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Internationalization in higher education is essential, and although active learning methodologies are increasing and allow students to develop transversal skills, most still have a very local scope. In this context, the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) methodology is an interesting approach to benefit the students' development. It consists of an online program that involves creating multicultural teams to develop a specific learning project. Although this methodology is expanding, its use in physiology is still scarce. This paper aims to show an example of applying COIL methodology in physiology topics to enhance higher-education students' innovation and business skills. Our example project developed a sports-assessment service concept focused on physiology and biomechanics assessments. The program involved teams from Brazil, Germany, and Spain, comprising undergraduate and master students. Over 7 weeks, these teams, mentored by professors and researchers, engaged in workshops covering COIL methodology, business model design, executive summary planning, economic analyses, and communication techniques. Key outcomes included learning new concepts, developing soft skills, building confidence in innovative solution proposals, and experiencing diverse cultures. Challenges faced were language barriers, scheduling, task complexity, and logistical issues. This experience confirms the effectiveness of incorporating programs using COIL methodology into educational curriculums. Doing so exposes physiology students to innovation, entrepreneurship, and business creation while strengthening their professional connections and opening up postgraduation opportunities.

Children all over the world learn language, yet the contexts in which they do so vary substantially. This variation needs to be systematically quantified to build robust and generalizable theories of language acquisition. We compared communicative interactions between parents and their 2-year-old children (N = 99 families) during mealtime across five cultural settings (Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Germany, and Japan) and coded the amount of talk and gestures as well as their conversational embedding (interlocutors, function, and themes). We found a comparable pattern of communicative interactions across cultural settings, which were modified in ways that are consistent with local norms and values. These results suggest that children encounter similarly structured communicative environments across diverse cultural contexts and will inform theories of language learning.

In this article, ambassadors of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Open Educational Resources (OER) Advocacy Committee (OERAC) provide a snapshot of regional and global Open Educational Resources (OER)initiatives. This committee has been active since 2017 with membership renewed biannually. The ambassadors work to further OER awareness and understanding, to increase global recognition of OER, and provide policy support for the acceptance and application of OER. This overview highlights national and regional initiatives associated with the UNESCO OER recommendation and the five action areas that include: building capacity and leveraging OER; developing supporting policies; ensuring equity and effectiveness; encouraging sustainable OER model development; and, promoting and facilitating international collaboration. In addition, monitoring and evaluation of the action areas are suggested to be prioritized. This overview is not exhaustive, and much work remains to implement the OER Recommendation at scale, maximize its implementation, connect these recommendations to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), along with the futures of education with a new social contract for education, individuals, and the planet.

In terms of scale, shock, and disenfranchisement, the disruption to formal education arising from COVID-19 has been unprecedented. Anecdotally, responses from teachers and educators around the world range from heightened caution to being inspired by distance education as the "new normal." Of all the challenges, face-to-face and formal teaching have been most heavily affected. Despite some education systems demonstrating resilience, a major challenge is sustaining quality and inclusiveness in formal education suddenly delivered at a distance. In probing these issues, this article profiles international perspectives on the role of open education in responding to the impact on formal school and higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We proceed by highlighting and analysing practices and case studies from 13 countries representing all global regions, identifying and discussing the challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves. Reports cover the period from the beginning of 2020 until 11 March 2021, the first anniversary of the COVID-19 outbreak as declared by the World Health Organization. In our comparative study, we identify seven key aspects of which three (missing infrastructure and sharing OER, open education and access to OER, and urgent need for professional development and training for teachers) are directly related to open education at a distance. After comparing examples of existing practice, we make recommendations and offer insights into how open education strategies can lead to interventions that are effective and innovative--to improve formal education at a distance in schools and universities in the future.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been associated with decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety in the general population, but more consistent evidence is needed in the university population. Purpose: Investigate the association between physical activity and depressive and anxiety symptoms in undergraduates. Methods: 100 university students (23 ± 4 years, 47% female) were included in this cross-sectional study. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to investigate the association between the main variables. Results: The physical activity (MET/min/week) had a significant association with depressive (F(2, 97) = 15.104, p < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.222) and anxiety symptoms (F(2, 97) = 11.853 p < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.180), explaining these outcomes in approximately 22% and 18%, respectively. Moderate or vigorous physical activity did not have an association with depressive (B = -0.10, t = -0.700, p = 0.486) or anxiety symptoms (B = -0.11, t = 0.725, p = 0.470). Discussion: Individuals with high levels of physical activity have lower depressive and anxiety symptoms than individuals with lower levels of PA. Translation to Health Education Practice: Increasing the level of physical activity may be a viable strategy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in university students. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed social isolation measures, which impacted the child population, especially regarding physical and mental health aspects. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sedentary behavior, cardiorespiratory fitness, immunoglobulin -A secretion, and anxiety symptoms in 267 children aged 6-11 years, eutrophic or overweight. Methods: Sedentary behavior was evaluated by the time of exposure to screens. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 6-minute run/walk test and immunoglobulin-A by salivary samples. Anxiety symptoms were reported by the SCAS-version for parents. Results: It was observed that after a period of confinement, overweight in children had a negative impact on cardiorespiratory performance and sedentary behavior. Differences were also observed in the concentration and secretion rate of SIgA in the overweight group compared to the normal weight group. Discussion: The return to face-to-face classes brought a high proportion of overweight students, who showed lower aerobic performance. Considering sedentary behavior, all groups presented values greater than 2 hours of daily exposure to screens. Translation to Health Education Practice: Special attention is needed from health professionals and teachers in relation to reducing sedentary behavior and improving cardiorespiratory fitness in schoolchildren.

