Spin-off from INESC Porto and FEUP takes WEB Social to primary and junior schools

Spin-off from INESC Porto and FEUP takes WEB Social to primary and junior schools

The project “Escolinhas – Plataforma Colaborativa e Social para Escolas do Ensino Básico 1/2” (Escolinhas – Collaborative and Social Platform for Primary and Junior Schools), coordinated by Ademar Aguiar, reseracher at the Information and Communication Systems Unit (USIC), was presented on 14 May, at the auditorium of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).

27th May 2009

The Escolinhas platform is for primary and junior schools students and its aim is to promote the use of Information and Communication technologies (TIC) in curricular and extracurricular contexts. This collaborative and social platform was the starting point for a spin-off company launched together by INESC Porto and FEUP to expand the use of the platform. Through the selection of the characteristic functionalities of Web 2.0 –wikis, chats, blogs and social networks – especially adapted to children, students are capable of performing and sharing the work that they do at school or at home with other classmates, or with parents and teachers from the same or from other schools.

The intention is to bring this platform to most schools in the country. Ten schools from several areas in Portugal have already started using the platform. The first prototype was developed in 2007, having been welcomed by the City Hall of Porto and included in the Municipality’s “Crescer Interactivo” (Growing Interactively) programme. The platform is currently available for 8500 children between the ages of 6 and 12, in 62 schools in the Porto area.

Other than Ademar Aguiar, the project’s team also includes Mário Lopes and Nuno Baldaia (former students at FEUP), as well as Ana Ferreira and Ana Carvalho (former students at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Porto - FBAUP).

BIP, May 2009