More information

http://dw.dcet.uab.pt

Email: dw_dcet@uab.pt

Phone: +351 300 007 671

In cooperation with:

02

Universidade Aberta (UAb)

Department of Science and Technology

R. Braamcamp, 90

1250-052 Lisboa

Portugal

http://dcet.uab.pt

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)

School of Science and Technology

Quinta de Prados

5001-801 Vila Real

Portugal

http://ect.utad.pt

Directing Committee

Adérito Fernandes Marcos, PhD (Director)

Ramiro Manuel Ramos Moreira Gonçalves, PhD (Vice-director)

Leonel Caseiro Morgado, PhD (Vice-director)

Programme Committee

Ramiro Manuel Ramos Moreira Gonçalves, PhD

Vítor Jorge Ramos Rocio, PhD

Leonel Caseiro Morgado, PhD

José Henrique Pereira São Mamede, PhD

Paulo Nogueira Martins, PhD

Vítor Manuel de Jesus Filipe, PhD

Secretariat

Teresa Ramos

Phone: (+351) 300 007 671 +Email: dw_dcet@uab.pt

Web: http://dw.dcet.uab.pt

03

1. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Science and Technology (DCeT, Departamento de Ciências e

Tecnologia) of Universidade Aberta, alongside the School of Science and Technology

of the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, created the Doctoral

Programme on Web Science and Technology (DW). This will be a mixed-format

programme, combining face-to-face and online distance learning. It is a pioneer

programme in Portugal for the emerging interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary

field of Web Science. Internationally, it is the first doctoral proposal in the field that

operates in this mixed format.

Web Science is defined henceforth as the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary

field that aims to understand, explain, and transform/develop the Web,

combining scientific methods and knowledge from social and exact sciences,

engineering and technology, and arts and humanities. Web Science deals with the

technology that supports and provides the Web; but also with the Web’s organizational

and personal realities, and with its potential for expressiveness and transformation,

including social and human perspectives.

The Doctoral Programme in Web Science and Technology is a 3rd cycle programme

(Bologna Agreement) that bestows the title of Doctor to students that are approved

in both the curricular component and the thesis. Students that have successfully

passed the curricular component are provided with a Diploma of Advanced Studies

on Web Science and Technology.

This guide provides important information on the programme, its goals, its target

candidates, subjects, faculty, key dates (for applying, enrolling, and beginning of

studies), alongside other relevant information. The guide is also a supporting tool

for organization of students’ learning effort. Further information can be found at the

following Web site: http://dw.dcet.uab.pt.

2. PROGRAMME CREATION

Under the terms of Deliberation No. 214/CC/2014 of the Scientific Council of

Universidade Aberta, in its session of July 30th, 2014; following favourable

appreciation by the Scientific Council of the School of Science and Technology of

the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (item 1, proceedings 16/2014,

04

October 8th, 2014); under the terms of articles 11, 61, and 74 of Law No. 62/2007

(Sep. 10), of Decree-Law No. 74/2006 (Mar. 24), changed by Decree-Law No.

107/2008 (Jun. 25), of Decree-Law No. 230/2009 (Sep. 14), and Decree-Law No.

115/2013 (Aug. 7); following Deliberation No. NCE/14/02046 of the Portuguese

Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education, which accredited the

programme for a 6-year period; and upon registration with the Directorate-General

of Higher Education, reference R/A-Cr 268/2015, the Doctoral Programme on Web

Science and Technology was created by joint order No. 01/VR/UAb-UTAD/2015 (Oct.

6) of the Vice-Rectors of Universidade Aberta and Universidade de Trás-os-Montes

e Alto Douro. The study plan was approved by order No 12129/2015 (Oct. 16) of

Universidade Aberta, published in the Official Journal of the Portuguese Republic,

2nd series, No. 211 (Oct. 28th, 2015).

3. PROGRAMME GOALS

The Doctoral Programme on Web Science and Technology aims to graduate

professionals with a solid basis and competences of Information Systems and

Technologies, focusing on the Internet and the Web, who can face current needs

for research, education, and leadership of highly innovative projects, towards the

development of new applications, products, and usage models for the Internet

and the Web. It aims to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to become

leaders of the emergent digital society and economy, motivated to study the Web

not only as a technological infrastructure but also as a phenomenon influenced by

society, including businesses and other organizations, impacting all human activity.

