What do Students Gain from Laboratory Experiences?

Author(s):  
James Trevelyan ◽  
Zol Bahri Razali

The University of Western Australia invested significant funding to develop and test new technologies for student learning using the internet, including a substantial investment in remote access laboratories. Over 15 years of operation, some significant limiting factors have become apparent. The technology has not been widely adopted, either in our own faculty or elsewhere. Nearly all engineering laboratory classes still follow traditional patterns, as do lecture and tutorial classes. Therefore it is worth asking why the adoption of such an apparently attractive technology has been so much slower than expected. To answer this question we started a project to understand more about the practical learning outcomes from traditional laboratory classes. When we applied tools from psychologists to measure practical intelligence in an electronics laboratory class, we not only found we could measure a significant gain in hands-on practical intelligence, but also predict students’ ability to diagnose equipment faults. For the first time, therefore, we can demonstrate that there are real advantages inherent in hands-on laboratory classes, and we can measure this advantage. It is possible that measurements of practical intelligence may reveal new and more powerful ways for students to acquire practical knowledge and skills from remote laboratories as well.

Author(s):  
Zol Bahri Razali ◽  
James Trevelyan

Empirical studies suggest that practical intelligence acquired in engineering laboratories is valuable in engineering practice and could also be a useful learning outcome that is a result from a laboratory experience. To prove this, the author started a project to understand further about the practical learning outcomes from traditional laboratory classes. When tools used by psychologists were applied to measure practical intelligence in an electronics laboratory class, not only could a significant gain in hands-on practical intelligence be measured, but students’ ability to diagnose equipment faults could also be predicted. For the first time, therefore, the author can demonstrate that there are real advantages inherent in hands-on laboratory classes, and supported by Outcome Based Education (OBE) method, it is possible to measure this advantage. It is possible that measurements of practical intelligence may reveal new and more powerful ways for students to acquire practical knowledge. The results firstly demonstrate the ability to devise effective ways to assess the outcomes of practical intelligence acquired by engineering students from their laboratory experiences. The results from the study show that the score on practical intelligence outcomes is proportional with the outcomes of the ability in diagnosing equipment faults. Therefore, the novel results suggest that practical intelligence scores predict the ability to diagnose experiment faults for similar laboratory equipment.


Author(s):  
Jasson Kalugendo

<p>The focus of this research was to explore what motivational factors that push or pull university students to join practical knowledge programs. The study employed a qualitative method to collect data from 100 third-year students at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) of the University of Dar Es Salaam. The study found that both pushandpull trigger pointsare motivational factors for students to join a knowledge program that incorporates strong practical components.The implication is that to ensure that graduates can face the requirements of today’s job markets the university must balance theoretical knowledge withopportunities for practical experience.Thus, as the university revises its curriculum it is essential to give careful considerations to both push and pull factors as critical elements to enhance the university’s educational objectives. This studyprovides a first look at push-pull factorsand its associated intervening factors that motivate students to advance their learning. As such it provides a model for necessary subsequent studies to be conducted for other University faculties to identify what push-and-pull factors impact students in their respective disciplines. In addition, further research is warranted into motivational variances that may exist between male and female students. </p>


Author(s):  
Alena Vsevolodovna Gavrilova ◽  
Liubov Leonidovna Kniazeva ◽  
Vadim Viacheslavovich Koykov ◽  
Oleg Pavlovich Fyodorov

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
L. D. Kapranova ◽  
T. V. Pogodina

The subject of the research is the current state of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) that ensures generation of a significant part of the budget and the innovative development of the economy.The purpose of the research was to establish priority directions for the development of the FEC sectors based on a comprehensive analysis of their innovative and investment activities. The dynamics of investment in the fuel and energy sector are considered. It is noted that large-scale modernization of the fuel and energy complex requires substantial investment and support from the government. The results of the government programs of corporate innovative development are analyzed. The results of the research identified innovative development priorities in the power, oil, gas and coal sectors of the fuel and energy complex. The most promising areas of innovative development in the oil and gas sector are the technologies of enhanced oil recovery; the development of hard-to-recover oil reserves; the production of liquefied natural gas and its transportation. In the power sector, the prospective areas are activities aimed at improving the performance reliability of the national energy systems and the introduction of digital technologies. Based on the research findings, it is concluded that the innovation activities in the fuel and energy complex primarily include the development of new technologies, modernization of the FEC technical base; adoption of state-of-the-art methods of coal mining and oil recovery; creating favorable economic conditions for industrial extraction of hard-to-recover reserves; transition to carbon-free fuel sources and energy carriers that can reduce energy consumption and cost as well as reducing the negative FEC impact on the environment.


