Questions concerning the introduction of micro-controller technology and creativity in D&T project work?

Our culture is underpinned by electronics technology and yet the number of students given the opportunity to study electronic technological concepts and apply these in design and make activities in secondary education is pitifully low. At the heart of the difficulties lie the inherent conceptual demands of electronics for both teachers and students. This paper explores new approaches to electronics education with exciting opportunities for creative work through a case study of two students on the Primary BEd Teacher training course at The Nottingham Trent University engaged in their final year D&T projects. One student used conventional electronics and the other a micro-controller approach. Both projects demonstrated exceptional outcomes but the approaches showed marked differences, which shed light on the difficulties of using electronics for D&T project work and the significance of knowledge, which can either help or hinder metacognitive processes

The potential for using PIC chips in school control projects

Computers housed in a single IC package (programmable micro-controllers) have been manufactured since the eighties and are used in a variety of products including: remote controllers for TVs and car locks, washing machine and microwave programmers and communication devices. One popular range of programmable micro-controllers called PIC chips have been used by the Nottingham Trent University to explore their potential for Design and Technology education within secondary schools. This paper discusses the rationale and development of electronic control education within the UK and outlines software and hardware developments using PIC chips, which could bring the use of computers embedded in individual projects within the reach of all schools

Development of a theoretical model to predict pMDI spray force, using alternative propellant systems

Continued success in the treatment of asthma and COPD requires new pMDI propellants for delivering aerosols with good patient comfort and acceptable levels of oral cavity deposition. The purpose of this work is to develop a theoretical model capable of predicting pMDI spray force as a function of metering valve geometric parameters and different propellant systems: HFA134a, HFA227ea and HFA152a. Such theoretical tool can be used in combination with lab-based measurements for device characterisation and potentially to reduce the number of experimental trials. The outcome of the model is compared against measurements of plume force with Copley Scientific Spray Force Tester SFT 1000. Results suggest that the size of the spray orifice has a significant direct effect on the spray force. We have also observed HFA134a and HFA152a generates similar magnitude of spray force and velocity where HFA227ea generates the lowest velocity and force values. These findings could potentially mean HFA152a sprays are expected to show similar levels of mouth-throat deposition to HFA134a sprays rather than HFA227ea sprays

Is it useful technology education?

This article raises a number of fundamental questions in relation to the nature of technology education which I hope may be of value to your thinking during this conference. I would like to begin by establishing criteria for deciding the nature of technology education and in particular Design and Technology. The Order for technology (1) provides a detailed specification for the subject but rather than attempt to restate the whole document I will pinpoint some key features and use these to illustrate possible implications. "Technology is a new subject, which requires pupils to apply knowledge and skills to solve practical problems." "Technology is a subject concerned with practical action, drawing on knowledge and understanding from a wide range of subjects." These phrases taken from the opening section of the non-statutory guidance emphasise the practical problem solving nature of the subject and recognise the potential breadth of technology activity. But how will these phrases translate into classroom action and what value will the resulting activities be to children

A long nozzle for intra-nasal drug delivery by pMDI: prediction of spray velocity and droplet size

Intra-nasal drug delivery via nasal pressurized metered-dose inhalers (nasal-pMDI) is very successful in delivering treatment of conditions of the anterior regions of the human nasal cavity, such as rhinitis and sinusitis [1]. Intranasal drug delivery has also been postulated as a potential technique to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases by delivering CNS-active drugs to the olfactory region – positioned at the upper region of the nasal cavity [1]. Our in-house in-vitro data suggest that the olfactory region can be targeted more accurately by extending the nasal pMDI nozzle length. Such nozzle length extension can potentially impact spray characteristics such as velocity, which directly determines the deposition efficiency [2]. In this work we report the development of a modeling tool validated by particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser diffraction (LD) measurements, to predict the velocity and droplet size delivered from a long nozzle solution pMDI.</p