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The Implications Of The Curriculum Process On The Design Of A Modern Engineering Programme In The Dublin Institute Of Technology, Kevin Kelly

Level 3

In the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) the curriculum usually starts with a programme document. The programme document will be a snapshot of faculty thinking at a point in time, usually at the validation stage of the programme. The programme document lays down clearly the aims, objectives, facilities, staff, syllabi, learning/teaching methods, assessment procedures, programme-management arrangements and all of the other characteristics of the programme. It provides a basis for critical scrutiny by all involved. Compilation of the document is an iterative process, and the final document is scrutinised by an expert panel as part of the validation process.

Using Problem-Based Learning To Explore Qualitative Research, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

The aim of this article is to discuss an approach to deliver a component on qualitative research on a research methods module in a postgraduate diploma in third level learning and teaching using problem-based learning (PBL). The Diploma in Third Level Learning and Teaching is on offer to a variety of academic staff (lecturers) in higher education at a higher education institute in Ireland, hereafter referred to as participants. The 10-week Research Methods module is one of eight offered on the Postgraduate Diploma, all designed and delivered using the pedagogic strategy of PBL. The entire Postgraduate Diploma is voluntary, and …

Integrating The Use Of Teaching Portfolios With Experiential Learning In A Postgraduate Certificate For Academic Staff In Third Level Learning And Teaching, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Researching And Acting: Exploring And Improving The Provision Of Academic Support For Newly Appointed Staff In A Higher Education Institution In Ireland, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

As an academic working for the past three years in a learning and teaching centre in a higher education institution inIreland, I have only recently asked myself if I have been living in the direction of my educational values (Whitehead, 1989). These are my ideas about what constitutes an educationally worthwhile process of teaching and learning by defining the relationship between knowledge, teachers and learners.

My professional role involves the provision of academic support for newly appointed staff at the Institute. I felt there was a discrepancy between what I felt should be happening for these new staff members and …

Sharing Systems, Sharing Language: Designing And Working In A Virtual Department, Claire Mcavinia, Jane Hughes

Journal Articles

Less widely taught languages present special problems. Often students may be ab initio learners who must progress very rapidly from beginner to highly competent. Appropriate learning materials are scarce. Small student numbers restrict the range of learner tasks. To address these problems, and drawing on research methods from both CALL and Computer Science domains, we investigated the use of a virtual learning environment (WebCT) as a tool for collaborative language teaching and learning. A web-based virtual department was created, bringing students and tutors from different institutions together to practise the target language (students) and share the development of quality resources …

A Five-Channel, Single Detector, Emission Remote Sensor (Presentation), Mitchell J. Williams, Donald H. Stedman, Gary A. Bishop, Richard W. Quine

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Torture As Tort: Comparative Perspectives On The Development Of Transnational Human Rights Litigation, By Craig Scott (Ed), François Larocque, Mark C. Power

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Policing And Punishment In London, 1660-1750: Urban Crime And The Limits Of Terror, By John M. Beattie, Jim Phillips

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

No abstract provided.

On Vs. Off: Coronary Bypass Surgery From A Patient's Perspective, Ann Steele

Honors Projects

Throughout the years, technological advances have changed the face of cardiac surgery, but at times, it is a return to a previous technique, which proves beneficial. Prior to the introduction of cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac surgery was performed on a beating heart, but due to the lack of an appropriate immobilizing device, the surgery was extremely complicated. With the introduction of new stabilization devices, immobilization of the heart has become easier and beating heart surgery has gained popularity once again. Multiple studies have been done which discuss the benefits of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB), but none of the studies …

A Framework To Utilise Urban Bus Data For Advanced Data Analysis, Markus Hofmann, Brendan Tierney, Margaret M. O'Mahony

Conference papers

Most urban bus operators collect detailed data on their respective transportation networks using electronic fare collection systems. However, contrary to the opinion of other service industries that this data is a valuable resource, many bus operators have tended not to fully utilise these resources. International experience suggests using innovative technologies and methodologies such as data warehousing, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), and data mining, to derive the maximum benefit from this data. Still bus operators tend not to keep the full range of data in a form, which is easy to access or utilise, and therefore, are not able to apply …

Instructional Influence On Clinicians’ Performance And Attitudes In Authoring Clinical Software Using Microsoft Powerpoint, Lisa Ann Berna

