Acompanha: Mapas conceituais no ensino de ciências: uma proposta para a aprendizagem significativa de conceitos científicos nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar as contribuições do uso dos Mapas Conceituais como ferramenta potencializadora da Aprendizagem Significativa no ensino de ciências, para os anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, especificamente em uma turma de 5° ano de uma escola municipal da cidade de Ponta Grossa - PR. Para de alcançar tal objetivo, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa, com enfoque qualitativo de cunho interpretativo, junto a 30 alunos dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, durante o primeiro semestre de 2016, totalizando 30 horas/aula. Para isso propôs-se o trabalho com abordagem sobre mapas conceituais e aplicaram-se atividades pedagógicas com enfoque no tema Energia, de modo a analisar o percurso de aprendizagem. Como aporte teórico para a pesquisa, foram estudados David Ausubel e Joseph Novak sobre a Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa e Mapas Conceituais, bem como pesquisadores referentes ao Ensino de Ciências e a perspectiva da Alfabetização Científica e Tecnológica. Considerando o quadro teórico estabelecido, a pesquisa de campo desenvolveu-se em duas etapas: primeiramente aplicaram-se atividades de familiarização com mapas conceituais, de modo que ao longo de 10 horas/aula os alunos pudessem conhecer os elementos constitutivos desse recurso representacional. Na segunda etapa da pesquisa elaborou-se um roteiro de atividades didático-pedagógicas, em torno do tema gerador Energia. Nessa etapa aplicou-se uma sequência de atividades pedagógicas sobre a temática, e durante o processo de ensino aprendizagem, sistematizou-se e registraram-se o percurso de aprendizagem por meio da construção de mapas conceituais. Os mapas conceituais elaborados pelos alunos durante a aplicação da segunda etapa de pesquisa compuseram a análise da aprendizagem à luz das ideias de Novak. Com base na interpretação dos dados, identificou-se a ocorrência da aprendizagem significativa em relação aos conceitos científicos estudados, com ampliação do conhecimento e sua relação com a sociedade, aspectos evidenciados na alfabetização científica. Deste modo, foi possível inferir que para o contexto estudado os mapas conceituais foram um recurso potencialmente facilitador da aprendizagem significativa, dada à sua característica de representatividade da estrutura cognitiva dos alunos durante o processo de aprendizagem. Como produto educacional oriundo deste estudo, apresenta-se como material complementar um caderno de estratégias pedagógicas para professores, resultado das análises e registros do percurso de ensinoaprendizagem vivenciados nessa pesquisa. / This current study aimed to analyze the contributions of the use of concept maps as a potential tool for the Meaningful Learning in science teaching, for the initial years of elementary school, specifically in a class of 5th grade in a municipal school of the city of Ponta Grossa, in Paraná state. To achieve the aim, was developed a qualitative research of investigative nature with 30 students from the initial years of elementary school, in the beginning of 2016, totalizing 30 hours / class. For this, was offered an approach on conceptual maps and was applied pedagogical activities with focus on the theme Energy, in order to analyze the learning course. As theoretical contribution for the research, David Ausubel and Joseph Novak were studied on Theory of Meaningful Learning and Conceptual Maps, as well as researchers related to Science Teaching and a perspective of Scientific and Technological Literacy. Whereas the established theoretical framework, a field research was developed in two phases: first, it was applied familiarization activities with conceptual maps in 10 hours / class, where the students could know the constituent elements of representational resource. In the second stage of the research, was elaborated a script of didactic-pedagogical activities, on the generator theme Energy. In this stage, was offered an instructional approach of the theme during the teaching-learning process. The learning was systematized and registered through the construction of conceptual maps. The conceptual maps were elaborated by the students during an application of the second stage of the research composed the analysis of learning in the light of Novak's ideas. Based on the interpretation of the data, it was identified the occurrence of meaningful learning of the concepts scientific studied, with an increase in the understanding and knowledge and its relationship with the society, evidenced in scientific literacy. Thus, was possible to infer that, for the context studied, conceptual maps were a potential facilitator of meaningful learning, given its characteristic of representing the cognitive structure of the students during the learning process. As an educational product from this study, it was presented in a pedagogy strategic notebook for teachers, results of the analysis and process of teaching-learning in this research.

This project examined the need for continuing education for teachers, particularly in the area of technology integration. It includes an exploration of the interdependence of technology and pedagogy. It developed an on-line extended community of practice to support professional educators attempting to implement Inspiration®, a commercial software application. The project presents a research-based justification for employing cognitive mapping strategies in a wide variety of pedagogical contexts, provides a dynamic list of examples demonstrating concrete applications which are connected to content and technology standards, and examines current design features for websites.

The objective of the technology assessment (TA) process is to understand problematic and undesirable consequences from the development and application of technology. TA advocates for the engagement of technology experts and stakeholders to understand the effects of technology. However, TA is often criticized that the decision-making process is not transparent - leaving stakeholders wondering if their contributions were heard. Furthermore, the methods have limited capability for conducting tradeoff analysis between the organizational objectives and conflicting stakeholder perspectives that can result in unintended consequences. Finally, these methods are static making it difficult to update and reassess decision alternatives when new information about issues becomes available. This dissertation research addresses these problems by developing a new technology assessment methodology using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (Fuzzy Cognitive TA - FCTA). This novel approach supports both stages of the process: capturing expert and stakeholder perspectives in cognitive maps, and then using FCM for assessment and decision-making. The methodology shows how experts and stakeholders perceive the value or harm of a technology alternative, which stakeholders share the same perspectives, and how these perspectives change over time. The methodology also shows the degree to which expert and stakeholder perspectives are in support or in conflict with the organizational objectives to help avoid the direct and indirect consequences associated with the decision. Finally, the methodology shows how new or changing perspectives by experts and stakeholders affect the outcome of the decision to improve system knowledge. The research applies the FCTA methodology with a real-world Environmental Impact Study conducted by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). BPA is a U.S. federal agency that provides about a third of the electric power and 75 percent of the high-voltage electric transmission in the Pacific Northwest.