Abstract

SANTANA, Ana Cristina Almeida  and  GIRAFFA, Lucia Maria Martins. Distance education and first-borns: using the theories of Habermas to build equity education within the context of the Open University of Brazil. Revista da FAEEBA: Educação e Contemporaneidade [online]. 2015, vol.24, n.44, pp.131-146. ISSN 0104-7043.  https://doi.org/10.2015/jul.dez.v24n44.0010.

This article takes a detailed look at the elaboration of a research study related to the Open University of Brazil (UAB), using the state of Sergipe as a case study. The aim is to highlight the important benefits of higher education offered by the UAB system that effectively incorporates first-born ("first in the Family") children. Data is analyzed using a methodology that focuses upon the dialectical relationship derived from Jürgen Habermas' concept of communicative rationality. The UAB courses not only offer first-born students access to higher education, but also provide an opportunity for students to develop a sense of citizenship. The processes carried out in this pilot phase revealed the importance of such research and emphasized the significant role of distance education in expanding access to higher education.

Keywords : First-Born; Open University of Brazil; Habermas; Distance Education.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )