Publications

Abstract Travel writing reflects placed subjective human experience and participates in the collective processes of assembling stable, consensual, or polemical geographical entities and identities. In this chapter, we reflect on the contributions of Critical Digital Humanities to the communication of travel writing studies. Using R language, we are exploring the Anglophone Travelers in Portugal databases—which provide annotated information on almost 200 foreigner travel accounts in English published since the eighteenth century—to visualize geographical entities, analyze topics, and design visualization tools for non-expert audiences. In the process, four contributions of Critical Digital Humanities became evident. First, toponymical and semantic sources of ambiguity require us to develop a strong understanding of data as an artifact or capta (Drucker, Digital Humanities Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–21, 2011) construed in the annotating process that may affect the accuracy of automatic geocoding and processing based on named entity recognition. Critical digital humanist scholars, even if aware of such issues, lack creative solutions to express ambiguity as informative per se of the liquid nature of social labeling. Second, digital humanities open doors to enhanced interactivity (for instance, web applications) but require thoughtful, parsimonious solutions to express complexity which raises issues related to minimal computing (Risam and Gil, Digital Humanities Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 2, 2022). Third, Critical Digital Humanities helped to understand that communicating foreign perspectives may impact the audiences’ understanding of the traveled territory, but also of the travelers as an exogroup, a social category built on stereotyped views. Fourth, Critical Digital Humanities allowed us to better communicate the entangled nature of traveling and socio-historical circumstances. The challenge is to use such information to promote meaningful, centrifugal travel experiences rather than centripetal, massive travel itineraries. In the future, the project aims to grow via participatory citizen science (crowdsourcing) and to extend its scope to online digital sources related to travel (for instance, blogs). These new steps will foster the need to examine web scraping and text cleaning techniques and develop suitable storytelling approaches to engage people and create narratives that reflect their inputs in a critical way. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

Abstract <jats:p>As artificial intelligence driver monitoring systems gain momentum in intelligent mobility, it is critical to analyse how distraction is defined and induced. This systematic review was specifically focused on studies conducted in driving simulators. A Boolean query was iteratively developed to retrieve articles from Scopus that fulfil the following criteria: (1) being an empirical study, (2) addressing driver distraction, (3) using a driving simulator, (4) aiming at developing an artificial intelligence monitoring system. After screening, 34 articles remained and were analysed according to four general themes: definition of distraction, characteristics of the scenarios used in the driving simulator, sampling of participants, and procedures. Results showed that the most common definitions of distraction consider it as a shift in the driver’s attention towards a secondary task, which implicates in a degradation of the execution of the primary task (i.e., driving the vehicle), and, consequently, a reduction in driving safety. Most articles described the scenarios used in the simulator in greater detail and, in some cases, variations in traffic density, visibility, and environmental conditions were observed. Furthermore, scripted critical events in the scenario (e.g., car in front of the participant breaking) were also used. Recruitment and samples varied greatly between studies, with the smallest population consisting of two and the largest of 97 participants. Despite the sample size, participants still needed to meet eligibility criteria such as having a driver’s license, possessing minimum driving experience, health prerequisites, being part of a specific group, age, and gender. Procedures and tasks were not always described in detail. However, several studies described an initial moment where participants could familiarize themselves with the simulator without taking measurements, while fewer reported that participants were allowed to familiarize themselves with the tasks. Session length varied from eight to 90 minutes. Regarding the operationalization of distraction in experiments, some studies required drivers to perform a single type of distraction-inducing task (mental calculations, use of In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS), cell phone operation, and manual tasks) with varying difficulty levels. Still, most studies relied on a combination of different tasks, such as cell phone use, physical tasks (e.g., drinking, moving objects, and applying makeup), and IVIS use. Results showed studies favour the description of the digital systems over the experiment design and procedures and a preference for locating the studies at the individual level of analysis, precluding a broader understanding of human behaviour as socially constructed and signified. We argue that articulation with higher levels of analysis would bring relevant explanations for actual road behaviour and personal and social factors should be considered when developing driver monitoring systems aimed at reducing distraction. Our results may assist future studies within the same scope, guiding the definition of effective experimental designs to test artificial intelligence driving monitoring systems, while contributing to a more holistic understanding of driver’s behaviour.</jats:p>

Abstract <jats:p>Recent developments in vehicle automation are leading a paradigm change in respect to mobility of goods and people. Pushed by environmental concerns, researchers and practitioners seek new and innovative solutions. Nevertheless, the challenge of sustainable transport does not end with the use of clean fuels, as faster, cheaper, and more efficient transport is still desired by operators. The concepts behind truck automation and truck platooning technologies present potential for operations management efficiency and cost reduction. On the other hand, as drivers are still the main piece on a safe and efficient transport system, their working conditions must be ensured. Therefore, a multidisciplinary perspective on truck platooning is required, comprising the view of all the stakeholders involved in the development of safe and easily adopted technologies. In the context of the project TRAIN, we have developed exploratory research towards understanding and mapping the requirements for deploying truck platooning technology. Through a qualitative research, based on focus groups, we have identified three main areas of requirements from logistics companies: (i) labor, (ii) safety and liability, and (iii) transport and logistics. The analysis also showed that these areas are related to three research domains: (i) human factors and human-machine interaction, (ii) operations research and management, and (iii) policy and regulation.</jats:p>

Abstract This paper focuses on developing and assessing a non-obtrusive and transformative method, based on virtual reality, to evaluate science communication projects in science centres. The method was tested using deep-sea cutting-edge scientific content. We applied a mixed design, with 72 adult participants randomly assigned to experimental conditions (with/without exhibition exposure). Results showed that the exhibition promoted a better understanding of science. The non-obtrusive measures on awareness and engagement were positively related with questions posed via questionnaire and interview. The study adds theoretical and empirical support to the design and implementation of non-obtrusive and transformative evaluation experiences in science exhibitions in science centres and museums.

