Fernando Albuquerque Costa

Internet-scale support for map-reduce processing

Volunteer Computing systems (VC) harness computing resources of machines from around the world to perform distributed independent tasks. Existing infrastructures follow a master/worker model, with a centralized architecture. This limits the scalability of the solution due to its dependence on the server. Our goal is to create a fault-tolerant VC platform that supports complex applications, by using a distributed model which improves performance and reduces the burden on the server.In this paper we present VMR, a VC system able to run MapReduce applications on top of volunteer resources, spread throughout the Internet. VMR leverages users’ bandwidth through the use of inter-client communication, and uses a lightweight task validation mechanism. We describe VMR’s architecture and evaluate its performance by executing several MapReduce applications on a wide area testbed.Our results show that VMR successfully runs MapReduce tasks over the Internet. When compared to an unmodified VC system, VMR obtains a performance increase of over 60% in application turnaround time, while reducing server bandwidth use by two orders of magnitude and showing no discernible overhead.

Formas e manifestações da transdisciplinaridade na produção científico-académica em Portugal

This paper is part of a research project that seeks to help clarify the meaning attributed to the introduction of transdiciplinary areas within a basic education curriculum. Assuming the characteristics of an exploratory research, the analysis focused on the forms and demonstrations of transdisciplinarity in the academic-scientific output in Portugal. The results of this analysis point out five key ideas, connected with an holistic understanding of social phenomena, that characterize the transdisciplinarity as: (1) a place of escape from daily routine; (2) a pathway to social equity and human values; (3) a new intellectual framework; (4) a new organizational model for the areas of school content; and (5) an ideal team model.Este articulo se deriva de un proyecto de investigacion que busca, en ultima instancia, ayudar a aclarar el significado asignado a la introduccion de areas de formacion transdisciplinaria en el diseno curricular de la educacion basica. Asumiendo contornos de una investigacion de caracter exploratorio, el analisis se centro en las formas y manifestaciones de la transdisciplinariedad en el marco de la produccion cientifico-academica realizada en Portugal. Los resultados obtenidos senalaron cinco ideas clave, vinculadas desde una intencionalidad que da primacia a la comprension holistica de los fenomenos sociales, y que caracterizan la transdisciplinariedad como: (1) un lugar para escapar de la rutina diaria; (2) un camino hacia la equidad social y los valores humanos; (3) un nuevo marco intelectual; (4) un nuevo modelo de organizacion del conocimiento escolar; y (5) un modelo ideal de equipo.

Digital literacy of adults education needs for the full exercise of citizenship

This article presents an exploratory study undertaken during the initial phase of the Adults Digital Literacy Project (LIDIA), aimed at identifying situations where adults are hindered from exercising their full citizenship, due to their lack of digital technologies knowledge. Within the framework of an action-research methodology, a questionnaire was applied to 106 adults, aged between 26 and 92 years, resident in Portugal. From the data analysis, it was possible to establish 13 categories of needs within the scope of digital literacy of adults, including a set of references stating their desire to handle their bureaucratic issues via the Internet. These results constitute the basis for the proposal of a set of activities with digital technologies, geared towards promoting digital citizenship, around six broad learning areas: 1) information; 2) communication; 3) production; 4) leisure; 5) daily tasks; and 6) and digital identity security - the latter, considered to have a cross-cutting nature and therefore should be considered integrated in one or several domains of learning.

SCOLARS-DV: scalable task validation over the internet

Volunteer Computing (VC) harnesses computing resources of machines to perform distributed independent tasks, following a master/worker model. Most VC systems are limited to a centralized architecture, in which applications are validated by the server. We present SCOLARS-DV, a VC system that moves task validation to clients. SCOLARS-DV takes advantage of inter-client communication and introduces distributed majority voting. Our system masks validation as normal tasks, and uses obfuscation to achieve sabotage and fault-tolerance. It supports different paradigms, such as MapReduce and embarrassingly parallel applications. We describe SCOLARS-DVs architecture and evaluate its performance by executing several applications on a wide area testbed. Our results show that SCOLARS-DV successfully leverages client resources to validate applications, while reducing the overhead on the server.