It also aims to provide competences for the development and valuation of scientific

research in the field of Web Science and Technology, and to contribute towards

stronger ties between the domains of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation.

A Doctor on Web Science and Technology shall be able to lead research projects in

these domains, pursuing change processes that strongly exploit the use of Internet-

based and Web-based platforms, envisaging intervention domains in organizations

in general, but also within societal groups and particularly individuals.

05

4. TEACHING-LEARNING METHODOLOGY

The programme has an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature, encompassing

theory, practice, and design components. Hence, teaching-learning methods in all

courses, regarding distance education, are student-centric and follow an online

collaborative learning approach, combining theory and practice in a virtual class,

based on both individual and group assignments. Faculty members act as facilitators

of knowledge acquisition and development processes.

Contact time with faculty takes place mainly through the e-learning platform, and

also, less frequently, through other telematics technologies. Additionally, face-

to-face sessions will be organized, comprising intensive thematic seminars and

workshops, over one or two weeks, to reinforce and consolidate knowledge and

assessment.

5. TEACHING

The programme follows the Bologna Declaration principles regarding its structure

and credit system. It is provided in a mixed approach: distance learning in a virtual

class employing the specialized e-learning platform and the virtual pedagogic

model of Universidade Aberta; also face-to-face class in seminar or workshop

format, along learning periods of at most two weeks per year.

Face-to-face sessions will take place once during the first year of the programme,

in intensive mode. These sessions will take place as in situ internships (doctoral

retreat). Students and faculty will share the same workspace in close cooperation.

Student present is mandatory, and in principle no distance attending is allowed. The

location(s) of the doctoral retreat will be announced in due time, including details

on travel, accommodation and meals.

6. VENUE AND EQUIPMENTS

Given the specific teaching style of the programme, Universidade Aberta (a public

distance learning university) will provide students with a virtual campus comprising

the following services:

E-learning platform (based on Moodle technology);a)

06

Coordination of the Doctoral Programme in Web Science and Technology b)

(faculty area and student area),

Online Secretariat;c)

Online social space.d)

Each student’s personal computer is the main lab space, for experimenting e)

and developing the proposed activities. It is also the communication and

sharing channel in the context of the virtual class.

Students will also have available physical lab spaces, which will be used for the

face-to-face component of the programme in the first curricular year and for work

in preparation of the thesis. These spaces are located in the two physical campi

(Universidade Aberta and Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro):

a) Videoconferencing studio, INVITRO exhibition and interaction space, and

audiovisual studios, at the head offices of Universidade Aberta (Ceia Palace,

Lisbon, Portugal);

b) Computing, Networking, and Multimedia laboratories, at the campus of

Universidade Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Vila Real, Portugal);

c) Facilities of the Local Learning Centres of the Universidade Aberta, across

Mainland Portugal, Azores, and Madeira, plus Rianxo (Galicia, Spain), and

Mozambique.

And also facilities of research, arts, and professional organizations associated with

the programme, such as the INESC TEC Associate Laboratory (Porto, Braga, Vila

Real – Portugal), and more to be announced.

7. PREREQUISITES AND STUDENT PROFILES

Prospective students may apply for the Doctoral Programme on Web Science and

Technology by fulfilling one of the following:

a) Holders of a Master’s degree or legally equivalent title, in the fields of

information systems and technologies, systems engineering, computer

engineering, software engineering, informatics engineering, multimedia and

computer graphics, applied statistics, computational algebra, or similar;

10

b) Holders of a baccalaureate degree or legally equivalent title, in the fields of

item a), if they possess an adequately relevant curriculum, in terms of its

academic, scientific, and/or professional background, recognized as proof of

the applicant’s ability to pursue this programme by the Scientific Council of

the host university1;

c) Exceptionally, holders of an educational, scientific, and/or professional

curriculum that is recognized as proof of the applicant’s ability to pursue this

programme by the Scientific Council of the host university1.

Thus, the Doctoral Programme on Web Science and Technology has been planned

for professionals working in the fields of the Web and the Internet, who wish

to perform an advanced-level scientific and technological specialization in the

interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field of Web Science and Technology.

In order to attend the programme, applicants must have access to a computer

with a broadband Internet connection, possess the skills to use Web-based tools,

mastery of the Portuguese language (higher education level), and English language

skills for reading, writing, and comprehension (technical level).

