Engineering Commons^™

Defining A Smart Nation: The Case Of Singapore, Siu Loon Hoe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the key characteristics and propose a working definition of a smart nation.Design/methodology/approach - A case study of Singapore through an analysis of the key speeches made by senior Singapore leaders, publicly available government documents and news reports since the launch of the smart nation initiative in December 2014 was carried out.Findings - Just like smart cities, the idea of a smart nation is an evolving concept. However, there are some emerging characteristics that define a smart nation.Research limitations/implications - The paper provides an initial understanding of the key characteristics and …

Collaborative Public Works Contracts Using Bim – An Opportunity For The Irish Construction Industry?, Barry Mcauley, Alan Hore, Robert Kane, Simon Fraser

Conference papers

In Ireland, large and progressive contractors are claiming significant benefits in construction management efficiency through the implementation of BIM (Building Information Modelling). While these contractors note that the cost benefits to the project budget alone justify the implementation of BIM in the field, they are acutely aware that in 2011 the UK Government has mandated the construction industry in the UK to use BIM on all public projects by 2016. In the Republic of Ireland however, in 2007, the Government introduced the Public Works Contracts (PWC) suite for the procurement of all public sector works. After 8 years of working …

Virtual Peer Teams: Connecting Students With The Online Work Environment, Thalia Anagnos, Alicia Lyman-Holt, Sean Brophy

Faculty Publications

This study examined the potential of online collaboration tools to develop team cohesiveness and research skills of undergraduates participating in Virtual Peer Teams (VPTs) in a geographically distributed research experience for undergraduates (REU). The VPTs mimic geographically dispersed virtual teams that are now common in industry. VPTs consisted of four to six students from multiple REU sites around the United States who were asked to experiment with various collaboration and social network technologies to complete specified research-based and social tasks. Surveys were used to collect formative and summative feedback. Students agreed their VPT experiences were significant in their professional development …

Creating A National Coalition To Address Tractor Overturn Fatalities., Pamela J. Tinc, Paul D. Ayers, John J. May, Mark A. Purschwitz, Julie A. Sorensen

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Tractor overturns continue to be the leading cause of death on U.S. farms. While rollover protective structures (ROPS) are effective in preventing these fatalities, they are underutilized due to a number of barriers. Past programs in the U.S. and abroad have targeted this area of agricultural safety; however, a national program is not yet in place for U.S. farmers. This study seeks to build a national partnership to address tractor overturn fatalities by increasing the number of tractors with ROPS. A diverse, multisector steering committee has been organized and is working together using Whole System in a Room methods. This …

Interdisciplinary, Collaborative International Service Learning: Developing Engineering Students As Global Citizens, Anthony D. Songer, Karen R. Breitkreuz

Construction Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent calls to reform engineering education place emphasis on applied math and science within the broader context of globalization, economics, the environment, and society. This broad and complex challenge necessitates the investigation of new interdisciplinary education approaches for engineering education. This paper presents a formal approach for developing engineering students as global citizens. The 360 Degree Model for Educating Socially Responsible Global Citizens (360 Global Ed model) presented herein includes a framework for foundational theory, educational environment, academic coursework, and outcomes. At the core of the emerging model is an international service learning experience called the Village Network. …

Merging Creative Design And Cad Learning Activities In A Product Design Programme, Pearl O'Rourke, Colm O'Kane, Leslie Smith, Michael Ring

Conference Papers

Traditional learning and teaching methods for creativity differ from those used in a scientific context. Although the creative process can benefit from a certain level of prescription and structural constraint - with time allocated to research, problem definition, conceptualisation and idea development - flexibility and fluidity are necessary for creative innovation. In contrast, the more linear and rigid pedagogies associated with science and engineering education facilitate efficient learning of subjects such as those based on software packages, manufacturing and materials theory or mechanics. This paper describes the development of a project which aims to establish constructive links between the learning …

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Social annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students’ annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived the …

An Exploratory Study Of Personal Reflection And Collaboration Skills Using Online Collaborative Tool In Project-Based Learning, Sim Kim Lau, Wendy Meyers

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

By deepening our understanding of the use of Web 2.0 for reflective practice, knowledge co-construction and project based learning this paper aims to contribute to our understanding of collaborative learning. The paper investigates a case study of a post-graduate system development subject to increase student learning through the development of students' personal reflection and collaboration skills. The project aims to develop key foundational knowledge and skills identified in the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines, i.e. the ability to work collaboratively. Of particular interest was the ability of student collaboration combined with personal reflective learning to lead to negotiation of meaning and …