FORMAS Y MANIFESTACIONES DE LA TRANSDISCIPLINARI EDAD EN LA PRODUCCIÓN CIENTÍFICO-ACADÉMICA EN PORTUGAL

This paper is part of a research project that seeks to help clarify the meaning attributed to the introduction of transdiciplinary areas within a basic education curriculum. Assuming the characteristics of an exploratory research, the analysis focused on the forms and demonstrations of transdisciplinarity in the academic-scientific output in Portugal. The results of this analysis point out five key ideas, connected with an holistic understanding of social phenomena, that characterize the transdisciplinarity as: (1) a place of escape from daily routine; (2) a pathway to social equity and human values; (3) a new intellectual framework; (4) a new organizational model for the areas of school content; and (5) an ideal team model.Este articulo se deriva de un proyecto de investigacion que busca, en ultima instancia, ayudar a aclarar el significado asignado a la introduccion de areas de formacion transdisciplinaria en el diseno curricular de la educacion basica. Asumiendo contornos de una investigacion de caracter exploratorio, el analisis se centro en las formas y manifestaciones de la transdisciplinariedad en el marco de la produccion cientifico-academica realizada en Portugal. Los resultados obtenidos senalaron cinco ideas clave, vinculadas desde una intencionalidad que da primacia a la comprension holistica de los fenomenos sociales, y que caracterizan la transdisciplinariedad como: (1) un lugar para escapar de la rutina diaria; (2) un camino hacia la equidad social y los valores humanos; (3) un nuevo marco intelectual; (4) un nuevo modelo de organizacion del conocimiento escolar; y (5) un modelo ideal de equipo.

FORMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF TRANSDISCIPLINARITY IN THE ACADEMIC-SCIENTIFIC OUTPUT IN PORTUGAL

This paper is part of a research project that seeks to help clarify the meaning attributed to the introduction of transdiciplinary areas within a basic education curriculum. Assuming the characteristics of an exploratory research, the analysis focused on the forms and demonstrations of transdisciplinarity in the academic-scientific output in Portugal. The results of this analysis point out five key ideas, connected with an holistic understanding of social phenomena, that characterize the transdisciplinarity as: (1) a place of escape from daily routine; (2) a pathway to social equity and human values; (3) a new intellectual framework; (4) a new organizational model for the areas of school content; and (5) an ideal team model.Este articulo se deriva de un proyecto de investigacion que busca, en ultima instancia, ayudar a aclarar el significado asignado a la introduccion de areas de formacion transdisciplinaria en el diseno curricular de la educacion basica. Asumiendo contornos de una investigacion de caracter exploratorio, el analisis se centro en las formas y manifestaciones de la transdisciplinariedad en el marco de la produccion cientifico-academica realizada en Portugal. Los resultados obtenidos senalaron cinco ideas clave, vinculadas desde una intencionalidad que da primacia a la comprension holistica de los fenomenos sociales, y que caracterizan la transdisciplinariedad como: (1) un lugar para escapar de la rutina diaria; (2) un camino hacia la equidad social y los valores humanos; (3) un nuevo marco intelectual; (4) un nuevo modelo de organizacion del conocimiento escolar; y (5) un modelo ideal de equipo.

Subgrupo de investigação em Educação, Tecnologia e Sociedade

Entre outras, constituem-se como linhas prioritárias de investigação: a promoção da aprendizagem com TIC em contextos educativos e formativos; o desenvolvimento profissional e as competências dos professores em TIC; o desenvolvimento de recursos educativos digitais; a cultura digital e as competências para o Século XXI e o impacto de políticas públicas no domínio das TIC na educação. Dentro destas linhas de investigação, o subgrupo em questão apoia a oferta formativa ao nível da pósgraduação, acolhendo, no âmbito de seus projetos de investigação, alunos de mestrado, doutoramento e pós-doutoramento. O subgrupo é responsável ainda por estudos e atividades de assessoria a entidades públicas e privadas no domínio da utilização e integração das TIC em espaços educativos.

Designing Educational Multimedia Resources

The development of multimedia products involves a great deal of competencies which go from project planning and administration, to design and conception of interfaces, or even to production of image, sound or video. Although it is advisable to form a team of experts from different areas, namely when we aim at a large scale production, it is nowadays possible that the individual trainer or teacher takes responsibility over the conception and execution of multimedia material, so as to give answer to specific needs of training or teaching. Having this idea as a basis, and wishing to make the most of the didactic knowledge and pedagogical experience of the trainer or the teacher, we present a design model, on which we have been working, that aims to systematise and carry out some of the main aspects to be considered in the planning of educational multimedia products.