Musical abilities, both in the pitch and temporal dimension, have been shown to be positively associated with phonological awareness and reading abilities in both children and adults. There is increasing evidence that the relationship between music and language relies primarily on the temporal dimension, including both meter and rhythm. It remains unclear to what extent skill level in these temporal aspects of music may uniquely contribute to the prediction of reading outcomes. A longitudinal design was used to test a group-administered musical sequence transcription task (MSTT). This task was designed to preferentially engage sequence processing skills while controlling for fine-grained pitch discrimination and rhythm in terms of temporal grouping. Forty-five children, native speakers of Portuguese (M[subscript age] = 7.4 years), completed the MSTT and a cognitive-linguistic protocol that included visual and auditory working memory tasks, as well as phonological awareness and reading tasks in second grade. Participants then completed reading assessments in third and fifth grades. Longitudinal regression models showed that MSTT and phonological awareness had comparable power to predict reading. The MSTT showed an overall classification accuracy for identifying low-achievement readers in Grades 2, 3, and 5 that was analogous to a comprehensive model including core predictors of reading disability. In addition, MSTT was the variable with the highest loading and the most discriminatory indicator of a phonological factor. These findings carry implications for the role of temporal sequence processing in contributing to the relationship between music and language and the potential use of MSTT as a language-independent, time- and cost-effective tool for the early identification of children at risk of reading disability.

An earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder might lead to an earlier intervention, yet knowledge and awareness of autism spectrum disorder in Latin America and Caribbean Countries are limited. A later autism spectrum disorder diagnosis has been associated with negative consequences, as it might imply later access to services. This study aims to identify factors associated with the age of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as reported by 2520 caregivers of autistic children from six Latin America and Caribbean Countries. Results indicate that on average, caregivers were concerned about their child's development by 22 months of age; however, the diagnosis was 24 months later. Current age of autistic individuals, better language abilities, and having public health coverage increased the age of diagnosis. On the contrary, the presence of medical comorbidities, severity level, and type of diagnosis decreased the age of diagnosis. The age of diagnosis of autistic individuals in Latin America and Caribbean Countries corresponded to the start of formal schooling despite a much earlier age of first noticed developmental concern, highlighting the need to reduce this age gap and increase children's probability of benefiting from early intervention. Taken together, autism spectrum disorder personal/clinical characteristics and access to health service are the main determinants for the age of diagnosis.

This is a composite article which brings together the international perspectives of the editorial board of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on the field of adventure education and outdoor learning (AE/OL). Building on the AE/OL profession's response to the impacts of COVID-19 on outdoor and environmental education in 2020, this article includes authors from 10 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Wales. The statements discuss the impacts and opportunities of AI for the AE/OL professions, researchers, the nature of being in and with the outdoors, and Indigenous knowledges. The intention of this article is not to present a definitive summary of the state of the profession, but to provide examples of the ways in which diverse people are responding to the challenges and opportunities of AI. By sharing these views, and identifying some commonalities, we hope that AE/OL educators, practitioners, researchers and managers can creatively and cautiously seize the opportunities of this technological revolution.

Many studies highlight the importance of socio-emotional aspects in professional communities of practice (CoP). This study aims to understand how these aspects are articulated with the professional content. An online professional CoP has been subjected to analysis by following a sequential exploratory mixed-methods inductive model combining the analysis of forum contents and in-depth interviews. The results define the concept of 'agreeable dialogue zones' as a strip of conversation in which the search for a friendly and safe environment; professional self-demand; comfort; personal thematic preferences; and the demands of each topic in a written environment are balanced.

