JME 4110 Senior Design Project - C.H.E.T.

C.H.E.T. is designed to be a educational tool for children of ages 6-12 that are interested in mechanical equipment and mechanical concepts. C.H.E.T. provides a simple hydraulic system that incorporates linkages, cylinders, springs, pins and other mechanical features to operate the excavator assembly. We wanted to design and build an educational toy that is fun, reliable. educational, hands-on and yet still affordable for typical families

IEC Fusor Mobile Shielding Unit

The VCU Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Fusor Senior Design Project provides Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a mobile fusor complete with the necessary shielding to protect operators as well as the general public from potentially hazardous radiation. The VCU IEC fusor is a Farnsworth-Hirsch type reactor, and consists of five basic components; a high voltage power supply, vacuum system, gas regulation system, primary reactor vessel assembly, and radiation shielding. These components were serviced and reassembled on a customized mobile cart. In addition to these components, a specimen holder and viewing monitor were added to the design. The specimen holder provides a practical method for neutron activation experiments, while the viewing monitor allows for safer visualization and operation of the fusor. An engineered cart provides the operator easy transportation of the shielding, fusor, and necessary components. The shielding consists of layers of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Borated Polyethylene (BPE), and lead to minimize radiation dose exposure to limits acceptable by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A camera inside the shielding is connected to a display monitor in order to provide a visual depiction of the deuterium ionization and fusion process. This allows operators and audiences to view the internal workings of the fusor from a safe distance. Lastly, an operator’s manual has been drafted to assist future operators with running the fusor. With these additions to the existing design, the fusor assembly serves as a vital asset for researchers, as well as an educational tool for students and teachers.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1199/thumbnail.jp

Design Application of Augmented Reality-Based Computer Device Assembly Practicum Modules

The adaptation and use of digital technology have presented various opportunities and challenges for actors involved in educational services, i.e., colleges, educators, and students. Augmented reality has recently emerged as one of the digital technologies that have attracted the attention of many academies and practitioners; in addition, AR technology has brought about a change in the way users and machines interact that can teach and direct students to handle the topic of lessons differently and more proactively. This study aims to design and build an android-based Augmented Reality (AR) computer hardware assembly practicum module application as an alternative learning media in the computer hardware device assembly practicum module, which is expected in a learning activity to be more exciting and increase students' skills about computer assembly through AR technology can be one of the solutions to overcome the practicum module which was previously still in the form of a textbook and was not yet technology-based. The research method used is the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC), which consists of six stages, namely concept, design, material, collection, assembly, testing, and distribution. The results of the practicum module application with Augmented Reality technology can be run on mobile devices with an Android operating system for version 5.1 and above, and this module has a feature that can introduce 3-D objects of hardware devices and simulate the assembly of hardware devices 3D objects 3D IC processor components and mainboards that are driven with the touch of a finger by pairing elements (Drag and Drop)

Design of a Greywater-Fed Hydroponics System

To combat issues of local water insecurity, a hydroponics system was designed in partnership with LEAP 5 High School in Jane Furse, South Africa. Climate change, increasing human population, and continued environmental degradation all threaten access to clean drinking water. Approximately seventy percent of all freshwater is used for agriculture globally, thus threatening food security especially in developing countries where access to water is potentially volatile. The hydroponics garden system utilizes sustainable materials, a self-monitoring temperature controls system, and greywater input, to act as an educational tool for students and significantly reduce freshwater use compared to traditional, in-ground agriculture. An education plan accompanies the implementation of the system to provide an avenue for community engagement and encourage the adoption of alternative, water-saving farming methods. The hydroponics system was developed by observing the strengths of existing hydroponics applications in commercial and educational institutions. The successes of established systems guided rapid prototyping of grow beds, shading structure, and greywater filter. The fully built system reflected all major subsystems and was used to test the effectiveness of a hydroponics garden compared to a traditional soil garden, and the growth of lettuce plants confirmed the benefits of hydroponics. The hydroponics method of farming was found to produce triple the lettuce per the same volume of water when compared with soil faring. Additionally, 30% less energy was required to operate the hydroponics system and the cost of materials was decreased 50% compared to past student projects and existing systems commercially available systems. The greywater-fed hydroponics system proves that an inexpensive, durable design displays significant advantages over standard, soil farming. Educational assembly manuals and tailored education modules designed for the LEAP 5 High School will aid in the adoption of a potentially disruptive farming method to an agriculturally dependent region

MiniCERNBot Educational Platform: Antimatter Factory Mock-up Missions for Problem-Solving STEM Learning

Mechatronics and robotics appeared particularly effective in students’ education, allowing them to create non-traditional solutions in STEM disciplines, which have a direct impact and interaction with the world surrounding them. This paper presents the current state of the MiniCERNBot Educational Robotic platform for high-school and university students. The robot provides a comprehensive educative system with tutorials and tasks tuned for different ages on 3D design, mechanical assembly, control, programming, planning, and operation. The system is inspired to existing robotic systems and typical robotic interventions performed at CERN, and includes an education mock-up that follows the example of a previous real operation performed in CERN’s Antimatter Factory. The paper describes the learning paths where the MiniCERNBot platform can be used by students, at different ages and disciplines. In addition, it describes the software and hardware architecture, presenting results on modularity and network performance during education exercises. In summary, the objective of the study is improving the way STEM educational and dissemination activities at CERN Robotics Lab are performed, as well as their possible synergies with other education institutions, such as High-Schools and Universities, improving the learning collaborative process and inspiring students interested in technical studies. To this end, a new educational robotic platform has been designed, inspired on real scientific operations, which allows the students practice multidisciplinary STEM skills in a collaborative problem-solving way, while increasing their motivation and comprehension of the research activities

