A maioria das aplicações envolvendo a influência do clima na agricultura requer um grande volume de dados que, geralmente, não estão disponíveis. Desta forma, há necessidade de um aplicativo computacional para facilitar a organização dos dados necessários. O sistema computacional SIAGRO foi desenvolvido para dar suporte a uma plataforma de coleta de dados termo-pluviométricos e para atender à demanda dos usuários da informação agrometeorológica para agricultura. O sistema proposto permite, a partir de dados coletados a intervalos de 15 minutos, cadastrar outras estações, importar dados, calcular a evapotranspiração por diferentes modelos (Thornthwaite; Camargo; Thornthwaite modificado por Camargo e Hagreaves e Samani), utilizar a classificação climática de Thornthwaite e determinar médias para os parâmetros coletados em períodos distintos de tempo. Os resultados são apresentados em forma de gráficos e tabelas num computador pessoal ou via Internet, que podem ser exportados para uso em outros aplicativos computacionais ou comparados com os resultados de outras estações cadastradas no sistema. Disponibilizar o SIAGRO de informação que permita gerir de forma eficiente programas de irrigação para atender as carências de água nos cultivos, permitiu que se avaliasse o desempenho de três métodos de referência para estimar a evapotranspiração com dados obtidos em lisímetros de lençol freático constante. Os dados foram coletados diariamente e processados em escala mensal. O desempenho dos métodos foi analisado a partir do coeficiente de correlação r e do índice de concordância de Willmot d . Os resultados mostraram que a melhor estimativa foi obtida com o modelo de Thornthwaite modificado por Camargo, devido ao seu melhor ajuste aos dados lisimétricos, apresentando uma concordância ótima, com índice d de 0,91.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 26th International Workshop on Algebraic Development Techniques, WADT 2022, held in Aveiro, Portugal, in June 2022. The 6 revised papers presented together with 2 invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. The contributed presentations covered a range of topics about the algebraic approach to system specification, which encompasses many aspects of the formal design of software systems. Originally born as formal method for reasoning about abstract data types, the algebraic approach now covers new specification frameworks and programming paradigms (such as object-oriented, aspect-oriented, agent-oriented, logic, and higher-order functional programming) as well as a wide range of application areas (including information systems, concurrent, distributed, and mobile systems).

Hidden k-logics can be considered as the underlying logics of program specification. They constitute natural generalizations of k-deductive systems and encompass deductive systems as well as hidden equational logics and inequational logics. In our abstract algebraic approach, the data structures are sorted algebras endowed with a designated subset of their visible parts, called filter, which represents a set of truth values. We present a hierarchy of classes of hidden k-logics. The hidden k-logics in each class are characterized by three different kinds of conditions, namely, properties of their Leibniz operators, closure properties of the class of their behavioral models, and properties of their equivalence systems. Using equivalence systems, we obtain a new and more complete analysis of the axiomatization of the behavioral models. This is achieved by means of the Leibniz operator and its combinatorial properties. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Difficulties in learning computer programming for novices is a subject of abundant scientific literature. These difficulties seem to be accentuated in students whose academic choice is not computation, like architecture students. However, they need to study programming, since it is part of the new academic curricula. The results presented here are part of a PhD research, which investigates the achievement motivation and the acquisition and transfer of programming knowledge from an online environment designed on the basis of the 4C-ID instructional design model. These results are a sociodemographic analysis, and the technological competence of these subjects. We concluded that most of the students of our sample do not know how to auto assess their ICT expertise level, because they believed that they had sufficient computational knowledge for their needs. However, most of them told that they had difficulties creating codes. However, they recognized the importance of learning to program, thought it was valuable for architectural students, and felt motivated to acquire this new skill.

Students face several challenges when learning computer programming languages, a central topic to acquire programming skills. While those challenges that present a predominantly technical nature have been intensely studied by researchers along the years, the ones that are concerned with qualitative, and personal aspects have not. Affinity to a programming language is one of the many personal factors that may contribute to surpass these qualitative aspects that describe the difficulties that students face. From this point-of-view, this paper presents a proposal for treating and studying programmers’ affinity to programming languages as an important factor for learning computer programming. It also reports a preliminary questionnaire conducted on a master’s degree class at Universidade do Minho that showed that affinity may have a broader relation to learning computer programming than anticipated. Finally, a set of relevant questions are stated to compose a future inquiry aimed at deepening the knowledge on the affinity between programmers and languages, paving the way for following research.

The search for better techniques to teach computer programming is paramount in order to improve the students’ learning experiences. Several approaches have been proposed throughout the years, usually through technical solutions such as evaluation systems, digital classrooms, interactive lessons and so on. Personal factors, such as affinity, have been largely unexplored due to their qualitative and abstract nature. The results of a preliminary survey on how and why affinity is created between programmers and their favorite languages, conducted on a master’s degree class at Universidade do Minho, showed unexpected results as to which languages became favorites and the possible reasons for the students’ choices. Aiming at further exploration on this topic and continuation of this research, the Value-Focused Thinking method was applied in order to construct a more complex, in-depth survey. This value-oriented method kept focus under control and even raised a handful of opportunities to improve the research as a whole. This paper describes the Value-Focused Thinking method and how it was applied to construct a new and deeper computer programming education survey to understand affinity with languages.

This paper presents an action research study aiming to motivate undergraduate students to develop their computer programming learning skills, particularly within the transition from beginner to proficient level. The SimProgramming motivational approach is presented as a didactic proposal for this context. From the results of this iterative research process, we concluded that SimProgramming is a promising tool for teaching computer programming skills in intermediate classes, with potential to be used and/or applied in other educational contexts.

To help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming, developing an appropriate set of learning strategies, the SimProgramming teaching approach has been adopted at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal). This approach is based on four conceptual foundations: businesslike learning environment, self-regulated learning, co-regulated learning, and formative assessment. In this approach the students develop an activity based on problem-based learning, with a specific set of tasks based on those four conceptual foundations. The approach was implemented in two courses from the second and third curricular years of the bachelor programmes in Informatics Engineering and Information & Communication Technologies. We conducted semi-structured interviews with students (n=32) at the end of the courses, to try to identify the students’ strategies for self-regulation of learning in the activity developed within the SimProgramming approach. The main strategies identified were: organization, planning, time management, identification of difficulties, resolution of the difficulties encountered, work review, identification of the factors that influenced their motivation, and structure of the environment. The factors influencing the motivation most often identified by students were the impact of the assessment in the final course grade, the completion of the course, learning, skills development, and teamwork. Generally, students applied strategies to solve the difficulties, in particular by searching for social help and information search. Procrastination was also often identified by students. Strategies of time management, transformation of information, in-depth review, self-reflection, and self-evaluation were referenced scantily. We found that students changed some of their strategies from one course edition to the next. We conclude by recommending the development of educational practices to help students review their work, treat and process the information they find, conduct self-reflection and self-evaluation of their performance during tasks, adopt concentration strategies, and become aware of their specific difficulties.

The SimProgramming teaching approach has the goal to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the transition from entry-level to advanced computer programming and prepare them for real-world labour environments, adopting learning strategies. It immerses learners in a businesslike learning environment, where students develop a problem-based learning activity with a specific set of tasks, one of which is filling weekly individual forms. We conducted thematic analysis of 401 weekly forms, to identify the students’ strategies for self-regulation of learning during assignment. The students are adopting different strategies in each phase of the approach. The early phases are devoted to organization and planning, later phases focus on applying theoretical knowledge and hands-on programming. Based on the results, we recommend the development of educational practices to help students conduct self-reflection of their performance during tasks.