8. PROFILE OF THE DOCTOR ON WEB SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A Doctor on Web Science and Technology will be able to:

a) classify the main theories, principles, models, and advanced technologies,

within each field of expertise, identifying their potential and limitations,

accounting for their application to the design and development of Web-based

computing solutions for a wide variety of usage scenarios;

b) select, develop, and apply, in rigorous, efficient, and critical fashion, advanced

technologies and models, within each field of expertise, which are adequate

to the identified features of the usage scenarios;

c) develop methodologies for exploiting, applying, and assessing technologies

that are adequate for study and/or intervening in usage scenarios;

d) supervise research projects on Web science and technology.

1 This is either the Universidade Aberta or the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, whichever is hosting the current edition of the doctoral programme. For the inaugural edition, the hosting university is Universidade Aberta.

11

9. APPLICATIONS

Applicants must formalize their applications by accessing and filling in the online

form available at http://dw.dcet.uab.pt. The formal application is done via a request

to the Scientific Council of Universidade Aberta, where the applicant puts forward

the reasons for the application, the desired goals, and the skills to be developed in

the scope of the programme. The application must further include the following:

a) documents proving that the applicant holds the adequate degrees, regarding

access to doctoral studies;

b) updated curriculum vitae;

c) desired research domain;

d) other elements that the applicant finds relevant for evaluation, such as a

personal portfolio or recommendation letters.

Applicants will then be ranked based on their academic degrees, professional

experience, and further elements of the Curriculum Vitae and application. It is

deemed valuable to present prior work and projects, particularly published papers

and outcomes (e.g., products, services, technologies, societal intervention) that

have been achieved by the applicant in the field of the doctoral programme.

Applicants who are graduates (Master or Baccalaureate) from outside the European

Area must pursue the process for recognition of academic/professional qualifications

in order to attend the programme. This must take place upon the application

process, and in case of admittance should be in possession of original documents

or authenticated copies supporting the digital versions of those documents.

The schedule for applications, enrolment, and registration is:

Applications July 11 – September 9, 2016

Enrolment and registration October 3 – 7, 2016

Online Adaptation Module October 17 – 28, 2016

Start of courses October 31st, 2016

The minimum number of enrolled students in the Doctoral Programme on Web

Science and Technology is 10 and the maximum number (numerus clausus) is 30.

12

10. TUITION FEES

Tuition fees are € 4400 in total, distributed along the various enrolment years, as

determined by Rector’s Decree No. 70/R/2016 and by the tuition fees regulations of

Universidade Aberta.

Applicants must also pay, upon application, a € 60 tax to support application

review and processing expenses, and if accepted the programme registration fee is

€ 500.

Tuition fees must be paid in accordance with the schedule as established by

Universidade Aberta.

11. DEGREE AND DIPLOMA

Award of the Doctoral degree takes place upon completing and being approved

on the curricular component (first academic year), and also upon submitting a

scientific thesis, and having its approval by means of public viva voce examinations,

in accordance with the internal regulations of Universidade Aberta, which include

the Programme Regulations and applicable laws.

The degree of Doctor is awarded on the field of Web Science and Technology. This

degree is certified by a Doctoral Charter and matching diploma supplement.

Approval on the curricular component of the programme entitles the student to a

Diploma of Advanced Studies on Web Science and Technology.

12. PROGRAMME ORGANIZATION

The programme includes a first curricular year, which is an advanced programme

on Web Science and Technology, granting 60 ECTS credits, equally divided by two

semesters, with courses comprising 30 credits per semester.

Before the start of the first semester there is an early fully online module: Online

Adaptation. This is meant to help students adapt to the virtual context and e-learning

tools.

The curricular component has three courses on Advanced Topics, a Research

Seminar, a Seminar on the Information and Knowledge Society, and a course on

Thesis Planning, all required, fulfilling a total of 60 credits.

13

The curricular component takes place along 40 weeks, with at most, 2 devoted

to face-to-face activities for learning, experiences, and assessment, as a doctoral

retreat. The assessment of the curricular component of the doctoral programme

includes, as part of the Thesis Planning course, a public presentation for discussion

and defence of the detailed thesis work plan. This is called the Assessment of

Research Ability Examination.