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study examined the effects of instruction type on speech language pathology graduate students' (n = 10) interest, speed, and accuracy in being trained to create PowerPoint phonological awareness click-lessons. Half of the subjects (n = 5) received instruction during an in-service proceeding; while the remaining subjects (n = 5) received training via a tutorial manual written by the researcher. The clinicians involved in the study completed written questionnaires before and after reviewing click-lessons and recreating portions of a Rhyme Time program and recorded the time needed to complete ten tutorial slides in this program. Statistical analyses were completed to …

Relationship Between The Knowledge Of Sexually Transmitted Disease And Sexual Behavior, Kong Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Undergraduate college students, despite widespread prevention and education efforts, still engage in sexual behaviors that place them at risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The hypothesis of the study was that higher levels of knowledge of STDs were associated with positive sexual behavior. Thus, sexual behavior, knowledge of STDs, and the relationship between those two aspects among 103 undergraduate students (70 women and 33 men) at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) were examined in the study.

No statistical significance was found in terms of college students' knowledge of STDs and their sexual behavior. This study showed that female students …

The Effects Of Student Manipulated Lewis Structure Models On Chemistry Achievement According To Cognitive Level, Kimberly M. Ross

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between teaching method or cognitive development and achievement in a unit on Lewis electron dot structures. Forty-six students were taught a unit on Lewis electron dot structures using the traditional paper and pencil method. Thirty-eight students were taught the same unit using a manipulative model instead of the traditional method. Both groups of students were given pre and post-tests on Lewis electron dot structures and their gains after instruction were measured. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking measured student's cognitive level. Students were categorized as concrete, transitional …

Multidimensional, Time-Accurate Cfd Simulation Of Adsorption/Desorption In A Carbon Canister, Xingyan Bai, Kakkattukuzhy M. Isaac, D. Klein, R. Banerjee, J. Edson, W. Breig, L. Oliver

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Computational fluid dynamics simulations of fixed-bed adiabatic adsorption/desorption processes are presented in this paper. Linear driving force model is used for heat and mass transfer rates. a two-dimensional cylindrical canister and three-dimensional automotive production canister geometry are used to study the adsorption/desorption processes of carbon dioxide in helium carrier gas on Norit B4 activated carbon. the two-dimensional results compare well with the results of Hwang et al. [1]. Computational results as breakthrough curve, adsorption amount and temperature profiles are provided. Results show that non-adiabatic model should be used to fully utilize the activated carbon bed capacity prior to breakthrough. Copyright …

High Precision Wavelength Measurements Of Qed-Sensitive Forbidden Transitions In Highly Charged Argon Ions, I. Draganić, J. R. Crespo López-Urrutia, Robert D. Dubois, S. Fritzsche, V. M. Shabaev, R. Soria Orts, I. I. Tupitsyn, Y. Zou, J. Ullrich

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the results of an experimental study of magnetic dipole ([Formula presented]) transitions in highly charged argon ions (ArX, ArXI, ArXIV, ArXV) in the visible spectral range using an electron beam ion trap. their wavelengths were determined with, for highly charged ions, unprecedented accuracy up to the sub-ppm level and compared with theoretical calculations. the QED contributions, calculated in this Letter, are found to be 4 orders of magnitude larger than the experimental error and are absolutely indispensable to bring theory and experiment to a good agreement. This method shows great potential for the study of QED effects in …

Target Z Dependence And Additivity Of Cross Sections For Electron Loss By 6-Mev/Amu [Formula Presented] Projectiles, R. L. Watson, Yong Peng, V. Horvat, G. J. Kim, Ronald E. Olson

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dependence of electron loss by 6-MeV/amu Xe¹⁸⁺ on target atomic number was investigated by measuring single-collision cross sections for loss of one to eight electrons in targets of the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. the total-electron-loss cross sections were found to increase linearly with target atomic number, but an abrupt slope change was observed to occur between Ne and Kr. Calculated total-loss cross sections obtained using the n-body classical trajectory Monte Carlo method were in good agreement with the measurements. the dependence of the individual cross sections on the number of electrons lost was reasonably …

An Intelligent Early Warning System For Software Quality Improvement And Project Management, Xiaoqing Frank Liu, Gautam Kane, Monu Bambroo

