that consists of rectangular bloc... more In this paper we describe t-words (tangible words) an interface that consists of rectangular blocks in which children can record and then playback audio. The blocks can then be snapped together playing the recorded audio in a sequence, by reordering the blocks in different ways the audio sequence changes according to the order of the blocks. t-words does not need a computer, which makes it flexible for various contexts. The interface was presented during two workshops that took place in Kathmandu - Nepal with two schools. During the workshops children used the interface playfully exploring sounds, words and sentences while engaging in collaborative work.
Educational Technology has developed in Portugal since mid 70s. Many research studies in the fiel... more Educational Technology has developed in Portugal since mid 70s. Many research studies in the field have been deve loped since then and most of these were reviewed in a meta-analysis conducted by one of the authors that covered the period between 1985 and 2000. A great deal of work, nevertheless, still needs to be done, if we want educational technology in Portugal to flourish, becoming a recognised and established area of research. This has been the main goal of the project we present in this paper: 466 documents (papers and dissertations) published between 2000 and 2005 were analysed in order to identify the main areas of interest and research of educational technologists in Portugal. More than a simple portrait of what has been and ET in our country, we believe that the analysed data point out interesting cues that should inform governmental decisions and define priorities for research in this educational domain.
In this paper we describe a collaborative learning experience with post graduate students attendi... more In this paper we describe a collaborative learning experience with post graduate students attending a master degree course in Educational Technology in the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. The experience involved the use of wiki technology and explored advanced collaborative forms and participative assessment as part of the teaching method. We believed that learning would occur through social interaction generated by the exchange and sharing of information and opinions among a peer group in an online learning community. During the 1 st semester of 2006/2007, sixteen master students developed a collaborative wiki. Artefacts and students perceptions of the new learning experience were evaluated and findings are presented as well as suggestions for further research.
A presente comunicação apresenta o conceito de WebQuest, Blogue e Podcast, os seus mentores e car... more A presente comunicação apresenta o conceito de WebQuest, Blogue e Podcast, os seus mentores e características, reflectindo sobre a necessidade de utilizar estas ferramentas em contexto educativo como forma de promover situações de aprendizagem com recurso à Web. De seguida, apresentam-se os objectivos para a utilização desta WebQuest, bem como, a utilização do blogue e do podcast como ferramentas integrantes na realização das tarefas propostas na WebQuest. Descreve-se o estudo efectuado e reflecte-se sobre os resultados obtidos. Palavras-chave: WebQuest, Blogue, Podcast, Aprendizagem Colaborativa, Construtivismo.
Resumo: Nesta comunicação vamos equacionar cenários para a educação no contexto da sociedade da i... more Resumo: Nesta comunicação vamos equacionar cenários para a educação no contexto da sociedade da informação e do conhecimento. Começaremos por caracterizar alguns pressupostos da teoria da complexidade para sustentar que os contextos de aprendizagem colaborativa se constituem como sistemas complexos cujo funcionamento importa compreender porque mais imprevisíveis e propensos à mudança. Na fase seguinte apresentaremos alguns sistemas tecnológicos que possibilitam o acesso à informação e ao conhecimento na educação em rede. Começaremos por referir os sistemas da 3ª geração de educação a distância, que se costumam designar por e-learning, com algumas das suas variantes como sejam o blearning e o m-learning. Apresentaremos ainda ferramentas tecnológicas já disponíveis e que, se correctamente exploradas, podem desempenhar um papel de destaque na comunicação e partilha de informação nos novos espaços de aprendizagem. É o caso dos blogues, dos SMS (Short Message Service) dos MMS (Multimedia Message Service), do podcasting e do Wiki, sistema de software aberto que possibilita o armazenamento barato de enorme volume de informação em formato digital bem como ferramentas para o acesso personalizado e restrito a uma comunidade de aprendizes falaremos um pouco sobre o trabalho colaborativo. Por último, teceremos algumas considerações finais. Palavras Chave: Sociedade do Conhecimento, TIC, Ensino Colaborativo Adaptado de Corcoran (s/d)
This paper has as main goal bring to discussion new educative ways of using information and commu... more This paper has as main goal bring to discussion new educative ways of using information and communication technologies, specifically the use of m-learning to access a webquest. We developed a webquest entitled "Learning with Plants" and it should be used in the Sciences classes in the 5 th grade. The mobile devices allow students to access the webquest from the real world, joining theory to practice. Therefore, we believe in the advantages of using these mobile technologies in education.
This work has as proposal the introduction of new technologies when teaching engineering, namely ... more This work has as proposal the introduction of new technologies when teaching engineering, namely to use interactive multimedia resources and mobile devices as assistance to fight the failure in school performance and to motive students to learn Structural Analysis I of the 3rd year of the Civil Engineering course in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). We introduce the problem, the results of approvals/failures and discontinuance of the subject. We also present the advantages of using information and communication technologies in higher education.
