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- Algorithmic Thinking in Early Childhood Education: Opportunities and Supports in the Portuguese ContextPublication . Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Rego, Belmiro; Alves, Valter; Duarte, Rui PedroALGO-LITTLE is an EU-funded project, with partners from Portugal, Italy, Turkey and Slovenia, in search of ways to integrate Algorithmic Thinking skills into preschool education for the purpose of growing future code literates starting from the earliest ages. Algorithmic Thinking stems from the concept of an algorithm, which refers to solving a problem by developing a set of steps taken in a sequence to achieve the desired outcome (Katai, 2014). The concept can be traced to the work of Papert (1980, 1991) and is connected to the seminal article by Wing (2006) that introduced Computational Thinking. Barretal (2011) concluded that in K-12, Algorithmic Thinking involves problem-solving skills and particular dispositions, such as confidence and persistence when confronting particular problems. Early Childhood Education algorithmic skills include abilities to learn and work according to the rules or models since children are capable to understand, use, apply and develop simple algorithms. Children are also capable of analyzing and correcting the sequence of actions to reach results, transferring known methods of actions to new situations, and describing their activities to others in a clear way (Voronina et al., 2016; Games for learning algorithmic thinking, 2017). The paper analyses initiatives, studies, and projects that are connected to Algorithmic Thinking in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. A review of literature was developed, starting with curricular documents for Preschool Education (3 to 6 years old) and other documents from the ICT Educational Policy in the country. The second step was a search in databases for studies and projects that looked into Algorithmic Thinking and Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. The analyses looked into the following themes: a) what definition and elements of Algorithmic Thinking are present?, b) to which concepts and curricular areas is it connected to?, c) what is expected that children in Early Childhood Education learn in relation to Algorithmic Thinking?, d) to what pedagogical elements is Algorithmic Thinking related to?. In terms of curricular documents, it was found that code has been relevant for Portuguese Early Childhood Education (at least) since 1997. In their first edition, the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education (Ministério da Educação, 1997) included computer code as one of the codes children should get acquainted with. This meant its inclusion under the domain “Spoken Language and Introductory Writing”. It was stated that “code” was present and would be necessary in children’s lives and could be used in arts, music, mathematic, or writing (Portuguese) (p. 72). This approach was positively singled out by the OECD report: addressing the topic of ICT in the guidelines interconnected with other forms of communication and information learning (Taguma et al., 2012). In 2016, the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education (PCGPSE) were reviewed and this second version amplifies the mentions to technology. The findings include an analysis for each of the six curricular areas and domains. In terms of studies and projects, the “Kids Media Lab Project II” stood out as the only systematic initiative for promoting Computational Thinking in Preschool Education (Pinto, Fernandes & Osório, 2021). In the findings, the main elements of the project are discussed.
- Digital Narratives: Sceneries to Promote Science Education in Primary SchoolPublication . Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Ramos, Filipa; Formoso, CarlaThis paper discusses the potential of digital narratives for science education during the early years of schooling. We present two case studies developed in formal learning settings in two primary schools. Children of nine -ten years old were challenged to develop games and multimedia stories about science curricular topics, using several free software applications. We intended to take advantage of the entire technological capacity placed in Portuguese schools by the e.escolinha initiative which aimed to provide a low-cost laptop, the Magellan computer, to all primary school children. Findings indicate that working with low-cost technology and free software can generate educational benefits. Developing digital narratives engaged the children in processes of negotiating and collaboration. Digital narratives can be a good context to promote the construction of knowledge in science education.
- Do Pensamento Computacional à Computação Criativa: trajetórias na formação contínua de professoresPublication . Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Rego, Belmiro; Rito, P. N.Desenvolver o Pensamento Computacional nos primeiros anos de escolaridade é essencial num mundo cada vez mais tecnológico. A formação de professores é um fator crítico para o desenvolvimento de contextos significativos de exploração do Pensamento Computacional e da Computação Criativa. O projeto Smart City Kids Lab (SCKL), integrou uma oficina de formação de pro-fessores, que apoiou o desenvolvimento de propostas de alunos do 1.º CEB para tornar a sua cidade mais inteligente, utilizando a programação e a robótica. A qua-lidade dos produtos criados pelos alunos e a avaliação positiva dos professores par-ticipantes confirmam a pertinência do desenvolvimento deste tipo de projetos.
