Distance Education on Water Resources Management

Gilmar da Silva, António José Guerner Dias, and Pedro Luiz Côrtes

Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal

Abstract: Education in Brazil and in the world has undergone several transformations. The student of the 21st century is a new student who longs for changes, among which the possibilities offered by Distance Education. At the same time, freshwater consumption worldwide has been increasing considerably, both by expanding industrial activities in developing countries and by population growth. There are several situations where conflicts have been verified by the use of water. Water scarcity and hydric crises have multiplied, which demands a better planning and management of water resources. Faced with this fact, this project has as main objective to implement a discipline of Water Resources Management in the distance modality aimed at the training of students of Undergraduate and/or Graduate Courses in Universities of Brazil and Abroad. Proposals for management of water resources that prioritize contemporary water management practices are addressed, always seeking to ensure the sustainable development of human activities, as well as natural resources and the environment. As an instrument to develop this proposal, will be used the Moodle plataform, available in Brazilian and foreign universities. This virtual learning environment offers the teacher Internet resources such as discussion forum, chat, mail, calendar, readings, among others. With this proposal of teaching and learning, a more effective interaction between students and teachers is expected, increasing the didactic experience and the students’ learning. At the same time, it has the objective is to train critical and reflective professionals, raising the interest to change the way water resources are used and managed. With this proposal, we are looking for to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and better conservation of water resources.

Key words: water resources management, distance education, Moodle