Pega aí: plataforma de compartilhamento de materiais acadêmicos

Abstract

Access to academic materials remains a recurring challenge for higher education students, particularly in contexts marked by financial constraints and socioeconomic inequalities. Books, handouts, and specialized equipment represent additional costs throughout undergraduate programs, potentially affecting academic performance and student retention. In this context, this work presents the development of Pega Aí, a mobile platform designed to facilitate the sharing of physical academic materials among university students, grounded in principles of the sharing economy and digital mediation. This research is characterized as applied, adopting a mixed-methods approach with exploratory and descriptive objectives. The study involved the design, implementation, and exploratory evaluation of the platform, which mediates the entire material-sharing lifecycle through authentication mechanisms, state control, messaging features, and a reputation system. An exploratory evaluation was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to students from different higher education institutions. The results indicate that a significant portion of respondents experiences difficulties in acquiring academic materials and demonstrates high acceptance and positive intention to use the Pega Aí platform. Furthermore, the selection of the proposal in the first phase of the Centelha Program represents external recognition of its innovative potential. The findings suggest that Pega Aí is technically and socially viable as a tool to support student retention, reduce educational costs, and promote collaborative practices in the university environment.