Author(s):  
James Marlatt

ABSTRACT Many people may not be aware of the extent of Kurt Kyser's collaboration with mineral exploration companies through applied research and the development of innovative exploration technologies, starting at the University of Saskatchewan and continuing through the Queen's Facility for Isotope Research. Applied collaborative, geoscientific, industry-academia research and development programs can yield technological innovations that can improve the mineral exploration discovery rates of economic mineral deposits. Alliances between exploration geoscientists and geoscientific researchers can benefit both parties, contributing to the pure and applied geoscientific knowledge base and the development of innovations in mineral exploration technology. Through a collaboration that spanned over three decades, we gained insight into the potential for economic uranium deposits around the world in Canada, Australia, USA, Finland, Russia, Gabon, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Guyana. Kurt, his research team, postdoctoral fellows, and students developed technological innovations related to holistic basin analysis for economic mineral potential, isotopes in mineral exploration, and biogeochemical exploration, among others. In this paper, the business of mineral exploration is briefly described, and some examples of industry-academic collaboration innovations brought forward through Kurt's research are identified. Kurt was a masterful and capable knowledge broker, which is a key criterion for bringing new technologies to application—a grand, curious, credible, patient, and attentive communicator—whether talking about science, business, or life and with first ministers, senior technocrats, peers, board members, first nation peoples, exploration geologists, investors, students, citizens, or friends.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Robakiewicz ◽  
◽  
Dawn Beamer ◽  
Dawn Beamer ◽  
Jennifer Cooper Boemmels ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Biermann ◽  
Salim Kanoun ◽  
Trond Davidsen ◽  
Robert Gray

Abstract Aims Since 2017, medical students at the University of Bergen were taught PET/CT “hands-on” by viewing PET/CT cases in native format on diagnostic workstations in the hospital. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were barred access. This prompted us to launch and evaluate a new freeware PET/CT viewing system hosted in the university network. Methods We asked our students to install the multiplatform Fiji viewer with Beth Israel PET/CT plugin (http://petctviewer.org) on their personal computers and connect to a central image database in the university network based on the public domain orthanc server (https://orthanc-server.com). At the end of course, we conducted an anonymous student survey. Results The new system was online within eight days, including regulatory approval. All 76 students (100 %) in the fifth year completed their course work, reading five anonymized PET/CT cases as planned. 41 (53 %) students answered the survey. Fiji was challenging to install with a mean score of 1.8 on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = easy, 1 = difficult). Fiji was more difficult to use (score 3.0) than the previously used diagnostic workstations in the hospital (score 4.1; p < 0.001, paired t-test). Despite the technical challenge, 47 % of students reported having learnt much (scores 4 and 5); only 11 % were negative (scores 1 and 2). 51 % found the PET/CT tasks engaging (scores 4 and 5) while 20 % and 5 % returned scores 2 and 1, respectively. Conclusion Despite the initial technical challenge, “hands-on” learning of PET/CT based on the freeware Fiji/orthanc PET/CT-viewer was associated with a high degree of student satisfaction. We plan to continue running the system to give students permanent access to PET/CT cases in native format regardless of time or location.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4532
Author(s):  
Rumpa Roy ◽  
Hesham El Marsafawy

Universities foster a collaboration with industry with their commitment towards society. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of organizations facilitate implementation of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) in higher education, while creating long-term opportunities for sustainable development. The researchers of this study come from two different disciplines, and aim to embed sustainable development strategies for transforming education by utilizing the capacity of educators and industry professionals, while also contributing to the community and economy. The researcher with a specialization in economics identified the well-being of the community and economy, and another researcher with a design and ergonomics background brought the concept of service design. Results of the conducted surveys imply that a skill gap exists in the labor market and participants from the community are interested in receiving hands on training from the industry. The researchers introduce a model focusing on the significance and implementation of RPL, allowing youth and adults to accumulate credit through non-formal and informal learning experiences. The model reflects how the university assesses the current skills and needs of the target communities, how they are communicated to industry by identifying potential areas of development, how industry responds to the needs by providing training, and how the university acknowledges prior learning and promotes potential candidates to contribute towards industry.


Author(s):  
Sean Keane ◽  
Karmun Cheng ◽  
Kaitlyn Korol

In-line inspection (ILI) tools play an important role within integrity management and substantial investment is made to continuously advance performance of the existing technologies and, where necessary, to develop new technologies. Performance measurement is typically focused for the purpose of understanding the measured performance in relation to the ILI vendor specification and for the determination of residual uncertainty regarding pipeline integrity. These performance measures may not provide the necessary insight into what type of investment into a technology is necessary to further reduce residual uncertainty regarding pipeline integrity, and beyond that, what investment, as an operator, results in an effective and efficient reduction in uncertainty. The paper proposes a reliability based approach for investigating uncertainty associated with ultrasonic crack ILI technology for the purpose of identifying efficient investment into the technology that results in an effective and measurable improvement. Typical performance measures and novel performance measurement methods are presented and reviewed with respect to what information they can provide to assist in investment decisions. Finally, general observations are made regarding Enbridge’s experience using ultrasonic crack ILI technology and areas currently being investigated.


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