Combining assessment elements into a holistic assessment concept

Many courses within higher education are assessed by “faculty standards” sometimes based on the implicit assumption that “it has always been like this, therefore it is the best”. Selecting and combining different assessment modes in an effective manner for a particular course are central issues. The process does not always entail a simple and straight-forward decision making. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the current assessment modes and practices at Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering (LTH) and provide suggestions for improvements. This study is based on the combination of a literature review in the field of teaching and learning, on empirical material obtained from surveys and group discussions with 22 teachers at LTH, as well as on experiences of the authors of this paper in their capacity as course leaders and teachers. The study focuses on the critical examination and analysis of issues concerning some main forms of assessment (especially project work and written and oral assessment) applied in the five selected courses. The results show that both teachers and students are more positive to the project and written examination than oral assessment. Based on the results of the analysis and the experiences of teachers, the paper provides advice for improving the quality and efficiency of assessment through combinations of assessment elements

Maritime Transport and Risks of Packaged Dangerous Goods

This report deals with the maritime transport system of packaged dangerous goods (PDG) and principles of risks of marine accidents/incidents involving dangerous goods. The report has been part of the Safe and Reliable Transport Chains of Dangerous Goods in the Baltic Sea Region (DaGoB) project and the author’s own research. The main aims of the DaGoB project included: a) improve co-operations at various levels among parties concerned in transport of dangerous goods in the BSR; b) provide up-to-date information on cargo flows, supply chain efficiency and risks related to transport of dangerous goods; and c) disseminate and transfer the knowledge gained from the project on local, national, regional and international levels. In this report attempts have been made to enhance our understanding of the field. The essential constituent elements of the maritime transport system and risks have been defined and exhaustively described

A Risk Analysis Framework for Maritime Transport of Packaged Dangerous Goods - A Validating Demonstration (Volumes I and II) - click here to view both volumes in PDF

Abstract - Vol. I In this Volume of the thesis, which consists of two volumes, a risk analysis framework for application in the maritime transport system of packaged dangerous goods (PDG) is presented. In many countries, dangerous goods risks have been ranked high among public concerns. Such concerns are mainly due to the increasing volume of dangerous goods, human safety and health and environmental risks and threats they pose, and the general belief that these risks should be managed more efficiently and effectively. The literature study shows that, in recent years, the risk management system has become a "hot" topic for many countries and organisations. Many risk assessment frameworks have been developed in the shipping and other industries, sectors or areas. In the maritime industry, they are primarily developed for analysis of the risks for the industry in general and in particular for maritime transport of bulk dangerous cargoes such as oil, oil products, liquefied gases and other bulk liquid chemicals. The FSA (Formal Safety Assessment) framework of the International Maritime Organisation, which is one of the most widely used ("authoritative") frameworks in the shipping industry, is a generic framework. However, the framework is not intended for application in all circumstances, including the risks of the maritime transport of PDG. Consequently, the FSA is adapted or simply applied or tested in several maritime-related systems, activities and issues, but not in the maritime transport of PDG. Furthermore, a specific risk analysis framework for application in maritime transport of PDG has not been found. Therefore, on the basis of understanding gained from the extensive literature study of some of the world's best frameworks and techniques, guidelines and practices in shipping and other industries and sectors, and analysis of large amounts of empirical data, a risk analysis framework has been developed for readily application in the maritime transport system of PDG. Efforts have been made to strengthen validity and reliability of the framework. This study contributes to the communities of academics and practitioners. In Volume II of this thesis, the framework is demonstrated step-by-step in practice based on large amounts of empirical data. Recommendations for improving risk methodology and human safety and health and protection of the marine environment and property are provided. Abstract - Vol. II Volume II of the thesis presents the results of the validating demonstration of the risk analysis framework presented in Chapter 5, Volume I. For a number of interrelated reasons, including enhancing external validity, ensuring data and methodology triangulations, and filling gaps and extending the data, the risk analysis framework is step-by-step demonstrated in practice based on combination of the qualitative and quantitative empirical data and data analysis methods. The main datasets included: a) a representative marine accident case history; and b) the statistical incident data collected from the two largest U.S.'s hazmat (hazardous materials) incident databases. In this study, considerable efforts have been made to enhance understanding of dangerous goods risks. Given the size and uniqueness of the empirical data, this study might be one of the largest of its kind, and some of the results might not be found elsewhere. Based on understanding and the results of the risk analysis, detailed recommendations for improving human safety and health, and the protection of the marine environment and property are provided. The validating demonstration showed that the risk analysis framework satisfies both validity and reliability conditions. The results of the risk analysis replicated the framework. This study contributes to both communities - academics and practitioners alike. Given the representativeness, the large size and the diversity of the data, and the universal properties of the systems and risks studied, many results and recommendations are also valid for other systems and risks in other locations, countries or regions, including the countries of the Baltic Sea Region. Some results will assist relevant organisations or institutions to predict and explain phenomena. They may serve as the basis for further study and development of risk evaluation criteria in the field. The risk analysis framework contains many specific and detailed guidelines and firsthand experiences that will assist, but not guarantee, risk analysts to prepare and perform risk analyses and projects, including identification, selection and collection of relevant risk-related data and data analysis methods and techniques, and generation and presentation of detailed, valid, reliable as well as transparent results in a more efficient and effective manner

