The main scientific problems investigated in this work deal with the creation of flexible open source e-Learning content and services system (referred here as Digital Library of Educational resources and services – DLE) providing learning customisation possibilities for its users. Standards and interoperability are key factors in the success of the introduction of such kind of DLEs, and therefore the main research object of the work is investigation and proposal of interoperability guidelines for DLE components. The main problem is not the identification of suitable standards and specifications, but the adoption of these standards and specifications and their application in e-Learning practice. Approaches concerning LOM Standard Application Profiles (APs) and curricula mapping are the main topics created and investigated here because they could provide more quick and convenient LOs search possibilities in the repositories for the users. Another key factor is quality of DLE systems, and therefore one more research object of the work is the effectiveness of methods of DLE components evaluation. DLE components’ complex evaluation tools suitable for systems based on flexible approach have been created. These tools should include a number of criteria to evaluate LOs reusability level and VLEs adaptation capabilities. Practice of flexible DLE software creation and development for Lithuanian primary, secondary and vocational education based of flexible approach is presented in more... [to full text] / Disertacijoje nagrinėjamos lanksčios atvirosios el. mokymosi turinio ir paslaugų sistemos (t. y. skaitmeninės švietimo išteklių ir paslaugų bibliotekos, angl. Digital Library of Educational Resources and Services) kūrimo bendrajam lavinimui ir profesiniam mokymui mokslinės problemos. Nagrinėjama skaitmeninės švietimo išteklių ir paslaugų bibliotekos (toliau – skaitmeninės bibliotekos) schema ir reikalavimai. Pagrindinis dėmesys skiriamas bibliotekos lankstumui, t. y. biblioteka turi teikti naudotojams individualizuoto mokymosi galimybes. Skaitmeninės bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių suderinamumas (sąveikos geba, arba sąveikumas, angl. Interoperability) ir standartai yra esminiai bibliotekos funkcionavimo veiksniai, todėl pagrindinis disertacijos tikslas yra bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių sąveikumo rekomendacijų kūrimas. Sprendžiami uždaviniai: standartų parinkimas, jų tinkamumas, adaptavimas ir taikymas švietimui. Pagrindinis dėmesys skiriamas mokymosi objektų (MO, angl. Learning Objects) metaduomenų standarto (LOM – angl. Leaning Objects Metadata) taikymo modeliui tobulinti ir bendrųjų programų sąryšiui su MO. Daug dėmesio skiriama skaitmeninės bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių kokybei vertinti, todėl bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių kompleksinių vertinimo kriterijų, pagrįstų bibliotekos lankstumo ir sudedamųjų dalių sąveikumo rekomendacijomis, kūrimas taip pat yra darbo tikslas.

Disertacijoje nagrinėjamos lanksčios atvirosios el. mokymosi turinio ir paslaugų sistemos (t. y. skaitmeninės švietimo išteklių ir paslaugų bibliotekos, angl. Digital Library of Educational Resources and Services) kūrimo bendrajam lavinimui ir profesiniam mokymui mokslinės problemos. Nagrinėjama skaitmeninės švietimo išteklių ir paslaugų bibliotekos (toliau – skaitmeninės bibliotekos) schema ir reikalavimai. Pagrindinis dėmesys skiriamas bibliotekos lankstumui, t. y. biblioteka turi teikti naudotojams individualizuoto mokymosi galimybes. Skaitmeninės bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių suderinamumas (sąveikos geba, arba sąveikumas, angl. Interoperability) ir standartai yra esminiai bibliotekos funkcionavimo veiksniai, todėl pagrindinis disertacijos tikslas yra bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių sąveikumo rekomendacijų kūrimas. Sprendžiami uždaviniai: standartų parinkimas, jų tinkamumas, adaptavimas ir taikymas švietimui. Pagrindinis dėmesys skiriamas mokymosi objektų (MO, angl. Learning Objects) metaduomenų standarto (LOM – angl. Leaning Objects Metadata) taikymo modeliui tobulinti ir bendrųjų programų sąryšiui su MO. Daug dėmesio skiriama skaitmeninės bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių kokybei vertinti, todėl bibliotekos sudedamųjų dalių kompleksinių vertinimo kriterijų, pagrįstų bibliotekos lankstumo ir sudedamųjų dalių sąveikumo rekomendacijomis, kūrimas taip pat yra darbo tikslas. / The main scientific problems investigated in this work deal with the creation of flexible open source e-Learning content and services system (referred here as Digital Library of Educational resources and services – DLE) providing learning customisation possibilities for its users. Standards and interoperability are key factors in the success of the introduction of such kind of DLEs, and therefore the main research object of the work is investigation and proposal of interoperability guidelines for DLE components. The main problem is not the identification of suitable standards and specifications, but the adoption of these standards and specifications and their application in