The purpose of this study was to examine the variables that are associated with the percentage of students who pass Tennessee's Gateway exams in high school. Associations were examined between the Gateway exams and variables such as: socioeconomic status, ethnicity, dropout rate, graduation rate, attendance, average daily membership, per-pupil expenditure, teachers' salary, and elementary-school reading scores. Pearson correlations between school characteristics and pass rates of three Gateway exams were calculated. Schools were divided into quartiles based upon socioeconomic status and ethnicity in order to examine pass rates of the Gateway exams among different quartiles. Independent samples t tests were performed to determine if differences were statistically significant. Variables that exhibited strong association with pass rates of Gateway exams were used as predictor variables and pass rates of Gateway exams were used as dependent variables in multivariable linear regressions. The findings indicated that the graduation rate and percentage of Caucasian students were most positively associated with Gateway pass rates. Dropout rates and percentage of students who qualified for free/reduced-priced meals were most negatively associated with Gateway pass rates. It was discovered that the Algebra I Gateway exam was by far the most difficult for students to pass. Almost half of the students in high schools serving poor, minority students failed the Algebra I Gateway exam in 2004.

No description available.

Considerable research has been conducted regarding the usefulness of placement testing in community colleges. Many stuides show that using the COMPASS exam may lead to students' unsuccessful course completion. To better identify the factors that may result in reduced attrition, the relationship between attrition and placement testing was studied. Using Tinto's student retention model and employing qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of students and faculty regarding whether COMPASS placement assessment predicted future student success in first year courses at a community college that reports higher rates of attrition when compared to other area community colleges. After completing interviews with the 10 students, 6 faculty, and 2 administrators, the data indicated that using the COMPASS placement scores did not contribute greatly to attrition. Rather, the findings from the data analysis revealed that work ethic, family obligations, and test stress factored greatly in first-year student attrition. As a possible solution, 3 retention programs identified at comparable institutions address the findings of this study: An Alternative Learning Program, a Summer Bridge Program, and use of peer mentoring. In other sites, use of these retention programs have resulted in a 15% reduction in first-year student attrition. Reducing first year student attrition provides implications for social change. By adopting these retention initiatives, the community college in this study may improve overall first-year student retention, increased funding for the college, and better serve the local community.

Knowledge base systems are brittle when the users of the knowledge base are unfamiliar with its content and structure. Querying a knowledge base requires users to state their questions in precise and complete formal representations that relate the facts in the question with relevant terms and relations in the underlying knowledge base. This requirement places a heavy burden on the users to become deeply familiar with the contents of the knowledge base and prevents novice users to effectively using the knowledge base for problem solving. As a result, the utility of knowledge base systems is often restricted to the developers themselves. The goal of this work is to help users, who may possess little domain expertise, to use unfamiliar knowledge bases for problem solving. Our thesis is that the difficulty in using unfamiliar knowledge bases can be addressed by an approach that funnels natural questions, expressed in English, into formal representations appropriate for automated reasoning. The approach uses a simplified English controlled language, a domain-neutral ontology, a set of mechanisms to handle a handful of well known question types, and a software component, called the Question Mediator, to identify relevant information in the knowledge base for problem solving. With our approach, a knowledge base user can use a variety of unfamiliar knowledge bases by posing their questions with simplified English to retrieve relevant information in the knowledge base for problem solving. We studied the thesis in the context of a system called ASKME. We evaluated ASKME on the task of answering exam questions for college level biology, chemistry, and physics. The evaluation consists of successive experiments to test if ASKME can help novice users employ unfamiliar knowledge bases for problem solving. The initial experiment measures ASKME's level of performance under ideal conditions, where the knowledge base is built and used by the same knowledge engineers. Subsequent experiments measure ASKME's level of performance under increasingly realistic conditions. In the final experiment, we measure ASKME's level of performance under conditions where the knowledge base is independently built by subject matter experts and the users of the knowledge base are a group of novices who are unfamiliar with the knowledge base. Results from the evaluation show that ASKME works well on different knowledge bases and answers a broad range of questions that were posed by novice users in a variety of domains. / text

