A concepção de novas alternativas educacionais pautadas no uso de recursos tecnológicos, tem acarretado o aumento do número de pesquisas em diferentes domínios de ensino. Tem se destacado nas últimas décadas a abordagem dos Mundos Virtuais, cuja base está calcada na interatividade, visualização de objetos 3D, sensação de imersão e liberdade ao aluno para explorar os recursos didáticos disponibilizados. Desta forma, se considera necessário que o planejamento e condução das atividades propostas pelos professores nos Mundos Virtuais, estejam baseadas em uma abordagem educacional consistente e difundida no meio acadêmico. O Mastery Learning surge neste contexto como uma alternativa instigadora a ser explorada, cujos preceitos estão baseados na realização de atividades de reforço e na avaliação constante do aluno, que buscam resultar na aprendizagem com maestria dos conteúdos abordados. O potencial a ser explorado nestas duas áreas resultou na construção deste trabalho de Tese, que teve como objetivo a proposição de um método de ensino pautado na aprendizagem com o uso dos Mundos Virtuais e preceitos do Mastery Learning. O método proposto engloba a aplicação de atividades presenciais e complementares, com diversas avaliações durante as unidades trabalhadas, cujo reforço foi baseado no uso dos Mundos Virtuais de forma constante durante este período Um Estudo Piloto foi realizado na área de Computação, cujo tópico abordado foi o ensino de Algoritmos e Lógica de Programação, sendo os resultados obtidos considerados positivos, e, utilizados como base para a realização dos testes finais. Desta forma, o processo de experimentação final foi conduzido com três grupos de alunos do sexto ano em uma disciplina de Ciências, no ano letivo de 2016, e, com dois grupos de alunos do sexto ano na mesma disciplina, no início de 2017, sendo todo este processo separado em três fases distintas. Um Mundo Virtual foi construído no OpenSim contendo diversos tipos de materiais didáticos, como vídeos, slides, textos e questões, além do desenvolvimento de simulações interativas e estáticas, sendo acessado pelos alunos na modalidade a distância. Foram aplicadas diversas avaliações em cada uma das fases para averiguar o desempenho de aprendizagem dos estudantes, assim como foram monitoradas as interações dos alunos que utilizaram o Mundo Virtual e aplicados questionários de opinião sobre este processo conduzido. Para a análise dos resultados, foram empregadas técnicas estatísticas não paramétricas (Kruskal-Wallis e Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney), além do uso de Box Plot Os resultados obtidos demonstraram um melhor desempenho nas duas primeiras fases ocorridas em 2016 do grupo que utilizou o Mundo Virtual, com relação ao grupo que optou por não utilizar nenhum ambiente, enquanto em comparação com o ambiente Moodle, os resultados do grupo do Mundo Virtual foram considerados similarmente bons ou até melhores. A terceira fase apresentou resultados novamente considerados similares ou melhores do grupo do Mundo Virtual, com relação ao grupo do Moodle. Foi constatado na análise geral que os participantes que utilizaram o Mundo Virtual tiveram um crescente desempenho, com medianas altas e adequada distribuição das notas, havendo predominância de uma menor amplitude e variabilidade destas. O sistema de monitoramento também operou de forma satisfatória, assim como, os questionários de opinião apresentaram percepções positivas sobre o método aplicado e o uso dos recursos neste ambiente. Desta forma, foi possível concluir que os resultados obtidos com o método foram instigadores e positivos, o que acarretou na validação desta pesquisa e apresentou uma clara contribuição para o meio acadêmico. / The conception of new educational alternatives based on the use of technological resources has led to the exploration of research in different domains of education, among which, the approach of Virtual Worlds has been used concisely in recent decades. Its base is focused on interactivity, visualization of 3D objects, sensation of immersion and freedom to the student to explore the didactic resources made available. In this way, it is considered necessary that the planning and conduction of the activities proposed by the teachers in the Virtual Worlds, are based on a consistent educational approach and diffused in the academic environment. Mastery Learning appears in this context as an instigating alternative to be explored, whose precepts are based on the accomplishment of activities of reinforcement and the constant evaluation of the student, that seek to result in master the contents approached. The potential to be explored in these two areas resulted in the construction of this Thesis, which had the objective of proposing a teaching method based on learning with the use of Virtual Worlds and precepts of Mastery Learning. The proposed method includes the application of face-to-face and complementary activities, with several evaluations during the units