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Parental control is considered important in preventing drug use among adolescents. This study aimed to explore the association between the perception of parental monitoring of computer use and drug use among adolescent students. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in 2012 among 2,980 students aged 12-17 years from Southern Brazil. The outcomes investigated were the use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drugs in the previous year. The main exposure was the self-reported perception of parental monitoring of computer use. Poisson regression with robust variance was used for the multivariable analysis. The prevalence rates of drugs used were 48.3% (95% confidence interval[CI]: 46.5–50.0) for alcohol, 9.7% (95%CI: 8.7–10.7) for tobacco, 5.1% (95%CI: 4.3–5.9) for cannabis, and 8.7% (95%CI: 7.7–9.7) for other illicit drugs. The absence of monitoring of computer use was reported by 44.3% (95%CI: 42.5–46.1) of the students. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that students aged 12 to 14 years who reported no parental monitoring of computer use had a higher probability of alcohol (Prevalence Ratio[PR] = 1.26, 95%CI:1.07–1.49) and cannabis use (PR = 3.25, 95%CI:1.11–9.53). In addition, a higher consumption of tobacco was observed among students aged 15 to 17 years who reported no parental monitoring of computer use (PR = 1.75, 95%CI:1.17–2.63). In both age groups, psychiatric morbidity was a covariate significantly associated with drug use throughout analysis. Parental monitoring of computer use was significantly associated with adolescent drug use, suggesting its importance in preventing drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case study on the reading and writing practices of six year old children engaged in the daily use of digital technology, conducted in a public school in Porto Alegre (RS/Brazil) and made possible by the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project. Its aim was to investigate the practices carried out by students and the possibilities and conditions under which the computer can become a tool that enables them to enter the “literate world". The students' practices were examined based on three units of analysis: practices proposed by a teacher, spontaneous practices and representative cases. These practices were categorized into three areas: literacy, fluency of written language and technological fluency. The research began with a theoretical proposal that had to be modified as a result of the study, and emphasizes the importance of pedagogical proposals for children in the initial process of written language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This research deals with the influence of the computer use in schools related to the children posture, in an ergonomic point of view. The research tries to identify probable causes for the children early postural constraints, relating it to the sedentary behavior and the lack of an ergonomic project in schools. The survey involved 186 children, between 8 and 12 years old, students of a private school in Rio de Janeiro - Brasil. An historical and theoretical school furniture research was conducted as well as a survey with the students and teachers, computer postural evaluation, ergonomic evaluation (RULA method), and observations in the computer classroom. The research dealt with the student´s perception with respect to the furniture utilized by him in the classroom during the use of the computer, his body complaint, the time he spent working on the school computer and the possibility of the existence of sedentariness. Also deals with the teachers´ perception and knowledge regarding ergonomics with reference to schoolroom furniture and its Regulatory Norms (RN). The purpose of the research work is to highlight the importance of this knowledge, having in view the possibility of the teachers´ collaboration in the ergonomic adaptation of the classroom environment and in their conscientious opinion during the purchasing of this furniture. A questionnaire was utilized and its results showed some discontent on the part of the teachers with relation to the schoolroom furniture as well as the teachers´ scant knowledge of Ergonomics. We conclude with a survey that despite the children had constraints in postural assessments and school furniture needs a major ergonomic action, the time that children use the computer at school is small compared with the time of use at home and therefore insufficient to be the main cause of quantified commitments, thus the study of computer use at home as a development and continuity of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The CAQDAS (Computer Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software) identifies software packages, created to support qualitative research. Some researches have confidence on software convenience, effectiveness and easiness, but others have concerns about using this kind of tool. There is some discussion regarding computers usage to support qualitative research, establishing an opportune and necessary debate about this subject. The purpose of this essay is to present and analyze the main concerns related to computers usage in qualitative data analysis. Different opinions and arguments are presented, considering the pros and cons of CAQDAS, based on a bibliographic review focused in four main points, related to contradictory researchers' opinions: the effectiveness of software data management; the increase of researcher closeness with data; the easiness of researchers' communication process; the possibility of bias in the analytical process. It is discussed too some recent Brazilian experiences in CAQDAS usage, to illustrate the points discussed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]