The activity was developed through concrete case studies related to violence against women, children, the elderly; ill-treatment against animals, the efficiency of local Public Services; Urban Mobility; the local water crisis; noise pollution, visual polution; the local educational public service, among others, occurred in the city of Mogi das Cruzes and the Alto Tietê region, based on a survey of newspapers in the region, the virtual media, public complaints and observations. In addition, during each class, the groups analyzed in the classroom one of the following items: Introduction, history, problem, purpose, environmental survey (description of the sources, identification of the Public Power omission points in the execution of public policy, scenario and reality of the current situation, analysis of main effects in the Municipality and or of the Alto Tietê region), diagnosis applicable to the case law (the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the execution of a municipal project or the absence of the Government in the provision of local public policy), schedule of activities, conclusion, and bibliography. Furthermore, the groups did a survey of all earnings, and reported the deficiencies raised in the provision of public policy and presented proposals for solutions. For each stage of the project, the students presented partial reports, without injury of the final report. The presentation of the works was made in banners, the professors organized an event to show all work, with brief presentation by the students. On this occasion, a representative of the government of the region was invited, who received a letter containing all the project’s report, with the survey and the results, as a public act of commitment to the local community.
- GENERAL GOALS: the integrative project discipline, which achieves this academic activity, has similar significance to the results of other classes, including obtaining a bachelor's degree in Legal Science, which promotes the development of skills and integration of knowledge. The pedagogical practice of the UBC law course provides that the evaluations of the integration projects are done by specialized professors in various areas of knowledge. The integrative project enables the critical and integrated view of knowledge, searching constant innovation, creativity, adaptation and identification of opportunities and alternatives in the management of organizations. Also, the knowledge integration model allows the development of skills from personal learning and not only the one-sided education. The activities developed in the integration projects look to establish the setting of learning, stimulating the resolution of organizational problems, enabling and expanding alternatives to managing and improving the organizational practices. Thus, it aims to promote the relationship between theory and practice through the integration of knowledge and methodologies from different disciplines of a same academic period.
The developed jobs allow the monitoring of the development of the skills presented throughout the semester, bringing students and professors together in the construction of knowledge and practice. A closer relationship between academia and the professional environment is effectively realized through the activities developed by the students in the integrative project classes, which means in other words, the experiences provided by these activities, that make easier the articulation of the skills developed during the course stimulating the integration of learning/ research/extension. In this sense, the BCU law course has in progress conjunct projects and activities with public schools, the Department of State Education, Student Alumni and the Security Pact group - bodies involved - Secretary of Education; City Hall; Military Police; Civil police; Public Defender, Rotary, Lions, among others; directed to the service and care of the demands of internal and external community, as well as enabling the transforming relationship between the institution and society. The students articulate their skills developed by the constant classes of PPC (Pedagogic Project of the Course) of the 1st semester: General Education, History and Introduction to the Study of Law, Criminology and General Theory of Constitutional Law, which they already studied and the 2nd semester: Civil Law, Constitutional Law, Penal Law, Fundamental Rights, Philosophy, Sociology and Anthropology, which they are studying.
- SPECIFIC GOALS: To conduct directed study activities guiding and monitoring. Also, it aims to assist the student in the understanding of the supervised activities of the course during the semester. In addition, it looks to socialize ideas and individual concepts for the production of supervised activities requested. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate the dedication and commitment of the students in the resolution of the proposed activities. And finally, it wants to guide, monitor and evaluate the work of production that integrates the disciplines of the semester’s course.
- DEVELOPED ABILITIES:
1. To accommodate themselves in the job market.
2. To Legitimize the concepts meeting with the legal practices.
3. To create opportunities reflections on skills development.
4. To awake practicality and interest in research of the professional practice.
5. To promote integration and legal cooperation between universities, governments and society.
6. To Encourage creativity and both personal and professional talents.
7. To identify employment opportunities and new alternatives for the legal profession.
8. To interact with academic knowledge and application at work.
9. To deepen the themes.
10. To stimulate scientific research.
11. To encourage the consultation of specialized bibliographies.
12. To improve the academic performance and capacity of interpretation and criticism of general and specific knowledge of the course.
13. To encourage the presentations of papers through various active learning methods, with the consequent effectiveness of the skills being worked on by the students.
- TEACHING METHOD: concrete case studies involving the execution, implementation and inefficiency of municipal public policies.
- REQUIREMENTS: in relation to the students, the preparation consisted of thematic deepening by reading indicated by professor for each chosen case. Also, the consultation of specialized bibliographies was required as well as quantitative and qualitative field search. There were required the presentation of partial report and work through various active learning methods, with the consequent effectiveness of the skills being worked on by the students.
