Suchergebnisse

This paper intends to present and reflect upon some of the findings emerging from a research project entitled "Navigating with 'Magalhães': Study on the Impact of Digital Media on Schoolchildren" that was conducted at the Communication and Society Research Centre at the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. The project focused on the politics of the governmental programme "One Laptop per Child" part of the Portuguese Technological Plan for Education, and the uses of the "Magalhães" computer, and other media, by children aged 8-10 years. This paper analyses the impact of this particular public policy on digital literacy of young children based mostly on the perspectives of parents and their modes of mediation. It also debates parents' and children's perspectives on parental rules on computer and Internet usage. It ends by concluding that the impact of this programme occurred mainly at the level of access rather than the social and educational uses and practices. It also highlights the importance of family in the way children access and use ICT. ; The project, conducted at the Communication and Society Research Centre at the University of Minho, Portugal, was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under Grant number PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008 and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund [COMPETE: ...

This book was produced in the scope of a research project entitled "Navigating with 'Magalhães': Study on the Impact of Digital Media in Schoolchildren". This study was conducted between May 2010 and May 2013 at the Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho, Portugal and it was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008). As we shall explain in more detail later in this book, the main objective of that research project was to analyse the impact of the Portuguese government programme named ´e-escolinha´ launched in 2008 within the Technological Plan for Education. This Plan responds to the principles of the Lisbon Strategy signed in 2000 and rereleased in the Spring European Council of 2005. ; COMPETE: ...

In 2008, the XVII Portuguese socialist government launched the initiative 'e.escolinha' as a programme within its 'Technological Plan for Education'. This initiative aims to ensure access for all primary school children to a personal computer named 'Magalhães' with educational content and generalize the use of computers and the Internet in early learning. This paper presents a documental analysis of policy documents, complemented by interviews of policy makers, examining the ways children and children media users are (re)presented. We started from the position that these sources draw on both of these conceptions in order to present the 'e.escolinha' initiative, and we are interested in a deconstruction of those notions. Based on questionnaires administered to children aged 8-10 years old, the paper also focuses on the ways children experienced this policy. We find that this policy is more centred on access to technology and the Internet than on children. The child is conceived in terms of his or her future, seen as an adult in the making. Technology is a kind of passport to the future, enabling success in a competitive labour market. In general, the sources reveal an idealised political vision of the benefits of technology for the teaching and learning process and for children's educational success, which contrasts with both the way the children experienced this policy and mainly with the way that the children use the 'Magalhães' computer. We conclude by discussing the importance of taking into account the socially and politically constructed nature of technology and emphasizing the social dimensions of use and access. ; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia ...

The assessment of media literacy is a complex task, which might attempt to reconcile a research field traditionally developed within a critical paradigm with the task of evaluating and quantifying media literacy competences through essentially quantitative methods. Despite the non-existence of consensus regarding how to evaluate and measure media literacy, namely on the definition of its levels, this purpose is increasingly discussed and stimulated by political and regulatory stances, as well as studied within the academic world. Based on one of such attempts, a study on the media literacy competences of 679 Portuguese teenagers, this paper presents a review and a reflection on the specific challenges posed by the intent to quantitatively assess media literacy, without neglecting its core critical dimension. It concludes by suggesting methodological convergence and the continuous development of valid and reliable indicators, necessarily context and subject-dependent, as a way to improve this area of research.

In an increasingly challenging media environment of post-truth and fake news, disinformation may impact the way young people perceive the world. In this study, we seek to understand how young people engage with news, their perceptions around disinformation, and how they see the relevance of critical thinking for their civic and political lives. Using a mixed method model, we developed a focus group activity with a total of 45 participants, based on the analysis of 562 questionnaires previously administered to first-year undergraduates of two Portuguese universities. The results show that although most students report limited critical analysis of information, they do reveal concerns about disinformation in their lives, suggesting a set of actions in order to combat fake news spread. Furthermore, the findings reinforce the need for news and media literacy that concerns a post-fact culture. ; U sve izazovnijem medijskom okruženju tzv. post-istine i lažnih vijesti dezinformacija može utjecati na percepciju mladih ljudi o svijetu. U ovoj studiji nastojimo objasniti na koji način mladi ljudi pristupaju vijestima, kakva je njihova percepcija o dezinformacijama te koliko je, prema njihovu mišljenju, kritičko razmišljanje važno za njihov građanski i politički život. Na temelju analize 562 anketna upitnika koje su ispunili studenti prve godine preddiplomskih studija dvaju portugalskih sveučilišta formirane su fokus-grupe s ukupno 45 sudionika. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da studenti, iako priznaju da nedovoljno kritički analiziraju informacije, izražavaju zabrinutost zbog dezinformacija, sugerirajući niz aktivnosti za borbu protiv širenja lažnih vijesti. Nadalje, nalazi potvrđuju potrebu za pojačanom medijskom pismenošću u svijetu post-činjenica.