e-Learning practice. Approaches concerning LOM Standard Application Profiles (APs) and curricula mapping are the main topics created and investigated here because they could provide more quick and convenient LOs search possibilities in the repositories for the users. Another key factor is quality of DLE systems, and therefore one more research object of the work is the effectiveness of methods of DLE components evaluation. DLE components’ complex evaluation tools suitable for systems based on flexible approach have been created. These tools should include a number of criteria to evaluate LOs reusability level and VLEs adaptation capabilities. Practice of flexible DLE software creation and development for Lithuanian primary, secondary and vocational education based of flexible approach is presented in more... [to full text]

The purpose of this study was to investigate eighth grade students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teachers&rsquo / interpersonal behaviors. The study also investigated mathematics teachers&rsquo / perceptions of their own interpersonal behaviors as well as relationships among students&rsquo / perceptions of their teachers&rsquo / interpersonal behaviors, attitudes towards mathematics, mathematics achievements, student gender, teacher gender, and socio-economical background. Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) scale and a mathematics attitude scale were used for data collection. Data were collected from a sample of 1317 eighth grade students in public elementary schools in the following provinces: istanbul, Ankara, izmir, Adana, Bursa, and Hatay. Statistical analyses revealed that the Turkish version of QTI translated and adapted by the researcher had an acceptable degree of validity and reliability. Results showed that Turkish students perceive their mathematics teachers as displaying high levels of leadership, helpful/friendly, understanding, and displaying strict behaviors rather than uncertain, admonishing and dissatisfied behaviors. The results also indicated that students&rsquo / perceptions of their mathematics teachers&rsquo / interpersonal behaviors were associated with their attitudes towards mathematics and their mathematics achievement. While the leadership, helpful/friendly, and understanding behaviors had positive correlations with attitude scores of students, the uncertain, dissatisfied, admonishing and strict behaviors had negative correlations. Similarly, students who perceived their teacher as displaying leadership, helping/friendly and understanding behavior had higher achievement levels than the ones who perceive their teacher as strict, uncertain, admonishing and dissatisfied. Students with higher cultural and economical background perceived their teachers more favorably. The MANOVA results indicated that girls generally perceived their mathematics teacher more cooperative than boys did. Also students perceived their male teachers display more leadership, helping/friendly, and strict behaviors than their female teachers. Results also indicated that teachers generally perceived themselves in a more favorably manner than their students did.

Le travail de la thèse porte sur l’analyse d’une activité de conception expérimentale réalisée par des élèves de 1ère S à l’aide d’un EIAH (Environnement Informatique pour l’Apprentissage Humain). Il vise à comprendre les rapports au savoir et à la démarche expérimentale établis par l’élève et l’enseignant face à ce type d’activité.Il s’agit de rendre compte des connaissances mobilisées par les élèves et de mesurer l’influence des supports proposés par un EIAH nommé LabBook. Il s’agit également de décrire la manière dont l’enseignant prend en charge les difficultés rencontrées par les élèves.A ce propos, une ingénierie didactique a été modélisée dans le cadre de la Théorie des situations didactiques (Brousseau, 1986). Cette ingénierie est ancrée dans la thématique de la « génétique » et plus précisément dans « l’expression du patrimoine génétique », domaine pour lequel on constate de nombreuses difficultés chez les élèves. Les analyses portent sur les productions des élèves, leurs réponses aux questionnaires (pré-test et post-test) et les interactions enseignant-élève produites tout au long du travail dans la situation.Ce travail a permis de mettre en valeur le rôle de l’élaboration des protocoles expérimentaux dans la modification du système des connaissances des élèves et de l’évolution de leurs connaissances relatives à la notion de gène et l’expression de l’information génétique. Les supports d’étayages implémentés dans LabBook offrent un potentiel aux élèves pour la mise en œuvre de la conception expérimentale. D’ailleurs, divers supports d’étayage ont été mis en place par les enseignants afin de prendre en charge les difficultés rencontrées par les élèves. L’étude de ces supports d’étayages permet d’élaborer des recommandations en vue de faire évoluer la plateforme LabBook et palier aux difficultés d’apprentissage des élèves. / The thesis work involves an analysis of the experimental design activity carried out by students of junior year of high school in sciences