Scientific Visualisation: Linking Science and Technology Education through Graphic Communications

Scientific visualisation is a new curriculum in the technology education area in orth Carolina, USA. The goal of this two-course curriculum is to help develop students' ability to communicate technical and scientific information to a variety of audiences. A historical context is set to help explain the development of this curriculum. The curriculum's unique application of the design process to visualisation methods and its emphasis on the use of science and technology concepts for visualisation topics are discussed. How curriculum is implemented in the classroom and an example activity are outlined

Psychometric Properties of the PSVT:R Outcome Measure: A Preliminary Study of Introductory Engineering Design Graphics

The Purdue Spatial Visualization Tests: Visualization of Rotations (PVST:R)is among the most commonly used measurement instruments to assess spatial ability. This paper presents the preliminary findings of a factor analysis of the PSVT:R given to 335 introductory engineering design graphics students. Psychometric analysis of the student sample data indicated alternate loading patterns, divergent from a single factor solution

Scientific visualization: a new basic in design and technology

Since 1995, the authors have been developing a new secondary school curriculum in Scientific Visualization. This curriculum is currently part of the Technology Education area in North Carolina, USA. The goal of this two-course curriculum is to help develop student's ability to communicate technical and scientific information to a variety of audiences. The development of this curriculum has been motivated by a belief that graphics, as a means of communication, has been growing rapidly as a means of communication worldwide, but has been largely neglected as a course of study in US secondary schools. This presentation will give an overview of the Scientific Visualization curriculum. As part of this overview, how this curriculum supports the goals of design and technology education and constructivist education philosophy will be presented

In situ evaluation of an automated aerial bait delivery system for landscape-scale control of invasive brown treesnakes on Guam

After decades of biodiversity loss and economic burden caused by the brown treesnake invasion on the Pacific island of Guam, relief hovers on the horizon. Previous work by USDA Wildlife Services (WS) and its National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) demonstrated that brown treesnake numbers in forested habitats can be dramatically suppressed by aerial delivery of dead newborn mouse (DNM) baits treated with 80 mg of acetaminophen. However, manual bait preparation and application is impractical for landscape-scale treatment. WS, NWRC, and the US Department of the Interior have collaborated with Applied Design Corporation to engineer an automated bait manufacturing and delivery system. The core technology is an aerially delivered biodegradable “bait cartridge” designed to tangle in the tree canopy, making the acetaminophen bait available to treesnakes and out of reach of terrestrial non-target organisms. When mounted on a rotary- or fixed-wing airframe, the automated dispensing module (ADM) unit can broadcast 3,600 bait cartridges at a rate of four per second and can treat 30 hectares of forest at a density of 120 acetaminophen baits per hectare within 15 minutes of firing time. We conducted the first in situ evaluation of the ADM in July 2016. Initial acetaminophen bait deployment rates (proper opening of the bait cartridge for canopy entanglement) were low, and mechanism jams were frequent due to internal friction and wind forces; on-site remedial engineering improved these performance measures. Bait cartridge placement and spacing were accurate (average 8.9 m along 9 m swaths) under various flight heights and speeds. Canopy entanglement of properly-deployed acetaminophen baits was high (66.6%). Although only a small proportion (5.9%) of radio transmitter-equipped acetaminophen baits were confirmed to have been taken by brown treesnakes, the baiting density was high enough to make it likely that a significant proportion of brown treesnakes in the area had taken acetaminophen baits. With subsequent improvements in system reliability, the automated bait cartridge manufacturing and delivery system is poised to transition from research and development to operational field implementation. Applications include reduction of brown treesnake numbers around transportation infrastructure and within core habitats for the reintroduction of native birds extirpated by this troublesome invasive predator

In situ evaluation of an automated aerial bait delivery system for landscape-scale control of invasive brown treesnakes on Guam

