Análise e transformação de aspectos organizacionais de um curso online

Abstract

This research was originated, initially, in the identification of faced and reported problems by users of online courses developed by Edulang Research Group of Postgraduation in Applied Linguistics of PUC-SP. The courses provided organizational maps in order to help students to get oriented in the course, however there was a big contradiction: what was made in order to orient students, in fact, did not reach properly its objective. The maps could be modified in order to solve or minimize orientational user problems. An organizational aspects restructuring requested the development of an intervention instrument. Thus, this research is aimed at discussing the navigational problems found in previous online courses and how these problems could be avoided or minimized by the development of the intervention instrument. It aims, as well, at verifying the impact of such intervention by observing, studying and analyzing the work done by research participants. This research is based on the Activity Theory, language concepts of Systemic-Functional Linguistics and some concepts of Information Systems (Computational Systems Development and Usability). Among authors of pre-cited theories, it is mainly based on Vygotsky (1991), Leontiev (1978), Engeström (1999) and Daniels (2003) in reference to Activity Theory, Halliday (1994), Eggins (1994) e Lemke (2002) in language area and Nielsen (2000,2003), Horton (2000,2002) and O'Brien (2002) in Systems Development and Usability areas. The presented outcome showed that the intervention instrument provided the minimization or elimination of identified navigational problems. A comparison to previous courses which used organizational maps showed that users learned more quickly how to use the develop intervention instrument and faced smaller difficulties in navigational process