It is consensual, that academic literacy, which is being currently defined both as the mastery of written language in higher education (HE) and the specific reading and writing practices within fields and disciplines, involving a variety of communicative practices, and textual genres, constitutes a strong barrier to students learning and achievement. In fact, what and how one reads and writes to learn and communicate knowledge in HE contexts have particular features, which require students to adapt to new ways of understanding and organizing knowledge and to switch their writing styles and texts acquired at secondary education to others proper of such new settings. To learn and to be successful in academic context students have to deploy a repertoire of practices and genres different from those they bring to the University. Several models have been adopted to help students to adapt their practices to those of the university and to “fix” problems that are frequently identified. In spite of the approach, all agree that it is crucial to start by understanding students perceptions of the academic literacies features, and of the kind of barriers that those particular features pose them when they have to write and to interpret, for instance, a scientific article, or a technical report. Within this same perspective, this article discusses data from a broader study whose main goals were: 1) to understand the role of reading and writing in the teaching and learning processes of HE students; 2) to contribute to characterize academic literacies in a particular context. The achievement of these objectives has gone through, from the perceptions of a group of 30 students (1) the identification of the degree of awareness of the features of academic literacy, particularly in what concerns the texts that they have to read and write; (2) the identification of the specific barriers that textual genres comprehension and production puts to HE students; (3) the characterization of how personal (vernacular) reading and writing practices are factors of academic achievement. The research has been conducted with students of an Integrated Master of Textile Engineering, using a questionnaire of 35 questions (5 open and 30 in Likert type scales), organized around three major themes that correspond to the above presented goals. Until now the responses were treated with descriptive statistics, through measures of central tendency such as means, medians and modes. As preliminary analysis, it is possible to ascertain that students are aware of the specialized nature of academic reading and writing tasks as well as of the genres that circulate for learning in HE context. Students are also able to identify the linguistic and macro structural textual features that put them problems and constitute barriers to their learning. The data obtained so far corroborate other studies, including those that conclude about the privilege given to writing over reading in HE, and about the barriers that particular texts writing (mainly reports and scientific articles) pose to students. Particularly relevant for the design of interventions that aim to help students overcome the barriers is the fact that the texts that students identify as giving them more difficulties are those that are more distant from the classroom: This means that students are supposed to master the reading and writing of texts that they do not encounter frequently in the classroom pedagogical process.

The implementation of the Bologna Process in the Portuguese Higher Education system led to deep changes at this educational level. In order to harmonize and to level the Portuguese higher education with other European countries several measures were determined, including access expansion, especially for new target groups. Among others the +23 year old students and Technology Specialization Courses (CET) are considered new target groups. In order to understand the evolution of new public courses in Engineering and Technology at University of Minho, a study of students who entered through the quotas of the academic years 2005/2006 to 2010/2011 was carried out in order to analyze the academic path. Understanding their journey in higher education can help to improve the system of teaching and learning of this new audience. This paper compares those two groups’ performance in order to understand the difference between them and the ordinary students.

The implementation of the Bologna Process in the Portuguese Higher Education system led to a scenario of changes at the education level. The adequacy of the Portuguese higher education system to other European countries has determined, among other measures, the access expansion, especially for new publics. Among others the +23 year old students and Technology Specialization Courses (CET) are considered new public. A survey was carried out, regarding the academic years 2004/2005 through 2008/2009. In order ti understand the academic performance of students entering through the +23 year old students quota courses in Engineering and Technology, of University of Minho. A results analysis was performed education system allows improving the learning/teaching methodologies for this new public. This study analyzes the performance and academic approval of students from their entrance to present.

The implementation of the Bologna Process in the Portuguese Higher Education system led to deep changes at this education level. In order to harmonize and to level the Portuguese higher education with other European countries several measures were determined, including access expansion, especially for new target groups. Among others the +23 year olds students and Technology Specialization Courses (CET) are considered new target groups. CET´s Students quota are new at this level of education, so a study was carried out to understand the evolution of these new target group courses in Engineering and Technology, at University of Minho. For such, a data survey of students that entered through this quota was used and their academic path analyzed. These students have expectations, motivations and different backgrounds in comparison with other students. Understand their performance in higher education may help to answer adequately to the needs of this new target group.

