Scientometric dimensions of technical reports from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Technical report is one of the media to record the scientific information generated by scientists and engineers, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) published 554 technical reports during 1990-99 under the categories: External (373) and Internal (181), Engineering and technology generated 207 technical reports followed by chemistry, materials and earth sciences (129), while their interdisciplinary interactions resulted in 31 technical reports, Life and environmental sciences produced 42 technical reports,' followed by Physics (16),' Other aspects of nuclear and non-nuclear energy (6); Isotopes, isotope and radiation applications (4), Technical reports in subjects outside the scope of nuclear science and technology were 69, Scientometric analysis of these reports has been carried Out for physical bibliographic characteristics, authorship collaboration, inter-divisional collaboration, inter-institutional collaboration activities and content analysis, Types of documents referenced in the technical reports indicated first rank for journal articles, followed by books, technical reports, conference papers, standards/codes, personal communications, patents, theses, drawings, and lectures

Motivating Technical Writing through Study of the Environment

Today’s engineers must be more than just technically competent. To be successful in our increasingly global economy in which teamwork and interdisciplinary interaction are the norm, engineers must have excellent communication skills. In recognition of industry needs, the San José State University College of Engineering redesigned its technical communication course to ensure that students graduate with writing and speaking skills that will transfer readily to their career needs and the global arena. The course aims to motivate students through exploring topics that are meaningful to them and using communication formats that they will see in the workplace. Combing technical communication with study of the environment broadens the course to meet multiple ABET outcomes. This paper describes the course goals, organization, management, selected assignments, and assessment. Assessment data indicate that at the end of the semester students, on average, have gained between 0.8 and 1.1 points on a 12-point evaluation rubric, and have gained an appreciation of the unique characteristics of and need for technical writing

The systemic implications of constructive alignment of higher education level learning outcomes and employer or professional body based competency frameworks

The past 50 years has seen the development of schemes in higher education, employment and professional work that either identify what people should know and/or what they should be able to do with what they have learned and experienced. Within higher education this is usually equated with the learning outcomes students are expected to achieve at the end of studying a course, module or qualification and increasingly the teaching, learning and assessment strategies of those courses, modules or qualifications are being designed to align with those learning outcomes. In employment, there has been the emergence of job and role specifications setting out the knowledge and skills required of incumbent and recruits alike. Where professional bodies confer (often statutorily recognised) status in employment sectors they also increasingly set out their expectations of members through competency frameworks. This paper explores the varied relationships between these three means of measuring knowledge and skills within people including the nature of the knowledge and skills being measured as well as the specificity of the knowledge and skills being measured, using the case study of environmental management in the UK. It then argues that there needs to be a more constructive alignment between these three forms of measurement, achieved through a dynamic conversation between all concerned, but also that such alignment needs both to recognise the importance of less tangible ‘systems thinking’ abilities alongside the more tangible ‘technical’ and ‘managerial’ abilities and that some abilities emerge from the trajectories of praxis and cannot readily be specified as an outcome in advance

Technology transfer - A selected bibliography

Selected bibliography on technology transfe

Groundwater data management by water service providers in peri-urban areas of Lusaka

Groundwater management by water service providers in Lusaka, Zambia, includes borehole siting, drilling and on-going monitoring. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) and devolved Water Trust managers, in order to assess their needs and collect their suggestions to improve data management. The research found that both the Water Trusts and LWSC lacked the capacity to fully utilize hydrogeological information. Prior to the research, none of the ten Water Trusts collected water level data. Four have started to collect data recently and another four have plans to, and they would like to share this data more widely

Building University-School Partnerships: An Exercise in Communication and Understanding

This article provides an overview of the Collaboration to Advance Teaching Technology and Science (CATTS) program and the conditions necessary to establish and maintain partnerships that promote inquiry and research in schools. These programs are effective because they benefit all stakeholders. CATTS creates opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students (the CATTS Fellows) to learn effective teaching practices and to be active participants in K-12 education. School districts and University of Arizona outreach programs benefit when CATTS Fellows work on projects that address identified educational needs in K-12 schools. K-12 teachers and students benefit from the additional classroom assistance and resources provided through the CATTS program. Educational levels: Graduate or professional