A growing number of doctoral students work during their Ph.D., which is commonly associated with higher risks of dropout. This paper investigates whether the sector of employment (public or private) is also a predictor of student outcomes in Ph.D. programs. Using a dataset on doctorate students in Brazil, the association of employment with the likelihood of graduation and dropout is estimated using a logistic regression and an event history analysis. The results indicate that students employed exclusively in the public sector during the program are approximately 80% more likely to graduate than those working only for private organizations.

The Multimedia Research Laboratory, inserted in the Federal University of Ceará has the Multimedia Mathematics Education Group, in which they study the mathematics teaching with the methodological contribution of the Fedathi sequence (FS). In one of the study meetings, the members raised the issue of how a class in the light of the FS could be, which would address mathematical proof. To this end, the mathematical object used to illustrate the answer to this question was the ordering in the set of rational numbers, aiming at the didactic session in the mathematics undergraduate course. Thus, this research aimed to develop a model of mathematical proof approach based on the FS methodological proposal, attempting to solve the issue raised. To make this work possible, the FS research methodology was used, with a qualitative bias. Regarding the results, it was possible to develop the model with the purpose of performing mathematical proof using the FS as a teaching methodology, considering that this way of mediating knowledge is not a transmission of content, but rather, a way of providing learning.

This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the literature on sports nutrition as recovery published between 1964 and 2022. This study illustrates the structure and trends in sports nutrition publications by using scientific mapping and analyzing publication performance. This study identified the contributions of authors, journals, countries, and widely cited articles. While there was no massive expansion in the first year of publication, the results show that high growth emerged in the 2010s. Several countries have made significant contributions to recovery research in sports nutrition. European countries account for the majority of publications on this subject. Latin American and Asian countries are also keeping an eye on the study's growth. Another finding is that various multidisciplinary publishers publish articles about sports nutrition. The International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, on the other hand, is the journal that publishes the most articles. Burke L.M. has established himself as a prolific writer in this field, producing many documents and total citations. Several keywords have large nodes associated with their frequency of occurrence. The keyword relationship provides information about the relationship between keywords frequently appearing in one study. Visualizations of research trends are presented to provide an up-to-date reference guide for academics, revealing critical research gaps and potential research avenues for future studies to advance the discipline's consolidation.

Purpose: To determine the acute response of lactate supplementation on athletic performance. Method: Fifteen athletes under the age of 15 performed the following 4 sessions in a nonrandomized order: (1) familiarization, (2) control, (3) participants ingested calcium lactate (21.5 mg·kg−1 body mass), and (4) participants ingested a placebo (PLA, calcium carbonate, 21.5 mg·kg−1 body mass). The capsules were randomly offered and consumed 60 minutes before the physical tests. To assess the physical performance, the athletes executed squat jump, countermovement squat jump, 20-m linear sprint, change of direction test, and running anaerobic sprint test. Results: There were no significant differences between conditions for squat jump, countermovement jump, change of direction, and minimum power obtained in the running anaerobic sprint test (P >.05). Conversely, we observed a worse performance (P <.05) in the 20-m linear sprint test in the PLA and lactate conditions compared with control (P <.05). The lactate condition worsened performance during running anaerobic sprint test for peak power, mean power, and fatigue index compared with control and PLA (P <.05). Conclusions: Calcium lactate supplementation worsened repetitive running sprint ability and 20-m sprint performance. However, lactate supplementation does not affect jump or agility capacity. Therefore, calcium lactate supplementation seems to be an ineffective strategy to improve anaerobic and neuromuscular performance in soccer players 15 years of age or less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade different instruments were developed to empirically test the TPACK theoretical framework. The TPACK for Meaningful Learning survey was the first survey to obtain statistical validation for all seven predicted constructs. In the present work we used a version of the TPACK for Meaningful Learning survey adapted and validated in the Portuguese language to investigate the TPACK perceptions of Brazilian biology teachers, their interrelationships and relations with demographic variables. Results indicate a strong positive correlation between the constructs that hold the technology component. Path analysis corroborated the hypothesis that TK influences TPK and TCK, and that these two constructs directly influence TPACK. Evidence showed that the variables "age" and "years of service" influence teachers' perceptions, especially the constructs that hold the technology component. Results obtained in the present study are discussed considering the empirical results obtained in other countries using the TPACK for Meaningful Learning survey. Taken together, our research findings contribute to foster professional development strategies for teachers that aim at the integration of technologies in teaching.

