A “Bottom-Up” Approach to Engineering Education in Nanotechnology

2006 ◽  
Vol 931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang-Joon John Lee ◽  
Emily L. Allen ◽  
Lili He
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Foundation Engineering ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Faculty Professional Development ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Pilot Work ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
San Jose State University

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a pilot project for a “bottom-up” approach to reform of undergraduate engineering education in nanotechnology, supported by a planning grant from the National Science Foundation (Engineering Education and Centers, Award #0431970). A core principle is to have individuals from different disciplines be the ones not only to build concise modules, but also to share them with content developers in other disciplines under a common organized framework. This bottom-up approach is an efficient way of introducing new content in existing curricula, and is especially helpful in university environments that may have no comprehensive “experts” in nanotechnology per se. Having individuals work together to develop bottom-up pieces from their own specialized fields provides a mechanism not only for curriculum enhancement but also for faculty professional development. In this work, pilot modules are developed as new content infused into existing courses in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and materials engineering at San José State University. Topics span different aspects of nanoscale materials, phenomena, devices, and manufacturing, and the content is structured in a framework such that components may be packaged as modular entities. We present pilot work accomplished in this work-in-progress, with emphasis on how lessons learned can be applied to expandability and sustainability of this bottom-up approach.

scholarly journals A Materials Bank for Circular Leuven: How to Monitor ‘Messy’ Circular City Transition Projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10351
Author(s):  
Julie Marin ◽  
Luc Alaerts ◽  
Karel Van Acker
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Data Governance ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Process Guidance ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Stakeholder Interactions

In recent years, cities have revealed themselves as being prominent actors in the circular economy transition. Besides supporting and initiating urban projects catalyzing circularity, cities are looking for monitoring tools that can make their progress towards circularity visible. Adopting Leuven’s pilot project for a building materials bank as a case study, this paper notes the particular challenges and opportunities in the pilot project to assess its progress and impact, in combination with gathering data for overall circular city monitoring purposes. Firstly, the paper names tensions between the “messy” transition process from policy ambitions to implementation and the question of data and monitoring. Secondly, the paper identifies relevant dimensions and scales to evaluate progress and impacts of a building materials bank, drawing from its development process. Thirdly, it proposes guidelines to monitor and evaluate circular city projects from the bottom up, combining quantitative indicators with guiding questions in a developmental evaluation. The analysis serves a critical reflection, distills lessons learned for projects contributing to circular cities and feeds a few concluding policy recommendations. The case study serves as an example that, in order to move beyond the tensions between circularity monitoring and actual circular city project development, monitoring instruments should simultaneously interact with and feed the circularity transition process. Therefore, dedicated data governance driven by enhanced stakeholder interactions should be inscribed in transition process guidance. Bottom-up projects such as a building materials bank provide opportunities to do this.

INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION RESEARCH

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Van Barneveld
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
System Level ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
Survey Responses

In 2011, I conducted a research study that focused on the experiences of engineering educators who were implementing innovative pedagogies such as problem-based learning (or its variations) in undergraduate engineering education on a consistent and committed basis. The intent of the study was to identify not only the tensions encountered but also the management of tensions that arose when implementing these pedagogies. I specifically sought out this group of educators on the assumption that their belief in the benefits and outcomes of PBL outweighed the challenges that they faced at a classroom and system level when they, in essence, turned away from what may be considered a ‘traditional’ approach to engineering education.A survey was designed to capture data relevant to the research questions around implementation of PBL and tensions encountered. The data collection (1 month) period resulted in 313 valid survey responses who met inclusion criteria. Sixty-five engineering educators were interviewed on their teaching practices and management of tensions encountered when implementing PBL. At the end of the data collection period, I was left a sense of admiration for these educators who, despite having to address predictable and unpredictable tensions because of their pedagogical beliefs, maintained a course that they believed would best serve their students and society. So, between March 1 and July 29, 2011, a follow-up question was sent to all the educators who had been interviewed (n=65; response rate = 100%) and to those who not interviewed but had provided contact information (n=172; response rate = 33%). They were asked the following question: For an engineering educator wanting to implement PBL into their teaching practice, what words of wisdom (lessons learned) would you offer them (3‐5 bullet points)?The benefit of aggregating this sort of information may prove very useful for engineering educators and educational institutions planning the implementation of innovative pedagogies such as PBL.

Lessons Learned From a Pilot Project on Telemedicine Advance Care Planning in an Urban Geriatric Primary Care Office

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912110369
Author(s):  
Olivia M. Seecof ◽  
Molly Allanoff ◽  
John Liantonio ◽  
Susan Parks
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Medical Record ◽  
Advance Care Planning ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Geriatric Population ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
Primary Care Office

Purpose: There is a dearth of literature regarding the documentation of advance care planning (ACP) in the geriatric population, despite the controversial, yet well-studied need for ACP. The purpose of this pilot study was to provide an update to a prior study from our institution that outlined the need for increased documentation of advance care planning (ACP) in an urban geriatric population. Methods: Our study involved using telemedicine to conduct dedicated ACP visits and an electronic medical record (EMR) note-template specifically designed for these visits in an attempt to increase the amount of documented ACP in the EMR in this population. Results: The study did not yield significant results due to the inability to schedule enough patients for these dedicated visits. Discussion: While our study was ultimately unsuccessful, 3 crucial lessons were identified that will inform and fuel future interventions by the authors to further the study of documentation of ACP.

Initiating Collaboration among Organ Transplant Professionals through Web Portals and Mobile Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Alexander ◽  
Haley Hoy ◽  
Manil Maskey ◽  
Helen Conover ◽  
John Gamble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Efficient Access ◽  
Health Related

The knowledge base for healthcare providers working in the field of organ transplantation has grown exponentially. However, the field has no centralized ‘space’ dedicated to efficient access and sharing of information.The ease of use and portability of mobile applications (apps) make them ideal for subspecialists working in complex healthcare environments. In this article, the authors review the literature related to healthcare technology; describe the development of health-related technology; present their mobile app pilot project assessing the effects of a collaborative, mobile app based on a freely available content manage framework; and report their findings. They conclude by sharing both lessons learned while completing this project and future directions.

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