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the main reasons behind unfruitful software development projects is that it is often too late to correct the problems by the time they are detected. It clearly indicates the need for early warning about the potential risks. In this paper, we discuss an intelligent software early warning system based on fuzzy logic using an integrated set of software metrics. It helps to assess risks associated with being behind schedule, over budget, and poor quality in software development and maintenance from multiple perspectives. It handles incomplete, inaccurate, and imprecise information, and resolve conflicts in an uncertain environment in its …

Query-Based Learning For Aerospace Applications, Donald C. Wunsch, Emad W. Saad, J. J. Choi, J. L. Vian

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Models of real-world applications often include a large number of parameters with a wide dynamic range, which contributes to the difficulties of neural network training. Creating the training data set for such applications becomes costly, if not impossible. In order to overcome the challenge, one can employ an active learning technique known as query-based learning (QBL) to add performance-critical data to the training set during the learning phase, thereby efficiently improving the overall learning/generalization. The performance-critical data can be obtained using an inverse mapping called network inversion (discrete network inversion and continuous network inversion) followed by oracle query. This paper …

Statistical Simulation Models For Rayleigh And Rician Fading, Chengshan Xiao, Y. Rosa Zheng, N. C. Beaulieu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

New simulation models are proposed for Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. First, the statistical properties of Clarke's fading model with a finite number of sinusoids are analyzed. An improved Clarke's model is then proposed for the simulation of Rayleigh fading channels. Based on this improved Rayleigh fading model, a novel simulation model is proposed for Rician fading channels. The new Rician fading model employs a zero-mean stochastic sinusoid as the specular (line-of-sight) component, in contrast to all existing Rician fading simulators that utilize a non-zero mean deterministic specular component. The statistical properties of the proposed Rician fading model are analyzed …

The Subcircuit Extraction Problem, Nian Zhang, Donald C. Wunsch, Frank Harary

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The steady down scaling of CMOS device dimensions has been the main stimulus to the growth of microelectronics and computer aided very large scale integration (VLSI) design. But the more an integrated circuit (IC) is scaled, the higher its packing density becomes. The increasing size of chips, measured in either area or number of transistors, and the waste of the large capital investment involved in fabricating and testing circuits that do not work, make layout analysis and verification an important part of physical design automation. The most efficient way to overcome these difficulties is to identify a related collection of …

A Statistical Simulation Model For Mobile Radio Fading Channels, Chengshan Xiao, Y. Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently, a Clarke's model-based simulator was proposed for Rayleigh fading channels. However, that model, as shown in this paper, may encounter statistic deficiency. Therefore, an improved model is presented to remove the statistic deficiency. Furthermore, a new simulation model is proposed for Rician fading channels. This Rician fading simulator with finite number of sinusoids plus a zero-mean stochastic sinusoid as the specular (line-of-sight) component is different from all the existing Rician fading simulators, which have non-zero mean deterministic specular component. The statistical properties of the proposed Rayleigh and Rician fading channel models are analyzed in detail, which shows that these …

A Study Of The Probe Induced Disturbances On The Near-Field Measurement, Jin Shi, Richard E. Dubroff, Kevin P. Slattery, Masahiro Yamaguchi, K.-I. Arai

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerical simulations were used to investigate the disturbance introduced by placing a small magnetic loop probe in the near field of a driven loop. In the absence of the loop probe, the numerical simulations were compared with an approximate closed-form analytical expression for the magnetic field produced by the driven loop. The agreement between the approximate analytical results and the simulation was good. The next set of simulations was based on a physical model that included the probe and showed that the probe does exert an effect on the field being measured. Examples of these simulations and their implications on …

Adaptive Critic Design Based Neurocontroller For A Statcom Connected To A Power System, Salman Mohagheghi, Jung-Wook Park, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel nonlinear optimal neurocontroller for a static compensator (STATCOM) connected to a power system using artificial neural networks is presented in this paper. The heuristic dynamic programming (HDP), a member of the adaptive critic designs (ACDs) family, is used for the design of the STATCOM neurocontroller. This neurocontroller provides nonlinear optimal control with better performance compared to the conventional PI controllers.