Daily life is indelibly marked by the media, which create (or help to create) different forms of leisure, entertainment and work. Reading, analysing, decoding, understanding and interpreting the media and the content they convey, as well as creating and producing messages, are today fundamental competences required to deal with and manage the flows of communication and information that reach us through various media and platforms. The following study involved administering an online questionnaire to a sample of 679 Portuguese students, mostly between the ages of 17 and 18. The aim was to characterize their media access and use in their final year of compulsory education, to determine their knowledge of the media, as well as their analysis, interpretation and production competences, which were placed on a three-level scale of media literacy. Findings suggest that knowledge is at a basic level, in most cases at the lowest level of the scale.

Torture is a relevant issue in human interactions for its pervasiveness, gravity and tremendous consequences. Unfortunately is still remains a reality in many countries of the world. This presentation aims approach to the concept of torture and the situation of torture in Portugal and worldwide; analyze international laws and ethical principles on documentation and investigation of torture; and address the contribution and importance of clinical forensic medical examination in these situations, how it best can be carried out and what kind of results may provide. There is no consensus about how to define torture but the most cited definitions in literature are those put forward by the World Medical Association and the United Nations. Both of these definitions include severe physical and psychological forms of suffering and require coercive intent by perpetrators with the consent or acquiescence of state authorities. The prohibition of Torture is absolute and applies to all times and in all circumstances. This prohibition is present in several international treaties and agreements. In 1984 the United Nations adopted the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment highlighting the particular attention given to this absolute prohibition, creating a legally-binding document and providing additional rules to assist in prevention and investigation of allege cases of torture. Nevertheless, between January 2009 and May 2013, Amnesty International received reports of torture and other ill-treatment committed by state officials in 141 countries, and from every world region. This only indicates cases reported to or known by the organization and does not necessarily reflect the full extent of torture worldwide. Besides forbidding it, International law also obliges states to investigate allegations of torture and to punish those responsible. It also requires that victims are able to obtain reparation. One of the major challenges in accomplishing this is to obtain sufficient evidence in cases against perpetrators. If there is no proof that torture took place, a climate of impunity can come to exist and the practice will endure. Medico-legal reports are a way of gathering evidence of torture. Even in countries where a fair trial is rare, medico-legal documentation strengthens the victims' position since it becomes more difficult to disregard the complaint. The area of application of the medico-legal reports is not restricted to medico-legal investigation. It can be broadened to the investigation and documentation of other violations of human rights in national and international legal proceedings, and monitoring such as cases of asylum seekers, cases of forced confessions through torture, identification of therapeutic needs of victims and the need for reparation and redress by the state. There are also a role for it in activities like research, advocacy and lobbying. Therefore, participation and support of health professionals are of crucial importance for the abolition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Ensuring that doctors are aware of how to perform a medico-legal report and how to use it in legal proceedings is a needed step forward in the prevention of torture. Because a large of the large number and the severe suffering of many survivors, the question of torture should become a part of health care curricula. ; A tortura é uma questão relevante nas interações humanas pela sua perversidade, gravidade e consequências tremendas. Infelizmente ainda continua a ser uma realidade em muitos países do mundo. O objectivo principal deste trabalho é o de proceder à elaboração de um texto que permita aos profissionais de saúde, adquirirem com a sua leitura uma rápida percepção do que é tortura e os maus tratos, do enquadramento legal destas situações e do potencial que uma adequada abordagem do ponto de vista médico pode proporcionar para uma correta identificação de tais práticas. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho procede inicialmente a uma revisão do conceito de tortura e da situação da tortura a nível mundial e ao nível de Portugal. Seguidamente, efetua uma breve análise das leis internacionais relativas à investigação e documentação de tortura e aborda as questões éticas levantadas por esta temática. Por último analisa o contributo do exame médico-legal nestas situações, como pode ser realizado e quais as mais valias que pode proporcionar. Não há consenso sobre como definir a tortura mas as definições mais citadas na literatura são as fornecidas pela Associação Médica Mundial e pela Organização das Nações Unidas. Ambas incluem formas físicas e psicológicas graves de sofrimento e exigem uma intenção coerciva por parte dos agressores, com o consentimento ou aquiescência das autoridades do Estado. A definição da Organização das Nações Unidas exige ainda que a agressão seja perpetuada especificamente por membros do, ou ao serviço do, Governo ou por forças militares ou policiais pertencentes ao Estado. Há também outras práticas que, apesar de não estarem incluídas nas definições de tortura, são um ataque à vida humana em toda a sua dignidade. Este outro tratamento cruel, desumano e degradante, que será referido neste trabalho como "maus-tratos", também tem a intenção de expor os indivíduos a condições que causam sofrimento físico ou mental significativo, mas sem um propósito específico. As pessoas vítimas desta prática, serão neste trabalho equiparadas a vítimas de tortura. A proibição da tortura e maus-tratos é absoluta e aplica-se a todos os momentos e em todas as circunstâncias. Esta proibição está presente em diversos tratados, acordos internacionais e o direito a estar livre de tortura é contemplado na Declaração Universal dos Direitos do Homem. Em 1984, as Nações Unidas adoptaram a Convenção Contra a Tortura e Outros Tratamentos Cruéis, Desumanos, Degradantes ou de Punição (CAT) destacando a particular atenção dada a esta proibição absoluta. Este é um documento juridicamente vinculativo que prevê regras adicionais para auxiliar na prevenção e investigação de alegados casos de tortura. Apesar de todas as normas e tratados que contemplam a proibição de tortura, esta continua a ser ainda uma prática comum e mundialmente disseminada. Entre Janeiro de 2009 e Maio de 2013, a Amnistia Internacional recebeu relatos de tortura e outros maus-tratos cometidos por funcionários do Estado em 141 países, e de todas as regiões do mundo. Isso só indica casos notificados ou conhecidos pela organização, e não reflecte necessariamente a extensão total da tortura em todo o mundo. Portugal não é excepção a isto. Além de proibir a prática de tortura, a lei Internacional obriga também os Estados a investigar alegações de tortura e a punir os responsáveis. Requer ainda que as vítimas possam ser ressarcidas da forma mais completa possível. Um dos principais desafios na realização disto é a obtenção de elementos de prova suficientes em casos contra os agressores. Se não há nenhuma prova de que a tortura ocorreu, um clima de impunidade pode vir a existir e a prática será perpetuada. Relatórios médico-legais são uma forma de apresentar provas de tortura. Mesmo em países onde um julgamento justo é raro, a documentação médico-legal fortalece a posição das vítimas tornando mais difícil ignorar a acusação Para mais, médicos da área dos cuidados de saúde primários são importantes detectores na identificação das vítimas. Eles podem encontrar sobreviventes de tortura em contextos de cuidados primários ou nos serviços de urgência e emergência médica, e serem quem inicia o encaminhamento para o tratamento destas vítimas e acciona os mecanismos legais necessários. A área de aplicação dos relatórios médico-legais não se restringe à investigação médico-legal. Estes podem ser utilizados na investigação e documentação de outras violações dos direitos humanos, em processos judiciais nacionais e internacionais. Podem ter ainda um papel importante em casos de requerentes de asilo, na identificação das necessidades terapêuticas das vítimas e da necessidade de reparação e reparação por parte do Estado. Há também um papel para ele em atividades como pesquisa, advocacia e lobby. Portanto, a participação e apoio de profissionais de saúde é de importância crucial para a abolição da tortura e outras formas de maus-tratos. Garantir que os médicos estão cientes de como executar um relatório médico-legal e como usá-lo em processos judiciais é um passo necessário na prevenção da tortura. Dado a grande quantidade de pessoas vítimas desta prática e o papel preponderante dos médicos na sua prevenção, a abordagem da tortura e o exame médico-legal deveriam tornar-se parte dos currículos das escolas médicas.

This article examines the political and the media discourses concerning the Portuguese governmental program responsible for delivering a laptop named "Magalhães" to all primary school children. The analysis is based on the official documents related to the launch and development of the initiative as well as the press coverage of this topic. The main purpose is to recognize the dominant public discourses and to find out what the media select for the debate in the public sphere. This analysis was done with a particular focus on the critical media literacy framework. The results reveal that the press highlighted the negative aspects of that program and that this framing could have a strong impact on how it was accepted and understood by the public opinion. Analysis also reveals that the governmental initiative was predominantly driven by technological objectives, in particular the access to technology, rather than media literacy objectives. ; The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This paper is part of a three years project named "Navigating with 'Magalhaes': Study on the Impact of Digital Media in Schoolchildren" funded by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-funded by FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (ERDF: European Regional Development Fund) through COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (Operational Competitiveness ...