Agenda: 2012 Energy Justice Conference And Technology Exposition, University Of Colorado Boulder. Center For Energy & Environmental Security, University Of Colorado Boulder. Colorado European Union Center Of Excellence, University Of Colorado Boulder. Presidents Leadership Institute

2012 Energy Justice Conference and Technology Exposition (September 17-18)

Co-sponsored with the Colorado European Union Center of Excellence and the Presidents Leadership Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The ability to harness energy is fundamental to economic and social development. Worldwide, almost 3 billion people have little or no access to beneficial energy resources for cooking, heating, water sanitation, illumination, transportation, or basic mechanical needs. Energy poverty exacerbates ill health and economic hardship, and reduces educational opportunities, particularly for women and children. Specifically, access to efficient and affordable energy services is a prerequisite for achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) relating to poverty eradication.

In response, the UN …

Advancing The Use Of Bim Through A Government Funded Construction Industry Competency Centre In Ireland, Alan V. Hore, Ken Thomas

Conference papers

The main aim of this paper is to develop the early case for a new Competence Centre dedicated to industry led research in the Irish construction industry. It incorporates the results of a survey carried out by the Construction IT Aliance (CITA) and also identifies similiar centres carrying out industry led research around the world. Results from the survey show a clear support for the establishment of such a centre in Ireland and, in particular, a strong interest in Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a immediate priority research area. BIM is having a profound effect worldwide on the construction industry. …

Managing The Multi-Agent Supply Network: Agents Relationships, Risk, And Collaboration, Abdelrahim Alnatour, Peter Gibson

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

This paper discusses some agency theory aspects that apply to the modern supply network. The discussion extends to cover how agency theory influences and affects business relationships in modern industrial supply networks. The underlying correlation between agency theory and the overall supply network performance is investigated by reviewing the existing literature. The paper also overviews a current research in progress, the research is concerned with performance and how it can be improved through reducing risk and improving collaboration in a multi-agent supply network. Flexibility and agency cost are proposed metrics for measuring performance from an organizational, agency perspective. The research …

Supply Chain Integration And Collaboration For Performance Improvement: An Agency Theory Approach, Abud Natour, Senevi Kiridena, Peter Gibson

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

In today’s challenging business environment, organisations not only need to continue to leverage their internal sources of competitive advantage but also should strive to harness synergies across the multiple supply chains that they are part of. However, this has to be achieved through effective collaboration between partner organisations. This paper contributes to the current scholarly discourse on this topic by the application of the “Agency Theory” to the issues around supply chain integration and collaboration, towards enhancing operational performance. The paper presents a classification of supply chain integration and collaboration, as well as a conceptual framework, for understanding and explaining …

Design Collaboration As A Tool For Developing Diversity In The Work Place, Rees E. E. Shad

Publications and Research

Without a doubt the modern workplace is one made up of numerous working professionals graced with an array of varied abilities who work in tandem to meet a common goal. In this article the author recounts his personal journey to embracing the collaborative process and how he has honed and developed the skill set into an important element of design curriculum in order to prepare students for this fundamental market paradigm.

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

Investigating The Viability Of Virtual Communities Of Practice In The Public Sector, Sue Bolger

Dissertations

Communication and collaboration are very important topics in the domain of

Knowledge Management. Knowledge, which exists within the employees of an

organisation, can be extracted and harnessed effectively to become an extremely

valuable asset to the ongoing business goals and objectives of the organisation. This

embedded knowledge must be released in an appropriate manner in order for it to be

usable and, it has been shown that dialogue and discussion through the use of an online

tool, enables this release and re-use of vital concepts and knowledge.

This research investigates the area of communication and knowledge sharing amongst

disparate Irish …

Slides: Challenges For Reclamation: A Western States' Perspective, Craig Bell

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Craig Bell, Western Water States Council, Midvale, Utah

9 slides

Multi-Jurisdictional Issues Related To Congestion Management, Myron Matlock, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

When a project intended to solve transportation problems such as congestion and access management involves multiple cities, counties, and/or state agencies, disputes can occur due to incompatible interests, resulting in project delays. Creating a mechanism that allows the agencies to communicate and work together during the planning stages can improve the effectiveness of the final plan for the project.