A Comparison Of Dual Heuristic Programming (Dhp) And Neural Network Based Stochastic Optimization Approach On Collective Robotic Search Problem, Nian Zhang, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An important application of mobile robots is searching a region to locate the origin of a specific phenomenon. A variety of optimization algorithms can be employed to locate the target source, which has the maximum intensity of the distribution of some detected function. We propose two neural network algorithms: stochastic optimization algorithm and dual heuristic programming (DHP) to solve the collective robotic search problem. Experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of noise and the number of robots on the task performance, as well as the expenses. The experimental results showed that the performance of the dual heuristic programming …

Bubble Dynamics Measurements Using Four-Point Optical Probe, Junli Xue, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, M. P. Dudukovic, R. F. Mudde

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

By Conducting an Analysis of the Measurement Errors It Was Found that Bubble Dynamics Obtained by Two-Point Probes Can Be Highly Inaccurate. a Four-Point Optical Probe with Appropriate Data Processing Algorithm Has Been Developed So that the Bubble Velocity Vector Can Be Obtained. This Probe Provides Directly the Value of Specific Gas-Liquid Interfacial Area. However, for Obtaining Accurate Values of Bubble Velocity and Size, the Four-Point Probe Must Be Calibrated by a CCD Camera at the Same Conditions. Calibration Columns Have Been Developed for This Purpose Where the Bubble Size and Velocity Can Be Varied to Calibrate the Measurements by …

Instance Based Attribute Identification In Database Integration, Ee Peng Lim, Cecil Chua, Roger Hsiang-Li Chiang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Most research on attribute identification in database integration has focused on integrating attributes using schema and summary information derived from the attribute values. No research has attempted to fully explore the use of attribute values to perform attribute identification. We propose an attribute identification method that employs schema and summary instance information as well as properties of attributes derived from their instances. Unlike other attribute identification methods that match only single attributes, our method matches attribute groups for integration. Because our attribute identification method fully explores data instances, it can identify corresponding attributes to be integrated even when schema information …

An Efficient Audio Time-Scale Modification Algorithm For Use In A Subband Implementation, David Dorran, Robert Lawlor

Conference papers

The Paola algorithm, is an efficient algorithm for the time scale modification of speech. It uses a simple peak alignment technique to synchronise synthesis frames and takes waveform properties and the desired time-scale factor into account to determine optimum alogrithm parameters. However, PAOLA has difficulties with certain waveform types and can result in poor synchronisation for subband implementations. SOLA is a less efficient algorithm but resolves the issues associated with PAOLA's implementation. The authors present an algorithm that is a combination of the two approaches that proves to be an efficient and effective algorithm for a subband implementation.

Prior Subspace Analysis For Drum Transcription, Derry Fitzgerald, Robert Lawlor, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper introduces the technique of Prior Subspace Analysis (PSA) as an alternative to Independent Subspace Analysis (ISA) in cases where prior knowledge about the sources to be separated is available. The use of prior knowledge overcomes some of the problems associated with ISA, in particular the problem of estimating the amount of information required for separation. This results in improved robustness for drum transcription purposes. Prior knowledge is incorporated by use of a set of prior frequency subspaces that characterise features of the sources to be extracted. The effectiveness and robustness of PSA is demonstrated by its use in …

Time-Scale Modification Of Speech Using A Synchronised And Adaptive Overlap-Add (Saola) Algorithm, David Dorran, Robert Lawlor, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

The synchonised overlap-add (SOLA) algorithm is a commercially popular and considerably researched audio time-scale modification technique. It operates in the time domain and uses a correlation technique to ensure that synthesis frames overlap in a synchronous manner. We present a modification to SOLA that allows the analysis step size adapt to the desired time-scale factor. The synchronised and adaptive overlap-add (SAOLA) alogorithm improves upon the output quality of SOLA for high time-scale factors and reduces the computational requirements for low time-scale factors. However, the computational requirements for high time-scale factors are increased.

Independent Subspace Analysis Using Locally Linear Embedding, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

While Independent Subspace Analysis provides a means of blindly separating sound souces from a single channel signal, it does have a number of problems. In particular the amount of information required for separation of sources varies with the signal. This is a result of the variance-based nature of Principal Component Analysis, which is used for dimensional reduction in the Independent Subspace Analysis algorithm. In an attempt to overcome this problem the use of a non-variance based dimensional reduction method, Locally Linear Embedding, is proposed. Locally Linear Embedding is a geometry based dimensional reduction technique. The use of this approach is …