The request of admission for thesis development must by filled up to 30 workdays

after successfully completing the curricular component.

The second and third years of the doctoral programme are devoted to the preparation

of a thesis, accounting for 120 ECTS credits. The full three years of the doctoral

programme totals 180 ECTS credits and bestows the diploma and degree of Doctor

on Web Science and Technology.

13. FULL TIME MODE WORK PLAN

Students attending the doctoral programme full time must complete it in 6 academic

semesters (3 years) according to the work plan below.

14

15

14. PART TIME MODE WORK PLAN

A part time student is he/she who upon enrolling and registering for an academic

year, and only at that moment, enrols on at least 20% and at most 50% of available

ECTS credits for that year. Therefore, enrolment on the 1st year of each edition of

the doctoral programme can encompass at most enough courses to comprise 30

ECTS, and 15 ECTS as a minimum (3 curricular modules). The work plan above is

the recommended part time path for students to follow in the Doctoral Programme

on Web Science and Technology.

The maximum allowed time for thesis preparation is 3 years. This plus the

curricular component time cannot extend beyond a 5-year limit, the maximum time

for completion of the doctoral programme. Therefore, should a student decide to

complete the curricular component in a longer time frame – 3 years, for instance,

which is the maximum – that student will only have 2 years to prepare the thesis.

16

15. PEDAGOGICAL MODEL

The Doctoral Programme on Web Science and Technology follows a specific

pedagogical model, designed for virtual education at Universidade Aberta.

This model follows these 3 principles:

1. Student-centric education, meaning that the student is active and in charge of

developing knowledge;

2. Education based on flexibility of access to learning (contents, learning activities,

learning group) without strict scheduling or travel requirements, which

account for students’ availability. This principle is fulfilled by emphasizing

asynchronous communication, enabling non-overlapping of time or space,

hence interaction and communication take place under the convenience of the

student, providing time for reading, processing information, experimenting,

reflecting, and finally dialogue or reacting (responding);

3. Education based on diversity of interaction, between students and faculty,

among students, and with the learning resources, under an overall social

context.

Based on these principles, two vital elements are used in the learning process:

Virtual Class: each student is part of a virtual class, accessible to faculty and

other students. Learning activities take place in this online virtual space, resorting

to various communication elements. It must be seen as a multifunctional

space, assembling various resources, distributed over several collective work

locations, where interactions with faculty and among students take place. The

communication is essentially asynchronous and therefore base on writing and/or

other non-ephemeral expression media. Some courses will have required face-

to-face components, at a single doctoral retreat period.

learning ContraCt: the lecturer of each course will propose a learning contract

to the class. It will define the work plan, organized with foreseen activities and

supported by self-learning and collaborative learning. Based on the learning

materials that will be organized and provided, the lecturers organize and define

time-based self-learning zones (based on documents, literature, searching,

analysis, evaluation and assessment, experimenting with tools, outcomes, etc.)

17

and diversified interaction zones in the virtual class (seminar), among the overall

group of students, among small groups of students, or between students and

lecturers.

16. TIME FOR STUDY AND LEARNING

Distance learning in a virtual class means that you will not be on the same location

with your lecturers and colleagues, nor will you be with them at the same time.

That is, it is a style of learning that provides flexibility, because it is independent of

the time and place you’re at.

Naturally, this implies that you need to devote time for studying and learning.

Therefore, each course defines a number of expected hours for study and

assignments: the ECTS units or credits.

You must take into account that each credit (1 ECTS) represents 26 actual hours

of study, as per the Regulation for Application of the ECTS Credit Units System of

Universidade Aberta. These include, for instance, the time for reading the various

documents, for completing online and offline activities, for experimenting with tools

individually or as a group, for reading messages, for drafting personal documents,

for taking part in discussions, and for assessment and grading.

17. LEARNING RESOURCES

The various courses will require of you effort and study over various learning

resources, which may include written texts, books, Web resources, learning objects,

and more, using a diversity of formats.

While some resources are in digital form and provided online in the virtual class,

other (such as books and/or computing tools) must be acquired by the student at

the beginning of the programme, in order to ensure the essential learning conditions

when those resources become necessary.