After decades of biodiversity loss and economic burden caused by the brown treesnake invasion on the Pacific island of Guam, relief hovers on the horizon. Previous work by USDA Wildlife Services (WS) and its National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) demonstrated that brown treesnake numbers in forested habitats can be dramatically suppressed by aerial delivery of dead newborn mouse (DNM) baits treated with 80 mg of acetaminophen. However, manual bait preparation and application is impractical for landscape-scale treatment. WS, NWRC, and the US Department of the Interior have collaborated with Applied Design Corporation to engineer an automated bait manufacturing and delivery system. The core technology is an aerially delivered biodegradable “bait cartridge” designed to tangle in the tree canopy, making the acetaminophen bait available to treesnakes and out of reach of terrestrial non-target organisms. When mounted on a rotary- or fixed-wing airframe, the automated dispensing module (ADM) unit can broadcast 3,600 bait cartridges at a rate of four per second and can treat 30 hectares of forest at a density of 120 acetaminophen baits per hectare within 15 minutes of firing time. We conducted the first in situ evaluation of the ADM in July 2016. Initial acetaminophen bait deployment rates (proper opening of the bait cartridge for canopy entanglement) were low, and mechanism jams were frequent due to internal friction and wind forces; on-site remedial engineering improved these performance measures. Bait cartridge placement and spacing were accurate (average 8.9 m along 9 m swaths) under various flight heights and speeds. Canopy entanglement of properly-deployed acetaminophen baits was high (66.6%). Although only a small proportion (5.9%) of radio transmitter-equipped acetaminophen baits were confirmed to have been taken by brown treesnakes, the baiting density was high enough to make it likely that a significant proportion of brown treesnakes in the area had taken acetaminophen baits. With subsequent improvements in system reliability, the automated bait cartridge manufacturing and delivery system is poised to transition from research and development to operational field implementation. Applications include reduction of brown treesnake numbers around transportation infrastructure and within core habitats for the reintroduction of native birds extirpated by this troublesome invasive predator

Students’ Preferred Learning Styles in Graphic Communications

The objective of this study was to identify changes in dominant preferred learning styles of students based on instructional presentation of course content. This study evaluates dominant preferred learning styles of two groups of university students. The first group of students was enrolled in a course that introduces graphical representation in an introductory engineering design graphics course. In this course, information was primarily conveyed to students through visual-based instruction. The second group of students was enrolled in a technology-based course focusing on materials processing. In this second course, content was reiterated to students through laboratory discovery experiences in materials testing and construction of multi-material projects. Students’ dominant preferred learning styles are evaluated with the VARK Questionnaire and categorized as (V) visual, (A) aural, (R) reading, or (K) kinesthetic. The VARK Questionnaire was distributed to both student groups before the onset of instruction. The VARK Questionnaire was distributed once more to student groups at the midterm of each course. Changes in dominant preferred learning styles of students were evaluated. Cross group comparisons are made to identify variations in dominant preferred learning styles provided the two instructional approaches. A major finding for students in the engineering design graphics course is that their change in learning preference is not influenced by instructional presentation

Evolving Technical Graphics in the High Schools: A New Curriculum in Scientific Visualization

A new curriculum, Scientific Visualization, is being taught by high school technical graphics and science teachers for the first time in the Fall of 1997.  This curriculum reflects a broadening application of computer graphics techniques in the workplace and represents a rich area for technical graphics teachers at all levels of education to be involved in.  The goal of the two-course sequence at the high school level is to give students expertise in manipulating both geometry and the visual characteristics of geometry, such as color and texture.  These visual elements are used to construct 2-D and 3-D graphic images which support the understanding of scientific and technical principles.  These courses are meant to complement rather than replace more mainstream technical graphics courses in architectural and mechanical graphics.  The proposed student populations taking the scientific visualization courses are not only the traditional vocational track students, but also pre-college students planning on studying in scientific, engineering, and technical fields.  Work is underway developing an extensive set of support materials and sample problems for use in the newly developed curriculum.  Implications for teaching technical graphics in higher education will be discussed in this paper, as well as the impact this type of curriculum may have on colleges and universities with future students having gone through this type of course and training