In the light of the connectivism theory, the objective was to analyze the perception of use and satisfaction of accounting students about Edpuzzle, a digital video application. This tool was employed in four accounting courses using the cell phones of 92 students. A questionnaire was administered on-site and was structured in two parts. The first contained questions about the respondent's profile, and the second about the use and satisfaction with Edpuzzle. The results indicated that students liked to use Edpuzzle and felt satisfied, especially those under 21 years old. We also noticed significant correlations among the questions. For example, the positive association between interactivity and appropriateness of use of the Edpuzzle stands out. It is concluded, therefore, that the results corroborate the connectivism theory, which sustains that knowledge must suffer updates as the environment changes and that sharing is crucial for the creation of networks that feed each other. Edpuzzle helps in this regard.

Introduction: Overcoming misinformation is essential considering stigma and discrimination in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This report presents the preliminary results of a health education strategy based on the massive open online course (MOOC) on Zero Discrimination in Brazil. Methods: Case study describing the development of the MOOC and its validation using the Delphi technique. Pre- and posttests were administered. People who enrolled from October 2021 to March 2022 were included in the study. Results and discussion: MOOC was made available free of charge for mobile phones, tablets, and desktops and included a 90-hr study certificate. Over 6 months, there were n = 665 people enrolled from different regions, mainly from the health field or working in the public health system. The completion rate of people included in the study (26.62%; n = 177) was above the average for other MOOCs. Conclusions: Initial results are promising but demand more extensive monitoring.

In this article, we present how educational resources for zoology designed by undergraduate students help to propose means of action for teaching diversity and animal evolution in basic education. We realised that activities of creation and analysis of educational resources, in the context of didactic planning, have the potential to approximate epistemic and pedagogical dimensions of evolutionary thinking. These dimensions are relevant to the design of teaching-learning sequences, since they allow pre-teachers to cross the subject-object border and to appropriate cultural tools necessary for their professional activity. We argue about the development of evolutionary thinking, meaning, among other things, tree-thinking as a mediating tool in socio-scientific decision-making and the teaching-learning problems of the coexistence of antagonistic paradigms in biological classification. Our results emphasise that phylogeny is a structuring subject in teaching and preservice teacher education, mediating the debate on the nature of science, such as evolutionary inference, hypothesis elaboration, transience in science, and the social role of science for the conservation of biodiversity.

This study is a follow-up to the analysis of an inquiry-based learning activity applied to students in a public university in Brazil. We advocate that an effective education in immunology must incorporate elements that are essential to research in the area, such as generating and analysing data. These elements would empower students to apply science reasoning to face professional challenges. Our protocol included two of these elements: experimentation and abstraction. The utmost aim was to examine the production of argument by groups engaged in three different activities: 1) performing experiments and analysing the data generated; 2) reading papers on the subject (activation of complement) prior to the activities in (1), and 3) reading papers on the subject and analysing data generated by others. Our analysis reveals that guided scientific paper presentation was more influential than performing an experiment in terms of production of complex arguments. Additionally, we found that some groups merely described the data rather than relating the obtained data to the original question that led to the experiments. The findings described herein show the importance of engaging students in procedures that actually generate knowledge and thus incorporate scientific reasoning and discourse in higher immunology education.

Student engagement research in university students has been scarce, despite its major positive role on performance, degree completion and mental health. Social and emotional competencies, which are currently called twenty-first-century skills, exert some impact on student engagement in youth. Since engagement is cultural-sensitive, individual (social and emotional competencies) and cross-cultural (human developmental index and unemployment rate) characteristics were examined in association with student engagement in youth. This study included 2,092 participants from nine countries/regions, aged between 17 and 27 years (M = 21.52, SD = 2.27), mostly cisgender woman (n = 1,035, 68.7%) and undergraduate (n = 1,401, 96.2%). Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey that included the Student Engagement Scale, the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire, and the prosocial behaviour/resources subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multilevel-models showed that social and emotional competencies were relevant predictors of student engagement independently of the country-level variables. Moreover, student engagement varied with country/region human development and unemployment rate, with students from higher developed countries/regions and lowered unemployment reporting lower engagement. This study reinforces the need to implement evidence-based social and emotional learning programmes in universities worldwide, as well as public policies that can influence engagement and protect youth.