18. ASSESSMENT AND GRADING

Assessment of the curricular component usually includes a continuous dimension,

i.e., based on the quality of questions and issues that each student provides to the

18

lecturer or tutor; on online discussions in the virtual class; on the quality of critique

and review of assignments; and on the individual development of experiments

and artefacts of Web science and technology. The weighing of learning elements

and assessment criteria is usually subjected to negotiation between lecturers and

students.

The final assessment, which takes place individually, may include (for instance)

the development of papers, assignments, presentation/discussion of assignments,

reports, tests, in accordance with the lecturing team defines in cooperation with the

programme committee.

Successful completion of the curricular component of the programme requires

successful completion of all courses, with a final grade in each above or equal to

10 (out of 20).

19. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

The management bodies of the programme are the Programme Committee and

the Programme Director, nominated by joint order of Universidade Aberta and

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, as well as the vice-directors which

are nominated by the Programme Director. The management of the programme

is conducted by Prof. Adérito Fernandes Marcos, and vice-directors Prof. Ramiro

Gonçalves and Prof. Leonel Morgado.

This team will support the individual learning process of each student throughout

the programme, using a set of pedagogical support instruments:

a) coordinating and encouraging participation in a virtual space devoted to

pedagogic support of students throughout the programme;

b) organizing and encouraging participation in an online adaptation module for

admitted students;

c) organizing and encouraging participation in a social space (forum) that serves

as an informal meeting space for students and faculty;

d) coordinating the organization of the various courses of the programme, and

their overall operation;

19

e) engaging the programme faculty in coordination of pedagogical approaches;

f) supporting students in the selection of themes for thesis research.

20. FACULTY

The learning process is supported by a team of faculty members comprised

of experts in the various fields of study, who are in charge of the programme’s

courses. The programme will also include occasional participation of national and

international experts from fields related to Web science and technology, or from

related areas in businesses, civil society, or the military. Below is a list of faculty and

external participants, including the fields of research/interest and their overarching

organizations (UAb = Universidade Aberta; UTAD = Universidade de Trás-os-Montes

e Alto Douro):

Adérito Marcos, PhD; Digital Art, Computational Aesthetics, Creative Media, –

UAb

Ramiro Gonçalves, PhD; E-Business, E-Commerce, UTAD –

Leonel Morgado, PhD; Serious Games, Interaction, Advanced Interfaces, –

UAb

Amílcar Oliveira, PhD; Statistics and Simulation, UAb –

António Cunha, PhD; Medical Imaging, UTAD –

António Cunha, PhD; Computer Networks, UTAD –

Benjamim Fonseca, PhD; Mobile and Ubiquitous Web, UTAD –

Carlos Carreto, PhD; Digital Humanities, UAb –

Cristina Vieira, PhD; Network Society, UAb –

Darlinda Moreira, PhD; Virtual Ethnography, Participant Observation, UAb –

Elizabeth Carvalho; PhD; Information Visualization; Computer Graphics; UAb –

Frederico Branco, PhD; Information Systems, Information Visualization, –

UTAD

Gracinda Carvalho, PhD; Information Search and Retrieval, UAb –

Henrique São Mamede, PhD; Information Systems Planning, Privacy and –

Security, UAb

20

Hugo Paredes, PhD; Software Architectures, Accessibility, UTAD –

Isabel Dias, PhD; Digital Humanities, UAb –

João Barroso, PhD; Computer Vision, Accessibility, UTAD –

João Caetano, PhD; Economy Development and Behaviour, UAb –

Jorge Morais, PhD; Multi-agent Systems, UAb –

José Bidarra, PhD; Digital Narratives and Games, UAb –

José Bulas Cruz, PhD; Computer Vision, Fighting the Digital Divide, UTAD –

José Coelho, PhD; Programming, Modern Heuristics, UAb –

José Martins, PhD; Information Systems, UTAD –

José Porfírio, PhD; Digital Entrepreneurship, Creative Industries, UAb –

Lina Morgado, PhD; E-Learning, UAb –

Luís Cavique, PhD; Semantic Web and Web Mining, UAb –

Luísa Cagica Carvalho, PhD; Digital Entrepreneurship, UAb –

Olga Magano, PhD; Qualitative Data Analysis, UAb –

Paulo Costa, PhD; Fundamental Digital Rights, UAb –

Paulo Oliveira, PhD; Intelligent Systems, UTAD –

Paulo Shirley, PhD; Parallel Computing, UAb –

Paulo Martins, PhD; Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning, UTAD –

