Diogo Santos

My research proposal (to be presented in a few weeks) matches some of the points of each of the Working Groups 1, 2 and 3. Our plan is to test e-readers in the classroom in a study for a school year length. We want to make a study in different disciplines/classes to understand the specifications related to the reading of texts (in classes like History or Portuguese) images (Natural Sciences) graphics and figures (Geography, Mathematics). We are adopting a quasi-experimental model with pre and post test strategy. Basically, we’ll compare the experimental groups with e-readers and digital content, to the control groups that will continue to work with the usual resources. We want to collect qualitative data, with surveys, observations, and interviews. The quantitative data will be the grades and results of each student. With the surveys, we want to know more about the sample and their technological/multimedia skills and feelings; with the observations, the idea is to collect data that will show us how students and teachers interact with the devices, the way they read, the way they carry them, find the changes in the workspace, etc; at the end, the interviews will give us more context about the interactions and all the feelings surrounding all the experience. With the grades and results – given by each teacher – we’ll try to see if the adoptions of e-readers, digital content and all this “new” pedagogical strategies have some positive or negative effect in learning (text comprehension, text analyses, information retention, etc).

The objectives that we have for the research match some of the MoU. In our plan, the biggest focus will be in Education. We intent to reach concrete directions focused in the pedagogical impact e-readers and e-books in the classroom, looking forward to contribute for the production of good practices in the binominal teaching-learning. Like we’ve been doing in the past four or five years, the idea is to contribute to the discussion around this vast theme of the digital literacy, with an eye on areas like publishing, distribution, e-book prices, authors, ambient.