This study captures student perceptions of the effectiveness of remote learning and assessment in two associated engineering disciplines, mechanical and industrial, during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-national study. A structured questionnaire with 24 items on a 5-point Likert scale was used. Parallel and exploratory factor analyses identified three primary subscales. The links between student perceptions and assessment outcomes were also studied. There was a clear preference for face-to-face teaching, with the highest for laboratories. Remote live lectures were preferred over recorded. Although students found the switch to remote learning helpful, group work and communication were highlighted as concern areas. Mean scores on subscales indicate a low preference for remote learning (2.23), modest delivery effectiveness (3.05) and effective digital delivery tools (3.61). Gender effects were found significant on all subscales, along with significant interactions with university and year-group. Preference for remote delivery of design-based modules was significantly higher than others.

Rubrics are popular tools to assess students' social-emotional skills. However, little research has been devoted to investigating whether rubrics' performance level descriptions validly represent the intended skills. In this study, we addressed the validity of Self-management rubrics by examining the presence of construct-irrelevant variance in their scores. To this end, we decomposed rubrics into single items, and those indicating low versus high levels of a construct were used to compute an acquiescence index to control for response sets. The sample consisted of 947 middle-school students (54% female; M[subscript age] = 13.8; SD = 0.89). This innovative methodological approach allowed us to correct rubrics' scores for acquiescence and demonstrate its biasing effects on rubrics' structural psychometric properties. After correction, reliabilities were preserved, and the underlying factor structure was more unidimensional. The opportunities and implications of the use of decomposed rubrics for the process of rubric development are broadly discussed.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss how trade union leaders deal with the implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The study is circumscribed to the Brazilian automotive sector and came from a human-centric (Industry 5.0) concern related to issues such as organisational learning, knowledge, innovation and workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies in two truck plants related to union participation during new product and process implementation based on Industry 4.0. Semi-structured interviews with union leaders from both plants were conducted to determine the subtle similarities and differences between the two polar types. Findings: The findings pointed out that human resources and workplace learning must be reviewed to prepare workers to face I4.0. Four themes are explored: modernisation origins; negotiation process; workers' concerns; and results and lessons learned. The findings highlight concerns about employees and job loss; replacement of workers by technological devices; workplace learning and the trade union perspective; and influence of the country's economic situation on I4.0 implementation in social systems dependent on worker tacit knowledge. Originality/value: This paper presents labour union leaders' perspectives related to the impact of I4.0 and contributes to a better understanding of industry-worker workplace learning.

This paper reports pedagogical experiences and educational techniques in the field of Mechanics of Structures (Mechanical Engineering degree), resorting to computational tools. Several aspects are addressed, covering CAD (Computer-Aided Design) modelling systems to CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) solutions, in terms of analysis and validation of mechanical resistance calculations. Therefore, structural mechanics fundamental concepts and mechanics of materials are also addressed. Particular focus is given on the development of curricula components related to Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing. Doing so, three-dimensional structural modelling is applied to study the behaviour in selected simple case-studies where an external load is applied and the corresponding deflections are evaluated. Then, analytical and numerical analyses are performed and compared. During classes, patent aversion to solve analytical problems was clearly observed on the part of the students once calculus knowledge was required. The typical trend in engineering students, skipping the manual analytical methodology to solve a problem in order to go straight to numerical simulations via commercial Finite Element (FE) codes, was observed. The main focus of this work is, therefore, to determine the pedagogical effects of allying the analytical procedures and virtual simulators. It was possible to confirm the beneficial aspects of such methodology, considering that the regular engineering student has already a scientific basis on calculus and analytical process. Such knowledge will support mechanical project decisions, from model development to the analysis, and a sounding background to perform criticism of the results provided by the software.

Problem-based learning (PBL) approaches are well-accepted and disseminated and have been intensively employed in several engineering programs. This article aims to present a teaching experience in which PBL was applied in one course of a mechanical engineering graduation program. The PBL approach applied is described step-by-step as well as the goals and constraints related to Computer-Aided Design, Engineering and Manufacturing (CAD/CAE/CAM) technologies employed in this particular case. The evaluation process is described, as well as the quantitative results, and also the results obtained from questionnaires answered by the students at the end of the PBL experience. Additionally, the team's technical success in solving the proposed CAD/CAE/CAM problems was also taken into account. This PBL approach provided the students with the required autonomy to develop their argumentative skills within the team, defending their ideas, and at the same time, promoting self-criticism and ethical and impartial judgment among the other team members.

