Metaphors we’re colonised by? The case of data-driven educational technologies in Brazil

ABSTRACT

This article discusses issues concerning the spread of data-driven educational technologies in Brazil. Here, as elsewhere, educational technology continues to be promoted optimistically as the bearer of a panacea for historically-rooted social problems. Whilst some of these technologies have indeed contributed to important widening-participation programmes in the last two decades, widespread advocacy of technological ‘solutionism’, reflected in gradually stronger policy demands for efficiencies to be improved through ‘innovation’, has supported a relentless marketisation of the country’s educational systems. As transnational corporations position themselves to take control of key areas of these systems, threatening to restructure the whole sector, data-driven educational technologies provide the latest example in a series of ‘new’ ideas offered in an ever-expanding market. Based on the notion of ‘conceptual metaphors’, which encapsulate specific ways of perceiving, thinking and relating with the world, this article examines key metaphors underpinning discourses surrounding data-driven educational technologies in Brazil. In particular, the article analyses ways in which these specific metaphors may be promoting perspectives that ignore difference and obscure broader questions concerning education, thus contributing to the reproduction of previously existing problems and supporting new forms of colonisation.     

Connecting languages: the use of the portfolio as a means of exploring and overcoming frontiers within the curriculum

The Linguistic European Policy stresses the importance of linguistic diversity and encourages students to learn several languages, believing that the more languages we know, the better we can understand each other and preserve our languages. To preserve diversity and to value all the languages (either included in the curriculum or not) is a first step to develop a plurilingual and intercultural competence in the classroom as a means of overcoming frontiers between languages and between people. A second step is to work with teachers and to value what they know by helping them to find new and innovative answers to meet these professional challenges. Thus, this paper describes the work within a project for professional development of a group of in‐service language teachers. The teacher education programme suggests a portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach that promotes plurilingualism. We will analyse the teachers' starting point and their willingness to work within an innovative and challenging approach. The analysed data include a questionnaire prior to the starting of the programme and three written reflections at the end of the programme concerning professional development, new concepts, teaching approach and working habits. The conclusions indicate that the teachers were not familiar with either the concept of plurilingualism or the portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach. Nevertheless, they clearly show their willingness to try a new approach in their teaching practice.

La politique linguistique européenne défend l'importance de la diversité linguistique et encourage l'apprentissage de diverses langues, en croyant que la maîtrise de plusieurs langues augmente la capacité de comprendre les autres et de préserver nos propres langues. Préserver et valoriser toutes les langues (présentes, ou pas, dans le curriculum scolaire) est le début du développement de la compétence plurilingue et interculturelle. Ceci constitue un moyen de dépasser les barrières entre des langues et des peuples différents. Un deuxième pas est le travail avec les enseignants, en valorisant leurs connaissances et en les aidant à découvrir de nouvelles réponses, capables de faire face aux défis de la gestion de la diversité. Cet article décrit le travail mené au sein d'un programme de formation continue destiné à un groupe d'enseignants de langues. Ce programme de formation se construit autour d'une approche plurilingue où le portfolio est le concept‐clé. Le texte présente l'analyse du point de départ des enseignants, en explicitant leurs prédispositions à travailler d'une autre façon. Les données analysées incluent les réponses à un questionnaire antérieur au programme de formation et trois réflexions écrites à la fin de ce même programme à propos du développement professionnel (nouveaux concepts, nouvelle approche, nouvelles habitudes). Les résultats montrent que les enseignants n'étaient familiarisés ni avec le concept de plurilinguisme ni avec l'utilisation du portfolio. Toutefois, les enseignants révèlent le désir d'essayer une nouvelle approche dans leurs pratiques d'enseignement.

La política lingüística europea defiende la importancia de la diversidad lingüística y alienta a aprender varios idiomas, en la convicción de que cuantos más idiomas sabemos, mejor podemos entendernos y preservar nuestros idiomas. Preservar y valorar todas las lenguas (estén o no presentes en el currículum) es un primer paso para desarrollar una capacidad plurilingüe e intercultural en clase, que se convierte en un medio de superar las barreras entre idiomas y entre pueblos. Un segundo paso es trabajar con profesores, valorando lo que saben y ayudándolos a descubrir nuevas e innovadoras respuestas para su desarrollo profesional en momentos de cambios. Este escrito describe el trabajo llevado a cabo en el marco de un proyecto para el desarrollo profesional de un grupo de profesores en un instituto, a partir de un programa de formación sobre enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Analizaremos el punto de partida de su camino y la predisposición para trabajar un abordaje innovador y desafiante del currículum. Los datos analizados incluyen las respuestas a un cuestionario anterior al programa de formación y tres reflexiones escritas en el término de ese programa, sobre desarrollo profesional, nuevos conceptos y hábitos de trabajo. Las conclusiones indican que los profesores no estaban familiarizados ni con el concepto de plurilingüismo ni con la enseñanza y aprentisage de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Sin embargo, evidencian predisposición para intentar nuevos abordajes en sus practicas profesionales.