Risk Management System - Risk Assessment Frameworks and Techniques

Understanding the risk management system is very important in studying and managing risks. In this report, attempts have been made to provide “state-of-the-art” knowledge and contribute to enhancing understanding in the field of risk management and methodology. Numerous risk assessment frameworks and risk analysis techniques, and some of the world’s best practices employed in shipping and other industries and sectors, have been explored. The literature study showed that there are many different frameworks and techniques to choose from. In this report, merits and limitations of risk analysis techniques and factors affecting their choices have been explored. The content of this report will assist risk analysts, risk managers and other experts in the field to make more informed choices and decisions

Oil Spills in Öresund - Hazardous Events, Causes and Claims

Öresund is one of the areas in the world with most ship movements. More than 40,000 ships pass through the sound in the direction north-south or the opposite every year. Other ships/ferries frequently cross the sound in the direction east-west or west-east. The ships carry goods and/or passengers in huge volumes. Since Öresund is a quite narrow sound with a difficult navigation situation, many risks of different kinds are at hand. The Öresund area is also a heavily populated area with many people living at the sound or quite near it. The consequences of an oil spill could therefore be severe to people, the environment and property. The objectives of the study are to identify and analyse marine oil spill events in Öresund, to analyse the causes of those events, to estimate potential third-party claims for oil spill events in Öresund and to suggest some safety-increasing actions concerning oil spills in Öresund. The study is confined to the risks of oil and oil products, including bunker oil, of marine transport and related activities in the Öresund area. Furthermore, when considering the claims, the cost of damage to/loss of ship and goods is not studied. Only third-party claims are considered. Following a brief discussion of risk analysis and oil spills, a number of studies of risks in Öresund are presented. Then a description and characterization of the Öresund maritime situation is conducted. After that statistics on accidents and incidents in Öresund are collected and structured, and marine events and the causes of oil spills are analysed. Since statistics from Öresund are limited, world statistics on major oil spills and their claims are gathered and applied to the Öresund situation as well as oil spill statistics from the Baltic Sea. A recent oil spill accident, Baltic Carrier/Tern, which occurred on 29 March 2001 off the southern coast of Denmark, is used as illustration. Finally, different safety-increasing actions are discussed and suggested. The following categories of initial events were directly liable for oil spills in Öresund: grounding, collision, contact, hull/watertightness failure and listing/capsizing. In the latter cases ships have foundered intact, assuming that a foundered ship might have caused an oil spill. There are many worldwide experiences where oil still leaks daily from ships sunk many years ago. Oil spills may also result from operating activities in ports/terminals, such as loading, discharging, bunkering and other operations. Deliberate or intentional oil discharges are also a concern. The frequencies of events that have occurred in Öresund (1985-1999), causes, contributing factors and consequences thereof, share similarities and differences with oil spills events that have occurred around the world. Categories of events which led to oil spill were generally similar, but with different frequencies of contribution. Thus, the grounding events contributed to 60% of oil spills in Öresund compared to 32% of world major oil spills. Compared to worldwide events, "hull/watertight failure" and "foundering" events have occurred at a lower frequency in Öresund. Most of the marine events were the result of a combination of actions and circumstances, all of which contribute in varying degrees to the outcome. Causes and contributing factors of the above marine events were: human, technical, weather/sea and other related factors (such as vessel traffic) where the human related factor was dominant. The third-party claim cost of the worst scenario of an oil spill in Öresund is estimated at $300 millions. The average risk cost of "large" oil spills each year in Öresund is estimated at US$ 223,500. However, this figure does not include "operational" oil spills resulting during loading, discharging, and other oil-related activities. Because of prices and "social" inflation, claims have increased over time. Higher claims are expected in the future. More than 20 suggestions for safety-increasing actions are presented and discussed in Chapter 8

A grounded theory model for analysis of marine accidents.

The purpose of this paper was to design a conceptual model for analysis of marine accidents. The model is grounded on large amounts of empirical data, i.e. the Swedish Maritime Administration database, which was thoroughly studied. This database contains marine accidents organized by ship and variable. The majority of variables are non-metric and some have never been analyzed because of the large number of values. Summary statistics were employed in the data analysis. In order to develop a conceptual model, the database variables were clustered into eleven main categories or constructs, which were organized according to their properties and connected with the path diagram of relationships. For demonstration purposes, one non-metric and five metric variables were selected, namely fatality, ship's properties (i.e. age, gross register tonnage, and length), number of people on board, and marine accidents. These were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The combined prediction power of the 'ship's properties' and 'number of people on board' independent variables accounted for 65% of the variance of the fatality. The model development was largely based on the data contained in the Swedish database. However, as this database shares a number of variables in common with other databases in the region and the world, the model presented in this paper could be applied to other datasets. The model has both theoretical and practical values. Recommendations for improvements in the database are also suggested

Hazardous Materials Incidents - Some Key Results of a Risk Analysis

Human safety and health, environmental and property protection and security concerning hazardous materials supply chain are important issues for many countries, industries and organisations around the world. This paper presents some key results of a comprehensive risk study on hazardous materials supply chain incidents. Based on a risk analysis framework adapted for mari-time transport of packaged dangerous goods, this study combines qualitative and quantitative analysis of large and diverse datasets collected from some of the U.S.’s best and largest data sources. The study may be one of the largest of its kind, and some of the results might not be found elsewhere. Incidents have occurred in every system of the hazardous materials supply chain, including platforms, all modes of transport, chemical plants, terminals and storages. The results show that more than half (52.1%) of incidents are attributed to the transport system. The study largely considers incidents happening during maritime transport, which account for 18% of transport incidents. In absolute terms, the FN curves of maritime transport human risks are generally found to be well below the corresponding FN curves of aggregated supply chain human risks