This paper introduces the concept, advantages and the development methodology of the virtual labo... more This paper introduces the concept, advantages and the development methodology of the virtual laboratories. It will be presented examples of usage of the virtual laboratories in an educational context as well as the conclusions of the comparative analysis of these projects. At the end it will be presented the virtual Organic Chemistry laboratory developed in Pontifica Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, which was the object of study of the research project developed by one of the researchers of this article.
Resumo: Num mundo globalizado onde o tempo é escasso, o podcast surge como uma tecnologia alterna... more Resumo: Num mundo globalizado onde o tempo é escasso, o podcast surge como uma tecnologia alternativa extremamente potente para ser utilizada a serviço do processo de ensino e aprendizagem tanto na modalidade a distância (e-learning) ou como no complemento ao ensino presencial (b-learning). De facto, o podcast permite ao professor disponibilizar materiais didácticos como aulas, documentários e entrevistas em formato áudio que podem ser ouvidos pelos estudantes a qualquer hora do dia e em qualquer espaço geográfico. O estudante pode aceder à informação disponibilizada pelo professor e descarregá-la para o seu dispositivo móvel, utilizá-la onde e quando quiser e ainda interagir com o professor sob a forma de comentários deixados no aplicativo. Palavras-chave: Podcast, Web 2.0, TIC
In this paper, we describe the design process and a first pilot study of t-books, a toolkit consi... more In this paper, we describe the design process and a first pilot study of t-books, a toolkit consisting of an electronic platform, a book with slots on it and a set of picture cards that children place on the book to interact and explore the narrative. t-books was motivated by the wish to offer children an environment where they can play with the language elements, while engaging as story authors. In this process children can enlarge their vocabulary, experiment different storylines and learn to create meaningful sequences that evolve to a narrative. At the same time children can build their own story world by choosing among a diversity of different characters, settings and actions according to their needs and preferences, thus generating a simulation environment within the story universe, where alternative scenarios, and what-if questions can be posed and tested. A first insight of children's interaction with t-books showed that children were highly motivated to create and share their own stories.
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
In an effort to better understand the learning potential of a tangible interface, we conducted a ... more In an effort to better understand the learning potential of a tangible interface, we conducted a comparison study between a tangible and a traditional graphical user interface for teaching preschoolers (In Portugal, children enter preschool at the age of three and they attend it till entering school, normally at the age of six) about good oral hygiene. The study was carried with two groups of children aged 4 to 5 years. Questionnaires to parents, children’s drawings, and interviews were used for data collection and analysis and revealed important indicators about children’s change of attitude, involvement, and preferences for the interfaces. The questionnaires showed a remarkable change of attitude toward tooth brushing in the children that interacted with the tangible interface; particularly children’s motivation increased significantly. Children’s drawings were used to assess their degree of involvement with the interfaces. The drawings from the children that interacted with the tangible interface were very complete and detailed suggesting that the children felt actively involved with the experience. The results suggest that the tangible interface was capable of promoting a stronger and long-lasting involvement having a greater potential to engage children, therefore potentially promoting learning. Evaluation through drawing seems to be a promising method to work with preliterate children; however, it is advisable to use it together with other methods.
In this paper, we describe the design process of a flannel board augmented with audio and video r... more In this paper, we describe the design process of a flannel board augmented with audio and video recording capabilities. A participatory design methodology was followed by working with five-year-old children, over a six months period. The result was highly influenced by their behavior and spontaneous feedback. The resulting digital flannel board prototype supports the recording of the children's narration, the
We present the design of the first prototype of TOK -a tangible interface for children to create ... more We present the design of the first prototype of TOK -a tangible interface for children to create their own stories. Based on data collected with two groups of five years old preschoolers we present our findings regarding the interaction design of the system. The picture cards have shown to generate ideas, acting as input for the creation of stories, promoting creativity while proposing a framework that supports and guides the construction of logical structures. This is a first step in an effort to build a toolkit of tangible interfaces allowing children and teachers to build their own digital enhanced learning activities.
This paper presents an ongoing study comparing the potential and the quality of the experiences p... more This paper presents an ongoing study comparing the potential and the quality of the experiences provided by tangible versus traditional interfaces. The study was carried with two groups of kindergarten children using two interfaces that aim to motivate children to the practice of oral hygiene. Children"s drawings were one of the methods used to assess their experience. We found differences quantitatively and qualitatively between the drawings of the children interacting with the tangible interface and the traditional interface. The drawings suggest that by interacting with the tangible interface children felt more actively involved with the task.