Investigating Varied Pedagogical Approaches for Problem-Based Learning in a Fire Safety Engineering Course

Fire safety engineering is a critical component of a well-rounded engineering undergraduate curriculum but is understudied in the context of engineering education literature. Guided by previous work in problem-based learning, we conducted a multiple case study structured around three sections of a fire safety engineering course for students across engineering programmes. Our goal was to develop a better understanding of the impact of different pedagogical approaches on students. These approaches were chosen for study because they align with predominating approaches to industry practice in fire safety engineering. Classroom observations and student coursework from each of the three sections were used to evaluate the different approaches: (A) controlling (the specialist approach), (B) student autonomy (the generalist approach), and (C) combination strategy (autonomous/generalist and controlling/specialist). Findings confirm more autonomous/generalist approaches foster positive student experiences and outcomes, but a balance of instructional techniques is still needed. It is clear that more work needs to be done to explore engineering education in the context of fire safety engineering, and this study provides preliminary results that suggest areas for future scholarship

Predicting criticality and dynamic range in complex networks: effects of topology

The collective dynamics of a network of coupled excitable systems in response to an external stimulus depends on the topology of the connections in the network. Here we develop a general theoretical approach to study the effects of network topology on dynamic range, which quantifies the range of stimulus intensities resulting in distinguishable network responses. We find that the largest eigenvalue of the weighted network adjacency matrix governs the network dynamic range. Specifically, a largest eigenvalue equal to one corresponds to a critical regime with maximum dynamic range. We gain deeper insight on the effects of network topology using a nonlinear analysis in terms of additional spectral properties of the adjacency matrix. We find that homogeneous networks can reach a higher dynamic range than those with heterogeneous topology. Our analysis, confirmed by numerical simulations, generalizes previous studies in terms of the largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Inclusive Design of Workspaces: Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Users

Accessible design within the built environment has often focused on mobility conditions and has recently widened to include mental health. Additionally, as one in seven are neurodivergent (including conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia), this highlights a growing need for designing for ‘non-visible’ conditions in addition to mobility. Emphasised by the growing disability pay gap and the disability perception gap, people with disabilities are still facing discrimination and physical barriers within the workplace. This research aimed to identify key ways of reducing physical barriers faced by people with a disability and thus encourage more comfortable and productive use of workspaces for all. Once the need for designing for a spectrum of users and inclusive workspace design was understood, a survey was then circulated to students and staff at a large university in the UK (working remotely from home), with the aim of understanding how people have adapted their home spaces and what barriers they continue to face. Quantitative and qualitative results were compared to the literature read with key issues emerging, such as separating work and rest from spaces in bedrooms. The survey findings and literature were evaluated, extracting key performance-based goals (e.g., productivity and focus within a study space) and prescriptive design features (e.g., lighting, furniture, and thermal comfort), whilst also considering the inclusivity of these features. The key conclusion establishes that, to achieve maximum benefit, it is important to work with the users to understand specific needs and identify creative and inclusive solutions

The Photographic Action of Irradiated Cod-Liver Oil

We have previously reported the results of experiments on the photographic action of irradiated oils. This paper gives the results obtained with various arrangements of the screens and the receptacles for the irradiated cod-liver oil

A5: Grafton Notch State Park: Glacial Gorges and Streams Under Pressure in the Mahoosic Range, Maine

Guidebook for field trips in Western Maine and Northern New Hampshire: New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, p. 95-104

Effects of network topology, transmission delays, and refractoriness on the response of coupled excitable systems to a stochastic stimulus

We study the effects of network topology on the response of networks of coupled discrete excitable systems to an external stochastic stimulus. We extend recent results that characterize the response in terms of spectral properties of the adjacency matrix by allowing distributions in the transmission delays and in the number of refractory states, and by developing a nonperturbative approximation to the steady state network response. We confirm our theoretical results with numerical simulations. We find that the steady state response amplitude is inversely proportional to the duration of refractoriness, which reduces the maximum attainable dynamic range. We also find that transmission delays alter the time required to reach steady state. Importantly, neither delays nor refractoriness impact the general prediction that criticality and maximum dynamic range occur when the largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix is unity

Work in Progress: Transformational Change in a Masters-level Integrated Capstone Design Course that Partners Industry and Academia

Integrated capstone design courses in civil engineering pose a major challenge for educators because of the breadth of topics covered. Partnering with industry has historically provided a way to alleviate some of these challenges and provide a more authentic design experience. While external partnership in capstone design courses can provide added authenticity as well as fringe benefits such as networking opportunities, there are risks associated with an industry-driven approach. We also argue there is a need to shift from an emphasis on product to pedagogy in capstone design and that authenticity from industry is not an end in itself. In this work-in-progress paper, we present our project to reimagine the integrated capstone design course at a large, public research university in the United Kingdom. This project has three major goals: (1) Develop an understanding of how to balance industry involvement; (2) Generate mechanisms for sustainable adoption of changes; and (3) Evaluate short- and long-term student outcomes for the course. We will present an overview of our intended curricular changes as well as research and evaluation plans to date. This project fits uniquely in the current literature on engineering design education in that it centers around a masters-level course and challenges the notion of what constitutes healthy industry partnership. As a starting point, our first research question considers how the current capstone design course came to be a primarily outsourced effort and what factors impacted this organizational shift to lower academic ownership from within the department

Taxes and Mutual Fund Inflows Around Distribution Dates

Capital gain distributions by mutual funds generate tax liability for taxable shareholders, thereby reducing their after-tax returns. Taxable investors who are considering purchasing fund shares around distribution dates have an incentive to delay their purchase until after the distribution, since this will reduce the present value of their tax liability. Non-taxable shareholders, such as those who invest through IRAs and other tax-deferred accounts, face no such incentive for delaying purchase. This paper compares daily shareholder transactions by taxable and non-taxable investors in the mutual funds of a single no-load fund complex around distribution dates. Gross inflows to taxable accounts are significantly lower in the weeks preceding distribution dates than in the weeks following them, but gross inflows to tax-deferred accounts do not change around these dates. This finding suggests that some taxable shareholders time their purchase of mutual fund shares to avoid the tax acceleration associated with distributions. Taxable shareholders who purchase shares just before distribution dates also have shorter holding periods, on average, than those who buy after a distribution. The cost of the distribution-related tax acceleration for pre-distribution buyers is therefore somewhat less than that for those who buy after the distribution.