worked, whose reinforcement was based on the use of Virtual Worlds in a constant way during this period A Pilot Study was carried out in the Computing area, whose topic was the teaching of Algorithms and Logic of Programming, and the results were considered positive and used as basis for the final tests. In this way, the final experimentation process was conducted with three groups of sixth-year students in a science course in 2016, and with two groups of sixth-year students in the same discipline at the beginning of 2017, with this process separated in three phases. A Virtual World was built in OpenSim containing several types of didactic materials, such as videos, slides, texts and questions, as well as the development of interactive and static simulations, being accessed by students in their homes. Several evaluations were applied in each of the phases to ascertain the student's learning performance, as well as the interactions of the students who used the Virtual World were monitored and opinion questionnaires were applied on this process. For the analysis of the results, non-parametric statistical techniques (Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney) were used, besides the use of Box Plot. Results obtained demonstrated a better performance in the first two phases occurred in 2016 of the group that used the Virtual World, in relation to the group that chose not to use any environment, whereas in comparison to the Moodle environment, the Virtual World group results were considered similarly good or even better The third phase presented results again considered similar or better in the Virtual World group in relation to the Moodle group. It was verified in the general analysis, that the participants who used the Virtual World had a growing performance, with medians high and adequate distribution of the notes, being predominant of a smaller amplitude and variability of these. The monitoring system also operated in a satisfactory way, making it possible to map the learning trajectories and evaluate the students in the Virtual World, as well as the evaluation questionnaires presented positive perceptions about the proposed method and the use of the resources of this environment. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the results obtained with the proposed method were instigating and positive, which resulted in the validation of this research and presented a clear contribution to the academic environment.

A presente dissertação trata da formação de jovens literatos brasileiros, por meio das cartas trocadas por 42 deles com Machado de Assis e Mário de Andrade, as quais, somadas, compuseram um arquivo de 1444 documentos, cobrindo o período de 82 anos de comunicação epistolar. Valendo-nos das contribuições teóricas de Michel Foucault e de outros pensadores pós-estruturalistas, tomamos a educação operada pelas missivas como ocasião de uma experiência capaz não apenas de ordenar a escrita dos iniciantes conforme critérios literários específicos, mas também de incitar determinados modos de subjetivação atinentes a uma presumida vida literária. Tendo isso em vista, confrontamos diferentes correntes de estudos epistolográficos como os de crítica genética e também os que versam sobre a escrita de si , de modo a estabelecer um procedimento atento não ao processo criativo, este decorrente do par analítico autor/obra, mas às práticas conformadoras da relação entre o sujeito que escreve e os ditames instituintes da escrita literária, tal como esta é aqui compreendida. A análise do material epistolar foi levada a cabo com base em quatro eixos temáticos: 1) a relação entre mestria literária e crítica; 2) a importância dos grupos literários para a formação dos jovens escritores; 3) o embate dos aspirantes com uma suposta vida ideal de literato; 4) os debates em torno das noções de inspiração e de espontaneidade na produção literária. Assim, pudemos configurar um quadro diferencial entre uma mestria oitocentista, direcionada primordialmente ao desenvolvimento de uma técnica e de uma estética literárias específicas, e uma novecentista, para a qual o desenvolvimento técnico-estético dos discípulos não era condição suficiente para sua formação literária, fazendo-se necessária a transformação subjetiva dos escritores. Ademais, pudemos delimitar o papel dos grupos no estabelecimento de elos comuns entre os pares e na consequente divisão de escritores literários e não literários, bem como a constituição, no século XX, de uma relação ética com a escrita pautada na crítica contínua, dando lugar a uma escrita intransitiva, para além da pontualidade da própria obra. Após tal percurso, foinos possível vincular a derrocada do gesto educativo, a cargo da figura do mestre literato e atrelado ao cuidado com o outro, à potencialização de um caráter ensimesmado do trabalho escritural, doravante praticado em termos de uma narrativa de si edificante e sempre por se completar, redundando não somente no apagamento do mestre, mas também na