Tel Amiel

Individual Differences In Internet Usage Motives

Abstract The relationship between the psychobiological model of personality types (psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism) devised by Eysenck and Eysenck [Personality and individual differences: A natural science approach, Plenum Press, New York, 1985] and Internet use and usage motives was examined. A sample of 210 undergraduate students were asked to report on their motives for using the Internet and how often they engaged in a variety of Internet and web-based activities. The findings demonstrate distinctive patterns of Internet use and usage motives for those of different personality types. Specifically, those scoring high in neuroticism reported using the Internet to feel a sense of “belonging” and to be informed. Extraverts rejected the communal aspects of the Internet, and made more instrumental and goal-oriented use of Internet services. Finally, those scoring high in psychoticism demonstrated an interest in more deviant, defiant, and sophisticated Internet applications. Implications of the findings as well as suggestions for future research are included.

Do You Have the Time? Investigating Online Classroom Workload.

The time it takes to teach and take classes has been the subject of much speculation, but no accurate standard exists to measure the amount of time instructors and students dedicate to courses. The most common measure of workload has been the credit system. As administrators push faculty toward teaching online or adding online components to their existing classes, time commitment remains one of the strongest objections to teaching online. Characteristics of online environments (such as added flexibility) appeal to a growing number of students, elevating time management to an even more critical level. This study discusses a Web-based time log system used to measure during-course workload. The system was used in five masters-level classes over a 2-year period. It is contended that by using systems such as the one outlined herein, administrators, faculty, and students can better examine and determine the important but often neglected factor of workload.

A Model for International Collaborative Development Work in Schools

This paper discusses the establishment of an international collaborative program focused on school improvement in Brazil and the United States. Two qualitative research studies were conducted on the development work conducted by faculty, students, and local K‐12 school stakeholders. The design and implementation of collaborative student projects focused on multicultural education and the use of educational technologies. A model for international collaborative projects is presented that can serve as a framework for future projects following similar principles. Un modèle pour un travail de développement collaboratif international dans les écoles Cet article examine la création d’un programme collaboratif international centré sur l’amélioration des écoles au Brésil et aux Etats‐Unis. Deux recherches qualitatives ont porté sur le travail de développement mené par les enseignants, les élèves et les responsables du système scolaire de la maternelle à la Terminale. La conception et la mise en œuvre des projets collaboratifs des élèves ont mis l’accent sur l’éducation multiculturelle et l’usage des technologies éducatives. Nous présentons un schéma de projets collaboratifs internationaux qui peut servir de cadre aux projets futurs fondés sur des principes comparables. Ein Modell für Entwicklungsarbeit in Schulen in internationaler Zusammenarbeit In diesem Papier wird die Einrichtung eines auf Schulweiterentwicklung gerichteten Programms internationaler Zusammenarbeit zwischen Brasilien und den Vereinigten Staaten diskutiert. Zwei qualitative Forschungsarbeiten wurden über die Entwicklungsarbeit, ausgeführt durch die Fakultät, Studenten und Interessenvertreter der örtlichen K12‐Schulen, durchgeführt. Entwurf und Umsetzung kollaborativer Studienarbeiten befassten sich mit multikultureller Erziehung und der Nutzung von Unterrichtstechnologien. Es wird ein Modell für Projekte in internationaler Zusammenarbeit vorgestellt, das als Muster für zukünftige Projekte ähnlichen Zuschnitts dienen kann. Un modelo para un trabajo de desarrollo colaborativo internacional en las escuelas Este artículo presenta la creación de un programa colaborativo internacional con un enfoque del desarrollo cualitativo en las escuelas de Brasil y de los Estados Unidos. Dos estudios cualitativos han sido llrvados a cabo acerca del trabajo de desarrollo hecho por profesores, alumnos y mandos de las escuelas de enseñanza básica. El diseño y la aplicación de proyectos colaborativos entre los alumnos han puesto de relieve la educación multicultural y el uso de las tecnologías educativas. Presentamos un modelo para proyectos colaborativos internacionales que puede servir como estructura para los futuros proyectos basados en los mismos principios.

Construindo Políticas de Abertura a partir dos Recursos Educacionais Abertos: Uma Análise do Sistema Universidade Aberta do Brasil / Building Open Policy through Open Educational Resources: An analysis of the Open University of Brazil System

espanolRecursos Educacionais Abertos (REA) e praticas associadas sao regularmente identificados como catalisadores de maior equidade, inclusao e acesso a educacao superior. Apresentamos uma investigacao sobre a producao e disseminacao de recursos educacionais em oito Instituicoes de Ensino Superior que fazem parte do Sistema Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB). Partindo de entrevistas, grupos focais e de analise documental, buscamos entender a sua trajetoria, atividades e perspectivas em relacao a elementos-chave da adocao de REA. Identificamos interesse e anseio pela abertura de recursos, praticas colaborativas e intercâmbio informal de recursos, o uso de licencas abertas em repositorios locais, e tentativas na construcao de politicas institucionais relacionadas a REA. Por outro lado, identificamos dificuldades com relacao a institucionalizacao da UAB e da educacao a distância, limitado apoio tecnico e financeiro para colaboracao e reuso, e falta de politicas governamentais e institucionais para compartilhamento e reuso. A falta de articulacao resulta em praticas informais e isoladas. A nao ser quando fomentado pelo governo federal, a maioria das iniciativas sao locais e muitas, de curto prazo. Finalizamos com uma discussao sobre atividades recentes para promocao de abertura, incluindo um modelo unico para licenciamento de recursos, mecanismos para compartilhamento de recursos e formacao continuada sobre abertura. EnglishOpen Educational Resources (OER) and associated practices are often positioned as catalysts in increasing equality, inclusion and access to higher education. We present an investigation on the production and dissemination of educational resources at eight Higher Education Institutions that are part of the Open University of Brazil System. Through interviews, focus groups and an analysis of published documents, we aimed to understand their track record, activities and perspectives in regards to core elements of OER adoption. We identified an overall interest and willingness to share resources, collaborative practices and informal exchange of resources, the use of open licensing in local repositories, and attempts at institutional policy making surrounding OER. On the other hand, there were difficulties related to the limited institutionalization of UAB and of distance education, limited financial and technical mechanisms for collaboration and reuse, and a lack of institutional and governmental policy to support sharing and reuse. The lack of coordination around these practices has meant much informal and isolated practices. Unless fomented by the federal government, most initiatives are local, many of which, short-lived. We finalize by discussing recent activities promoting openness including a central standard licensing scheme, mechanisms for sharing resources, and professional development around openness.