Pedro Isaías, PhD; E-Business, UAb –

Rosário Bernardo, PhD; E-Government, UAb –

Tânia Rocha, PhD; Accessibility, UTAD –

Teresa Oliveira, PhD; Experimental Statistics and Data Analysis, UAb –

Vasco Amorim, PhD; System Dynamics, UTAD –

Vítor Cardoso, PhD; Virtual Reality, UAb –

Vítor Filipe, PhD; Computer Vision, UTAD –

Vitor Rocio, PhD; Web Platforms, Information Harvesting, UAb –

21

21. ONLINE ADAPTATION

This module take place before the programme delivery, and lasts 2 weeks. It is a

hands-on module, with a practical approach focusing on know-how.

With this prior module, the aim is for you as a student of Universidade Aberta to

master the features of the online environment, acquiring various skills in support of

successful online learning. Therefore, upon its completion you will have attained:

skills on the use of the technological resources available in this online –

environment (know-how);

confidence about the various communication modes available in this online –

environment (know how to communicate), particularly about asynchronous

communication;

skills regarding the various modes of online learning and work: self-learning, –

cooperative learning, pair learning, resource-supported learning;

experience in applying generic Internet usage skills (communication, –

searching, management and assessment of information) to the online

environment where the programme will take place: knowing how to use the

communication tools, how to work in online groups, how to search and access

information on the Internet;

experience applying the social norms specific to communication in online –

environments (knowing how to get along).

22. PROGRAMME SECRETARIAT

For any clarifications regarding the programme, you can approach the secretariat

by phone or e-mail during business hours (9h00 to 17h30, Mainland Portugal time

zone):

Teresa Ramos

Phone: (+351) 300 007 671

E-mail: dw_dcet@uab.pt

22

23. COURSES

Below you will find the short syllabi of the programme courses. All are required.

ADvAnCED TrAInIng In WEb InfrASTrUCTUrE15 ECTS | ANNUAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims to provide students with an overview on the main

subjects and research areas that focus on infrastructures and technologies that

support web-based systems. It is divided into modules of topics, each dealing with

a research theme. Current modules are: Software Architectures, Web Services

and Systems Programming and Integration, Web Platforms, High-Performance

Computing, Mobile and Ubiquitous Web, and Immersive/Mixed Environments

Infrastructure.

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Identify, classify, select and apply concepts and technologies on infrastructures –

for the web;

Analyse, conceive and design systems and services for the web, taking into –

account diverse usage scenarios;

Develop web applications with dynamic contents and adapted or adaptable to –

specific usage scenarios;

Integrate web systems and organize communication between applications; –

Identify emerging technologies, foreseeing innovative applications –

ADvAnCED TrAInIng In WEb InfOrMATIOn SySTEMS & TEChnOlOgIES15 ECTS | ANNUAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims to study and develop models/tools related to

the use of the Web by organizations, to support their processes and integration of

their value chains. It is divided into modules of topics, each dealing with a research

theme. Current modules are: Planning and Development of Information Systems;

Models and Platforms for E-Business; Distributed, Multi-Agent, and Intelligent

Systems; Web Accessibility; Web Platform Management; Interaction and Advanced

Web Interfaces; Modern Heuristics; Creativity and Digital Entrepreneurship; Digital

Marketing; Web Technology in E-Government; Trust, Tolerance, and Privacy on the

Web; Fundamental Digital Rights and the Web.

23

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Analyse and reflect upon the consequences and possibilities of new –

technologies for transforming organizational value chains;

Discriminate features and consequences of the distributed nature of Web –

information systems, including aspects such as intelligence, multi-agents,

management, and maintenance;

Differentiate strategic approach practices to Web information systems, –

including e-business and content platforms;

Distinguish the various dimensions of Web accessibility; –

Distinguish features, challenges, and limitations of emerging interaction and –

interface solutions for Web applications and systems, including Augmented

and 3D Web;

Identify limits and challenges at the level of trust, tolerance, and privacy in –

Web applications and systems.

