Immersion Wort Chiller Optimization: Project-Based Learning in Undergraduate Heat Transfer

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) has been adopted as a highly effective teaching-learning style worldwide in the last few decades in the engineering educational community. Major benefits for students who participated in Project-Based Learning include achieving higher level of motivation, greater depth of understanding of basic concepts, increased creativity, improved teamwork skills and interpersonal communication skills. In this paper we reported a fun example project that can be used in undergraduate heat transfer class for Project-Based Learning: Optimization of an immersion wort chiller for a small-scale home beer brewing process. Students were self-grouped with three to five students in each group. Each group was then provided with a 10-foot-long copper tube of diameter 3/8 inch to design and optimize an immersion wort chiller that can cool a bucket of hot water as fast as possible. Preliminary evaluation of learning experience enhancement was performed by conducting a survey among the students at the end of the semester. The purpose of the survey was to identify what they had learned in such a project, and whether or not the project improved their learning experiences. Positive feedback and outcomes were observed.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Connecting Undergraduate Students as Partners in Computer Science Teaching and Research

Connecting undergraduate students as partners can lead to the enhancement of the undergraduate experience and allow students to see the different sides of the university. Such holistic perspectives may better inform academic career choices and postgraduate study. Furthermore, student involvement in course development has many potential benefits. This paper outlines a framework for connecting research and teaching within Computer Science- though this is applicable across other disciplines. Three case studies are considered to illustrate the approach. The first case study involves students in their honours’ stage (level 6, typically 3rd year) project, the second an undergraduate intern between stages 5 and 6, and finally, a MSc (level 7) project. All three case studies have actively involved students in core parts of the University’s teaching and research activities, producing usable software systems to support these efforts. We consider this as a continuing engagement process to enhance the undergraduate learning experience within Computer Science

Predicting the academic success of architecture students by pre-enrolment requirement: using machine-learning techniques

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of applicants seeking admission into architecture programmes. As expected, prior academic performance (also referred to as pre-enrolment requirement) is a major factor considered during the process of selecting applicants. In the present study, machine learning models were used to predict academic success of architecture students based on information provided in prior academic performance. Two modeling techniques, namely K-nearest neighbour (k-NN) and linear discriminant analysis were applied in the study. It was found that K-nearest neighbour (k-NN) outperforms the linear discriminant analysis model in terms of accuracy. In addition, grades obtained in mathematics (at ordinary level examinations) had a significant impact on the academic success of undergraduate architecture students. This paper makes a modest contribution to the ongoing discussion on the relationship between prior academic performance and academic success of undergraduate students by evaluating this proposition. One of the issues that emerges from these findings is that prior academic performance can be used as a predictor of academic success in undergraduate architecture programmes. Overall, the developed k-NN model can serve as a valuable tool during the process of selecting new intakes into undergraduate architecture programmes in Nigeria

Making sense of doctoral training reforms in the social sciences:

Educational reforms are increasingly driven by political and economic forces beyond the university. In this paper I describe how the policy initiatives of the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) have steadily reshaped the length, content and structure of doctoral education in the social sciences. This history of the Council’s willingness to respond to national and international policy concerns about the doctorate dates back to the early years of the Thatcher Government in the 1980s. As well as redefining the doctoral student experience, this interventionist policy environment potentially challenges the institutional autonomy of academics and others involved in educational development. In this article I explore the implications of this for doctoral training provision, and for the meaning of educational development itself. I end by pointing to the possibilities for policy ‘activism’ in responding to these changes

Chemical Compositions, Fall 2013

The newsletter of the Department of Chemistry, published once or twice a year, highlights people, events, and facilities. Content includes brief articles on new faculty hires, faculty and staff retirements, obituaries, major facilities and equipment upgrades, scholarship and award recipients, historical features, alumni updates, news from the Mallet Library, and a message from the Chair.Chemistr

Performanso pedagogika: „Fluxus“ pedagogikos metodų taikymas šiuolaikiniame Lietuvos kontekste

Educators practice performance pedagogy as the method where an educator/facilitator is seen as a performer or actor (Pineau 1994, p. 4). This paper presents an analysis of the historical roots of performance pedagogies in Fluxus pedagogies and performance pedagogy practices within participatory art events in Lithuania as exemplified by festivals AN88 (1988) and AN89 (1989). The case of my research rests on the contemporary implementation of performance pedagogy techniques during the course The Temporary Department of Time, Space, and Action for BA students at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in Lithuania. This research aims to define the concept theories within performance pedagogy in the art academy education, which developed behind the terms Human Semiotics (Andersen 2002), Hyper Performer,1 and InterMedia (Higgins 1984). This project was implemented using the strategy of critical utopian action research in the context of the Vilnius Academy of Arts. The empirical material was gathered during my employment as a guest lecturer and the implementation of my pedagogical internship at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.2These concept theories are defined through. a reflexive analysis of archive material on the historical origin of performance pedagogies, originating in Fluxus pedagogies, local Lithuanian participatory art, and data from the contemporary case of my project The Temporary Department of Time, Space and Action (2018), in the form of archive material, photographs, interviews, observations, notes, and my diary. The results of this research are the application of performance pedagogy concepts and terminology to the art and education projects and the definition of the key concept theories within this field. These results can be useful for artists and those practicing university pedagogy. Straipsnyje pateikiama performanso pedagogikos istorinių šaknų „Fluxus“ pedagogikoje analizės ir performanso pedagogikos praktikos Lietuvoje pavyzdžių (festivaliai AN88 (1988) ir AN89 (1989). Tyrimas susijęs su performanso pedagogikos metodų taikymu šiuolaikiniame projekte „Laiko, erdvės ir veiksmo departamentas“. Šiuo tyrimu siekiama apibrėžti performanso pedagogikos sąvokų teorijas, vartojant sąvokas „Žmogaus semiotika“ (Andersenas, 2002), „Hyper Performer“ ir „InterMedia“ (Higginsas, 1984). Šis projektas buvo įgyvendintas panaudojant kritinio utopinio veiksmo tyrimo strategiją Vilniaus dailės akademijoje. Empirinė medžiaga surinkta man dirbant kviestine dėstytoja ir atliekant pedagoginę stažuotę Vilniaus dailės akademijoje.Tyrimo rezultatai – apibrėžtos pagrindinės performanso pedagogikos sąvokų teorijos ir patikrintos šių sąvokų ir terminijos taikymo galimybės meno ir švietimo projektuose. Šie rezultatai gali būti naudingi dėstantiems menininkams

Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

Connecting Undergraduate Students as Partners in Computer Science Teaching and Research

Connecting undergraduate students as partners can lead to the enhancement of the undergraduate experience and allow students to see the different sides of the university. Such holistic perspectives may better inform academic career choices and postgraduate study. Furthermore, student involvement in course development has many potential benefits. This paper outlines a framework for connecting research and teaching within Computer Science- though this is applicable across other disciplines. Three case studies are considered to illustrate the approach. The first case study involves students in their honours’ stage (level 6, typically 3rd year) project, the second an undergraduate intern between stages 5 and 6, and finally, a MSc (level 7) project. All three case studies have actively involved students in core parts of the University’s teaching and research activities, producing usable software systems to support these efforts. We consider this as a continuing engagement process to enhance the undergraduate learning experience within Computer Science.Keywords:  Enquiry Based Learning; Computing Education; Research Inspired Education

The Scientist, Winter 2009

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