Instituto Politécnico de Viseu

Scientific Repository

Welcome to the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu Institutional Repository

The aim of this Repository is to give greater visibility to the scientific production of the academic community of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, by increasing the impact and use through Open Access, ensuring the storage and preservation of all research produced in its organic units and research centres.

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Email repositorio@sc.ipv.pt

Recent Submissions

THE EVOLUTION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A RISKY APPROACH

Publication . Delplancq, Véronique; Costa Lopes, Ana Maria; Pereira, José Manuel de Almeida; Martin, Justine; Casañ Pitarch, Ricardo; Gillain, Romain; Fidalgo, Susana; Mafalda, Carmo

The introduction of active pedagogies into teaching practices is creating renewed motivation and energy for teachers and students alike. These varied pedagogies, marked by a few trends, represent, particularly in higher education (HE), a tremendous opportunity to modernise content and make the learning environment livelier and more open. However, it should be acknowledged that many difficulties have arisen, and many challenges need to be overcome. It is not only a question of selecting suitable active teaching methods, but it is also vital to define strategies that are appropriate to the target audience, the time available, and theskills being pursued to be flexible and responsive enough to reorient learners very quickly, even during class time, and to create activities that are motivating and effective in terms of learning. The impact on assessment is evident. Digital tools play a major role in this new paradigm, but they can also lead to problems in the students' work if they do not identify with the target digital tools. Learning foreign languages (FL) is becoming more communicative and interactive. In this sense, online platforms, mobile applications, and multimedia resources offer tremendous opportunities to develop multiple skills and diversify knowledge influenced by social and professional demands. This research shows the results of studies carried out in recent years with students of the Media Studies degree at the Higher School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal) in FL courses. We will introduce the active teaching methods used, discuss the pedagogical devices, lesson plans and choices made regarding the digital tools used, and list the difficulties encountered by the teachers and the major challenges they had to tackle in order to guarantee and maintain the students’ motivation and commitment throughout the course. Keeping these ideas in mind, the assessment of skills and knowledge also needs to evolve to better guarantee the fulfilment of the learning objectives. In conclusion, the risks created by this deep and extremely rapid evolution are inherent to the extraordinary opportunities to rethink FL learning and test new activities characterised by promoting creativity at the HE level. The key factor lies in the adaptability of all the participants involved in the process, the willingness to move ahead, away from the comfort zone of traditional approaches and to innovate in a reasonable and effective way.

2025-06Text

Open access

Computer vision tools to detect the precursors of tail biting in pigs: first steps towards methodological framework

Publication . Paula, Ana Margarida Gomes Farinha; Oliveira, Jorge; Kasper, Claudia; Nasser, Hassan

Abstract: Tail biting is one of the most significant problems affecting production in terms of animal welfare, productivity, and health. In response, this project presents the application of existing computer vision and machine learning tools to detect the precursors of tail biting in pigs under field conditions. Computer vision systems can facilitate phenotyping to select more stress-resistant pigs and help detect problems at an early stage, both at the individual and group levels. Behavioural changes, such as activity in the pen, frequency of contact between pigs in a group, or handling of objects, can be indicative of the development of tail biting, among other problems. The proposed work curated an animal identification dataset that will support the creation of a reference database for detecting these changes. The data included approximately 1.800 h of video recordings of he daily lives of two groups of 12 fattening pigs, each weighing 100-140 kg, at Agroscope's experimental station in Switzerland. A bibliographical survey of existing computer vision systems for pigs allowed for the selection of the annotation and training tools and the development of an ethogram that was best suited to the project. From the initial set of images, we obtainde a first dat subset of 2,500 images automatically selected using Lightly for annotation. The annotation algorithm chosen was CVAT (Computer Vision Tool), which enabled 280 images to be annotated with bounding bozes and 520 with semi-automatic segmentation using the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for the classes of objects present in each image (ID of each pig, head, tail), location, and additional attributes, such as poses (lying down, standing, or sitting/keeling). The 280 images annoted with bounding bozes were use to train YOLOVv8, achieving and accuracy of 0.93 for the heads and 0.84 for the tail of the pigs. Although we did not achieve the desired accuracy, the results were quite satisfactory, given the number of frames for training. Althoug we could not train the object detection model with the images annoted with the Segment Anything Model within the allocated project time, we expect such an effort to yield better results, as the annotation is more accurate and provides greater amounts of ground truth, hence better accuracy.

