Helder Caixinha

Evaluating an Online E-Module for Portuguese Primary Teachers: Trainees' Perceptions.

The work reported in this article is part of a wider project that aims to develop and implement a web-based, pan-European, in-service professional development platform for teachers to enhance their role in promoting education through science. This article aims to evaluate the implementation of the e-module on Assessment of Children’s Learning in Primary Science, which was created at Bradford College (UK) and was adapted to be trialled by Portuguese science teachers. The article (i) evaluates the e-module in order to find facilities and constraints with a view to improving it in future versions; (ii) analyses participants’ opinions concerning strategies explored, resources and their reflections on their learning; and (iii) discusses the impact of the training on teachers’ professional development. Data was collected through three different online questionnaires: (i) at the start; (ii) at the end of the e-module; and (iii) one year after implementation of the e-module. The results indicate that the majority of the teachers recognised that the module promoted the development of new skills during the course, such as ICT skills, which have an impact on classroom practice and enhance their professional development both in the personal domain and in the domain of practice. It was also recognised by both trainees and tutors that the main advantage of using an e-learning platform was that it enabled an adjustment to individual needs taking into account different learning styles and rhythms. They also recognised the importance of international dimensions of education; flexibility of timetables; and collaborative work between peers.

Exercit@rt mobile: Monitoring of pulmonar rehabilitation in COPD

With the emergence of new types of eHealth and mHealth solutions there are new opportunities for the development of new tracking and monitoring approaches for chronic diseases, including COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), a condition in which respiratory exercises and daily physical activities are of most importance. In the footsteps of other previous research projects, the mobile Exercit@rt mobile app was developed in partnership with the School of Health Sciences at the University of Aveiro. It allows real time monitoring, through the use of a Bluetooth oximeter, of heart rate and oxygen saturation levels in COPD patients. With this application, patients can perform, monitor, geolocate and evaluate different respiratory exercises as well some common daily physical activities. In addition, this research project incorporated a validation stage involving ten patients with respiratory disorders diseases — five smartphones frequent users (SFU) and five smartphones non-frequent users (SNFU). The main results showed that all the participants recognized the usefulness of monitoring their disease using Exercit@rt mobile app.