ADvAnCED TrAInIng In WEb DATA AnD vISUAlIzATIOn15 ECTS | ANNUAL

Synopsis: the focus of this learning unit is on the complexity of Web data analysis

and its fulfilment in new contexts of visual and spatial interaction. It is divided

into modules of topics, each dealing with a research theme. Current modules

are: Learning Analytics and Educational Data Mining; Autonomous Affective and

Empathic Interfaces; Search and Retrieval of Information; Information Visualization;

Digital Culture and Art Artefacts; Narratives and Multimedia Games; Experimental

Statistics and Web Data Analysis; Statistical Computation and Simulation on

the Web; Planning of Experiences on the Web; Virtual and Augmented Reality;

Computational Learning of Medical Imaging; Digital Humanities on the Web.

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Identify issues in search, collection, processing, retrieval, visualization, –

analysis, and interpretation of information from Web data;

Describe the main concepts, models, and techniques associated with –

autonomous affective and empathic interfaces;

24

Describe the main concepts, models, and techniques associated with Learning –

Analytics and Educational Data Mining;

Discriminate the main techniques and tools for Web events, statistical analysis, –

computation & simulation, and data visualizations;

Discriminate and reflect upon technologies and issues in information –

visualization in face of growing amounts of data;

Describe the concepts, models, and techniques associates with the –

development of digital culture and art artefacts on the Web.

rESEArCh SEMInAr5 ECTS | SEMESTRAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims to develop in students the knowledge and

competences to conduct scientific work. From the distinction between scientific

and non-scientific knowledge, the field of Web Science and Technology and its

research processes will be presented. Subsequently, the students will contact the

most common methods to conduct scientific research, and become able to identify

the assumptions, virtues and limitations of each method, as well as the potential

complementarities.

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Distinguish the characteristics and nature of scientific and technological –

knowledge;

Discriminate various approaches and research methods, and their applicability –

to different types of research problems;

Differentiate the different research practices in areas related to Web Science –

and Technology;

Conduct literature reviews; –

Create and evaluate a research project proposal. –

SEMInAr On ThE KnOWlEDgE & InfOrMATIOn SOCIETy5 ECTS | SEMESTRAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims to provide students with an opportunity to identify

the issues related to the Web in its social dimension.

25

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Identify issues associated with knowledge management; –

Discriminate issues related to methods, techniques, and platforms supporting –

the social perspective of the Web;

Detail issues related to individual and institutional relationships that are –

established, formally and casually, over the Web;

Discriminate aspects related to risk management, individual exposure, and –

privacy on the Web.

ThESIS PlAnnIng5 ECTS | SEMESTRAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims to provide students with an opportunity to identify

the problems related with the development of a doctoral thesis in the field of Web

Science and Technology, while identifying their main research questions, prepare a

detailed study of the state of the art on a specific subarea, and specify a work plan

for the two years towards the doctoral thesis.

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Identify the problems related with doctoral-level work on Web Science and –

Technology;

Distinguish the various research questions of at least three subdomains of –

research;

Specify in detail the state of the art on a specific subdomain of Web Science –

and Technology;

Specify a doctoral research proposal that includes the research question(s) or –

problem(s) to be solved, the motivation, and a detailed and justified plan of the

activities to be undertaken.

ThESIS SEMInAr120 ECTS | BIANNUAL

Synopsis: this learning unit aims at building a specific research project in Web

Science and Technology, whose final product will be a doctoral thesis. It must con-

figure the identification of new problems and raise, at the conceptual and praxeolo-

gical levels, the search for responses adjusted to the contexts of intervention.

26

Competences: after concluding this learning unit, the student must able to:

Critically analyse research contexts in Web Science and Technology; –

Design, implement, and assess research projects in Web Science and –

Technology;

Develop conceptual and methodological instruments that are adjusted to the –

development of research projects;

Write critical documentation about the developed project, incorporating all –

the elements produced in a final thesis.

24. HOSTING UNIVERSITY

The hosting university for the inaugural edition of the Doctoral Programme on

Web Science and Technology is Universidade Aberta. As such, it takes on the

administrative, financial, and academic management of this edition, which comprises

all six semesters of the doctoral programme, including: reception and organization

of applications, announcing results, enrolling and registration of admitted students,

collecting fees, sending and receiving mail, requesting the various support services,

payment of current expenditure, organization and logistics for face-to-face sessions,

managing accounting of income and expenses, theses registration, organization of

public viva voce organizations, and more..