Nos últimos anos tem-se verificado uma expansão na área de conhecimento denominada Gestão de Projetos. Esta área busca reunir as melhores práticas administrativas e gerenciais aplicáveis a projetos, com foco em cumprimento de prazos, do orçamento e com a qualidade prevista para suas entregas. Em virtude dos bons resultados que se tem obtido com a adoção dessas práticas, há uma crescente demanda por profissionais capacitados a atuar na área. Essa capacitação de profissionais tem sido suprida por meio de diversos cursos disponíveis no mercado, a maioria deles associados a algum processo de certificação. Tais processos, no entanto, tem o foco muito concentrado nos aspectos teóricos dos conhecimentos envolvidos. Neste contexto, surge a simulação computacional como ferramenta de treinamento com o objetivo de oferecer aos profissionais uma experiência prática. Esta ferramenta se insere num contexto mais amplo de treinamento, no qual os alunos serão incentivados a exercitar os conhecimentos teóricos já estudados e, dessa forma, consolidá-los. Neste trabalho é descrito o processo de desenvolvimento de um Software Simulador voltado para o ambiente e o propósito exposto. Uma importante contribuição deste trabalho é a demonstração da viabilidade de construção de um simulador com tal propósito, materializada no software apresentado. Outra contribuição é de, num único texto, reunir, adequar e documentar um conjunto de conceitos e modelos que se encontram esparsos em um grande número de referências bibliográficas. São também apresentados os paradigmas, recursos, funcionalidades e características do Simulador, bem como uma aplicação criada para teste e validação do mesmo. Uma versão operacional do software produzido acompanha este texto. / In recent years we have seen the growth of Project Management best practices and techniques used as an effort to achieve project goals resumed as the release its deliverables on time and on budget with the specified quality. Due to the success reported by the practicioners in real situations, there has been an increasing demand for professionals with Knowledge and skills on such project management practices and techniques. As a consequence, to supply this increasing demand, there is a strong need to prepare new professionals. Courses and certification processes have been the answer to this demand, but their methods almost rely upon project management theories. In this context, the computer simulation emerges as a training tool to be used to offer the trainees a practical experience without the real life risks. Used as a business game, its goal is the practice of already learned theory. The purpose of this text is to present the work done on the simulation software development including the literature review as a background, the elicitation of software requirements, the definition and adoption of models and data structure used. Also, the Simulator characteristics, functionalities and resources are presented and described, using an application developed to test the software. This text main contribution is the documentation of many concepts and models used to build tte simulation software, as well as the working software itself. At the end, conclusions are pointed out and further work are recommended.

Um estudo de campo foi realizado para investigar as principais dimensões presentes em jogos de empresas relativas a atitudes de satisfação e orientação de aprendizagem. Foram analisadas três tipo de variáveis: opiniões, estrutura dos programas e perfil demográfico de 659 graduandos, pós-graduantdos e profissionais que participaram dos 23 cursos. As análises multivariadas indicaram que a aprendizagem cognitiva (30,7%) prevaleceu ante a todos os fatores encontrados, muito acima da satisfação (3,9%). Foram caracterizados quatro tipos atitudinais: entusiastas precavidos (32,6%) voltados para a aprendizagem vivencial, empreendedores determinados (34,4%) atraídos pela complexidade do jogo, observadores unidos (27%) que preferem o ensino expositivo tradicional e críticos desambientados (6%)para os quais o que importa é ganhar ou perder o jogo. / A field study was conducted to investigate educational dimensions in total enterprise business games courses. Three kinds of variables were studied: opinions, structure of the courses, and the profile of participants in 23 courses. The multivariate analisys indicated that cognitive learning (30.7%) was considered a much more important factor as compared to satisfaction (3.9%). As a result of a discriminant analisys were identified four attitudinal orientations: entusiastic experiential learners (32.6%), entrepreuners challenged by the game complexity(34.4%), observers united (27%) that prefer traditional lectures, and demanding students performance oriented (3.9%).

Um estudo de campo foi realizado para investigar as principais dimensões presentes em jogos de empresas relativas a atitudes de satisfação e orientação de aprendizagem. Foram analisadas três tipo de variáveis: opiniões, estrutura dos programas e perfil demográfico de 659 graduandos, pós-graduantdos e profissionais que participaram dos 23 cursos. As análises multivariadas indicaram que a aprendizagem cognitiva (30,7%) prevaleceu ante a todos os fatores encontrados, muito acima da satisfação (3,9%). Foram caracterizados quatro tipos atitudinais: entusiastas precavidos (32,6%) voltados para a aprendizagem vivencial, empreendedores determinados (34,4%) atraídos pela complexidade do jogo, observadores unidos (27%) que preferem o ensino expositivo tradicional e críticos desambientados (6%)para os quais o que importa é ganhar ou perder o jogo. / A field study was conducted to investigate educational dimensions in total enterprise business games courses. Three kinds of variables were studied: opinions, structure of the courses, and the profile of participants in 23 courses. The multivariate analisys indicated that cognitive learning (30.7%) was considered a much more important factor as compared to satisfaction (3.9%). As a result of a discriminant analisys were identified four attitudinal orientations: entusiastic experiential learners (32.6%), entrepreuners challenged by the game complexity(34.4%), observers united (27%) that prefer traditional lectures, and demanding students performance oriented (3.9%).

Classroom-based projects are insufficient, in of themselves, when preparing students for positions in the digital media field today. David Kolb and Roger Fry argue that effective learning entails the possession of four different abilities: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.2 Encouraging students to participate in community-based projects outside the classroom can help build the necessary skill sets in learning how to work in a real-world environment. Community-based learning teaches the student on three distinct levels: intellectually, socially, and emotionally including feelings, values, and meanings. Digital Media students should involve themselves in community projects to exercise their skills and broaden their experience. Working on community-based projects allows them to build their portfolio while affording the opportunity to start working under the constraints of actual projects with timelines and budgets. Students learn what an individual’s time is worth, what mistakes can cost, and how to deal with a client. Students also learn how to manage a real world project with deadlines. This paper describes our approach in having students come together to enhance their digital media skills by contributing in the development of a community-based animation festival. This paper also addresses how students learned to plan and manage a festival event while working with a community-based organization.

Thesis (M. Cur.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / BACKGROUND Midwifery learning encompasses both theory and experiential components. Experiential learning plays an important role in midwifery training. Conducting the first normal vaginal delivery seemed traumatic for the learner nurses when they witness the bulging of the perineum when the head of the fetus is crowning. The trauma and stress of learner nurses resulted in negative reactions such as fainting, vomiting, and failing midwifery experiential assessments. The aim of the study was to design the strategies to enhance the adaptation of learner nurses regarding midwifery experiential learning in the clinical settings of Limpopo Province. RESEARCH METHOD A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research method was used to collect numeric data with regard to the factors that hinder the adaptation of learner nurses regarding midwifery experiential learning in the clinical settings of Limpopo province. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 with the assistance of the statistician. RESULTS The study revealed that the factors that hinder the adaptation of learner nurses regarding midwifery experiential learning are lack of accompaniment of learner nurses to the maternity units, the anxiety experienced by learner nurses when they witnessed the first delivery, learner nurses not being included in decision making processes in the maternity units and the hostile attitudes of registered midwives towards the learner nurses in the maternity units. Strategies were developed to enhance the adaptation of learner nurses regarding midwifery experiential learning in the clinical settings of Limpopo province. CONCLUSION The study concluded that learner nurses faced challenges that hinder their adaptation to midwifery experiential learning in the clinical settings of Limpopo Province.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of skydiving instructors who have shaped the instructional practices of experienced and active accelerated freefall instructors (AFFIs) in Central and Southern Florida. By contributing to the training curriculum, this research attempted to close the experiential gap between novice and senior instructors in a more efficient manner. Due to the complex nature of teaching skydiving and an absence of an opportunity for a skydiving instructor in training to work in freefall with non-certified skydivers, understanding the lived experiences of active AFFIs is of critical importance. This study aimed to answer the following research questions: (a) How do active accelerated freefall training instructors personalize the lessons learned in the AFFI instructor training course, forming their own best practices and instructional style? and (b) What roles do lived skydiving experiences, both significant and critical, play in the development of an active AFFI’s current instructional style and best practices? Sites selected included five dropzones located in Central and Southern Florida, with three of those sites yielding a total of 10 participants. Data were collected regarding basic demographic information as well as about the lived experiences of the active AFFIs through both structured and semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Interviews were conducted either in-person or over the phone based on the preference of the participants. Data analysis took place in three phases: separation of qualitative and quantitative data, open coding, and axial coding following Merriam’s (2009) process of coding. Findings revealed an understanding that accelerated freefall (AFF) instruction has become rooted within the culture and experiences of the skydiving community through the stance “license to learn.” This stance has led to the emergence of an educational model outlining the roles culture and experience play not only in the development of the active AFFIs, but also how those lessons are passed on to the next generation of AFFIs. Findings in this research will play a significant role in the development of future curricular adjustments, highlighting the importance of this stance while also providing a solid foundation for future inquiry. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

A case study has been conducted on the College Counts program, a well-integrated service-learning program, to examine the experiential learning of 10 former participants. It was the objective of this investigation to view the learning of 10 college students, through the lens of transformational learning, as they reflect on their experiences as participants in the College Counts program. Transformational learning theory was used as a lens to determine if high school students have the ability to engage in transformative learning. Students reported in their own voices transformative learning in one or more of the following forms: increased cultural inclusiveness, commitment to social justice, and/or shift in personal perspective and choices. Results of the study suggested that Mezirow’s transformational learning theory should be expanded to include secondary students.