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-09-10T16:07:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARTA LÚCIA NUNES - DISSERTAÇÃO POSLE 2007..pdf: 6658848 bytes, checksum: ba4aceaaacc007ac7e40aa1e1d647735 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-10T16:07:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARTA LÚCIA NUNES - DISSERTAÇÃO POSLE 2007..pdf: 6658848 bytes, checksum: ba4aceaaacc007ac7e40aa1e1d647735 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-01 / Este estudo sobre o ensino de literatura no nível médio de escolaridade possibilitou verificar que os alunos apresentam dificuldades na aprendizagem da literatura devido a um distanciamento entre as formas de abordagem do texto literário em sala de aula e o que se espera deles, enquanto candidatos a uma vaga na universidade através da avaliação que é feita pelos exames vestibulares. Assim, julgou-se viável e pertinente a utilização de um método de ensino de literatura que privilegiasse o estudo e a análise de textos literários considerando o papel do leitor e o contexto social de produção e uso da literatura, ou seja, o método recepcional, buscando atender às expectativas dos alunos da 3ª série do ensino médio que pretendem concorrer a uma vaga na universidade. Além de analisar algumas questões das provas de literatura dos exames vestibulares das três universidades públicas da Paraíba, este trabalho inclui também uma descrição das atividades referentes ao romance São Bernardo de Graciliano Ramos que constam em cinco manuais de literatura do ensino médio e uma proposta de leitura do referido romance numa perspectiva de leitura comparada com o romance inglês O Morro dos Ventos Uivantes de Emily Brontë. / This study on the literature teaching in the medium level of education made possible to verify that the students present difficulties in the learning of the literature due to an estrangement among the forms of approach of the literary text in classroom and what it is waited of them, while candidates to a vacancy in the university through the evaluation that is done by the selective examinations. Like this, it was considerated viable and pertinent the utilization of a method of literature teaching that privileged the study and the analysis of literary texts considering the reader's role and the social context of production and use of the literature, in other words, the method recepcional, looking for to assist to the students' of the 3rd series of the medium teaching expectations who intend to compete a vacancy in the university. Besides analyzing some questions of the proofs of literature of the selective examinations of the three public universities of Paraíba, this work also includes a description of the activities reffering to Graciliano Ramos’ novel São Bernardo that consist in five manuals of literature of the medium teaching and a proposal of reading of the referred novel in a perspective of compared reading with the English novel Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.

Submitted by Pedro Henrique Bouzada Fraga (pedro.fraga@fgv.br) on 2017-07-17T22:05:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_PEDRO_FRAGA_final.pdf: 2125007 bytes, checksum: 708f686ebc1327ecd59f56f7b9653ac3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2017-07-20T19:17:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_PEDRO_FRAGA_final.pdf: 2125007 bytes, checksum: 708f686ebc1327ecd59f56f7b9653ac3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-27T13:14:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_PEDRO_FRAGA_final.pdf: 2125007 bytes, checksum: 708f686ebc1327ecd59f56f7b9653ac3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-28 / The present study considers to research the incidence field of genders’ barriers in the exams and processes for access to the public service, supposedly planned to confer the equality between the competitors. The empirical study had quali-amount character, involving documental research and the exploration of databases of competitions accomplished in the temporal clipping of 2012 to 2017. The analysis envolved diverse careers of bachelor degree, with the analysis of the differential relation of the genders masculine and feminine in the candidacy, performance in the tests, approval and classification in the public exams and variable interests such as been in a civil union, existence or not of children, age, color/race, among others. The tested hypothesis primordially involved the idea of that the current model of exams adopted in the country, privileges the capacity of memorization and reproduction of the knowledge for the candidates, demanding time of study directed for the contest. Therefore, the traditional role attributed to the woman as the biggest degree of responsibility for the family and the home would cause damages in the tests preparation. The results suggest that the nature of the exams ensues in drawback competitive and access barriers of women, above all when exists conditions of color/race, marriage and, mainly, existence of children. It concludes that in incited competitive environments and with more complexity exams (superior positions of the organizations’ hierarchy), the barriers are revealed proportionally bigger, indicating the occurrence of the so-called glassceiling. / O presente trabalho se propõe a investigar o campo da incidência de barreiras de gênero nos processos de seleção para acesso ao serviço público, supostamente arquitetados para conferir a igualdade entre os concorrentes. O estudo empírico teve caráter quali-quantitativo, envolvendo pesquisa documental e a exploração de bases de dados de concursos realizados entre 2012 e 2017. A análise envolveu diversas carreiras de nível superior, com a análise da relação diferencial dos sexos masculino e feminino na candidatura, desempenho nas provas, aprovação e classificação nos concursos públicos e variáveis de interesse, tais como, estado civil, existência ou não de filhos, idade, cor/raça, entre outros. A hipótese testada envolveu primordialmente a ideia de que o modelo de seleção hodiernamente adotado no país privilegia a capacidade de memorização e reprodução do conhecimento pelos candidatos, demandando tempo de estudo direcionado para o certame. Logo, o papel tradicionalmente atribuído à mulher quanto ao maior grau de responsabilidade pela família e o lar acarretariam em prejuízos na preparação para as provas. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que a natureza da seleção resulta em desvantagens competitivas e barreiras de acesso para as mulheres, sobretudo, quando existentes as condições de cor/raça, matrimônio e, principalmente, existência de filhos. Em ambientes concorrenciais mais acirrados e com provas mais complexas (posições superiores da hierarquia das organizações), as barreiras se mostram proporcionalmente maiores, indicando a ocorrência do chamado glassceiling.