Die Europäische Sprachenpolitik legt grossen Wert auf die linguistische Vielfalt. Eine der Prioritäten ist demnach, Schüler zum Erlernen mehrerer Fremdsprachen zu motivieren. Diese Idee basiert auf der Grundlage, dass das Erlernen mehrerer Sprachen nicht nur eine bessere Verständigung zwischen Kulturen ermöglicht, sondern auch die eigene Sprache und Kultur erhält. Die linguistische Vielfalt zu erhalten und grossen Wert auf alle Sprachen zu legen (im Lehrplan beinhaltet oder nicht) stellt einen ersten Schritt dar, eine mehrsprachige und interkulturelle Kompetenz im Klassenzimmer zu entwickeln, zur Überwindung von Grenzen zwischen Sprachen und Leuten. Ein zweiter Schritt ist die Arbeit mit Lehrern, in der deren Vorkenntnisse wichtig genommen werden und ihnen damit geholfen werden soll, neue Antworten für die entsprechenden beruflichen Herausforderungen auszuarbeiten. In diesem Vortrag soll die Zusammenarbeit mit einer Lehrergruppe im Rahmen einer beruflichen Weiterbildung beschrieben werden. Das Lehrerausbildungsprogramm schlägt ein portfolio‐orientiertes Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vor, das Sprachenvielfalt fördert. Es soll analysiert werden, aus welchen Ausgangspunkten die Lehrer kommen und welche Bereitschaft sie zu einer innovativen Unterrichtspraxis zeigen. Die analysierten Daten, ein Fragebogen vor Programmbeginn und drei schriftliche Reflexionen am Ende des Programms, beziehen sich auf professionelle Entwicklung neuer Konzepte, Unterrichtspraxis und Arbeitsmitte. Die Schluβfolgerungen zeigen, dass die Lehrer weder mit dem Konzept der Mehrsprachigkeit noch mit dem portfolio‐orientierten Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vertraut waren. Andererseits deuten sie auf eine Bereitwilligkeit von Seiten der Lehrer, eine neue Herangehensweise ihre Unterrichtspraxis zu erproben.     

Exercise but not metformin improves health-related quality of life and mood states in older adults with type 2 diabetes

The aim of this cohort study is to analyse the effect of three types of treatment: (i) exercise training with multicomponent exercise (E); (ii) pharmacologic treatment with oral hypoglycaemic drug – metformin (M); and (iii) a combined therapy – exercise and metformin (E?+?M) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mood states in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with comorbidity in an early stage of the disease. Participants (n?=?284) underwent 1 of the following 3 conditions: (i) E (n?=?59) trained three times/week; (ii) M (n?=?30) used 850?mg of metformin twice daily; and (iii) E?+?M (n?=?195) combined exercise and metformin. Furthermore, participants completed baseline and 2-year follow-up evaluations including a Shortform Health Survey 36, Profile of Mood States – Short-form, the health history questionnaires, anthropometric, and blood biochemistry. E and E?+?M revealed improved mood states, with large effect size on the vigour domain, and moderate effect size in the anger and total mood disturbance (TMD) domains (P?<?0.05), in comparison with the M group. After 24 months’ intervention, the E and E?+?M groups perceived better physical and mental HRQoL than the M group. The M group unchanged HRQoL domains (P?>?0.05). Metformin had no significant effect on the self-referred HRQoL in T2D participants aged above 60 years, in an early stage of the disease. The E and E?+?M were the most effective long-term therapies to improve mood states and HRQoL in older adults with T2D.     

Mirroring the Media: The Relationship Between Media Consumption,Media Internalization,and Profile Picture Characteristics on Facebook

Social cognitive theory suggests that stereotypes of attractiveness from mainstream media may function as models for online profile pictures. The present study explores the relationship between media consumption, internalization, and body-ism, clothing, and gaze through a content analysis of the Facebook profile pictures of 288 students, and a survey to assess their media consumption and internalization. The relationship between magazine exposure and pictures was mediated by internalization: magazine readers who internalized media ideals were more likely to select pictures showing their body in revealing clothing. Television viewing had a direct effect on picture selection, but was not mediated by internalization.     

Nothing to Fear? An Analysis of College Students' Fear Experiences With Video Games

This study presents the results of a survey of 269 undergraduate students conducted to examine fright experiences caused by video games. Over half of the participants reported game-induced fear. Sex, sensation-seeking, and empathy all emerged as important individual differences in terms of enjoyment of frightening content, consumption of frightening content, and frequency of fright experience. Interactivity and presentations of realism also predicted fear. This work identifies titles, stimuli, and features that caused fright experience.     

Understanding the Internet banking adoption: A unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and perceived risk application

Understanding the main determinants of Internet banking adoption is important for banks and users; our understanding of the role of users’ perceived risk in Internet banking adoption is limited. In response, we develop a conceptual model that combines unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) with perceived risk to explain behaviour intention and usage behaviour of Internet banking. To test the conceptual model we collected data from Portugal (249 valid cases). Our results support some relationships of UTAUT, such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, and also the role of risk as a stronger predictor of intention. To explain usage behaviour of Internet banking the most important factor is behavioural intention to use Internet banking.     

Factors influencing adaptation from university to employment in Portugal and Brazil

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - The career adaptation model helps to explain the process of transitioning from university to employment among college students. This...