Here we report on the structural, optical, electrical and magnetic properties of Co-doped and (Co,Mo)-codoped SnO2 thin films deposited on r-cut sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Substrate temperature during deposition was kept at 500 degrees C. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the undoped and doped films are crystalline with predominant orientation along the {[}1 0 1] direction regardless of the doping concentration and doping element. Optical studies revealed that the presence of Mo reverts the blue shift trend observed for the Co-doped films. For the Co and Mo doping concentrations studied, the incorporation of Mo did not contribute to increase the conductivity of the films or to enhance the ferromagnetic order of the Co-doped films. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The sign language is widely used by deaf people around the globe. As the spoken languages, several sign languages do exist. The way sign language is learned by deaf people may have some details to be improved, but one can state that the existing learning mechanisms are effective when we talk about a deaf child, for example. The problem arises for the non-deaf persons that communicate with the deaf persons – the so-called listeners. If, for example, one couple has a new child that turns to be deaf, these two persons find a challenge to learn the sign language. In one hand, they cannot stop their working life, especially because of this sad news turns to be more costly, on the other hand, the existing mechanisms target the deaf-persons and are not prepared for the listeners. This paper proposes a new playful approach to help these listeners to learn the sign language. The proposal is a serious game composed of two modes: School-mode and Competition-mode. The first provides a school-like environment where the user learns the letter-signs and the second provides the user an environment used towards testing the learned skills. Behind the scenes, the proposal is based on two phases: 1 – the creation of a gestures library, relying on the Kinect depth camera; and 2 – the real-time recognition of gestures, by comparing what the depth camera information to the existing gestures previously stored in the library. A prototype system, supporting only the Portuguese sign language alphabet, was developed – the Kinect-Sign – and tested in a Portuguese Sign-Language school resulting in a joyful acceptance of the approach.

Serious games are usually applied to cognitive learning. However, the development of recent Natural User Interfaces (NUI) enables us to use serious games for a more holistic training. This project proposes to implement an educative game that teaches medical students how to carry out a neurological examination. The purpose is to improve not only the cognitive knowledge of the young physicians but also their sensorimotor skills. The game takes place in a virtual doctor office, which is modelled in 3D. Many possible clinical cases related to different neurologic diseases are simulated. The users are tested at two skill levels. First of all, they have to choose the right exam according to the patient’s symptoms. This initial stage is used to assess the theoretical expertise of the students. If the choice is correct, the physical examination begins. In order to evaluate the motor performance, a Kinect NUI is used. Such a device allows for the natural and intuitive control of the doctor’s avatar because there is a direct link between the individual’s and the avatar’s joints. Due to the fact that the real movements of the student are recorded with some accuracy, it is possible to gauge whether or not the medical gesture is properly applied to the virtual patient. In particular, the force and the precision of the movements are measured and compared to reference values. After each examination immediate feedback is given, so that the learners may rectify their choices and improve the quality of their motor skills at the next training session. Overall, the objective of this software is to enable the future physicians to practice a basic medical exam on a wide scope of neurologic disorders, without any risk for the patients and through an enjoyable approach.

O potencial da tecnologia para o ensino e a aprendizagem é há muito reconhecido. Contudo, cada vez mais surgem estudos que indiciam que a sua utilização fica aquém das expectativas. O acesso à tecnologia, o papel que lhe é atribuído na aprendizagem e as características das tarefas em que é utilizada, encontram-se entre as principais influências identificadas sobre a utilização que é feita da tecnologia e potencialmente responsáveis pelas características dessa utilização. O estudo que aqui se apresenta teve como principal objectivo analisar e compreender a utilização que os professores fazem da tecnologia à luz dos aspectos referidos, procurando identificar de que forma estes definem diferentes tipos de utilização. A abordagem metodológica adoptada foi de natureza qualitativa e interpretativa, com a realização de estudos de caso de duas professoras de Matemática que utilizavam a calculadora gráfica. A recolha de dados foi concretizada através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, observação de aulas e recolha documental, sendo a análise de dados orientada pelo quadro teórico, conciliado com a interpretação destes. As conclusões do estudo sugerem alguma diversidade tanto nas características das tarefas em que as professoras recorrem à tecnologia (exercícios, explorações, problemas, modelação de situações reais), como no papel que lhe é atribuído (obter informação, efectuar cálculos, experimentar), mas apontam também para uma diversidade com características que se traduzem em perfis de utilização da tecnologia distintos: um mais exploratório e outro mais prescritivo.

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Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics with Technology (KTMT) is a theoretical model that seeks to articulate previously existing models on professional knowledge and the conclusions that the investigation around the integration of technology has achieved. KTMT is a dynamic knowledge, informed by the practice, that develops from the knowledge on the base domains (Mathematics, Teaching and Learning, Technology and Curriculum), evolving as knowledge in the base domains interacts and as this promotes the development of inter-domain knowledge, which continue to interact, strengthening relations and leading to the development of an integrated knowledge, where knowledge on the base domains and on the two sets of inter-domains appears deeply integrated into a global knowledge.