Exploring student perspectives on the extended program

Abstract: Many students find the transition from high school to university difficult specifically in engineering. It has been established that there is a gap in mathematics ability between high school and university. Internationally the high school curricula focuses on increasing access to tertiary institutions. Many of these curricula teach superficial learning to high school students. At University level deep learning is required. Students who do not meet entry requirements for engineering first year have the option to enter an extended program. This paper explores whether the extended program offered at the University of Johannesburg for mechanical and industrial engineering students is perceived as beneficial. A survey was conducted on first and second year students that started their qualification with the extended program. The results were statistically analysed. Information from the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) system was used to compare performance of students who completed the extended program and those in the mainstream. Based on the research it seems that the extended program does benefit students

Could industrial engineering techniques improve retention of engineering students in higher education?

Abstract: By increasing the retention of engineering students at training institutions in South Africa it may be possible to increase the number of engineers in the country. Because of the international demand for engineers, emphasis is placed on engineering in the "list of occupations in high demand" in the Government Gazette in Nov 2014. South African Universities are constrained in terms of funds, infrastructure and teaching staff. The university's resources such as fees are optimised when more students are retained in a course. Many factors affect retention and there are many industrial engineering techniques that could be applied. One of the industrial engineering techniques that has been applied to retention is six sigma. The use of six sigma in academia and the challenges encountered have been documented. Challenges identified in a case study were the definition of the product and customer, measuring performance as well as addressing factors that cannot be controlled. This study used six sigma to improve retention of first year students. Retention was improved and the cost benefit calculated. The purpose of this paper is to look at industrial engineering techniques such as systems engineering, operations research, 20 keys to workplace improvement and value engineering to name a few, and how these techniques could theoretically be applied to improve engineering student retention

The transition from high school mathematics to engineering mathematics

Abstract: Mathematics is an essential course in the study of engineering. It can be argued that mathematics is the backbone of engineering. It is important for educators to have an understanding of the varying backgrounds of students and the way in which this affects their learning. This information will have an impact on teaching methods in the classroom which will ensure that they are inclusive and not exclusive. This is especially true in South Africa where we have a range of schools with different standards even though the final examination is the same. There seems to be a gap that exists between high school and first year engineering mathematics programs. First year engineering mathematics programs seem to present school learners joining the program with significant problems. This article attempted to identify whether there is a mathematics knowledge gap in South Africa. What the impact of this gap on engineering students was and who was responsible to address this problem. This study evaluated the differences between matric mathematics and university engineering mathematics 1. BTech and first year students interviewed and their opinion solicited with regard to the existence of a knowledge gap between matric mathematics and engineering mathematics 1. The pass rate for engineering mathematics 1 was compared over the past four years (2014 to 2017) to determine influence of CAPS on the engineering mathematics 1 results

Exploring student perspectives on an extended mechanical and industrial engineering program

Many students find the transition from high school to university difficult specifically in engineering. It has been established that there is a gap in mathematics ability between high school and university. Internationally the high school curricula focus on increasing access to tertiary institutions. Many of these curricula teach superficial learning to high school students. At University level deep learning is required. Students who do not meet entry requirements for engineering first year have the option to enter an extended program. This paper explores whether the extended program offered at the University of Johannesburg for mechanical and industrial engineering students is perceived as beneficial. A survey was conducted on first- and second-year students that started their qualification with the extended program. The results were statistically analysed. Information from the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) system was used to compare performance of students who completed the extended program and those in the mainstream. Based on the research it seems that the extended program does benefit students.Institute for Science and Technology Education (ISTE

The history of a War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town

No Abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(9) (Part 2) 2006: 854-86

Retention of engineering students

Abstract: Retention of engineering students is an international concern. Most countries report a shortage of engineers. By increasing the number of retained engineering students it is potentially possible to increase the number of engineering graduates. The purpose of this article is to identify and analyse what retention research has been done in the past to avoid unnecessary duplication. Although duplication may bring valuable new information, progress in this field has been slow. Therefore, the focus is on facilitating progress rather than seeking more accurate results. The three main themes identified in literature are: the individual’s internal and external characteristics that affect retention, the models that describe retention, conceptual and predictive, and the interventions attempted to improve retention. Further research into methods for improving student retention is certainly justified since in spite of existing research most institutions still struggle to retain engineering students

