Vania Baldi and Lídia Oliveira are the only portuguese authors publishing in the book “L’avenir de Terre-Patrie. Cheminer avec Edgar Morin.” under the direction of Alfredo Pena-Vega, with Prefaces from António Guterres, Audrey Azoulay and Josep Borrell Fontelles.

This book looks back on one of Edgar Morin’s flagship concepts, “Terre-patrie”, originally published in 1993. Thirty years later, scientists, writers, intellectuals and politicians from many countries, brought together at the initiative of sociologist Alfredo Pena-Vega, illustrate its strength and relevance. What do the Earth and the terrestrials face today and what will they face tomorrow, in 2050? A stimulating, offbeat and sometimes funny exercise – when anticipation becomes science fiction – this book sheds light on the visionary scope of the thought of Edgar Morin, who never ceases to remind people that the future is not just pure uncertainty and that we can fully anticipate the better to face it.

Oliveira, L. (2021). L’itinérance sur le chemin des cygnes noirs – le défi éducatif du XXI siècle. In A. Pena-Vega, L’avenir de Terre-Patrie. Cheminer avec Edgar Morin (pp. 252-262). France: Actes Sud.

Baldi, V. (2021). Écologiser et connecter les connaissances. Décoloniser le système éducatif de la logique du capitalisme. In A. Pena-Vega, L’avenir de Terre-Patrie. Cheminer avec Edgar Morin (pp. 354-360). France: Actes Sud.

For more information on the book HERE

For more information on the articles, please contact the authors.

The book chapter “Vernacular Epistemology and Participatory Practices as Alternatives to the Institutionalisation of Homo Educandus” by Vania Baldi (DigiMedia member) was published in the book Arts, Sustainability and Education. Yearbook of the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education (ENO), edited by Ernst Wagner, Charlotte Svendler Nielsen, Luísa Veloso, Anniina Suominen and Nevelina Pachova.

Citation:

Baldi V. (2021) Vernacular Epistemology and Participatory Practices as Alternatives to the Institutionalisation of Homo Educandus. In: Wagner E., Svendler Nielsen C., Veloso L., Suominen A., Pachova N. (eds) Arts, Sustainability and Education. Yearbook of the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education (ENO). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3452-9_15

Abstract:

The article starts by analysing the origin and institutionalisation of the first education systems, based on the figure of the Homo educandus, a historical and cultural construct that conceives individuals as needy beings, unable to autonomously understand and learn about the things they need and how to address them. A figure that emerged in Europe five centuries ago, the Homo educandus is the cradle of the current normative and performative structure that frames the role and aims of training systems. Conceived as places where to transmit operational skills and notions that are profitable for the labour market and entrepreneurship, the pedagogical approaches that sustain and feed these systems are based on curricula that offer a cultural ethos based on competition, the standardised assessment of performances, the meritocratic ideology and the reduction of knowledge to something functional and suited to the training of specialised obedients. In contrast to these government devices present in the sphere of training, research that has encouraged diverse ways of interpreting, sharing and producing knowledge in different social and geopolitical contexts is presented. Exploring those knowledges and cultural practices based on rescuing vernacular and participatory learning processes, a new epistemological approach is highlighted, a (self-)reflexive and heterodox one in relation to the dominant approach, and welcomes new pedagogical experiences and sensitivities.

More information available HERE

Cláudia Ortet (DigiMedia PhD student) was the only Portuguese and academic to present at EuroVelo, which is considered the most important conference on cyclotourism worldwide. From October 6th to 8th, Barcelona hosted the CICLOBCN21, which includes three cyclotourism conferences: EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2021, XVIII Iberian Congress of the Bicycle and the City and 7th International Bicycle Conference.

Cláudia – researcher of the SEDUCE 2.0 project (http://www.seduce.pt) and student of the doctoral program in Information and Communication in Digital Platforms – presented, on October 6th, “A Reflection on the Evaluation of Gamified Cyclotourism Strategies for Active and Healthy Ageing” at the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2021, which was included in the thematic axis of Infrastructure, Innovation and Digitalization. This communication was a joint presentation of the two papers submitted and accepted, being based on the research that she will develop during her PhD thesis.

CICLOBCN21 was the stage for several international representatives and sponsors of the cyclotourism sector (governmental and public institutions, federations, travel agencies, service providers), with special emphasis on EuroVelo and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). The conference also had parallel events, with Cláudia participating in the technical visit of the Catalan Art Noveau route in the Eixample district, which allowed to know – by pedaling – the main buildings of modernism, the urban plan of Ildefons Cerdà, the courtyards hidden within the city blocks and the main cycle paths in the center of Barcelona.

The purpose of joining these conferences was to defend the role of the bicycle and reaffirm the commitment of institutions and the community to promoting its use. For more information visit https://ciclobcn21.cat.

The article “The Current Status of Online Resources from the Portuguese Health System for Childbirth Education” by Carla V. Leite (DigiMedia PhD student) and Ana Margarida Almeida (DigiMedia member) was published in the  2021 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI)

Citation:

C. V. Leite and A. Margarida Almeida, “The Current Status of Online Resources from the Portuguese Health System for Childbirth Education,” 2021 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI), 2021, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.23919/CISTI52073.2021.9476461.