- A avaliação e certificação de manuais escolares em Portugal: um contributo para a excelênciaPublication . Rego, Belmiro; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Balula, João PauloO século XXI tem trazido à sociedade, em geral, e à Escola, em particular, cada vez mais e maiores desafios. Entre estes desafios, destacam-se os que correspondem à necessidade de assegurar a qualidade do sistema educativo, quando os recursos económicos se tornam escassos, o público é cada vez mais heterogéneo e em que há um aumento das expectativas relativamente ao contributo da Escola para o desenvolvimento da sociedade. A necessidade de dar resposta à educação para todos acentuou as responsabilidades dos políticos, dos professores e dos investigadores relativamente à garantia de um sistema orientado para a excelência. Uma das áreas que pode contribuir significativamente para alcançar a excelência é a da concepção e da produção de recursos didácticos, que tem assumido uma importância cada vez maior. Do conjunto dos recursos didácticos, pretendemos destacar os manuais escolares que têm assumido um papel tão importante quanto polémico. Simultaneamente, tem havido uma descentralização de parte da responsabilidade relativa à sua avaliação com vista a garantir a qualidade. A última fase do alargamento da responsabilidade sobre a produção dos manuais escolares consistiu na acreditação de entidades avaliadoras e certificadoras de manuais escolares que dêem garantias de poderem proceder à realização de um trabalho que visa assegurar, antes de chegarem às mãos dos professores e dos alunos, a qualidade científica e pedagógica desses recursos, a conformidade com o currículo nacional e com os programas ou orientações curriculares em vigor e ainda garantir que constituem um instrumento adequado de apoio ao ensino e aprendizagem, bem como à promoção do sucesso educativo. Nesta comunicação, pretendemos apresentar uma reflexão sobre o quadro legal que regulamenta este processo, com base nos dados relativos ao envolvimento de uma entidade avaliadora e certificadora de manuais escolares no processo de avaliação e certificação de manuais, no final de 2009 e princípio de 2010. Pretendemos também apresentar um primeiro balanço desta experiência, com base na análise e interpretação dos dados relativos à primeira fase da actividade da entidade certificadora. Estes dados apontam para um impacto muito positivo do processo de avaliação e certificação na melhoria da qualidade dos manuais. Abstract. The twenty-first century has brought about more frequent and larger challenges to society in general, and specifically to Schooling. The most predominant challenges are the necessity to assure the quality of an educational system when economical resources have become scarce, when the system has become more heterogeneous and when expectations regarding School’s contribution to the development of society have increased. The need to provide education for all has highlighted politicians, teachers and researchers’ responsibilities in guaranteeing a system steered towards excellence. One of the fields which can significantly contribute to achieving excellence is the conception and production of didactic resources, as they have gained considerable importance. Among the number of didactic resources, textbooks will be featured, playing both an important role as well as a controversial one. Simultaneously, there has been a decentralization of the responsibility of its evaluation in guaranteeing quality. The last step in extending responsibility in the production of textbooks consists of the accreditation of evaluating and certifying entities of textbooks, guaranteeing scientific and pedagogical quality that it is in compliance with the syllabus or guidelines in force, and guaranteeing that they are an adequate tool for education and learning support, as well as promoting educational success before reaching both students and teachers. This communication aims to present a reflection of the legal framework that regulates this procedure, supported by the data of an evaluating and certifying entity of textbooks which was involved in this process from the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. Moreover, it intends to illustrate the first outcome of this experience supported by the data analysis and interpretation of the first phase of the procedure. The data indicates a very positive impact of the evaluation and certification process on improving the quality of the textbooks.
- Smart City Kids Lab: Creative Computing in Primary SchoolPublication . Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Rego, Belmiro; Sousa, Barbara; Loureiro, Manuela; Rocha, PedroIn recent years there is a growing interest in including programming activities in education, emphasizing the importance of children developing computer thinking since early ages. Block-based programming environments scaffold children to explore and learn programming in an easier way. In this paper we present a project supported by a theoretical framework that mobilizes constructionism, the maker movement, tinkering, and project-based learning, and a practical framework based on workshops with primary teachers. Primary school children developed computational thinking and creative computing skills, while they design and present ideas to turn their city a smart city. Results show the quality of the products developed using programming and robots and the impact that this approach can have in authentic learning.
- Play, Algorithmic Thinking and Early Childhood Education: Challenges in the Portuguese ContextPublication . Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Alves, Valter; Duarte; Rego, BelmiroALGOLITTLE is an EU-funded project, with partners from Portugal, Italy, Turkey, and Slovenia, supporting the integration of algorithmic thinking skills into preschool education for preparing future code literates from an early age. The paper presents the project and frames it in Portuguese Early Childhood Education. First, in terms of curricular areas and pedagogical approach, through a content analysis of the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Preschool Education. Second, by analyzing initiatives and projects that are connected to algorithmic thinking in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. Third, by presenting challenges that emerged from a set of discussions with several participants, highlighting the complexity and timeliness of the project.
- NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION AND SOCIETY - BOOK OF ABSTRACTSPublication . Pacheco Figueiredo, Maria; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Śniatała, PawełNew technologies, like artificial intelligence and virtual collaborative environments, are in our daily lives and are becoming part of the fabric of human interactions and thought processes. They are powerful tools to improve our well-being and development that also challenge and create risks to our known processes and ways of being in the world. In Education, and in other areas, several projects, initiatives, research and general use offer material for critical analysis and planning of future avenues. As in other complex challenges, networked discussions, learning from each other and creating community is an important part of the solutions to be charted. Partners in the European University for Customised Education (EUNICE) have combined efforts to organise the event Seminar New Technologies in Education and Society (NTES), allowing deep discussions based on real and/or research-based uses and cases across different countries and contexts. This 3-day seminar, featuring plenary sessions, discussions, and poster sessions, will dive into the exploration and discourse surrounding new technologies in education and society. The plenary sessions will showcase new technologies utilized in education, while also serving broader social needs. Attendees will gain insight into the innovative concept of the EUNICE Virtual Lab, explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and blended real/virtual teaching approaches. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to experience the virtual world first-hand through the use of VR headsets. This seminar aligns with the EUNICE4U project, which aims to develop a shared system of support for pedagogical innovation. One of the primary goals of EUNICE activities is to improve student learning through continuous pedagogical innovation, including effective integration of learning technologies, interdisciplinary teaching methodologies, and challenge-based learning approaches. EUNICE strives to harness the potential of immersive learning, particularly through virtual collaborative environments, as a promising method for delivering distance academic programmes.
- Curriculum –Releasing Maths Anxiety with the Use of RoboticsPublication . Konaklı, Tuğba; Koç, Yusuf; Arı, Arzu; Arslan, Hasan; Daniela, Linda; Helmane, Ineta; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Figueiredo, Maria; Menezes, Luís; Operto, Fiorella; Pedemonte, Gianluca; Şenol, Gizem
- VIAS | ViseuInterAgeStories: o património como pretexto e contexto no desenvolvimento de práticas intergeracionais e de inclusão socialPublication . Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; Rodrigues, Dalila; Araújo, Lia; Mendes, Cristiana; Figueiredo, Maria PachecoUm contributo muito importante para a qualidade de vida numa idade mais avançada é a participação em atividades comunitárias e de interação social, que ganham expressão e intensidade quando se concretizam entre diferentes gerações. As práticas integeracionais permitem o reforço da solidariedade e a coesão social em crianças e idosos. O património de uma cidade, integrando locais de referência, memória e reminiscências de várias gerações de habitantes, afirma-se como contexto natural e facilitador de encontro intergeracional. Por outro lado, reconhecem-se e valorizam-se as oportunidades que a ubiquidade e transparência das tecnologias oferecem no sentido de alargar e expandir as formas de experienciar, viver e apropriar os espaços e ambientes urbanos. O projeto VIAS | ViseuInterAgeStories pretende desenvolver uma aplicação para dispositivos móveis, que desafie crianças e seniores a criar e partilhar histórias da sua cidade, promovendo práticas de interação colaborativa entre diferentes gerações, aprofundando o sentido de pertença à sua cidade. A partir de uma teia de locais de valor patrimonial, cultural e natural, do centro histórico da cidade de Viseu, as crianças e os seniores são convidadas, enquanto passeiam e interagem com esses locais, a construir as suas histórias sobre e nesses locais, através de uma app. A sobreposição de camadas multigeracionais, em formato multimédia, nesta teia de valor patrimonial, permite a construção colaborativa de significado e (re)significado dos lugares, afirmando um maior sentido identitário da cidade. Este trabalho apresenta e discute resultados de várias oficinas desenvolvidas no âmbito do projeto VIAS, em contextos não formais, com crianças, de idades entre os 8 e 12 anos, e com seniores, com mais de 65 anos de idade. Numa abordagem metodológica participativa, convocaram-se estes atores para explorar os locais do centro urbano de Viseu com maior significado para os próprios. A partir deste mapeamento foi possível começar a construir colaborativamente, e em interação entre gerações, narrativas sobre vários locais da cidade. As memórias e significados sobre o património desbloquearam práticas intergeracionais onde crianças e seniores se sentiram úteis, ensinando uns aos outros e aprendendo uns com os outros
- Curso – Integração de Competências de Pensamento Algorítmico na Educação Pré-EscolarPublication . Gencel, İlke Evin; Akyüz, Büşra; Kavaklı, Nurdan; Licardo, Marta; Perše, Tina Vršnik; Pezak, Jasminka; Figueiredo, Maria Pacheco; Amante, Susana; Gomes, Helena Margarida dos Santos Vasconcelos; Rego, Belmiro; Gomes, Cristina Azevedo; P. Duarte, Rui; Alves, Valter; Operto, Fiorella; Gilardi, Luca; Şenol, Gizem
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