Optimizing Student-Driven Learning (SdL) through a Framework Designed for Tailoring Personal Student Paths

Our ever-changing and developing society constantly requires professions that did not exist 20 years ago. Students have to become professionals capable of steering their own career development and controlling their own learning process, at university and in their future profession. In order to reach these goals, lecturers have to understand the different needs of students in terms of knowledge and interests. This research offers a framework to help students deal with possible knowledge gaps and account for personal interests to match defined learning goals, utilizing the author's master's course in design for maintenance operations (DfMO) at the University of Twente as a basis for validation. First, a literature review was conducted on successful modern techniques of student-driven learning (SdL) to identify the best practices to use and possible pitfalls to avoid. Second, an analysis of the target group was carried out. Third, the research identified the most effective way to create such a tool (framework), taking into account the possible entry points of students. In particular, the research tried to understand to what extent it is possible and valuable to offer a student-driven approach. Finally, the tool was evaluated by representatives of the target group

The Impact of Integrating Information Technology With Operational Technology in Physical Assets: A Literature Review

The convergence of information technology (IT) with operational technology (OT), within physical assets can enhance performance but also presents challenges due to higher performance expectations and increased complexity. This study reviews the research that has been conducted to address these convergence and integration challenges by using an in-depth review of academic papers, industry standards, and reports published during the last three decades. Our investigation reveals that about a third of the existing IT/OT research really focuses on the convergence of IT/OT, by including organizational aspects into the study. Three key research domains were identified: maintenance, cybersecurity, and configuration management. The introduction of IT in assets has necessitated changes in maintenance practices, as current approaches are not suitable for these converged lifecycles. Cybersecurity risks have received the most attention in the IT/OT domain. The integration requires the management of these changes; therefore, configuration management has become more crucial than it already is to keep of actual configuration of boththe IT and the OT parts of the asset. This research hereby provides relevant observations for practitioners in industry and academics in the IT and the physical asset management domain. The identified gaps suggestthe need for tools and methods to better align IT and OT standards, policies, tools, processes, and people throughout the lifecycle of an IT/OT converged physical asset in a sustainable way

Design guidelines for HAWT / VAWT decision-making in the context of underserved communities

Underserved communities in rural areas often lack access to appropriate technologies that provide sustainable and reliable energy sources vital to their well-being and economic activities. In this context, the potential of small-scale wind turbine generators (WTGs) as a renewable energy source is investigated, as they can provide enough energy while being relatively easy to operate and maintain. Nevertheless, limited research is carried out about the comparative advantages of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) and horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) for these resource-limited conditions. The research approach includes a literature review, a field study in Kenya, and a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tailored to local wind conditions and humanitarian engineering design principles. Structural, operational, and performance differences between HAWTs and VAWTs are explored as well as the local needs of underserved communities. The MCDA results highlight design principles for the deployment of small wind turbines in rural areas and provide useful design guidelines for WTG development in underserved regions

TUNNELING OPERATIONS, OCCUPATIONAL S&H AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: A PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN APPROACH

The study refers on the main results of a research work that has been carried out by the Safety and Health group of the Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure engineering (DIATI) at the Politecnico di Torino, with reference to the substantial difference that exists between the case of an established absence of hazards due to the presence of noxious materials such asbestos, crystalline silica, in the rock mass to be excavated and the situations in which these minerals can be present. Since, when carcinogenic substances can be expected, corrective action following exposure or dispersion is clearly unacceptable, the presence of critical pollutants requires special preventive actions for the health of the workers and the muck which can introduce risks for the users (e.g., during mechanical processing involving feeding, crushing, milling, sizing and sorting operations) should not be considered for any reuse

Self-engineering: possibilities for maintenance operations in the mining machines industry

Self-engineering is a relatively new branch of knowledge that aims to understand how systems could “autonomously” re-configure or repair themselves without the intervention of the operators. A direct field of application is within the maintenance spectrum. Having systems or machines capable of self-detecting or even self-repairing could represent a game-changer, in capital asset fields such as the mining industry in particular. This paper aims to investigate the possible benefits and challenges of self-engineering / self-maintenance concerning mining machines, specifically bucket-wheel excavators (BWEs). Firstly, describing the state of the art and the main principles of self-engineering (and, particularly, the applications of self-maintenance) and the complexity of the mining industry in terms of machines and capital assets. Secondly, using as a real case example, the revitalization process of a 50,000 kg bucket-wheel excavator gearbox for an open-cast lignite mine in Serbia, pinpoints how self-engineering / self-maintenance could make the difference in managing the equipment. Finally, it discusses the results sketching the pros and cons of self-engineering in mining machines and similar capital assets