DANTAS, Elza Alves. As letras da lei x as leis das letras: exames de capacidade profissional e a instrução pública na Província do Ceará (1856-1888). 2010. 141 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em História) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de História, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História Social, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by Raul Oliveira (raulcmo@hotmail.com) on 2012-06-25T12:51:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_EADantas.pdf: 2863582 bytes, checksum: c81c2fe2133095c0b7216b6cda64c0c6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-06-25T16:29:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_EADantas.pdf: 2863582 bytes, checksum: c81c2fe2133095c0b7216b6cda64c0c6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-25T16:29:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_EADantas.pdf: 2863582 bytes, checksum: c81c2fe2133095c0b7216b6cda64c0c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / This work investigates, through the exams of Professional Capacity, different subject matters relevant to primary teaching. It has been begun for understanding the primary teaching, the teachers and the ways of the process of selection of the public teaching. It has discussing the construction of the contents as the forms as the teachers expressed themselves in their exams. It has pointed the problems out of the writing of the History in the XIX century, the teaching in your relation with sphere of moral and religion, and the punishment of the school. / As letras da lei x a lei das letras: Exames de Capacidade Profissional e a Instrução Pública na Província do Ceará (1856-1888). Este trabalho investiga, a partir dos exames de Capacidade Profissional, diversas temáticas pertinentes ao ensino primário. Iniciando por compreender o próprio ensino primário, seus mestres bem como os meandros do processo de seleção do magistério público. Discutindo a construção dos conteúdos e as formas como os mestres se expressavam em seus exames. Ressaltando problemáticas da escrita da História no século XIX, o ensino em sua relação com as esferas da moral e religião, bem como os castigos no ambiente escolar.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:38:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2328.pdf: 583280 bytes, checksum: 5a4895d0dfceb8f930577135c8b7a4b9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-16 / The basis for this thesis is a research conducted at Prodam, a communal preparatory course for entrance exams of Brazilian Universities, in São Carlos-SP, Brazil. The research question in the students point of view, what do they learn at Prodam? , has arisen from the assumption that, at this type of preparatory courses, several kinds of learning processes take place. Therefore, our goal has been to determine, from the students perspective, what sort of learning processes they go through, considering a wide range of aspects. In order to accomplish it, we conducted field observations, registered it in journals and, afterwards, did semi-structured interviews. The methodology has its basis on the qualitative research approach. The theoretical referential is based on Gimeno, Pérez Gómez, Freire, Edwards, Certeau, among other researchers. To analyze the data, we used the thematic analysis, because, through this technique, we could understand the meanings behind the interviews and field observation. The data collected were divided into two major categories, based on the concepts of humanization and secundary socialization, by Gómez. From students and former students statements, we have observed subcategories that show that it is possible to: learn in order to pass the entrance exam , learn from the teachers and learn high school subjects , according to the perspective of learning as a second socialization process. The other subcategories learn from friends , learn from the differences and learning as overcoming , relate to the category of learning as a humanization process. Talking to the students and former students, and considering the observations, we have noticed that the preparatory course is a space of possibilities . These possibilities are related to changes, transformation of lives, connected to the humanization, once they are conditions for survival and enrichment. As we learned that going to this course made it possible for teenagers and adults to get to know new people , make friends , learn from the differences , improve at work , have new dreams , we understood that is was possible to feel the humanization process even in an environment where the acquisition of instruments to pass the entrance exams of universities is the primary objective. We have also been able to detect, from the students testimonies, their questions and analysis about this course being free of charges, the difficulties to learn despite teacher turnover and, finally, their criticism towards public High School education. / A pesquisa, da qual se originou este trabalho, foi realizada no Curso Pré-Vestibular Comunitário Prodam, na cidade de São Carlos SP. A questão de pesquisa na visão dos alunos, quais são