Evasão nos cursos de graduação a distância da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Abstract

This study has been developed within the Program of Professional Master’s Degree in Management and Education Evaluation (PPGP) of the Education Evaliation and Public Policies Center at Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (CEAD / UFJF). The management study analyzes evasion rates identified in distance graduation programs of the Distance Education Center of Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora / CEAD-UFJF, apart from investigating factors related to the phenomenon. The specific objectives of this study are the understanding of the organizational structure of the programs bound to Universidade Aberta do Brasil/ UAB (“Open University of Brazil”), the identification of the main evasion factors from those programs and, finally, the preparation of an Educational Action Plan, aimed at reducing the evasion rates identified. As research hypothesis, we assume that there is a set of factors listed as possible influencing elements of evasion, discriminated by Abbad (2010) and Bittencourt & Mercado (2014) as endogenous and exogenous factors, discussed in chapter 1. In this study, we restrict the analysis to the endogenous evasion elements, since they exist within the context of the educational institution, being, thus, potentially better covered by actions that might be implemented as minimization strategies for the phenomenon. The chosen methodology is the qualitative case study, in which we employed such instruments as questionnaires sent to support presential coordinators, semistructured interviews with program coordinators and documentary analysis of school records, as well as statistical analysis of evasion rates from the programs involved. As some of the results, we demonstrate the possibility of student follow-up improvement through the implementation of a mining data system. Taking into account its ability to collect and cross data, including school achievement, performance and participation in the virtual learning environment, such data mining process is believed to be able to aid professors and tutors in the conduction of the educational process and the identification of potential evaders. In addition, the proposed set of actions involves the possibility of redesigning the dynamics of presential activities and teaching methodologies employed in the programs, apart from bringing into consideration the establishment of a policy of training tutors at the institution.