Teaching Subject Analysis from Cognitive, Contextual, And Logical Approaches: a didactic experiment using the educational Game Noah's Ark

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1518-2924.2026.e107446

Keywords:

Subject analysis, Teaching, Educational games, Thematic representation, Digital learning objects

Abstract

Objective: Subject analysis, due to its interpretative and contextual nature, presents challenges for its teaching in Library and Information Science education. This study investigated the effectiveness of a pedagogical game — "Noah’s Ark: Subject Analysis and Categorization" — as a didactic resource for developing analytical competencies in undergraduate students.

Method: This qualitative research comprised three stages: a narrative literature review, development of the game as a learning object, and practical application with 30 students. Data were analyzed through participant observation, classroom records, and questionnaires.

Results: The findings indicated progress in the cognitive, semantic, logical, and contextual dimensions of subject analysis, with emphasis on inferential reasoning, accuracy in categorization, and responsiveness to informational needs. High levels of student engagement and reinforcement of active learning were also observed.

Conclusions: The study concluded that the use of games, grounded in active methodologies and supported by theoretical foundations, significantly enhances the teaching of subject representation in Information Science.

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Author Biography

Gercina Ângela de Lima, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Full Professor in the Department of Information Organization and Treatment, ECI/UFMG. Post-doctorate in Studies on methodologies for the process of indexing textual documents, from the Department of Library Science and Documentation, Faculty of Humanities, Communication and Documentation, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, and from the School of Arts and Communication, USP. PhD in Information Science from the Postgraduate Program in Information Science PPGCI-ECI/UFMG. Master in Science in Library Service - Clark Atlanta University. Librarian at the School of Library Science, UFMG. CNPq Research Productivity Scholarship - (PQ) Level 1D. Scholarship holder of the Minas Gerais Researcher Program-PPM XII-2018 from FAPEMIG. Researcher in the Postgraduate Program in Knowledge Organization Management-PPGGOC/ECI/UFMG. Coordinator of the Research Group MHTX - Conceptual Modeling for Organization and Representation of Hypertextual Information, registered with CNPq since 2004. Founding President of the Brazil Chapter of the Association for Information Science and Technology (Brazil-ASIST). Member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the 20th Century at the University of Coimbra; Researcher member of the RECRI Research Group (ECI/UFMG) and of the Research Group Ontic and Ontological Studies in Informational Contexts (UFF). She is currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Society for Knowledge Organization ISKO (2016); reviewer of the Knowledge Organization Journal (KO) of ISKO; member of the Library Science Board of UFMG; member of the Structuring Teaching Nucleus (NDE) of the Undergraduate Course in Library Science at ECI/UFMG; and member of the Board of the Graduate Program in Knowledge Organization Management PPGGOC/ECI/UFMG. She coordinated the PPGCI/UFMG from August 2009 to September 2012. She was sub-coordinator of the Information Management and Architecture (GAI) Course at NITEG/ECI. She has experience in the area of ​​Information Science, with emphasis on Organization and Representation of Information and Knowledge, working mainly on the following topics: Theories and techniques for Representation, Organization and Retrieval of information and Knowledge. Knowledge Organization System (SOC)/Controlled Vocabularies. Compatibility of Indexing Languages. Documentary Linguistics. Conceptual Map. Digital Libraries. Semantic Web (models, standards, protocols and languages). Linked Open Data. Hypertext production. Inductive Interfaces. Topic Map. Information Architecture. Library automation (software design and evaluation). Cognition and its application in the Organization and Representation of Information and Knowledge, and in the Information Retrieval processes. E-mail: glima@eci.ufmg.br ORCID.org/0000-0003-0735-3856

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Capa do periódico Académico Encontros Bibli, da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Volume 31, ano 2026 Nela se mostram as mãos de uma pessoa com a pele morena segurando um punhado de terra escura, na qual um pequeno broto verde com duas folhas está plantado. As mãos estão centralizadas na imagem e são enquadradas por um fundo que mostra um solo seco e rachado, sugerindo um ambiente de seca ou desértico. No topo da imagem, o título da publicação, ENCONTROS BIBLI, está em letras maiúsculas brancas. Abaixo, há uma citação entre aspas: "Ética e integridade informacional: a responsabilidade científica e socioambiental da Ciência da Informação diante da urgência climática". Na parte inferior da capa, há informações institucionais: No canto esquerdo, o logo da UFSC. Ao lado, o texto "Departamento de Ciência da Informação", "Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência da Informação" e "Portal de Periódicos UFSC". Abaixo, a data "2026", o volume "V. 31" e o ISSN 1518-2924. No canto inferior direito, o logo da publicação, que consiste em um escudo roxo com as letras "EB" estilizadas em laranja. A capa utiliza as cores roxo, branco e laranja, com a maior parte da imagem ocupada pelo cenário do solo e as mãos. A arte visual e o tema do título da publicação sugerem um foco na interseção entre a ciência, a informação e as questões ambientais, como a crise climática.

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Published

2025-10-29

How to Cite

LIMA, Gercina Ângela de. Teaching Subject Analysis from Cognitive, Contextual, And Logical Approaches: a didactic experiment using the educational Game Noah’s Ark. Encontros Bibli: electronic journal of library science, archival science and information science, Florianópolis/SC, Brasil, v. 31, p. 1–22, 2025. DOI: 10.5007/1518-2924.2026.e107446. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/eb/article/view/107446. Acesso em: 13 feb. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 31 (2026): Ethics and informational integrity in the climate emergency: the socio-environmental responsibility of Information Science.

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