using a TEL environment (Technology Enhanced Learning). It aims at understanding how they relate to knowledge and to the experimental approach established by both student and teacher.The thesis gives an account of how the students mobilizes their knowledge and it measures the influence of learning supports proposed by a TEL named LabBook. It also focuses on how the teacher deals with the difficulties encountered by students.Regarding that matter, a didactic engineering was already modelled as part of the Theory of didactical situations (Brousseau, 1986). This engineering focuses on the thematic of "genetic" and more specifically on "the expression of the genetic heritage" - a problematic area for most students. The analyses deal with the students’ productions, their answers to questionnaires (pre-test and post-test) and the teacher-student interactions produced throughout the work in the situation.This work highlighted the role of experimental design in changing the students' knowledge system and the evolution of their knowledge about the gene concept and expression of genetic information. The scaffolds implemented in the LabBook platform offer the students a potential for the implementation of experimental design. Teachers themselves dealt with the difficulties encountered by their students by implementing various aids. The study of these scaffolds allows the development of useful recommendations to improve the LabBook platform so as to help students overcome their learning difficulties.

Esta tese constitui uma pesquisa qualitativa que tem como foco um estudo de caso com adolescentes, doentes crônicos com Fibrose Cística (FC), internados em quarto restrito no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), em situação de exclusão temporária e o acesso e uso da WEB 2.0 e de Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVAs). Apresenta como objetivos verificar as produções e interações de adolescentes com FC hospitalizados em quartos restritos quando se oportuniza o uso de recursos da WEB 2.0 e de AVAs, acompanhar e avaliar o processo de interação entre os adolescentes e destes com amigos virtuais através das redes sociais e observar e analisar a criação e produção de e entre os sujeitos no processo de utilização e exploração dos recursos tecnológicos. Os sujeitos desta pesquisa são oito adolescentes com acesso ao computador no período de hospitalização que integram as redes sociais no processo de interação, de vinculação e de compartilhamento constituindo um novo cenário nas relações sociais em quartos restritos do hospital. Descreve as discussões e interações dos adolescentes nos chats do AVA Eduquito, as produções de mídias e a construção colaborativa e cooperativa do Blog Cor@gem. O Blog se constitui no cenário em que os personagens acessam, usam e produzem de forma compartilhada as produções no uso de imagem, som e texto criando vídeos, tendo como tema principal a hospitalização, a doença e os laços de afeto entre os adolescentes participantes do projeto. A construção colaborativa e cooperativa no Blog propiciou um espaço de trabalho e de criação conjunta entre os adolescentes resultando em um espaço de construção sociointeracionista reunindo pacientes com FC, hospitalizados em quartos restritos, através de comunidades virtuais com acesso e uso da WEB 2.0. / This thesis is a qualitative research about a case study with adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a chronic disease, hospitalized in a restricted room in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). They are in a situation of temporary exclusion and they access and use WEB 2.0 and Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). This thesis intends to verify the productions and interactions of these adolescents with CF hospitalized in restricted rooms when we offer to them the use of the Web 2.0 features and VLEs. This work also want to monitor and to evaluate the process of interaction between these adolescents with online friends through social networks, and to observe and to analyze the creation and production of these people in the process of exploration and use of technological resources. The subjects of this research are eight teenagers with access to computers during the hospitalization, that integrate social networks in the interaction‟s process, linking and sharing, constituting a new stage in social relations in restricted rooms in the hospital. Besides, this research also describes the discussions and interactions among adolescents in the AVA Eduquito chats, the media productions and the collaborative and cooperative building of the Blog Cor@gem. Using this Blog, the characters visit, use and build productions that are shared in the use of image, sound and text, creating videos, with the main theme of hospitalization, illness and the bonds of affection among adolescents that participate in this project. The cooperative construction of this Blog provided a collaborative creation among these adolescents, resulting in a construction of a sociointeractionist space, gathering CF patients hospitalized in restricted rooms through virtual communities with access to Web 2.0.

