A interação dos usuários com simuladores educacionais online: estudo de caso no portal educacional do Positivo

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the interaction between users and educational online simulators. For the purpose of this case study the Portal Educational has been used. The investigation was done along a theoretical, methodological and empirical research lines. The theoretical research line established an essential understanding of the investigation, the recognition on how to establish a frame of communication and the conceptual foundations which form the bases of the following themes: the objects of the research - interaction; the research subjects - students and teachers; and the technological product – online simulators. Along the methodological research line we structured the design of this study, defined as exploritary-qualitative-descriptive and plural methodological tools to turn operational the research and to allow more comprehensive viewpoints of the studied object. Within the empirical research line, we conducted the field study in which we observe the interaction process between users of the Educational Portal with their online simulators. We defined a sample of six online simulators and conducted a participative observation of the interaction between students and high school teachers, in four colleges, in the Federal States of Paraná and São Paulo. The findings of this study are contributing: to describe the interaction, the graphical representations, the system of digital online simulators; to characterize the psychosocial and reportorial profile of the users i.e. the students and high school teachers. Furthermore to understand how the interaction is established between students and teachers in high schools regarding to the psychosocial aspects and the online simulators interactivity.