In relation to the professors, each one had an orientation manual integration project (attachment) and should follow it to deliver the planned activities for the student, that related to the pedagogical project of the course during that semester. However, the professors were free and discreet to direct the classes.
- DEVELOPMENT OF THE DYNAMICS: the integration project was realized in groups of students. The students chose the theme and drew up an activities plan and study schedule, containing a description of the activities to be developed. They designed the survey of issues involving the theme. In addition, they collected historical and legal materials through physical and virtual literature. They also interviewed law professors, other students, content experts, area professionals such as judges, prosecutors, representatives, attorneys, psychologists, and doctors, etc. The professors helped the group in the preparation of questions that were answered by the interviewers. Including the help of professors, groups delimited the theme of research, developed the questioning of the chosen theme and the hypothesis, outlined the goals - which was intended to achieve with the research - developed the theoretical framework of the research and its procedures such as obtaining information sources and the use of techniques, materials and equipment needed. The professors also helped groups to promote research and study of the constitutional aspects, legal, administrative, and social. The materials used were multimedia, and PowerPoint presentation. The facts were searched at the police station, the Prosecutor's Office, in the CETESB, Health Surveillance, Fire Department, Military Police, City Hall, PROCON, Municipal Councils, Municipal Secretaries, and other public agencies or Social Nonprofit Organizations (ONG, OSCIP) related to the proposed theme. During each class, the groups analyzed in the classroom one of the following items: Introduction, history, problem, purpose, environmental survey (description of the sources, identification of the Public Power omission points in the execution of public policy, scenario and reality of the current situation , analysis of main effects in the Municipality and or the Alto Tietê region), diagnosis applicable to the case law (the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the execution of a municipal project or the absence of the government in the provision of local public policy), schedule of activities, conclusion, bibliography.
The groups did a survey of all earnings, reported the deficiencies raised in the provision of public policy and presented proposals for solutions. For each stage of the project, the students presented partial reports, without any injury to the final report. The presentation of the work was made in banners. The professors organized an event to show all works, with brief presentation by students. On this occasion, it was invited a representative of the government of the region, which received a letter containing all projects reports to the survey and the results, as a public act of commitment to the local community. Some final results of the activity aim to: propose the creation of a debate forum in partnership with BCU, the OAB, the Judiciary, the Executive of Mogi das Cruzes, associations, support groups and non-governmental organizations for discussion about the projects. Also, it proposes the student participation in meetings in the Council of Social Welfare of the City as well as to defend the implementation of programs and services that meet the poor public policy. In addition, it proposes the establishment of special programs for temporary housing: republics, social pension, scholarship-rent, lease and definitive social housing through the popular federal housing programs, state and municipal. Furthermore, it proposes the creation of economic solidarity groups (associations, cooperatives, production groups to face unemployment). They should send forward the proposal to the House and Senate for approval of the Law Project 2.470/07. They propose to the expansion of basic health networks, assisting the population that uses the street to survive and humanization of this service as well as to promote discussion and debate in the city to the realization of cultural and sports activities and the stimulation of knowledge and the exchange of the poor in schools and cultural spaces. Finally, they should ask the authorities for gratuitous access to museums, theaters, stadiums, gymnasiums and exhibitions for all needy people as well as the propose to the City Hall to the formation of cultural and sports groups, such as music groups, theater, dance, capoeira, volleyball and soccer team, among others.
- ATTENTION IN THE CLASSROOM: The projects should be developed in groups of students, properly planned and articulated along with the professor. All the programming of activities and the schedule of times and phases to be met are submitted to the professor who will guide the student group. Additionally, the activities are always in the classroom, and exceptionally outside through bibliographic data research, public documents, and census research of the population involved, without approach. The criteria developed in the classroom should only be answered by other professors, related professionals and technicians, who are easily found in their jobs, setting a time schedule meeting.
- FEEDBACK: all programming activities and the schedule of times and phases to be met were submitted to professor who guided the group of students.
- GRADE EVALUATION: the criteria for grading were the presentation of partial reports, final report and evaluation of the presentation. The evaluation was performed by applying relevant instruments to the characteristics of the projects and development: research, case studies, performance, textual production, virtual production, banners, and presentations. The grades should be assigned by professors, also evaluating the involvement and dedication of each team member.
Copyright from the cover page image (cropped):
Image: "Vista de Mogi das Cruzes a partir do Pico do Urubu", 2012, photographer: Henrique Boney. Available by the own author on Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 license.