A single case study was used to examine internships at an (AACSB) accredited business school located at a Research 1 university in the southeastern United States. Internships are the dominant form of experiential learning used within the college under study and the “preferred method of business schools worldwide to give students practical experience and help them transition to the real world” (Kosnik, Tingle, Blanton, 2013, p. 616). The Grant University College of Business, pseudonym selected for this case, supports an internship and career services office that oversees nine internship courses representing six departments within the college. At minimum, each department is responsible for outlining their individual internship guidelines and requirements. The staff within the internship & career services office are primarily responsible for enforcing those guidelines, administering course content, and working with employers to promote meaningful internship experiences. The dean, associate dean for undergraduate programs, six administrators, six employers, and five students participated in this study. After three months of interviews, a focus group, and document reviews, data were analyzed to determine participant perception of internships and also to gain insight into future recommendations. This study was significant because it sought to address a gap in the literature on internships in undergraduate business education and to provide additional evidence that internships contribute to success in career, curriculum, and relationship development as evidenced by the in-depth analysis of a single case.

This thesis was generated from an action research project, the aim of which was to improve the learning process at the Polytechnic of Agriculture, University of Jember, East Java. The proposition argued is that the implementation of learner-centred approaches in a formal tertiary education setting will assist educators and learners to meet their needs. Further, the approaches will motivate participants in the learning process to be both self-responsible and self-directed learners. Participatory approaches were utilised to induce improvement in the Polytechnic's practices, student satisfaction and contributions to learning by the outside community. Participants included students, the Director, the Associate Director for Academic and Head of School. Information was also collected from outsiders. The outcomes from the project were: students were responsible for their own learning; staff were able to act as professional facilitators; and curriculum development. There are still some unresolved issues, and it was recommended that further research of effectiveness of learning approaches in formal tertiary education needs to be carried out. / Master of Science (Hons)

This thesis investigates two intertwined themes. The first concerns the development of a framework for understanding, and making appropriate use of, simulations and games as tools for learning. The second concerns the utilisation of the term PractitionerResearcher to reflect the unity of practice and research activity in creating 'working knowledge' (Symes 2000). These themes are intertwined in the sense that the route I take to understanding simulations and games is through the stance of a PractitionerResearcher. Conversely the thesis aims to draw out what it means to be a PractitionerResearcher through my engagement as a facilitator of simulations and games. I argue that the knowledge I generate as a PractitionerResearcher is utilitarian and pragmatic. Grounded in my practice as an adult educator it utilises theoretical perspectives chosen for immediate relevance rather than because of any claims to 'truth' or permanence. Understanding how this shapes and influences my practice was a complex, difficult process. Using an auto-ethnographic approach, Chapter 1 outlines the development of my 'working knowledge' as a PractitionerResearcher. It draws on selected personal experiences in my work as an adult educator using simulations and games for teaching and learning. While curiosity about historical facts initiated the research reported in Chapter 2, the chapter focuses on uses of historical precedent for generating greater understanding, and acceptance by participants, of simulations and games as teaching/learning strategies. It identifies a range of contributions - from war games, religious games, and children's play - to the structuring of modern educational simulations and games. Chapter 3 explores approaches to classifying simulations and games. Its development brought a gradual realisation of the futility of trying to establish a single definitive categorisation system for all simulations and games. Understanding how they can be arranged in a variety of different relationships provides a better insight into their general features and helps in making decisions about when and how to use specific activities. One outcome of the work for this chapter was the realisation of some simulations as 'open and infinite' in nature, and that XB - simulation of importance in my practice - is such a simulation. Chapter 4 uses concepts developed in the field of chaos theory to illustrate how certain simulations create messy but 'chaordic' (Hock 2002) rather than dis-orderly learning contexts. 'Chaos/chaotic' once meant only dis-order, 'messiness' and unpredictability. Twentieth century scientific discoveries illustrate that order is concealed within 'chaos' producing richly complex patterns when viewed from the right perspective. I argue that 'chaos' concepts can be usefully applied to open and infinite simulations to demonstrate how they are similarly 'chaordic'. XB (for eXperience Based learning) is an open, infinite chaordic simulation, and has been a driving force in my practice for six years. The case study in Chapter 5 introduces the 'world according to XB' and takes the reader 'inside' participants' experiences as the unfolding nature of their learning is revealed in the way they apply theories of organisational behaviour to immediate behaviours. Chapter 6 reflects on my experiences of facilitating XB, via a review of interactions with some past XB participants. The influence of such a learning process on my practice is analysed. The emotional impact of these interactions has brought a better understanding of my own practice, and the chapter considers the concept of 'dispassionate reflexivity' as an aid for the facilitator in such contexts. Chapter 7 examines the evolution and distinctive features of the PractitionerResearcher in more detail. As an educator, a consistent focus of my work has been simultaneously 'to know more' and 'to be able to do better' - and it is the interdependence of these that lies at the heart of what it means to be a PractitionerResearcher. It is my hope that this thesis offers a solution for practitioners wanting to combine 'research' and 'practice' into a practical and scientifically rigorous 'whole'. For such professionals the PractitionerResearcher model offers an integrated approach, combining and validating 'learning in action' and 'learning for action'.