Identifying the Informational and Emotional Needs of Individuals with Brugada Syndrome and Their Families to Guide the Development of an Educational Resource

PURPOSE: Brugada syndrome is an autosomal dominant arrhythmia condition caused by genetic mutations affecting the cardiac conduction system. It is characterized by an abnormal electrocardiogram pattern and a predisposition to syncope and sudden cardiac death. Penetrance is incomplete and expressivity varies greatly within families. This condition is endemic in Southeast Asia, but was described in North America and Europe in 1992. Due to its novelty and complexity there is a scarcity of informational resources. The first aim of this project was to gain insight from individuals and families with Brugada syndrome and to use this information to accomplish the second aim: an educational resource well-suited for families coping with Brugada syndrome. The public health relevance of this project reflects its application to genetic counseling: the development of patient educational resources involves a careful assembly of content and design with attention to patient needs. METHODS: Ten participants completed a questionnaire which addressed general understanding of the condition, personal experiences, terms and concepts related to Brugada syndrome, and individual perspectives. The responses to the questionnaire were used to help shape an educational resource. RESULTS: Analysis of the questionnaire responses revealed that some main concepts are well-understood by this study population, while there is considerable lack of understanding of other important concepts associated with Brugada syndrome. Overall participants expressed needs for more information and tools for coping with the condition. CONCLUSION: A two part educational resource was created to address these needs. A short introductory pamphlet was produced for use as an initial introduction to the condition and an in-depth resource called Brugada syndrome: A Guide for Families was created. The resources include patient-friendly explanations of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, children, inheritance, genetic testing, and support resources

Towards a re-engineering method for web services architectures

Recent developments in Web technologies – in particular through the Web services framework – have greatly enhanced the flexible and interoperable implementation of service-oriented software architectures. Many older Web-based and other distributed software systems will be re-engineered to a Web services-oriented platform. Using an advanced e-learning system as our case study, we investigate central aspects of a re-engineering approach for the Web services platform. Since our aim is to provide components of the legacy system also as services in the new platform, re-engineering to suit the new development paradigm is as important as re-engineering to suit the new architectural requirements

Sculpture Development as an Informal Activity for Learning Engineering Abilities in K-12 Student

The social changes that have taken place in recent decades have determined the evolution of the educational system. Society nowadays demands new learning methods, focused on an appropriate selection and processing of information instead of memorization. The rise of the Information Technologies has led to different ‘‘Emergent Pedagogies’’. One of them is Informal Learning, which proposes shifting the generation and acquisition of knowledge from the individual to the collective plane. The present research expects to raise K-12 students’ interest in engineering by adopting some methods that are typical of informal learning in the field of formal learning. The objective is to stimulate the group learning processes for the generation of collective knowledge through multidisciplinary team interaction and dialogue. For this purpose, a group of 25 K-12 students organized in subgroups carried out a co-creative project. This project consists in the development of a sculptural assembly made of glazed ceramics over a steel structure, which will be installed in the educational centre. A concurrent project methodology was used to create the sculptural assembly. Here, each student must perform different tasks related to design engineering. An educational model based on Blended Learning was used, which proposes the combination of in-person sessions with virtual work by means of social networks as a group communication medium. Thus, each creative team member contributed with their own Personal Learning Environment in order to enrich the group learning process and provide it with their own personal singularities, thereby turning it into a Personal Learning Network. The experience allowed K-12 students to discover the working process typical of design engineering through a recreational methodology based on Informal Learning. The students were able to make up for their shortcomings in terms of technical and creative skill, while becoming aware of their chances within the field of engineering. The project has been shown to be an incentive for K-12 students regarding their interest in starting engineering studies once they finish their K-12 stageAuthors want to acknowledge the Universitat Jaume I, and its P1.1B2015-30 funds that have enabled the successful development of this work. This work has been conducted as part of the research project ‘‘El arte y el disen˜o en la nueva sociedad digital’’ (code P1.1B2015-30) funded by the Jaume I University (Spain), which focuses on how synergies between several disciplines enable new ways of enrich the process of creating new products

Educational Adequacy in Arkansas: Facilities

Public school facilities funding was approached somewhat differently from the remainder of the work on public schools resulting from Lake View. A primary concern regarding school facilities was the lack of a comprehensive assessment of some 1200 schools in the state in over 250 independent public school districts. Early in the process, the General Assembly created the Joint Committee on Education Facilities in April 2003. This report covers the work of this Committee from the process of assessment through the reports of the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities & Transportation, a unit of the Arkansas Department of Education, charged with annual assessments of the progress being made in the improvement of school facilities

A web services architecture for learning object discovery and assembly

Courseware systems are often based on an assembly of different components, addressing the different needs of storage and delivery functionality. The Learning Technology Standard Architecture LTSA provides a generic architectural framework for these systems. Recent developments in Web technology – e.g. the Web services framework – have greatly enhanced the flexible and interoperable implementation of courseware architectures. We argue that in order to make the Web services philosophy work, two enhancements to the LTSA approach are required. Firstly, a combination with metadata annotation is needed to support the discovery of educational Web services. Secondly, if these components are to be provided in form of services, more support is needed for their assembly. Architectural patterns of a finer degree of granularity shall satisfy this need