In an increasingly challenging media environment of post-truth and fake news, disinformation may impact the way young people perceive the world. In this study, we seek to understand how young people engage with news, their perceptions around disinformation, and how they see the relevance of critical thinking for their civic and political lives. Using a mixed method model, we developed a focus group activity with a total of 45 participants, based on the analysis of 562 questionnaires previously administered to first-year undergraduates of two Portuguese universities. The results show that although most students report limited critical analysis of information, they do reveal concerns about disinformation in their lives, suggesting a set of actions in order to combat fake news spread. Furthermore, the findings reinforce the need for news and media literacy that concerns a post-fact culture. ; U sve izazovnijem medijskom okruženju tzv. post-istine i lažnih vijesti dezinformacija može utjecati na percepciju mladih ljudi o svijetu. U ovoj studiji nastojimo objasniti na koji način mladi ljudi pristupaju vijestima, kakva je njihova percepcija o dezinformacijama te koliko je, prema njihovu mišljenju, kritičko razmišljanje važno za njihov građanski i politički život. Na temelju analize 562 anketna upitnika koje su ispunili studenti prve godine preddiplomskih studija dvaju portugalskih sveučilišta formirane su fokus-grupe s ukupno 45 sudionika. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da studenti, iako priznaju da nedovoljno kritički analiziraju informacije, izražavaju zabrinutost zbog dezinformacija, sugerirajući niz aktivnosti za borbu protiv širenja lažnih vijesti. Nadalje, nalazi potvrđuju potrebu za pojačanom medijskom pismenošću u svijetu post-činjenica. ...

The contributions of child and pre-teen audiences for the creation of their own contents allows their voice to be heard and their opinions to be considered. In view of understanding the younger generations participatory methods and the making of narrative, it is necessary to consider the nature of their creative processes as it englobes different fields and strategies, such as drawing and music. Gosma! is a project focused in the production of an animated short film by a group of master students at Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave, whose narrative creation involved children's participation through interactive strategies. This article will reflect upon the participatory and ludic methods focused on the narrative construction for animation, observing their impact on the script construction for the animation short film Gosma!.

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020 ; This study investigates to what extent specific features of news articles about election campaigns impact reader engagement and civility in news comments. Using content analysis of articles (N = 830) and comments (N = 29,421) published during the 2015 Portuguese Legislative elections, we test the impact of negative coverage, issue coverage and game coverage (politics as a game) on the number of comments that an article receives and the level of civility thereof. Additionally, we explore how affective polarisation of a commenter may moderate the effects on incivility. Findings show that negativity towards political actors in an article is tied to both an increase in the number of comments and their level of incivility. Game coverage only led to a significant increase in the number of comments, while actor-related positivity was also related to an increase in incivility. Issue coverage had neither positive nor negative effects. The results inform newsrooms and academics about the implications of different types of election reporting, while accounting for features of news articles that are typically not integrated in a single study. ; publishersversion ; published

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) ; An intriguing and remarkable feature of African trypanosomes is their antigenic variation system, mediated by the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) family and fundamental to both immune evasion and disease epidemiology within host populations. Recent studies have revealed that the VSG repertoire has a complex evolutionary history. Sequence diversity, genomic organization, and expression patterns are species-specific, which may explain other variations in parasite virulence and disease pathology. Evidence also shows that we may be underestimating the extent to what VSGs are repurposed beyond their roles as variant antigens, establishing a need to examine VSG functionality more deeply. Here, we review sequence variation within the VSG gene family, and highlight the many opportunities to explore their likely diverse contributions to parasite survival. ; S.S.P. is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Standard European Fellowship , under grant agreement no. 839960 . A.P.J. is funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship ( RF-2020-413 ). L.M.F. is an Investigator CEEC of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia ( CEECIND/03322/2018 ) and the laboratory is funded by the ERC (FatTryp, ref. 771714 ). ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

AbstractWe report a summary of Portuguese families and siblings research under the umbrella of the Portuguese Healthy Family Project. Families lived in mainland Portugal, as well as in the Azores and Madeira islands. All samples comprise children and adolescents (9–20 years) and their parents (27–57 years). Recruitment procedures and phenotypes were detailed. Familial resemblance in body shape and composition, metabolic syndrome, physical fitness, physical activity and sedentary behaviors are presented, as well as future research avenues.