perpetuação de uma formação por toda a vida. / This dissertation addresses the apprenticeship of forty-two young Brazilian writers through letters exchanged with the writers Machado de Assis and Mário de Andrade, which, together compose a file of 1444 documents covering over eighty-two years of epistolary communication. Drawing on the theoretical contributions of Michel Foucault and others poststructuralist thinkers, we take the education transmitted through the missives as an occasion for an experience that not only organizes the writing of beginners according to specific literary criteria, but also incites certain forms of subjectivity relating to an alleged literary life. Considering this, we confront different lines of epistolographical studies, such as genetic criticism, and those who deal with self writing, in order to establish a procedure focused not on the creative process the result of the analytical pair author/work but on practices that form the relationship between he who writes and the instituting precepts of literary writing, as it is here understood. The analysis of the epistolary material was carried out based on four themes: 1) the relationship between literary mastery and criticism; 2) the importance of literary groups for the formation of young writers; 3) the struggle of novice writers with an ideal vision of life as a writer; 4) the debates around the notions of inspiration and spontaneity in writing. Thus, we were able to portray a picture that differentiates the eighteenth-century mastery, directed primarily at the development of a technique and a specific literary aesthetics, and a nineteenth-century mastery, for which the technical and aesthetic development of the disciples was not sufficient for their literary basis, without the subjective transformation of the writer. Furthermore, we defined the role of groups in establishing common links among peers and the consequent division between literary and non-literary writers, as well as the constitution, in the twentieth century, of an ethical relationship to writing guided by the continuous criticism, giving way to intransitive writing, beyond the time of the work itself. Following this route, we were able to connect the collapse of the educational gesture, where the literary master is in charge and vested in the care of the other, to the empowerment of a brooding character in the writing process, now practiced in terms of a never ending uplifting narrative of the self, resulting not only in the removal of the master role, but also in the perpetuation of a lifelong education.

This study evaluated whether significant differences in statistical reasoning abilities exist for completers of short online instructional videos and formative quizzes for students in undergraduate introductory statistics courses. Data for the study were gathered during the Fall 2013 semester at a community college in Northeast Tennessee. Computer-based pedagogical tools can promote improved conceptual reasoning ability (Trumpower & Sarwar, 2010; Van der Merwe, 2012). Additionally, prior research demonstrated a significant relationship between formative quiz access and student achievement (Stull, Majerich, Bernacki, Varnum, & Ducette, 2011; Wilson, Boyd, Chen, & Jamal, 2011), as well as multimedia object access and student achievement (Bliwise, 2005; Miller, 2013). Four research questions were used to guide the study. A series of analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures was used to analyze the data. Findings indicated no significant differences in statistical reasoning abilities between students who were provided access to supplemental online instructional videos and formative quizzes and students who were not provided access. Moreover, statistical reasoning abilities did not differ significantly based upon number of quizzes successfully completed, average number of quiz attempts, or number of videos accessed.

Previous research on stigma has identified many negative outcomes associated with its experience. These often include decreased affect and decreased life satisfaction. The present study examined sense of mastery - the sense of control one feels they have over the events in their life - as a moderator or mediator for these negative effects of stigma. To examine this, the Life Evaluations Survey was distributed to psychology students at a Southeastern university (N = 392). Participants completed measures of public stigma, self-stigma, sense of mastery, positive and negative affect, and life satisfaction. Results revealed experiences of public and self-stigma were associated with a decreased sense of mastery. In addition, sense of mastery was found to partially explain the relationship between stigma and quality of life. By contrast, results did not support a moderating role of mastery. Findings suggests that stigmatized individuals experience a sense of diminished control over their lives, which translates into decreased positive affect and life satisfaction.