as aprendizagens envolvidas no Cursinho Prodam? , partiu do pressuposto de que nos Cursinhos Pré-Vestibulares Populares são desencadeados diversos processos educativos, assim nosso objetivo geral foi conhecer, pela perspectiva dos alunos, as aprendizagens envolvidas neste Curso Pré-Vestibular Popular. Para contemplarmos este objetivo, realizamos observações de campo, registros em diários e posteriormente, entrevistas semi-estruturadas. A metodologia esteve pautada na abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa. O referencial teórico foi seguido com base em Gimeno, Pérez Gómez, Freire, Edwards, Certeau, entre outros pesquisadores. Para análise dos dados recorremos à Análise Temática, pois foi possível, a partir desta técnica, compreender os significados contidos nos dados obtidos através das entrevistas e observações de campo. Os dados coletados foram organizados em duas grandes categorias, com base nos conceitos de humanização e socialização secundária, de Gómez. A partir dos depoimentos dos alunos e ex-alunos surgiram subcategorias que mostram ser possível aprender para o acesso ao ensino superior , aprender com os professores e aprender conteúdos do ensino médio , dentro da perspectiva do aprender enquanto processo de Socialização Secundária. As outras subcategorias, aprender com as amizades , aprender com as diferenças e aprender enquanto superação , relacionaram-se com a categoria do aprender enquanto processo de humanização. Ao dialogarmos com os alunos, ex-alunos, e a partir das observações, percebemos que o Cursinho é um espaço de possibilidades . Estas possibilidades estão relacionadas com a mudança, com a transformação de vidas, ligadas à humanização, ao serem condição de sobrevivência e de enriquecimento. Ao sabermos que freqüentar o cursinho possibilitou aos jovens e adultos conhecer novas pessoas , fazer amizades , aprender com as diferenças , melhorar no trabalho , ter novos sonhos , compreendemos que humanizar-se era possível, mesmo num espaço onde a instrumentalização para realização de vestibulares era primordial. Os depoimentos dos alunos também apontaram para um questionamento sobre a gratuidade do cursinho, as dificuldades de aprender com a rotatividade do corpo docente e, para uma crítica ao Ensino Médio Público.

Orientador: Matilde Virginia Ricardi Scaramucci / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudo da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T19:15:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_LenyPereira_M.pdf: 3097039 bytes, checksum: a016ffb55209e74ff7643ab242afcb9b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Tem sido crescente, não só no contexto nacional como em nível mundial, o interesse pelo ensino de línguas estrangeiras, marcadamente o inglês, sendo que o segmento que vem apresentando maior crescimento é o de língua estrangeira para crianças de 6 a 12 anos (REA-DICKENS e RIXON, 1997). No Brasil, apesar de facultativo no Ensino Fundamental I, o ensino de língua inglesa já faz parte do currículo da grande maioria das escolas particulares e algumas públicas, dependendo de iniciativas municipais, não havendo diretrizes oficiais que possam orientá-lo. Observamos que o crescimento, nesse contexto, tem ocorrido de forma desordenada, apresentando problemas de diversas naturezas que contribuem para a comprovada ineficiência desse setor (ROCHA, 2006; COSTA, 2007). Nesse cenário, inúmeras escolas particulares, a título de apresentar referências de progresso de aprendizagem do jovem aprendiz no Ensino Fundamental I, estão fazendo uso de um exame externo de proficiência em língua inglesa, mais especificamente o YLE - Young Learners Exam, elaborado pela Universidade de Cambridge (UCLES - University of Cambridge Local Exams Syndicate). Consideramos que exames não são neutros, tornando-se, dessa forma, fortes instrumentos de política lingüística com influências no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, afetando a vidas das pessoas, determinando e definindo o tipo de conhecimento e comportamento esperado daqueles que o prestam (SCARAMUCCI, 2004; SHOHAMY, 2004). Partindo dessa premissa, realizamos uma análise dos objetivos e do construto norteador do exame YLE, tecendo considerações sobre as possíveis consequências de seu uso como forma de avaliação no Ensino Fundamental I na educação e na sociedade. Constatamos que o exame se mostra inadequado para uso nesse contexto específico por não estar em consonância com as concepções e objetivos conforme referenciais oficialmente estabelecidos para o Ensino Básico, como um todo, e privilegiados, neste estudo, como desejáveis para nortear um processo de ensino e aprendizagem com maiores chances de sucesso. Nessa perspectiva, consideramos que um exame deve orientar-se para a construção de capacidades e conhecimentos específicos na língua-alvo, visando à formação cidadã e protagonista, sob perspectivas socioculturalmente situadas, críticas e transformadoras (ROCHA, 2006, entre outros). Entendemos, portanto, que, uma vez constatado um forte distanciamento entre o construto orientador do exame em questão e as vertentes e objetivos estabelecidos para o ensino e para situações de