O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir com a ampliação do ensino de geometria nas séries iniciais, em especial no município de Minas do Leão, bem como fomentar a discussão sobre o tema. Para tanto organizei um Grupo de Estudos formado por 21 professoras, todas envolvidas com as séries iniciais do município. Neste Grupo desenvolvemos atividades de natureza geométrica, dirigidas às séries iniciais, estudamos, analisamos e discutimos as orientações contidas nos PCN, buscando um suporte teórico para o desenvolvimento da geometria nas séries iniciais com maior qualidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, as fontes de dados são os relatórios dos 11 encontros, filmagem de alguns encontros e entrevistas com as professoras envolvidas no Grupo, além de observações do cotidiano escolar. Relaciono as atividades do Grupo de Estudos com os ambientes de aprendizagem descritos por Skovsmose (2008), destacando e exemplificando a movimentação entre os diferentes ambientes. Mesmo sem terem sido uma escolha prévia, estes ambientes se fizeram presentes ao longo dos encontros do Grupo. Também comento sobre o alcance das atividades do Grupo a partir de observações e entrevistas realizadas com as professoras. Considero que, após a vivência no Grupo de Estudos, as professoras modificaram sua percepção sobre a geometria nas séries iniciais, incluindo e ampliando atividades de natureza geométrica em suas aulas, dando início a um processo de atualização curricular. Acrescentei a esta dissertação um apêndice, no qual disponibilizo todas as atividades desenvolvidas junto ao Grupo de Estudos. / The objective of this work is to contribute with the broadening of geometry education in the initial grades, especially in the city of Minas do Leão, as well as foster the discussion on the theme. Therefore I organized a Study Group with 21 teachers, all involved with the initial grades of the city. In this Group we developed geometric activities, directed to these grades. We also studied, analyzed, and discussed the PCN guidelines, looking for a theoretical support that may help develop the study of geometry in the initial grades with bigger quality. The research was qualitative in nature; its information sources were constituted by the reports of 11 meetings, filming of some of these meetings, and interviews with the teachers of the Group, besides some day-to-day school observation. Here, I relate the activities of the Study Group to Skovsmose’s learning environments (2008), highlighting and exemplifying the transit between different environments; even without having been a previous option, these environments became present throughout the Group meetings. I also comment on the range of the Group activities based on observation and interviews carried out with the teachers. I consider that after the experience in the Study Group the teachers have changed their perception on geometry education in the initial grades, including and extending geometric activities in their classes, starting a curricular update. I added to this dissertation an appendix, in which I provide the activities developed within the Study Group.

Esta tese constitui uma pesquisa qualitativa que tem como foco um estudo de caso com adolescentes, doentes crônicos com Fibrose Cística (FC), internados em quarto restrito no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), em situação de exclusão temporária e o acesso e uso da WEB 2.0 e de Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVAs). Apresenta como objetivos verificar as produções e interações de adolescentes com FC hospitalizados em quartos restritos quando se oportuniza o uso de recursos da WEB 2.0 e de AVAs, acompanhar e avaliar o processo de interação entre os adolescentes e destes com amigos virtuais através das redes sociais e observar e analisar a criação e produção de e entre os sujeitos no processo de utilização e exploração dos recursos tecnológicos. Os sujeitos desta pesquisa são oito adolescentes com acesso ao computador no período de hospitalização que integram as redes sociais no processo de interação, de vinculação e de compartilhamento constituindo um novo cenário nas relações sociais em quartos restritos do hospital. Descreve as discussões e interações dos adolescentes nos chats do AVA Eduquito, as produções de mídias e a construção colaborativa e cooperativa do Blog Cor@gem. O Blog se constitui no cenário em que os personagens acessam, usam e produzem de forma compartilhada as produções no uso de imagem, som e texto criando vídeos, tendo como tema principal a hospitalização, a doença e os laços de afeto entre os adolescentes participantes do projeto. A construção colaborativa e cooperativa no Blog propiciou um espaço de trabalho e de criação conjunta entre os adolescentes resultando em um espaço de construção sociointeracionista reunindo pacientes com FC, hospitalizados em quartos restritos, através de comunidades virtuais com acesso e uso da WEB 2.0. / This thesis is a qualitative research about a case study with adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a chronic disease, hospitalized in a restricted room in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). They are in a situation of temporary exclusion and they access and use WEB 2.0 and Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). This thesis intends to verify the productions and interactions of these adolescents with CF hospitalized in restricted rooms when we offer to them the use of the Web 2.0 features and VLEs. This work also want to monitor and to evaluate the process of interaction between these adolescents with online friends through social networks, and to observe and to analyze the creation and production of these people in the process of exploration and use of technological resources. The subjects of this research are eight teenagers with access to computers during the hospitalization, that integrate social networks in the interaction‟s process, linking and sharing, constituting a new stage in social relations in restricted rooms in the hospital. Besides, this research also describes the discussions and interactions among adolescents in the AVA Eduquito chats, the media productions and the collaborative and cooperative building of the Blog Cor@gem. Using this Blog, the characters visit, use and build productions that are shared in the use of image, sound and text, creating videos, with the main theme of hospitalization, illness and the bonds of affection among adolescents that participate in this project. The cooperative construction of this Blog provided a collaborative creation among these adolescents, resulting in a construction of a sociointeractionist space, gathering CF patients hospitalized in restricted rooms through virtual communities with access to Web 2.0.