The last forty years have seen significant growth in the area of research in science education in Brazil. Faced with the volume of academic output, studies that present a descriptive character are necessary. However, "states of knowledge surveys" are still rarely found in the field of science education. In this context, the objective of the research presented in this article was to identify and describe the main characteristics and tendencies of Brazilian research on education in science museums, considering dissertations and thesis that address the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in non-formal education spaces, as research problems. A mixed methods approach of qualitative and quantitative research was used, and a documentary analysis was carried out. Thirteen studies that focused on ICT in science museums were mapped, drawn from 11 dissertations and 2 theses that were produced in Brazil over a period of 25 years from 1991-2015. This is a theme that is not well explored nationally. In the paper we seek to contribute to the discussion with a view to listing possibilities for the development of new practices and investigations.

The continuous advances in mass spectrometry techniques have pushed forward the frontiers of all branches of the isotope biogeochemistry field. In environmental studies, different isotope ratios as determined in different reservoirs offer the opportunity, for example, to identify pollution sources and to trace metal fluxes within the trophic web and in dietary studies. Despite its relevance, trace metal isotope biogeochemistry is infrequently taught in undergraduate courses because it demands a rather high level of complexity of teaching strategies and abstraction capacity from students. Additionally, available didactic material for introducing mixing source modeling with stable isotopes relevant to biogeochemistry is scarce. In this context, the present study applies a visually appealing didactic strategy based on the analogy between colors (analog domain) and isotopic compositions (target domain), in order to encourage and assist the teaching-learning processes of this new subject in environmental science and chemistry classes. We demonstrate how familiar and simple concepts can be applied for introducing challenging subjects. In a setting that restricts in-person academic activities such as during a pandemic, the development of appealing visual approaches is imperative to engage students during online classes. The didactic strategy proposed herein was put to the test during remotely taught classes on the topic of "Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology" (winter 2021, 18 students) and "Environmental Contamination" (summer 2020, 18 students, and winter 2021, 20 students) of the Postgraduate Program in Geochemistry at the Fluminense Federal University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Students' feedback was very positive; they found our approach stimulating, and it helped them to better visualize, understand, and interpret the targeted learning outcomes.

According to literature, usability and user satisfaction directly influence learning achievement. However, few studies address those elements in MOOCs (massive open online courses). Relevant questions such as "Are drop-out rates similar between SPOCs (small private open courses) and MOOCs?" and "Are there significant usability and satisfaction differences between both formats?" may help improve initiatives and dissemination policies regarding open knowledge. This study aims to upgrade guidelines for the conversion of SPOCs into MOOCs, by exploring usability and satisfaction in both formats. A quantitative research based on a questionnaire was designed, and the validated SUSE (Satisfaction and Usability of Software in Education) instrument was applied to 7 courses of each type, with the same contents, and 5,192 students. The results revealed validity and reliability, with higher satisfaction scores on the open platform. Genders, regions of residence, and age groups also provided interesting findings: students are predominantly male, young, and from diverse geographic locations. Women, the younger, and residents of economically disadvantaged regions evaluated their experiences more positively. Both formats present significantly lower dropout rates (47.50% in MOOCs and 36.94% in SPOCs) and higher completion rates (52.50% in MOOCs and 63.06% in SPOCs) compared to those generally observed in free enrollment courses.

This article looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students, focusing on Portuguese-speaking African and Brazilian students during the lockdown of spring 2020. Using evidence from interviews conducted with 27 students domiciled in Portugal, we illustrate some of the challenges faced by students when coping with the pandemic, including difficulties in meeting the cost of tertiary education and the centrality of working to sustain their stays abroad, alongside the emotional impact of prolonged domestic confinement and separation from families. We also consider the paradoxes of online teaching, which have made visible the digital gap between local and international Global South students in the context of their stays. In this sense, pre-existing inequalities are more at the centre of students' concerns than new issues raised by COVID-19, a pandemic that served to reveal former injustice in the context of global capitalism. In our conclusion, we argue that there is a need for greater recognition of the vulnerabilities facing certain African and Brazilian students at Global North universities in the context of contemporary neo-liberalism, including their dependence upon precarious work. Policy responses include the need for a more serious involvement and responsibility by both home and host higher education institutions in the lives of their students abroad.

Background: Social distancing used as a measure to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, led to a series of changes in eating behavior, including food craving. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate food craving and its associated factors among women and men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online questionnaire was conducted, containing data about food craving and possible associated factors. Results 1363 individuals were included in the survey. Food craving was shown in 46.0% of the respondents. Among women, increased or reduced weight, working/studying during the pandemic without changes, increased snacking, worsened sleep quality, uncontrolled eating were some factors associated with food craving. For men, some factors associated were having a morning snack, living with parents, reduced sleep hours, and emotional eating. Discussion: Factors associated with food craving varied between men and women, being more present among women. These differences can be related to hormonal differences, way of working, daily tasks, and food preferences. Translation to Health Education Practice: Our findings may be used to develop guidelines for maintaining healthy eating habits in pandemic situations. In addition, the study showcases the need for health educators to consider the qualitative and quantitative aspects of nutrition, which can interfere with increased food cravings.