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between science and religion in the education system of Roman-Catholic Portuguese society. In particular, we explored perceptions of the relationship between science and religion for religious education teachers. We surveyed 198 Portuguese religious education teachers about how they view science and religion. The questionnaires' results revealed a number of similarities: religious education teachers are highly involved in religious practices and exposed to science; they perceived a compatibility between science and religion; and they have an openness to dialogue between both. They do not adhere to anti-scientific perspectives, but they simultaneously try to limit what can be explained by science. Thus, an interpretative view of dialogue and/or integration seems to best explain the perceptions of religious education teachers of the relationship between science and religion. These findings allow a space of discussion, enabling teachers to possibly foster the science-religion dialogue in their contexts of pedagogical activity.

Abstract Recently, new data about deep-sea ecosystems has stirred scientific, economic, and ecological agendas, but little is known about the public’s perspectives of the deep sea. Our goal is to explore the public’s common sense knowledge of the deep sea, with a view to inform science communication efforts. Based on social representations theory, we investigated the relationship between the public’s meanings associated with the deep sea and psychosocial and positional variables, such as attitudes and education level, and reflected on the implications of the findings for science communication. The study was conducted in Portugal, a coastal, sea-connected country. The sample consisted of 315 adults from different age groups and social strata. Participants were asked to elicit and rank their thoughts about the deep sea using a ranked association technique and fill in questions about sociodemographic information, perceptions, and attitudes concerning the deep sea. Results showed that the social representations of the deep sea were structured as emotional versus rational views and as superficial ocean knowledge versus novel or unusual views. Moreover, results evinced a relationship between representations and psychosocial and positional variables. The gap between scientific and common sense knowledge was evident amongst participants with a low education level and low science engagement, whilst highly educated and science-engaged participants’ representations seemed to be narrowed by instrumental views on science. This research is significant to better directing science communication to increase well-informed public participation in decision-making related to deep sea management and other socio-scientific issues by responding to audience’s background knowledge.

Abstract In this paper, we draw upon the empirical research about the social representations of the Internet in order to propose a theoretically-driven agenda. A systematic review of empirical, peer-reviewed literature was conducted. The corpus of analysis consisted of 12 papers which fell into five themes: (i) the Internet and quality of life; (ii) the Internet as a moving representation; (iii) the Internet and ageing; (iv) the Internet and mobile culture; and (v) the Internet and education. The research about the social representations of the Internet is still limited in number, depth and breadth. Notwithstanding, it conveys important insights about the evolving, symbolically-loaded meanings of the Internet as a prosthesis of knowledge and as a means of communication, with consequences for identity and intergroup relations, contributing to expand the theoretical and empirical debates on the field of digital media. The research agenda for studying the Internet from a social representations’ perspective includes three major theoretical foci: social cognition; social identity and intergroup relations; and social thinking in times of big data. Social representations can provide the field with powerful conceptual tools to learn how people deal with novelty and to navigate through huge quantity of data generated online. In change, digital media can contribute to further social representations theory developments. To learn how communication flows on the Internet and how people make sense of the Internet and Internet-related phenomena (including automatically generated contents, mass and social media accounts) equals to set the clock for the present time schedule. © 2021. Moreira, Luciano, Paiva, João C. and Morais, Carla.

Abstract Mobile handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become some of the most prominent ubiquitous terminals within the information and communication technology landscape. Their transformative power within the digital music domain changed the music ecosystem from production to distribution and consumption. Of interest here is the ever-expanding number of mobile music applications. Despite their growing popularity, their design in terms of interaction perception and control is highly arbitrary. It remains poorly addressed in related literature and lacks a clear, systematized approach. In this context, our paper aims to provide the first steps towards defining guidelines for optimal sonic interaction design practices in mobile music applications. Our design approach is informed by user data in appropriating mobile handheld devices. We conducted an experiment to learn links between control gestures and musical parameters, such as pitch, duration, and amplitude. A twofold action-reflection protocol and tool-set for evaluating the aforementioned links-are also proposed. The results collected from the experiment show statistically significant trends in pitch and duration control gesture mappings. On the other hand, amplitude appears to elicit a more diverse mapping approach, showing no definitive trend in this experiment.

Abstract This paper focuses on the problematic role of digital tools in STEM activities for Physics teaching. A group of 47 teachers of Physics and Chemistry, from middle and secondary education, attended a continuous professional development training course during the academic year 2019/2020 that aimed to promote the development, adaptation, and implementation of STEM activities, centered on various topics in Physics (sound, electricity, kinetic and potential energy, mass and weight, gravitational pendulum and free fall) in teachers’ practices. Most of the activities already had an integration proposal for digital tools. Results revealed that teachers’ options range from adding specific and unspecific tools to implement STEM activities. In most cases, they only replace other non-digital tools. This work contributes to foster the action and reflection related to teachers’ knowledge and experience to introduce digital tools productively, amplify their options, and explore other related areas. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.