Indicadores educacionais vêm desvelando ao longo do tempo o grave problema social que se tornou a aprendizagem nas Escolas Públicas e Privadas do Brasil. Em paralelo, essas escolas também vêm sendo desequilibradas pelas tecnologias digitais, seja pela ausência ou inclusão sem a capacidade de apropriação plena. Neste contexto, a tese, apoiada na linha de pesquisa “Interfaces Digitais em Educação, Arte, Linguagem e Cognição” perpassou áreas de estudo como: projetos de aprendizagem, objetos de aprendizagem, metodologias e ambientes de autoria para objetos de aprendizagem e processos de aprendizagem segundo a epistemologia genética. A área de interesse investigada foi a autoria de objetos de aprendizagem por alunos como potencializadora do processo de aprendizagem desses sujeitos, nas áreas de Ciências e Matemática do Ensino Médio, de Escolas Públicas que dispunham de tecnologias digitais. A tese se iniciou em 2004 com uma pesquisa exploratória em Escolas Públicas pertencentes a 25ª Coordenadoria Regional de Educação do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Em 2005, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida em duas destas escolas, em 2006 em uma delas e em 2007 em uma quarta Escola. Como contribuição desta caminhada apresentase uma metodologia de apoio ao processo de aprendizagem via a autoria de objetos de aprendizagem por alunos. Essa é uma extensão da metodologia de projetos de aprendizagem proposta por Fagundes, com a incorporação da autoria de objetos de aprendizagem por alunos. Em síntese, o aluno estará em processo de autoria de objetos de aprendizagem e poderá produzir ou não, como resultado final desse processo, um objeto de aprendizagem que represente computacionalmente seu desejo de aprendizagem. A metodologia está fundamentada na autoria de projetos de aprendizagem e de objetos de aprendizagem por alunos, na adoção de princípios ágeis para esse processo de autoria e em um contexto escolar construtivista apoiado nas tecnologias digitais. Por fim, a metodologia foi validada através de um processo de investigação, na Escola D, que consistiu na autoria de projetos e de objetos de aprendizagem por alunos. / Educationals indicators have been so long showing the serious social problem that learning in Brazilian Public and Private Schools has become. At the same time, such schools have been affected by the presence of digital technologies, either by its absence or by its introduction without being fully absorved. In this context, this thesis supported in the research line of “Digital Interfaces for Education, Art, Cognition, and language” touched areas of study such as: learning project, learning objects, methodology and environments of learning objects authoring, and process of learning following the genetic epistemology. The investigated area of interests was the authoring of the learning objects by students as a strategy to improve the learning process of such students, in the areas of Science and Mathematics of the high school in Public schools that have digital technologies available. The thesis initiated in 2004 with a exploratory research on Public Schools belonging to the 25nd Education Regional Coordination of the states of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2005, the research has been development in two of these schools, in 2006 in one of them, and in 2007 in a forth school. As contribution of this effort, it is proposed a methodology to support the process of authoring learning objects by students. This is an extension of the methodology of the projects of learning proposed by Fagundes, with the introduction of learning objects authoring by students. In summary, the student will be part of the process of authoring learning objects and may either produce or not, as a final result this process, an learning object that computationally represents his or hers wishing of learning. The methodology is based on: the authoring of learning projects and learning objects by students, in the adoption of fast principles for this process of authoring, and in a constructivist school context supported in digital technologies. Finally, the methodology has been validated trough a research process, in school D, that consisted in the authoring of learning projects and objects by students.