The present research aims to analyze the publications related to astronomy education that discusses the interface between formal education (FE) and non-FE (NFE) at scientific events and a journal in the Brazilian context. These events were the National Symposium on Astronomy Education, the National Meeting on Research in Science Education (ENPEC), and the National Symposium on Physics Teaching. We also analyzed the journal "Latin American Journal of Astronomy Education" (RELEA). The objective was to understand how the approach between FE and NFE in the teaching of astronomy is constructed. The delimitation of the analyses covering the period 2001-2014 coincided with the constitution of Area 46 by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), which regulates postgraduate programs in Brazil. In a theoretical-methodological aspect, the ideas of content analysis proposed by Bardin (2011) were adopted. Among the results, we observed that few studies dealt with the relationship between FE and NFE; however, almost half of them occurred in institutions commonly classified as FE (i.e.,schools), and the actions were mediated by teachers. Among the main activities, we highlight the observations the sky, guided tours, and play activities, with more than 60% of the activities going through three moments proposed by Allard et al. (1994): Before, during, and after the accomplishment of the activity in a non-formal space. The results found in this research can foster reflections about teacher training courses since more and more NFE spaces are present in teaching-learning processes, but little has been done to associate FE and NFE in teaching practice. We discuss what difficulties are faced by teachers to approach FE and NFE.

The global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) disrupted both public and private life for many. Concerning medical students, practical teaching and classrooms were substituted with a virtual curriculum. However, how this new academic environment has affected students' health and lifestyles has yet to be studied. In this study, we surveyed 2,776 students from nine different countries about changes in their university curricula and potential alterations in their daily habits, physical health, and psychological status. We found negative changes across all countries studied, in multiple categories. We found that 99% of respondents indicated changes in their instruction delivery system, with 90% stating a transition to online education, and 93% stating a reduction or suspension of their practical activities. On average, students spent 8.7 hours a day in front of a screen, with significant differences among countries. Students reported worsened studying, sleeping, and eating habits with substantial differences in Latin American countries. Finally, the participants frequently expressed onset and increase in both mental and physical health symptoms: backache, asthenopia, irritability, and emotional instability. Altogether, these results suggest a potential risk in the health and academic performance of future doctors if these new academic modalities are maintained.

The objective of this study is based on the sense of rethinking the representation of the black population within history textbooks. The research was carried out in a public school in the countryside of the municipality of Dormentes (Pernambuco State, Brazil) through the application of questionnaires. The way a black person is represented within the Global, Brazilian and General History was analyzed under a social and interactionist vision of learning and auto reflection. It is necessary to review the concepts and recreate new ideologies within the textbooks to present the black figure. Otherwise, the pre-conceived ideas of the ugly, rude and dirty man will remain. In a country with about 50.7% of the population that declares itself to be black, it is at least strange not to notice the prejudiced interpretations of the black image in school books, denoting a serious problem of social representation and marginalization of Afro-Brazilian culture, in this way. This work becomes fundamental for those who believe in education as an instrument of emancipation of the human being.

Many people from generation Z are at the beginning of their academic activities. This generation has peculiar characteristics that might be a challenge in the labor market. Thus, instructors have a great role in their preparation. However, professors might face difficulties dealing with their specific characteristics. The research aims to carry out a general survey to enable an understanding of the greater challenges and difficulties in teaching the subject of engineering to the students of Generation Z. The research method used was a case study at a University with 20 instructors from the Faculty of Engineering. The analysis revealed a great challenge in relating theoretical concepts with practical concepts. The research also showed a probable tendency of using more exhibition methods, and the low knowledge about generation Z by most instructors. This study seeks to contribute to the teaching-learning process of engineering.

The importance of interdisciplinarity in the teaching-learning process has been much debated. This topic has challenged schoolteachers, who do not always manage to integrate interdisciplinarity into the school routine. This paper emerged from the discipline Research Methodology taught at the postgraduate course in education of Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro. During this course, we sought to gain knowledge about the academic production related to interdisciplinarity in the teaching-learning process, mainly in terms of teacher training and teaching practice, published in dissertations and theses. We explored contents published from 2011 to 2016 in Brazil. The covered period was based on a search for recent productions on the proposed theme, conducted by using the database of the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. Analyses of the documents pointed to the need to work interdisciplinarity during teacher training courses and to adopt an interdisciplinary posture in daily teaching practice in schools. These practices should help to overcome compartmentalization of the teaching-learning process and to provide students with a global view of the world.

The coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) is a key pest in coffee-producing regions in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of machine learning algorithms to identify coffee leaf miner infestation by considering the assessment period and Sentinel-2 satellite images generated on the Google Earth Engine platform. Coffee leaf miner infestation in the field was measured monthly from 2019 to 2023. Images were selected from the Sentinel-2 satellite to determine 13 vegetative indices. The selection of images and calculations of the vegetation indices were carried out using the Google Earth Engine platform. A database was generated with information on coffee leaf miner infestation, vegetation indices, and assessment times. The database was separated into training data and testing data. Nine machine learning algorithms were used, including Linear Discriminant Analysis, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, k-nearest neighbors, and Logistic Regression, and a principal component analysis was conducted for each algorithm. After optimizing the hyperparameters, the testing data were used to validate the model. The best model to estimate miner infestation was RF, which had an accuracy of 0.86, a kappa index of 0.64, and a precision of 0.87. The developed models were capable of monitoring coffee leaf miner infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, engineering students show little interest in the activities inherent in statistics subjects. This claim may be partly explained by the competition with other subjects in the first years of undergraduate courses, or by student perceived low attractiveness of the classes. In this context, several studies indicated that methodologies where the student is the protagonist of the learning process lead to greater engagement during the activities and better scores in the assessments. This work describes the use of active learning methodologies in an introductory probability and statistics course for Engineering classes at a Brazilian public institution. Two classes were monitored during one term: in the first one (control class) traditional lectures were used, in the second one (experimental class) three different active methodologies were applied, namely: Jigsaw, Peer Instruction and Think-Pair-Share. On the one hand, the results indicated slightly better performances in the experimental class, as well as an increase in attendance. On the other hand, dropout rates were similar in both classes. This study is part of a renewal proposal of the mathematics subjects, based on the use of active learning methodologies and the review of curricular content to meet current pedagogical demands.

Purpose: This study assesses the effects of junior enterprises (JEs) on the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of engineering higher education students, compared to a group of social sciences students. Design/methodology/approach: This research analyses a sample of 132 students enrolled in engineering higher education courses in Portugal and Brazil, while 83 of the respondents being involved in a JE and 49 not. The authors compare this group to another group of 176 social sciences students from several higher education courses, while 93 being enrolled in JE and 83 not. Findings: The results show that students enrolled in JEs show higher levels of entrepreneurial intention (EI), as well as their antecedents such as attitude towards the behaviour (ATB), perceived behavioural control (PBC) and social norms (SN), and the impact of this extracurricular activity is higher on engineering students than on social sciences students. Also, country and gender differences were found in some variables. Research limitations/implications: Further studies are needed to confirm the results in a broader population and in other countries. Also, the study addressed attitudes and intentions but not actual behaviour due to the time lag problem. There is also the risk of self-reported bias on the answers due to social desirability bias, for example. Finally, because JEs have their own recruitment process, there is a possible "self-selection problem" of students who might have previously developed some of entrepreneurial attitudes and skills assessed by the questionnaire. Practical implications: The results have important implications for engineering higher education institutions. Despite many of them provide entrepreneurship training courses, they should also encourage students to join extracurricular activities or even create their own at their institution to complement their skills' development. Also, teachers should be encouraged to integrate these activities into their subjects, avoiding a major barrier to the participation in extracurricular activities which is the students' time constraints. Finally, participation in extracurricular activities can be promoted by institutions in many ways, such as allowing students to obtain academic credits or through supporting financially or logistically the organisations that promote these activities. Social implications: This study contributes to the discussion on how to promote the development of entrepreneurial competences in young people that soon will enter the labour market. Originality/value: This study contributes to the discussions on the value of extracurricular activities, such as the enrolment in JEs, to the development of entrepreneurial attitudes and intention on the training of the next generation of engineers capable of facing future worlds' challenges.

This article analyzes the results of an inquiry into Latin American university community members' perceptions about regulatory processes and asymmetries of information, as influential factors in the governance of Latin American universities. It does so, by examining the national laws in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. Previous studies in this continent have not considered these aspects and perspectives. Our research found significant differences between countries in terms of the Board of Directors' capacity to act and the control mechanisms they can employ--which can be interpreted as national differences in the availability of their resources and their regulatory capacities. On the level of asymmetry of information, there are differences between countries, which depend on the position of the university members in their institutions. Thus, regulation and information are important factors when it comes to the governance of Latin American universities, and can explain its' diversity.