Screening for overweight using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) among children younger than two years in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background: The relationship between overweight and under-nutrition, particularly in resource-poor settings, poses practical challenges for targeting nutrition interventions. Current anthropometric indicators including weight for length (WLZ) recommended by the WHO may be challenging in community settings. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess whether MUAC can accurately identify children aged younger than two years with overweight and obesity. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was used to collect data from a non-probability sample of 397 young South African children from October 2015 to February 2016. MUAC cut-off values were tested using a receiver operating characteristic and area under the curve (AUC). Results: The prevalence of overweight (WLZ > +2) and obesity (WLZ > +3) was 11% (n = 44) and 5% (21) respectively. A MUAC cut-off value for identifying male children 6 to 24 months old with overweight was determined at 16.5 cm (85% sensitivity, 71.4% specificity, AUC = 0.821) and female children at 16.5 cm (100% sensitivity, 76.6% specificity, AUC = 0.938). Conclusions: MUAC may be an appropriate tool for identifying children younger than two years old with overweight and obesity. The predicted MUAC cut-off values were able to identify infants and young children with overweight accurately

Overview of bedrock mapping in the northern and western parts of the Tehery Lake-Wager Bay area, western Hudson Bay, Nunavut

Bedrock-geology mapping was conducted in the summer of 2016 in the Tehery Lake–Wager Bay area on the northwestern coast of Hudson Bay, Nunavut, as part of a multiyear, multidisciplinary mapping campaign led by the Geological Survey of Canada, through Phase 2 of the Geo-mapping for Energy a nd Minerals program (GEM-2), and the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office. Fieldwork resulted in the identification and spatial constraint of rock units in the northern and western parts of the study area, which were sampled for geochemical, g eochronological and petrographic analysis, as well as to as- sess their economic potential. Mapping has revealed the presence of a large granulite-facies metamorphic domain in the southern part of the study area; the possibility of two different supracrustal rock sequences; the western continuations of the Chesterfield fault zone and Wager shear zone; and generally high, but locally variable, peak metamorphic conditions across the study area. Further analytical work is required to fully characterize rock units, compare and correlate them with other well-studied units, and determine the geological history and economic potential of the Tehery Lake–Wager Bay area

Factors influencing consent rates of deceased organ donation in Western Cape Province, South Africa

Background. South Africa (SA) has very low and unchanging organ donation rates. A key point in the pathway of organ donation is obtaining informed consent from the family, which is necessary before organ donation can proceed. There is no published SA research on the consent rate and factors that influence this.Objectives. To describe the number of requests for consent and factors influencing this process in the SA context.Methods. A prospective descriptive study was performed of all requests to families for organ donation in Western Cape Province, SA, by Groote Schuur Hospital (state sector), Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (state sector) and Netcare (private sector) transplant co-ordinators from 1 May 2017 to 1 May 2018 to describe factors influencing consent rates.Results. The 6 co-ordinators (3 state sector and 3 private sector) recorded data of 83 consecutive families approached in 16 hospitals over the 1-year period. Consent to organ donation was granted for 23 family requests (n=18 (state sector); n=5 (private sector)). The number of families approached was greater in the state sector (n=74) than in the private sector (n=9). The overall consent rate was 27.7% (24.3% (state sector); 55.5% (private sector)). The majority of referrals came from trauma and emergency units (n=55; 66.3%) and very few from intensive care units (n=25; 30.1%). Immediate fluid resuscitation was required in 56 (67.5%) potential donors. The majority of families (n=74; 89.2%) were receptive to the organ donation request, independent of their ultimate decision regarding donation. The main reason given for refusing to consent was that it was against their religion (n=21) or culture (n=18).Conclusions. This study showed that the number of families approached for consent to organ donation were low in the Western Cape (lower in the private sector), with a low consent rate (lower in the state sector). Donor management by clinical teams needs to be ongoing and active during the consent process. Consent discussions (and public awareness initiatives) need to be sensitive to and deal with religious and cultural reservations about organ donation