Este trabalho propõe um modelo probabilístico de conhecimento e raciocínio para um agente, denominado Agente Social, cujo principal objetivo é analisar o perfil dos alunos, usuários de um Sistema Tutor Inteligente chamado AMPLIA, e compor grupos de trabalho. Para formar estes grupos, o Agente Social considera aspectos individuais do aluno e estratégias de formação de grupos. A aprendizagem colaborativa envolve relações sociais cujos processos são complexos e apresentam dificuldade para sua modelagem computacional. A fim de representar alguns elementos deste processo e de seus participantes, devem ser considerados aspectos individuais, tais como estado afetivo, questões psicológicas e cognição. Também devem ser considerados aspectos sociais, tais como a habilidade social, a aceitação e a forma em que as pessoas se relacionam e compõem seus grupos de trabalho ou estudo. Sistemas Tutores Inteligentes, Sistemas Multiagente e Computação Afetiva são áreas de pesquisa que vem sendo investigadas de forma a oferecer alternativas para representar e tratar computacionalmente alguns destes aspectos multidisciplinares que acompanham a aprendizagem individual e colaborativa. O Agente Social está inserido na sociedade de agentes do portal PortEdu que, por sua vez, fornece serviços ao ambiente de aprendizagem AMPLIA O PortEdu é um portal que provê serviços para os ambientes educacionais integrados a ele. Este portal foi modelado em uma abordagem multiagente e cada serviço oferecido é implementado por um agente específico. Os ambientes educacionais que utilizam os serviços do portal também são sociedades de agentes e, em geral, Sistemas Tutores Inteligentes. O ambiente AMPLIA (Ambiente Multiagente Probabilístico Inteligente de Aprendizagem) foi projetado para suportar o treinamento do raciocínio diagnóstico e modelagem de domínios de conhecimento incerto e complexo, como a área médica. Este ambiente usa a abordagem de Redes Bayesianas onde os alunos constróem suas próprias redes para um problema apresentado pelo sistema através de um editor gráfico de Redes Bayesianas. Neste trabalho, o editor do AMPLIA foi adaptado para uma versão colaborativa, que permite a construção das redes por vários alunos remotos conectados ao sistema. É através deste editor que o Agente Social observa e interage com os alunos sugerindo a composição dos grupos. Foram realizados experimentos práticos acompanhados por instrumentos de avaliação, com o objetivo de analisar a composição de grupos sugerida pelo Agente Social e relacioná-la com os grupos formados espontaneamente pelos alunos no ambiente de sala de aula. O resultado do trabalho individual e dos grupos também foi analisado e discutido nesta pesquisa. / This research proposes a probabilistic knowledge and reasoning model for an agent, named Social Agent, whose main goal is to analyze students' profiles and to organize them in workgroups. These students are users of an Intelligent Tutoring System named AMPLIA. In order to suggest those groups, the Social Agent considers individual aspects of the students and also strategies for group formation. Collaborative learning involves social relationships with complex processes which are difficult to model computationally. In order to represent these relationships, we should consider several aspects of the student, such as affective state, psychological issues, and cognition. We should also consider social aspects such as social ability, social acceptance and how people relate to each other, and how they compose their workgroups. Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Multiagent Systems and Affective Computing are research areas which our research group have been investigating, in order to represent and to deal computationally with multidisciplinary issues involving individual and collaborative learning. The Social Agent is part of an agent society of the PortEdu Portal, which provides services to AMPLIA. PortEdu is an educational portal which provides facilities to educational environments integrated to it. This portal has been modeled using a multiagent approach and each of its services is represented by a specific agent. The educational environments that make use of the portal's services are also agent societies and, in general, Intelligent Tutoring Systems. AMPLIA (Probabilistic Multiagent Learning Environment) has been designed in order to support diagnostic reasoning and the modeling of diagnostic hypotheses in domains with complex and uncertain knowledge, such as the medical domain. This environment uses a Bayesian Networks approach in which students build their own networks for a clinical case through a Bayesian Network graphical editor. Here, the AMPLIA editor has been adapted and extended to a collaborative version, which enables the network construction for remote students connected to the system. Through this editor, the Social Agent observes and interacts with students, suggesting the composition of workgroups. Practical experiments using assessment tools have been carried out, in order to analyze the workgroups suggested by the Social Agent and to compare them with groups naturally composed by students in the classroom. The results of the work done by individual students and by workgroups were also analyzed and discussed in this research.

