Teaching critical thinking and writing in higher education: an action research project

Critical thinking (CT) and critical writing (CW) skills are no doubt one of the core requirements and necessary tools required in Higher Education (HE). Previous research has highlighted the need as well as the benefits of supporting students with critical thinking, yet few have identified strategies which can be used effectively to promote students’ understanding and development of the concepts. This study identified some of the challenges often faced by students in HE with regards to CT and CW and explores how a targeted intervention could potentially develop students’ understanding and application of CT and CW. In particular, the study found that although students were aware of what CT and CW were, they required explicit instruction on how to apply and demonstrate these concepts in their assignments. Using an action research methodology with a random sample of 10 students from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds at a university in London, England, the research found effective strategies through the use of a targeted workshop as an intervention to develop and enhance students’ CT and CW skills. Participant feedback revealed the workshop had a positive impact on all the students highlighting the need for such interventions in order to suitably equip students with the ‘critical’ demands of studying

Band Structures of Symmetrical Graphene Superlattice with Cells of three Regions

We study the electronic band structures of massless Dirac fermions in symmetrical graphene superlattice with cells of three regions. Using the transfer matrix method, we explicitly determine the dispersion relation in terms of different physical parameters. We numerically analyze such relation and show that there exist three zones: bound, unbound and forbidden states. In the central zone of the band structures, we determine and enumerate the vertical Dirac points, opening gaps and additional Dirac points. Finally, we inspect the potential effect on minibands, the anisotropy of group velocity and the energy bands contours near Dirac points. We also discuss the evolution of gap edges and cutoff region near the vertical Dirac points.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure

A framework for digital model checking

Dissertação de mestrado em European Master in Building Information ModellingDigital model checking (DMC) is a solution that has the power to become a primary key player for the AEC industry concerns. Despite the research achievements on DMC, there are still gaps to make it practical to solve real-world problems. DMC, as an emerging research discipline, is still an area of development and not yet completely formalized. This means that there is still a need for enhanced system capabilities, updated processes, and adjustments to the current project delivery documents and proper standardization of DMC aspects. The work of this dissertation proposes a diagnostic approach based on using pre-defined principles to analyse digital model checking (DMC) and a formal framework and implementation plan. These principles are the Digital Information model (DIM), Rule-set, and checking platform. To set up a formal framework a modularization approach was used focused on “what things are”, “what is the logic behind extending the pre-existing concepts” and “how it assists the DMC process”. These modules play a fundamental role and they must be captured, tracked, and interconnected during the development of the framework. Throughout the expansion of principles, modules were built on a basis that 1) DIMs are the wholeness of information that should include existing physical systems not only buildings, 2) verification rules are not only sourced from regulatory codes and standards, and there are other sources of rules that should be taken into consideration, 3) the role of involved stakeholders, native system and project phases has not been ignored, 4) evaluate the effectiveness of DIMs to integrate, exchange, identify, and verify its content and 5) highlight on the existent classifications that could aid the DMC process. Moreover, DMC is a dependent activity that has cause and effect on former and subsequent activities. Thus, this dissertation also proposes a DMC implementation plan that could fit within the other project activities.A verificação de modelo digital (DMC) é uma solução que tem o poder de se tornar um ator principal para as preocupações da indústria de AEC. Apesar dos resultados da investigação sobre DMC, ainda existem lacunas para torná-lo prático para resolver problemas do mundo real. DMC, como uma área de investigação emergente, é ainda uma área em desenvolvimento e não completamente formalizada. Isso significa que existe ainda necessidade de aprimorato das capacidades dos sistemas, atualização de processos, ajustes aos atuais documentos de entrega do projeto e padronização adequada dos aspectos de DMC. O trabalho desta dissertação visa propor uma abordagem de diagnóstico baseada no uso de princípios pré-definidos para analisar o processo de verificação de modelo digital (DMC), um framework formal e um plano de implementação. Esses princípios são o modelo digital de informação (DIM), o conjunto de regras e a plataforma de verificação. Para configurar uma metodologia formal, uma abordagem de modularização foi usada com foco em “o que as coisas são”, “qual é a lógica por trás da extensão dos conceitos pré-existentes” e “como isso auxilia o processo DMC”. Esses módulos desempenham um papel fundamental e devem ser capturados, verificados e interconectados durante o desenvolvimento da metodologia. Ao longo da expansão dos princípios, os módulos foram construídos com base em: 1) os DIMs representam a totalidade da informação os quais devem incluir todos sistemas físicos existentes, não apenas os edifícios, 2) as regras de verificação não são apenas originárias de códigos e padrões regulatórios, existindo outras fontes de regras que devem ser levadas em consideração, 3) o papel das partes interessadas envolvidas, sistemas nativos e as fases do projeto não foram ignorados, 4) avaliar a eficácia dos DIMs para integrar, trocar, identificar e verificar seu conteúdo e 5) destacar a existencia de systemas de classificação que poderiam auxiliar no processo de DMC. Além disso, o DMC é uma atividade dependente que tem causa e efeito nas atividades anteriores e subsequentes. Assim, esta dissertação também propoe um plano de implementação do DMC para se enquadrar nas outras atividades do projeto