Aulas

Aulas are the basic units of instruction in education systems that use Portuguese. An aula denotes a scheduled period during which a teacher presents content to a group of students with the aim of imparting knowledge, skills, or procedures. The duration of an aula varies by country and level but is commonly between 45 and 90 minutes. Aulas can take place in person or online, and schools organize the day into a sequence of aulas that cover different subjects or activities. In primary and secondary education, examples include aulas of mathematics, language, and science. In higher education, an aula can be a lecture, a seminar, or a practical session, with terms such as aula magna used for formal inaugural lectures.

Etymologically, the word aula comes from Latin aula, meaning hall or chamber. In lusophone contexts, the term has come to denote both the instructional session and the room where teaching occurs, reflecting the historical association between halls and public teaching.

Formats and types of aulas vary widely. They can be expository, dialogued, or hands-on, and may involve demonstrations, problem-solving, experiments, or group work. Special varieties include a aula prática (practical class) for laboratories or studios, a aula teórica (theoretical class), and a aula de reforço or recuperação for student tutoring. In universities, the concept also encompasses different modalities, such as aul as presenciais (in-person), aul as online (online), and the distinction between aul as síncronas (live) and assíncronas (recorded).

Contemporary trends include the incorporation of flexible scheduling, digital resources, and blended models, with aulas adapting to distance education and flipped classroom approaches in various regions.