Higher education in Portugal, in the last forty years, has undergone profound changes with the enlargement of public higher education network, the appearance of new institutions, the quantity and the heterogeneity of students. The implementation of the Bologna Process in European community countries led to the redesign of higher education Portuguese courses as well as their corresponding curricula. In recent years, the use of Project-led education was one of the most significant changes in teaching and learning, particularly in engineering in higher education in Portugal. This teaching methodology encourages students and teachers to undertake new roles, new responsibilities and a new learning perspective. This study aims at understanding whether the role of the tutor is to be suitable to the needs and expectations of Project-led education students. These changes however are not only structural. At the University of Minho, new teaching and learning methodologies were adopted, which could guide the training of professionals on to the twenty-first century. The opportunity arising from the implementation of Project-led education in Engineering methodology was used in the University of Minho’s courses. This teaching method is intended to provide students with educational support programs that benefit the academic performance, allowing the opportunity to upgrade, train and develop the ability to study and learn more effectively. Through the Project-led education it is possible to provide students with techniques and procedures and develop the ability to communicate orally and in writing. Students and teachers have assumed new roles in the teaching-learning process allowing in one hand the students to explore, discover and question themselves about some knowledge and on the other hand the teachers to change to a tutor, a companion and to a student project guide. Therefore, surveys were analyzed, comprising questions about the most significant contribution of the tutor as well as if there are some initial expectations that have not been foreseen by the tutor.

The School of Engineering of the University of Minho adapted to the requirements of the Bologna Process through various measures. Among these, the adoption of the methodology of teaching and learning Project-LedEngineering Education is to be highlighted, where the active role of the learner and the tutor's role as "guide" throughout the project is promoted and appreciated. In order to understand whether the role of the tutor is being performed as expected, a series of questionnaire surveys were conducted. In this study instrument, issues within the perception of students on the role of the tutor in Project-Led Engineering Education, on the promotion of critical thinking and on the appreciation of problem solving were addressed.

Traditionally, engineering courses are more pursued by men than by women, although, also traditionally, there are exceptions, like for example Biological Engineering courses. In recent years, Higher Education in Portugal has faced profound changes, namely as far as the number of students, the enlargement of the educational network and the curricular structure of courses are concerned. It is known that the rise in the general number of students was also accompanied by an increase in the number of women attending Portuguese Higher Education Institutions. This paper aims to analyze whether these changes have also changed the choice of women/men in engineering courses. Therefore, preferences and admissions from the last five years in fifteen engineering courses of a Portuguese University were analyzed. This analysis aims at understanding if there are courses that tend to be more chosen by women, as well as the incidence of the Demand Satisfaction Index (here DSI) in their choices. The DSI is the ratio between the number of applicants in the 1st option and the number of existing vacancies per pair institution/ course, in the 1st phase of the national competition for higher education access. For the academic years 2010/2011 to 2014/2015 we analyzed, for each course, the number of applicants and the number of students placed (by gender), the application option and the average grades of the admitted applicants. This analysis showed that the percentage of women has increased in both: in the number of applicants and in the number of admissions. The number of female applicants increased 4.7% in the general number of applicants for engineering courses and 3.4% in the number of female admitted students, among the total number of admissions, in the same period. This convergence of the number of students of both genders contradicts the historical data, so it is important to understand its reasons. Therefore, each one of the courses was analyzed independently and we verify that in courses where the demand was already mainly female, that demand was further strengthened by women. In courses which have traditionally more male attendance, the percentage of women has been continuously approaching that of men. In conclusion, the conjunction of the growing attractiveness of engineering courses (which makes the admission more competitive) and the fact that, in general, women present better access grades to higher education is claimed as an explanation for this evolution.

