Education Commons^™

Experiences Of Teaching, Learning And Assessment Of Student Research Skills On A Level 9 Taught Programme In Engineering, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution reports on the teaching, learning and assessment of a Research Methods module on a Level 9 taught programme in engineering at DIT. The module was run in the 2008-9 and 2009-10 academic years. The module is a generic one, whose aim is to facilitate students in developing a comprehensive proposal for their engineering research project. A team approach was taken to module instruction. Students were assessed (at different stages during the module) by evaluation of a written research proposal planner document, a reflective PowerPoint presentation and a final written research project proposal. The contribution reflects on the module …

Analysis Of Engineering Students Learning Styles On Level 7, Level 8 And Level 9 Programmes, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution reports on research, carried out over three academic years, into the learning styles of engineering students, on a number of Level 7, Level 8 and Level 9 programmes at DIT, using the index of learning styles survey developed by Felder and Soloman (1991). The contribution explores the results obtained in detail, placing them particularly in the national context. The correlation between student performance and individual learning styles is examined. Knowledge of the strongly visual learning style of these cohorts of students may be used to improve the learning environment.

Rainwater Harvesting And Greywater Treatment Systems For Domestic Application In Ireland, Zhe Li, Fergal Boyle, Anthony Reynolds

Articles

Water shortage has been recognised as one of the key issues facing many countries. Fortunately, there are relatively abundant water resources available in Ireland because of its plenty of rainfall. However, Ireland will inevitably encounter water shortage in the future, especially in urban areas. The water consumption per capita per day in Ireland is one of the highest in Europe. The water demand is still increasing due to population growth and higher standard of living. The use of domestic rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment systems has the potential to supply nearly 94% of domestic water in Irish households. The utilisation …

Learning And Assessment Of Student Communication Skills On Engineering Programs: Some Experiences, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

In this contribution, the author reports on, reflects on and evaluates case studies in which the ability to communicate effectively was embedded into modules for which the author had academic responsibility, on both Level 8 (Bachelors) and Level 9 (Masters) engineering programs. The generic competency was developed using formal student presentations, mostly done individually, with a minority done in teams. Peer and tutor assessment of the presentations was employed, following a structured guideline agreed with the students; among other advantages, peer assessment assists in the further development of student analytical skills and professional ethics. The contribution discusses the peer assessment …

Building A Successful Transatlantic Collaboration In Engineering/Technological Education; Lessons From A Six Year Journey, Donal Mchale, Mark Mcgrath, John Lawlor

Conference Papers

This paper reflects on key learning’s from the first six-years (2004-2010) of the development of a collaborative journey of two trans-Atlantic higher-educational institutions. It describes the progress towards building a sustainable and innovative international educational partnership in Engineering/Technological education between the Technological University Dublin,DublinIrelandandPurdue University,Indiana,USA.

In particular, the paper provides insight into the iterative stages of development of this relationship. It reflects on some of the key challenges and it recognises the critical enablers of success. It focuses on challenges and solutions in the following six important areas

(i) The partnership initiation stage. Key considerations and important enablers of future …

The Measurement Of Success In External Engagement Activities, Mike Murphy

Conference papers

Our ambition is to identify, through the presentations and the discussion, a number of key insights and necessary actions for development of more and deeper partnerships between Higher Education Institutions and Employers.

A Doctoral Thesis Examining Change In A Hei In Ireland: Changing Universities And The Response Of Academics To Change In The Dublin Institute Of Technology, Kevin Kelly

Books/Book chapters

This is doctoral thesis undertaken by an experienced academic in the Engineering Faculty of a Higher Education Institute in Ireland. It examines the demand for universities to change in response to a fast changing external environment. This research explores how stakeholders are responding to the demands for change and how a bureaucratic organisation is attempting to become more responsive and innovative.

Development Of A Moodle Vle Plug-In To Support Simultaneous Visualisation Of A Collection Of Multi-Media Sign Language Objects, Brian Nolan

Conference Papers

Using Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) to support blended learning is very common in educational institutes. Delivering learning material in a flexible and semi-structured manner to the learner transforms such systems into powerful eLearning tools. However, the presentation and visualisation of individual or multiple learning objects is mostly dictated by the system and cannot be altered easily. This paper reports on a project between Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) that aims to improve the simultaneous visualisation of multiple multimedia objects for deaf learners of ISL. The project was implemented using the Open Source VLE Moodle. …

A Framework To Develop Lifelong Learning And Transferable Skills In An Engineering Programme, Gavin Duffy, Brian Bowe

Conference papers

Engineering programmes have a strong reputation in the delivery of technical knowledge and skills. Graduates need equally high levels of competence in personal and professional skills to not only meet the existing requirements of employers and professional bodies but to also help them manage the inevitable changes that society is facing in an increasingly populated world. The need to move from traditional to student-centred learning is discussed in the context of engineering education. The use of group-based, problem driven learning facilitates high integration of technical and non-technical knowledge and skills and requires more engagement with the programme from today’s student. …

Experiences Of Assessment Using Multiple Choice Questions On Advanced Modules Taken By Level 8 And Level 9 Engineering Students, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on advanced modules taken by Level 8 and Level 9 engineering students, over the past two academic years. Assessment data, and student experiences with the assessment methods, are reported and analysed.

Forty Years Of Movie Hacking: Considering The Potential Implications Of The Popular Media Representation Of Computer Hackers From 1968 To 2008, Damian Gordon

Articles

Increasingly movies are being produced which feature plots that incorporate elements of computer security and hacking, and cumulatively these movies are creating a public perception as to the nature of computer security. This research examines movies that feature hackers (and hacking) to identify if any common themes emerge from these movies in their representation of these issues. To achieve this, first a corpus of hacking movies is created, and then using a qualitative data analysis technique, guidelines are developed which distinguish those movies that actually have the potential to create a perception with the general public. The resultant dataset is …