Abstract: In order to build knowledge and to make informed-decisions regarding childbirth, women need to gather information. Online resources can play a relevant role to its access, and health professionals can recommend, support and endorse it. The aim of this study is to understand the current state of e-health services for childbirth education provided by the Portuguese Health System. The data was collected from five portals: a) Portuguese National Patient Portal; b) Academia project website; c) Portuguese Health System website; d) Digital Library in Health Literacy; e) SNS24. Results show that childbirth topics are scarce or inexistent on those platforms. Only one document was found related to Pregnancy, with four pages regarding Childbirth, which were analysed according to the topics coverage, organisation, approach, and visual presentation. The results show that there is room for novel initiatives on e-health to promote childbirth education in Portugal.

More information available HERE

The article “Tangible Interfaces and Augmented Reality in a Nutrition Serious Game for Kids” by Pedro Reisinho (DigiMedia PhD student), Cátia Silva (DigiMedia PhD student), Mário Vairinhos (DigiMedia member),  Ana Patrícia Oliveira (DigiMedia member), Pedro Cardoso (DigiMedia member), Nelson Zagalo (DigiMedia member)  was published in the 2021 IEEE 9th International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health(SeGAH).

Citation:

P. Reisinho, C. Silva, M. Vairinhos, A. P. Oliveira and N. Zagalo, “Tangible Interfaces and Augmented Reality in a Nutrition Serious Game for Kids,” 2021 IEEE 9th International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health(SeGAH), 2021, pp. 1-8, doi: 10.1109/SEGAH52098.2021.9551852.

Abstract: In this paper we present and discuss the potentialities of using augmented reality and tangible interfaces to enhance kids’ cooking skills within a serious nutrition hybrid board game, grounded in the research proj ect “FlavourGame”. The research project is developing a serious game for kids aged 10–12 years old to generate discussion and sense-making around nutrition, more specifically everyday choices of nourishment and food. The main aim is to develop a game design model for hybrid games, making use of digital and physical interactions with fictional worlds to create engaging experiences. In this article, we unravel the creative and technological processes inherent to combining the analog with the digital without disrupting the game’s flow, as well as the benefits of simulating the recipes’ culinary processes through augmented reality. Additionally, we describe the evaluation process of the prototype that connects the game board to the mobile application and presents the augmented reality challenge to the player. Lastly, we present an analysis of the data collected during the evaluation sessions, showing the good receptivity of participants regarding the use of augmented reality to simulate food and kitchen equipment, and learn and improve their culinary skills.

More information available HERE

The article “Defining the Mechanisms for Engagement Design Protocol Towards the Development of Analogue and Hybrid Serious Games: Learning from FlavourGame” by Micael Sousa (CITTA- UC), Ana Patrícia Oliveira (DigiMedia member), Pedro Cardoso (DigiMedia member), Nelson Zagalo (DigiMedia member) and Mário Vairinhos (DigiMedia member) was published in the book series Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS).

Citation:

Sousa M., Oliveira A.P., Cardoso P., Zagalo N., Vairinhos M. (2021) Defining the Mechanisms for Engagement Design Protocol Towards the Development of Analogue and Hybrid Serious Games: Learning from FlavourGame. In: Fletcher B., Ma M., Göbel S., Baalsrud Hauge J., Marsh T. (eds) Serious Games. JCSG 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 12945. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88272-3_3

Abstract: There are no perfect recipes to develop a game, even less for creating an effective serious game. Nevertheless, it is crucial to employ methods and protocols to that ensure certain criteria and goals are met during their development. For that intention, we propose the Mechanics for Engagement Design Protocol (MEDP), a procedure that emerges from the need to consider the mechanisms explored through the Design, Play and Experience (DPE) framework’s dimensions to meet a serious game’s goals, while considering the player profiles according to the Engagement Model. This protocol was implemented and tested during the development of FlavourGame (FG), a serious game that aims to promote discussion and awareness about nutrition for children. The exploration and testing process also allowed to support the MEDP for other serious game projects, as well as to consider the state of the art of current analogue and hybrid games related to food, the theme of FG.

Keywords: Game mechanics; Mechanisms; Engagement design; Serious games; Hybrid games 

More information available HERE

Francisco Regalado (DigiMedia PhD Student) and Sónia Machado are the members of the Seduce 2.0 project team that won awards for their dissertations.

On June 30, and after the evaluation of more than twenty applications, RUTIS – Senior Universities Network and PSE – Statistical Products and Services (a company specializing in Data Science and Advanced Research) presented the RUTIS/PSE 2021 Academic Award – Active Aging, aimed at higher-level research (Masters and PhDs) on active aging and senior universities.

Francisco Regalado was the winner of the award with his dissertation, entitled “Gamifying News for the miOne Online Community” and had the opportunity to present his work live, within the Online Event “Data in Investigation”.

The 2nd honorary prize was awarded to Sónia Machado, with her dissertation entitled “Co-designing a UX Toolkit for Senior Online Communities: The Case of the miOne Online Community”.

These two awardees are part of the SEDUCE 2.0 project, whose main objectives are to assess the impact of psychosocial variables and Online Sociability of senior citizens through the use of Information and Communication Technologies and to contribute to the growing development of the miOne community with the participation of senior citizens.