2025-05-29Master thesis

Open access

The interplay between body mass index, motivation for food consumption, and noncommunicable diseases in the European population: A cross-sectional study

Publication . Marija Ljubičić; Marijana Matek Sarić; Tamara Sorić; Ana Sarić; Ivo Klarin; Boris Dželalija; Alan Medić; Ivo Dilber; Ivana Rumbak; Jasmina Ranilović; Maria Papageorgiou; Viktória Szűcs; Elena Vittadini; Dace Klava; Lucia Frez Muñoz; Małgorzata Korzeniowska; Monica Tarcea; Ilija Djekić; Maša Černelič Bizjak; Guiné, Raquel; Leonardo Roever

Introduction Consuming unhealthy foods in emotional states can increase body mass index (BMI), contribute to becoming overweight, and lead to the development of chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate the associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption, and health outcomes. Materials and methods “The Motivations for Food Choices” (EATMOT) questionnaire was used to assess the emotional components of food consumption in 9,036 individuals from 12 European countries. The multivariate analysis included linear and logistic regression to examine associations between variables. Results Regression models confirmed associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption (β = 0.13; p < 0.001), obesity (β = 0.35; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (β = 0.04; p < 0.001 for both). Using food as a coping mechanism for stress contributed to an increase in BMI [OR = 1.31 (95% CI 1.14–1.51); p < 0.001]. Emotional consolation was associated with a higher likelihood of an increased BMI [OR = 1.22 (95% CI 1.03–1.44); p = 0.020] and obesity [OR = 1.47 (95% CI 1.06–2.06); p = 0.022]. Participants with obesity had a greater likelihood of developing noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases [OR = 2.18 (95% CI 1.45–3.28); p < 0.001], diabetes mellitus [OR = 2.02 (95% CI 1.31–3.12); p = 0.001], hypercholesterolemia [OR = 1.62 (95% CI 1.13–2.32); p = 0.009], hypertension [OR = 1.85 (95% CI 1.36–2.52); p < 0.001], and gastric disorders [OR = 1.81 (95% CI 1.16–2.85); p = 0.010]. Conclusion These results underscore the need for targeted public health interventions that address emotional eating behaviors and promote healthier coping strategies to mitigate the risk of obesity and related health complications.

2025-05-14Journal article

Open access

Guidelines for the Design of Smartwatch Interfaces for Older Adults

Publication . Mota, Mickael; Duarte, Rui Pedro Monteiro Amaro; Alves, Valter Nelson Noronha

As individuals age, they encounter many difficulties that can hinder their in teraction with interfaces, compromising the user experience and potentially leading to the rejection of technology. Consequently, it is imperative to consider the needs associated with these challenges to design appropriate interfaces for this audience. For this purpose, various studies have proposed guidelines for designing interfaces for several types of devices. However, limited research has been undertaken to ex plore this topic within the context of smartwatches, resulting in a deficit of suitable smartwatch interfaces for older adults despite the potential utility of such devices, which have recently gained popularity as a non-intrusive solution for monitoring activities of daily living or health. This study proposes a set of guidelines for designing smartwatch interfaces for older adults. The guidelines are adapted from existing recommendations originally developed for other devices. To achieve this, a thorough review of age-related chal lenges was conducted, followed by the systematic extraction of 175 design guidelines from the literature. Finally, particular features of smartwatches were identified, followed by a com prehensive analysis of the collected guidelines. This process included preparation, filtering, classification, and synthesis, culminating in 21 proposed design guidelines and their respective profile sheets. A design system was developed to enhance the practical application and understanding of these guidelines, featuring examples of implementation and reusable components that can support future research. This study is intended to serve as a foundation for researchers aiming to create more suitable smartwatch interfaces for older adults.

2025-03-28Master thesis

Open access

Harmonizando Natureza e Hospitalidade: Proposta de um Resort Ecológico na Ilha de São Miguel, Açores

Publication . Teixeira, Jacinta Isabel Martins; Antunes, Joaquim Gonçalves; Ramos, Adriano Augusto Barreto Simões

Este projeto propõe a criação de um Eco Resort na ilha de São Miguel, Açores, com o objetivo de valorizar os recursos naturais e culturais da região e promover o Turismo de Natureza, Turismo Sustentável e o Ecoturismo. Denominado Nature Experiences, este empreendimento será desenvolvido com base nos princípios de sustentabilidade, de acordo com o crescimento do setor turístico, alinhando-se pelos 17 Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS). Esta proposta é apresentada depois de um estudo realizado a potenciais turistas, através da análise de dados de um questionário online, onde se obtiveram 109 respostas. Desta forma, pretendeu-se compreender a viabilidade da proposta e as motivações e preferências dos turistas. Os resultados destacam o forte interesse por iniciativas relacionadas com o contacto com a natureza e com a responsabilidade ambiental. O Eco Resort “Nature Experiences” será desenvolvido com infraestruturas sustentáveis e autossuficientes, atividades que valorizam a conexão com a natureza, preservação ambiental e integração com a comunidade local. Este projeto não apenas contribuirá para o aumento da oferta turística nos Açores, mas também reforça o posicionamento de São Miguel como um destino de eleição em práticas sustentáveis.

2025-04-28Master thesis

Open access