Educational Laptops in Public Schools: First Results of an socio-technical approach

Projects around the world have focused efforts in integrating laptops into schools to be used by children in a 1-1 model. In this paper we present a methodology for this integration based on Organizational Semiotics concepts and artifacts, explored in participatory workshops. We describe a project underway with the active participation of the school community of an urban school in the city of Campinas (state of Sao Paulo), focused on fomenting contextualized solu- tions and processes. The results of the initial five semio-participatory workshops conducted in the school demonstrate the viability of the methods used to negotiate the integration of XO laptops in the school. The results indicate that the methodology contributes to anticipate issues specific to the school context, and think solutions shared among those more directly involved with the technology in the school practices; potentially promoting transformations in these practices.

Práticas, Sucessos e Barreiras na Integração de Alunos Monitores em Laboratórios de Informática de Escolas Públicas: Uma Avaliação

Resumo: Em busca de novos metodos que auxiliem no aprendizado de portadores de necessidades especiais, um jogo utilizando a tecnologia de agentes virtuais foi criado, atraves da linguagem brasileira de sinais, LIBRAS, o modelo grafico repassa toda informacao necessaria a manipulacao do jogo didatico, despertando no aluno a autonomia e o interesse pelo conteudo abordado. Abstract: Looking for new methods to help learning, a game using the technology of virtual agent was created, a graphic model using the LIBRAS language to transmit all information that is necessary to the student to manipulate the game, increasing his will of learning and self improving.Resumo: Tem sido ampla e intensamente divulgado e aplicado o uso do computador para fins de aprendizagem em diversos dominios. Partindo dessa perspectiva, deu-se inicio a um trabalho na Casa de Saude Paulo de Tarso, o qual tem como objetivo primordial auxiliar na melhoria da coordenacao motora dos pacientes da referida Instituicao e, por consequencia, aumentar a auto-estima, contribuir com o aprendizado, dentre outros. Abstract: The use of the computer has been wide and intensely divulged and applied in the learning process in diverse dominions. In agreement with this perspective, it was started a work at the Health Institution “Paulo de Tarso”, which has as its major goal to assistant in the improvement of the patients motor coordination in the above-mentioned Institution and, by consequence, to augment the self-esteem, to contribute to apprenticeship, among others.Resumo: A Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT) - Campus de Rondonopolis, atraves de alguns estudantes, do 4o ano do curso de Licenciatura em Informatica, em pleno exercicio de seu estagio supervisionado, firmou uma parceria com a EEMOP (Escola Estadual Major Otavio Pitaluga) em maio de 2005 para que juntos realizassem um trabalho, onde os estagiarios estariam auxiliando a utilizacao da Internet durante o processo de ensino-aprendizagem na referida escola. Abstract: Mato Grosso’s Federal University (UFMT) Rondonopolis’s Campus, through some students, of the fourth year of the Graduation Course of Degreee in Informatics, in full exercise of their supervised probation period, established a partnership with EEMOP (Major Otavio Pitaluga State School) in may of 2005 so that together they could accomplish a work, where the trainees would be assisting the use of Internet during the teaching- learning process at the above-mentioned school.Resumo: A educacao a distância (EAD) se apresenta no seculo XXI como um novo espaco de trabalho docente, trazendo mudancas nos papeis tradicionais, requerendo um preparo especial do professor. Para verificar se as IES que oferecem EAD formam seus docentes para ensinar a distância e como fazem este trabalho, foi feita uma pesquisa atraves de questionarios enviados por e- mail para 15 IES de Santa Catarina. O presente artigo discute os resultados encontrados que mostraram que as IES catarinenses nao apenas se preocupam com a producao de materiais didaticos, mas estao criando estruturas de apoio para formar seus professores para ensinar a distância. Abstract: Distance education (DE) is presenting, in the 21st century, a new challenge for teachers, asking for a change in their traditional roles, and requiring them to be specially trained for it. In order to find out if the Higher Education Institutions offering DE are training their teachers to work at a distance and how this preparation has been done, a research was conducted in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, using a questionnaire, sent by e-mail to 15 institutions. This article presents and discuss the results, showing that the Higher Education Institutions offering DE are not concerned only about the production of the course materials but are, also, creating support structures to prepare their professionals to teach at a distance.Resumo: Este artigo apresenta resultados iniciais de uma pesquisa visando diagnosticar a situacao da informatica educativa no municipio de Belem(PA). Esse diagnostico foi feito tendo-se como referencia um conjunto de criterios propostos para o planejamento e a avaliacao de experiencias em informatica educativa. Entre os resultados apresentados pode-se destacar o contraste entre a rede publica e a privada e o baixo investimento na formacao docente para essa atividade. Abstract: This paper presents the initial results of a diagnostic of the current state of educative informatics in Belem, Para. To perform such analysis, we used a set of criteria that aimed to evaluate the different educative informatics experiences reported. Among the results it is possible to notice clearly the contrast between the public and private school system and the low investment in the teaching personnel.