avaliação em LE para crianças, não consideramos que uso do YLE possa contribuir para que o ensino de língua inglesa apresente resultados mais efetivos no contexto nacional, sob perspectivas da formação integral e crítica do aluno / Abstract: There has been a notable increase in the interest for foreign languages all over the world. The teaching of English as a foreign language to children from 6 to 12 years of age represents the segment that has grown the most in the late years (REA- DICKENS and RIXON, 1997). Even though the teaching of English in the Elementary School in Brazil is not mandatory, most private schools have already included it in their curriculum. Different kinds of problems have contributed to the proven inefficiency of this sector (ROCHA, 2006; COSTA, 2007) which needs urgent measures so as to present more effective results. In this scenario, several private schools are making use of an external examination of proficiency in English, specifically the YLE - Young Learners Exam, developed by the University of Cambridge. Apparently, the results of this exam are being used as reference of the progress obtained by the young students in the first years of the Elementary School. We believe that, in general, examinations are not neutral, and may become powerful instruments influencing linguistic policies, affecting not only the teaching and learning process, but also people's lives, determining and defining the type of knowledge and the expected behavior of those involved in the process (SCARAMUCCI, 2004; SHOHAMY, 2004). Based on this premise, we considered it would be important to conduct an analysis in order to investigate the objectives and construct underlying the YLE exam, considering the possible consequences of its use as a form of assessment in the Elementary School. This study shows that the examination is not adequate to be used in this specific context since it is not in line with the concepts and goals we consider appropriate to guide such process. The theoretical guidelines in which we are based upon are officially established for the Basic Education in Brazil. In this aspect, we assume that both teaching and assessment in the regular school should be based on a socio-interactional perspective, aiming at building abilities and specific knowledge in the target language in a socio-cultural perspective (ROCHA, 2006, among others) so as to contribute to the overall growth of the students through English. Therefore, we consider that the use of the YLE specifically as a means of assessing the students' learning progress in the Elementary Schools in Brazil is inadequate as it would not be able to promote the desired and necessary changes in order to achieve better results in the teaching and learning process in the Elementary Schools / Mestrado / Lingua Estrangeira / Mestre em Linguística Aplicada

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-03-02T12:05:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 joaorafaelalves.pdf: 18835102 bytes, checksum: c04fec309271ef247ba877e3cd5e2ba8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-03-06T19:33:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 joaorafaelalves.pdf: 18835102 bytes, checksum: c04fec309271ef247ba877e3cd5e2ba8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-06T19:33:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 joaorafaelalves.pdf: 18835102 bytes, checksum: c04fec309271ef247ba877e3cd5e2ba8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-30 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Apresenta-se neste trabalho um modelo computacional simplificado que caracteriza a dinâmica espaço-temporal da perfusão sanguínea no miocárdio cardíaco. Especificamente, este modelo visa reproduzir imagens qualitativas obtidas através de exames de contraste, os quais são amplamente utilizados na medicina clínica para avaliar a perfusão cardíaca. A aplicação do contraste permite a detecção de regiões isquêmicas, fibroses e tumores. Aqui foca-se também no caso de um infarto subendocárdico. Para efeitos da modelagem, considera-se o tecido do miocárdio cardíaco como um meio poroso, isto é, uma região sólida com espaços vazios. Para este fim, a modelagem foi baseada em equações diferenciais e na Lei de Darcy, a qual correlacionada a permeabilidade do tecido, a diferença de pressão e o fluxo de sangue no tecido cardíaco. / We present a simplifed computational model that characterizes the spatio-temporal dynamics of blood perfusion in cardiac myocardium. Specifically, we are interested in reproducing qualitative images obtained by contrast-enhanced exams, which are widely used in clinical medicine to evaluate the blood perfusion in the heart. The aplication of contrast allows the detection of injuries, ischemic regions, fibrosis or tumors. Here we focus on the pathological case associated to subendocardial infarct. In our modelling, we will consider the tissue of cardiac myocardium as a porous media, i.e., a solid region with empty spaces. To this end, the modelling was based on differential equations and Darcy's Law, which correlates tissue permeability, pressure difference and the blood ow in the cardiac tissue.