Os sistemas de ensino, baseados em redes de computadores, denominados Ambientes de Ensino Distribuídos, são uma excelente alternativa de solução para o ensino a distância1, pelo fato de manterem os recursos instrucionais centralizados, permitindo um maior controle sobre o processo, e de colocarem estes recursos simultaneamente à disposição de diversos alunos ao mesmo tempo, possibilitando oportunidades de ensino a um maior número de pessoas e diminuindo os custos de sistemas educacionais em larga escala. Os Ambientes de Ensino Inteligentes, por outro lado, constituem uma classe de instrumentos de ensino muito mais avançados do ponto de vista pedagógico. Resultados experimentais, no entanto, levam a crer que uma solução ideal para a Educação a Distância deveria privilegiar os dois aspectos. Os avanços mais recentes no campo dos ambientes de ensino inteligentes têm proposto o uso de arquiteturas baseadas em sociedades de agentes. Os princípios dos sistemas multiagentes têm mostrado um potencial bastante adequado ao desenvolvimento de sistemas de ensino, devido ao fato de a natureza do problema de ensino e aprendizagem ser mais facilmente resolvido de forma cooperativa. Ambientes de ensino baseados em arquiteturas multiagentes possibilitam suportar o desenvolvimento de sistemas de forma mais robusta, mais rápida e com menores custos, tornando-os mais atrativos, do ponto de vista de seu aproveitamento real, não ficando restrito a um protótipo. O objetivo deste trabalho, portanto contempla o desenvolvimento de uma infraestrutura de projeto, desenvolvimento e implementação de sistemas de Ambientes Inteligentes Distribuídos de Aprendizagem (Distributed Intelligent Learning Environment - DILE), denominado JADE - Java Agent for Distance Education Framework baseado em abordagem de Arquiteturas Multiagentes, voltado para a Educação a Distância. O JADE propõe uma infra-estrutura de projeto, desenvolvimento e implementação de sistemas de Ambientes Inteligentes Distribuídos de Aprendizagem (Distributed Intelligent Learning Environment - DILE) baseado na abordagem de Arquiteturas Multiagentes, voltado para a Educação a Distância, para múltiplos domínios. / Educational systems supported by computer networks - referred to as Distributed Learning Environments (DLE) - can indeed be an excellent option for overcoming distance teaching obstacles. Chiefly, because instructional resources are centralized, thus allowing for a better handle over the learning process. Secondly, these resources are concurrently available to several students at a time, subsequently opening up the doors for more learning opportunities to a greater amount of people, hence reducing the educational systems costs on a much larger scale. On the other hand, from a pedagogical point of view, the so-called Intelligent Learning Environments (ILE) offer more advanced teaching tools. Nevertheless, experimental findings indicate that an ideal solution for Distance Education should observe both DLE and ILE methods. The latest advances in the science of Intelligent Learning Environments (ILE) recommend the use of frameworks supported by agent associations. Advances in the multi-agent systems approach have shown a large potential for the development of educational systems, because the type of problems that emerge from teaching and learning can be solved more easily in a cooperative manner. Teaching environments managed by a multi-agent program facilitates the development of systems in a more robust and faster way, thus aptly lowering costs and making them more appealing, when you consider the real grades benefits without strictly adhering to a particular prototype. The objective of this project therefore, is to design and build an outlined structure that will encompass an assortment of projects, developments, and implementations of Distributed Intelligent Learning Environment -(DILE) systems. This achievement is labeled as: JADE-Java Agent for Distance Education framework, which depends on a multi-agent approach conducted towards distance learning. JADE tenders an infra-structure that is multi-faceted by projects, development, and the implementation of Distributed Intelligent Learning Environment-(DILE) systems based on a multi-agent approach directed towards multiple uses for distance learning.