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide transportation agencies with coordination and collaborative strategies that could be used to help the various agencies work together on multiple projects. This study was based on a study of the literature …

Guidelines For Indot-Mpo Coordination, Myron Matlock, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Federal legislation, such as the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), mandates that each state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) coordinate with the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) within the state in the development and implementation of their Long-Range Transportation Plans. However, federal legislation does not indicate how the DOT and MPOs should work together, resulting in varying collaborative strategies from case to case. Developing a set of collaborative strategies that MPOs in the state of Indiana and the DOT could use during the transportation planning process could result in faster information processing and improved …

A Temporal-Rule Based Verification System For Business Collaboration Reliability, Haiyang Sun, Jian Yang, Weiliang Zhao

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Based on the temporal rules defined for the business processe participating in a business collaboration, we present an implementation for a system called TiCoBTS to verify the reliability of the business collaboration.

Detect: Developing Sustainable Pathways Towards Innovative, Sustainable Collaboration Between Four Engineering, Design And Technology Education Institutions, Michael Dyrenfurth, Mike Murphy, Donal Mchale, Richard Hayes, Robert Herrick, Dhushy Sathianathan, Heinz Schmidt-Walter, Eugene Coyle, Robert Simpson

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Rationales For Collaboration; Implications For The Irish Road Freight Industry, Eoin Plant, Jim Mcgovern

Conference Papers

The European Union has made a commitment to promoting sustainable mobility through advanced transport logistics. One of the principal areas yet to be addressed is that of the potential barriers to advanced transport logistics and the attitudes of industry to this advancement. This paper addresses some of these concerns and argues that competition for high-value contracts can be very tough, especially where the contracts are from large organisations that often prefer to develop a relationship with only one transport service provider. The paper attempts to put the research into a theoretical framework of Resource-Advantage Theory. Empirical evidence is presented from …

Enhancing Educational Programmes For Geomatics In Ireland, Frank Prendergast, William Prendergast, Avril Behan, Helen Murray

Conference Papers

The growing spatial information needs of society, the rapid development of new surveying technologies, and the global demand for appropriately qualified surveyors, have triggered a radical re-evaluation of Geomatics education in Europe. Although significant enhancements to DIT’s educational programmes have been made during the last decade, the provision of new opportunities for learners and innovative changes to existing paradigms of training and education are required. This paper addresses some of the issues confronting educators in DIT, and presents some of the strategies for their enhancement and implementation.

Polycom.Viavideo - Video Conferencing, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

As the construction industry is more globalized and competitive than other industry, it needs faster interaction to enable real-time collaboration, application sharing between the headquarter and construction sites. USB based video system, the ViaVideo video communications appliance combines the power of a high-quality camera and multimedia processor for improved video communications.

Evoke Communications, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Using Evoke Webconferencing technology, users can avoid expensive long distance rates by having participants listen in over the Web - using only their standard Internet connection and browser.

A Scientific Foundation Of Collaborative Engineering, S. C.-Y. Lu, W. Elmaraghy, G. Schuh, R. Wilhelm

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Collaborative engineering is the practical application of collaboration sciences to the engineering domain. In today’s highly connected technology-driven economy, the production industry must rely on the best practices of collaborative engineering to stay competitive when designing, manufacturing, and operating complex machines, processes, and systems on a global scale. Despite its importance, collaborative engineering is currently more of a practiced art than a scientific discipline. A better understanding of how engineers should collaborate with all stakeholders to accomplish complex tasks that fulfill our increasing social responsibilities is a grand challenge. However, because we currently lack well-defined sciences of human collaboration, we …

Supporting Collaboration And Multiple Views Of Building Models In Virtual Worlds, Mary Lou Maher, Mike A. Rosenman, Lan Ding, Gregory J. Smith, David Marchant, Andy Dong

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Collaboration in virtual environments has the potential to support communication and collaboration in multi-disciplinary teams. Current software for documenting and developing models of buildings focuses on supporting a single user who is a specialist in the specific software used within their own discipline. In this paper we report on the research, and a proposed approach, in supporting multiple disciplines in virtual worlds. We emphasise that the views and models are founded on the functional concerns of designers and the concerns are discipline specific. An agentbased approach to representing multiple views is described, along with a virtual world environment that supports …

An Interdisciplinary Solar Energy Project, William J. Hutzel

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

An HVAC course, previously offered to students in Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET), has been re-structured to include students in Building Construction Management (BCM). A large project is always an integral part of this course, creating a unique opportunity for collaboration between two distinctly different groups of Technology students. This cooperation is particularly beneficial because MET and BCM graduates frequently cross paths during their professional careers. Many MET graduates operate and service heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment that was originally specified and installed by BCM graduates. This paper discusses and evaluates student interactions during a solar …