The study aims to explain the role of external causes in René Descartes’s (1594–1650) and Benedictus de Spinoza’s (1632–1677) accounts of the mastery of the passions. It consists in three parts: the mind-body union, the passions and their classification, and the mastery of the passions. In the first part I argue that Descartes’s conception of the mind-body union consists in two elements: mind-body interaction and the experience of being one with the body. Spinoza rejects the first element because there cannot be psychophysical laws. He accepts the second element, but goes beyond Descartes, arguing that the mind and body are identical. In the second part I discuss the classifications of the passions in the Passions of the Soul and the Ethics and compare them with the one Spinoza presents in the Short Treatise. I explain that hilaritas is an affect that expresses bodily equilibrium and makes it possible for the mind to be able think in a great many ways. Furthermore, I consider the principles of imagination that along with imitation and the striving to persevere provide a causal explanation for the necessary occurrence of the passions. In the last part I argue that in Descartes the external conditions do not have a significant role in the mastery of the passions. For Spinoza, however, they are necessary. Commentators like Jonathan Bennett fail to see this. Hilaritas requires a diversity of sensual pleasures to occur. As Medea’s case shows, reason is not detached from Nature. Spinoza attempts to form a stronger human nature and to enable as many people as possible to think adequately. His recognition of the need for appropriate external conditions and a society in which ideas can be expressed freely allows him to present an ethics with a practical application, instead of another utopia or fiction.

The material of this study includes literature on the historically bound nature of the ideographical nature vs. culture polarity. From this material, general concepts of "nature" and "culture" are formed on the basis of value in the context of environmental management. Then, the existence of a polar dualism (nature vs. culture) is indicated via a transcendental critique of the worldview underlying the construction of this relationship. It is shown that the polarity is asymmetrical, causing a hierarchical organization in the Western ontology. The nature/culture hierarchical polarity is subjected to a less radical deconstruction and a non-dualistic, less reductionist conception of "nature" and "culture" formulated. This enables a foresee ably sustainable environment in terms of quality of life of the human being in totality. / Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The aim of this research is to explore the question of how farmers learn, in constructing knowledge both in and for practice. It seeks to identify how they gain new ideas, make changes, develop to a level of expertise and who and what contribute to this process. The rapidity of change in a high tech environment, combined with globalisation, the new economy and the knowledge age, means that farmers are living their lives in 'fast forward' mode. There is so much new technology, research and development available that the ability to identify information relevant to a particular farming practice and to process it to knowledge is an increasing challenge. Six central South Island (N.Z.) farmers were selected purposively as case studies. The range of case profiles provides for comparison and contrast of the relative importance of formal qualifications, differences between sheep/beef farmers and dairy farmers, levels of expertise, age and experiences. The self-rating of the farmers enables a comparison of lower and higher performers, identifying characteristics which enable insight into why some farmers consistently lead new practice and why others are reluctant followers. The research is qualitative in design and approached from a constructlVIst and interpretive paradigm. Socially and experientially based, it seeks to understand the experiences of the subjects through in-depth interviews and observations. This study identifies farmers as social learners although working independently, in relative geographical isolation and often, social isolation. It concludes that these farmers learn through participation in the practice of farming. This practice includes a constellation of cOmInunities of practice, which may be resource-rich or resource-poor, depending on the range and depth of the farmer's involvement. Through full and committed participation in these practice communities and associate constellations, the practitioner's identity evolves, encouraging new practices, ideas and innovation. This study emphasises that expertise is not a permanent state but requires evolving identity, knowledge and dispositional ability; for maintenance and growth within a culture of practice. Emergent grounded theory suggests that dispositional knowledge underpins construction and use of all knowledge; that construction and use of high-order propositional and procedural knowledge requires higher-order dispositional knowledge and that mastery is developed through evolving identity, dispositions, leadership and learning, socioculturally constructed through resource-rich constellations of communities of practice.

The material of this study includes literature on the historically bound nature of the ideographical nature vs. culture polarity. From this material, general concepts of "nature" and "culture" are formed on the basis of value in the context of environmental management. Then, the existence of a polar dualism (nature vs. culture) is indicated via a transcendental critique of the worldview underlying the construction of this relationship. It is shown that the polarity is asymmetrical, causing a hierarchical organization in the Western ontology. The nature/culture hierarchical polarity is subjected to a less radical deconstruction and a non-dualistic, less reductionist conception of "nature" and "culture" formulated. This enables a foresee ably sustainable environment in terms of quality of life of the human being in totality. / Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-148). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-83). Also available on the Internet.