The School of Engineering of the University of Minho (EEUM), aiming at improving the quality of Higher Education (HE), has been adapting to the new demands and realities. Bologna Process brought a number of challenges to higher education institutions, notably in teaching, learning and assessment [1], [2]. Based on needs identified by students, such as autonomy management and student responsibility in their education, continuous evaluation, associated to the promotion, empowerment and facilitation of professional development and the active role of the student in the evaluation process [3], the EEUM sought to respond with direct actions for students. In 2006/2007, a study was carried out on writing skills in university students, diagnosing difficulties in textual comprehension, which is reflected in the expression and transmission of the intended message [4]. Thus, since 2004, EEUM has developed training actions for students that address: (1) new requirements inherent to the transition to Higher Education; (2) self-regulation of learning; and (3) teamwork. In 2006, three training modules were added, namely (4) writing skills; (5) bibliographic research; (6) oral skills. During these ten years, Steering Committees of each course of the School were given the option to opt for the various training modules or only for some more specific ones. Thus, over 1000 hours of contact with the students were taught in the 12 years of the EEUM. These actions are taught grossly in the 1st year of the Study Plan. However, there are some more focused on the 3rd and the 5th years. At the end of each training course, students respond to an inquiry with a few closed questions and three open questions, namely 'Aspects I considered most positive in training', 'Aspects I considered less positive in training' and 'Suggestions and comments'. This article presents a content analysis of the open answers of students at the end of the training. This type of analysis allows us to understand student's opinions and a more introspective

Written language is an important mean of communication, and access and representation of information, enabling at the same time the development and transmission of knowledge, In the context of higher school education, writting skills are essential when developing analysis, interpretation and evaluation skills. when developing reasoning skills, relating theory and practise , building up a conclusion, criticixing, processing informatiom etc. (Cabral & Tavares, 2005) Giving that writting skills are intertwined with many other skils, they are indisputably related to the academic sucess of students. This work presents a characterization of a group of first year students with regard to their writting skills, as well as a proposal to overcome difficulties and promove writting skills.

A melhoria da qualidade no ensino superior, procurando adaptar-se progressivamente às novas exigências e realidades - novas orientações teóricas acerca do ensino e da aprendizagem, aumento da população estudantil e da sua heterogeneidade, novas exigências do mercado de trabalho, etc.-, suscitou um conjunto de mudanças em diversos domínios, nomeadamente, ao nível do ensino, da aprendizagem e da avaliação. Associado às recentes mudanças no ensino superior e stá o processo de Bolonha, que originou uma reestruturação ao nível dos cursos, afectando o formato dos graus de ensino, os conteúdos curriculares e o próprio conceito de ensino e de aprendizagem, surgiram inovadoras metodologias e práticas pedagógicas. A visão tradicional do ensino enquanto meio de transmissão do conhecimento por parte do professor, é substituída pela ideia da aprendizagem activa por parte do aluno, dando ênfase à própria construção do conhecimento por parte deste, sendo igualmente perspectivado como um elemento central no processo de ensino/aprendizagem [Biggs, 2000]. Simultaneamente, surge um aumento da autonomia e da responsabilização do aluno pelo seu percurso educativo, sendo que os resultados académicos dependem em grande parte do seu envolvimento nas tarefas de aprendizagem. Esta nova filosofia interfere necessariamente no próprio conceito de avaliação, uma vez que este apresenta um elevado impacto na aprendizagem, sendo um factor fundamental no currículo educativo [Sambell & McDowell, 1998]. De facto, a literatura na área tem sido consistente relativamente à influência da avaliação na aprendizagem, sendo inclusivamente referida como uma forma de mudar a própria aprendizagem [van Hattum, 2004]. A avaliação tem sido ainda associada à promoção, potenciação e facilitação do desenvolvimento profissional, na medida em que permite colocar questões, recolher informação, compreender e apresentar sugestões [Guerra, 2003]. O trabalho aqui apresentado pretende descrever as mudanças práticas ao nível das metodologias de avaliação decorridas nos cursos de Engenharia da Universidade do Minho, contextualizadas nas adaptações às exigências do Tratado de Bolonha, que realça aspectos como a avaliação contínua e destaca o papel activo do aluno no processo de avaliação, surgindo conceitos como a auto-avaliação e a hetero-avaliação.