Search

Academic programmes implicitly require critical thinking, and increasingly the requirement for critical thinking is explicit as part of autonomous and inquiry based learning. Because of the different cultural and learning backgrounds across a global student group, there is not a single, uniform understanding of and approach to critical thinking. This presentation describes research conducted to explore engineering students conceptualisation of critical thinking, with a view to using the findings to contribute to improved design of academic programmes. Research subjects were a cross-institutional, global group of masters level engineering students; the investigation spanned two separate academic cohorts each in two different institutions. A set of attributes giving evidence of critical thinking was determined from the literature (Castle, Colucciello and Profetto-McGrath). A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to provide insights into emerging themes. Focus groups were used to identify key themes, and questionnaires will be used to further explore those themes and confirm initial findings. Statistical measures of analysis such as variance and correlation of ranks will highlight similarities and differences in how groups of students conceptualise critical thinking. The preliminary research has confirmed an inconsistent development of critical thinking attributes

Physical Metallurgy, a compulsory module on the part time and full time Materials Engineering degree programme at Sheffield Hallam University has for a number of years utilised a series of separate practical based laboratories in order for students to gain a greater understanding of some key concepts associated with linking microstructure to properties and processing. One of the main issues of these stand-alone practicals was that students were following a menu of tasks, leading to a lack of deeper understanding of key concepts and theories and therefore were unable to link information between each of them. A recent revision of this module has drawn the practical elements into a year-long integrated package of practical work, where students undertake an investigation, developing broader and deeper skills. Additionally the learning strategy utilises the output of another module in manufacturing, using the output of a casting practical linking the two modules with an integrating investigation, eventually leading to summative assessment by portfolio. This paper will detail the development of the new programme of work undertaken by the students and evaluate, using student feedback, and how student learning and achievement has been improved compared to previous methodologies.

This paper describes the development of new assessment approaches for engineering students through the use of video production and on-line blogging. The course team in Materials Engineering have developed an approach enabling students to explore ideas and publish work by creating a short film focussing on technical areas. This technical work was previously assessed by a written report and PowerPoint presentations. However, the team wanted to make the reporting more creative and fun for the students and so decided to incorporate a more visual approach introducing video production skills into modules taught on the programme. Discrete modules at all levels of the course were developed in this respect and the outputs of this work have been previously reported. For example, students were given the task of researching a topic in polymers or composites and the end production was a digital video case study handed in on a CD or DVD for assessment. This assessment task replaced a traditional 6 week case study that would have covered the same technical areas, but would have resulted in a group report and PowerPoint presentation. The students were supported with an initial seminar on video production skills, followed by weekly drop-in sessions for technical support on filming and editing. During the last two years students have been asked to produce a website in the form of a technical blog to report their work, both individually and in groups. The result has been an end of module presentation of the sites for summative assessment. The paper will describe the advantages and issues realised with this type of activity, utilising student feedback as part of the evaluation.

Previous research indicated that nursing students lack IT competence, Fetter (2009), but have strong social skills. Equally observations by the Placement Employability Experience Unit in the Faculty of ACES have identified that IT students are technically able, but weaker in social skills. Employers are seeking graduate with a broad skill range in both subject specific and employability skills, (Ehiyazaryan and Baraclough 2009).\ud Therefore this project aimed to address these issues through a peer learning activity. It is recognised that peer assisted learners can communicate to one another in a language that both understand, Smith et al, (2007). The symbiotic activity was offered as a venture opportunity for level 5 computing students to manage in the Venture Matrix at Sheffield Hallam University. The Venture Matrix is a managed risk enterprise and entrepreneurial environment open to all students, and offers a framework in which students can operate micro-businesses to develop and apply their subject knowledge and employability skills to support real business opportunities/activities offered in the Venture Matrix, Laughton (2010). The Nursing IT venture was offered as business activity with the aims of providing an opportunity;\ud • for computing students to apply their IT skills and develop their employability skills\ud • to meet the individualised IT learning needs of the Level 4 nursing students. \ud The value of the learning in the venture was evaluated by both sets of students. This IT service was offered by the computing students to all level 4 student nurses who commenced their course September 2009 and January 2010.\ud Analysis of post project student questionnaires, evaluations and staff discussions showed that all stakeholders recognised the potential and sustainability of this service. The key learning point are that the project:-·created good cross-faculty communication and sharing of expertises both staff and students: although only a small number of nursing students took the opportunity to use the service they valued the support they received: the computing students enjoyed the opportunity to disseminate their IT skills.

Placing the students in the Lecturers' shoes aimed to develop and deepen the student learning through students' investigating planning, developing, and delivering supplementary instruction to support theirs and their peers learning, teaching and assessment in a module. The paper highlights the approach adopted and applied at level 4 nursing, 5 engineering, or 6 sports management students with a view to promote student learning autonomy. As previous research indicates that this style of higher educational teaching encourages students to discover and reflect on a subject. Nortcliffe (2005) suggests that when students have been given the opportunity to drive and deliver a module: the module assessment results indicate that a higher level of learning. In addition as indicated in this paper from feedback from staff and students this approach offers the students an opportunity to develop different key skills, autonomous learning and active learning styles. However, it should be noted that not all students are willing to engage and place the effort into such a formative learning exercise despite the evidence clearly shows a deeper level of learning and understanding by the students as result of engagement in supplementary instruction.

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) are used to protect gas turbine blades from environmental degradation as well as to increase thermodynamic efficiency. Most TBC systems consist of a ceramic thermal barrier coating such as partially stabilized zirconia adhering to an oxidation resistant bond coat, which in turn is bonded to the turbine blade. This is required since partially stabilised zirconia will not readily bond to superalloys. However, the TBC can fail in service either by bond coat oxidation or thermal expansion mismatch between the bond coat and the TBC. A systematic literature survey has shown that the superalloy substrate material, type of bond coat selected, with the coating application techniques i.e. thermal spray or Electron Beam PVD (EBPVD) plays a fundamental role in determining the failure mechanisms involved. This program of work is concerned with the development of coatings with enhanced temperature capabilities for turbine blade applications by understanding the fundamental mechanisms responsible for adhesion between the nickel based turbine blade and zirconia based TBC. An understanding of the bonding mechanisms will allow the design of advanced coating systems with increased operating temperatures. This program of work introduces the Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) technique, an atomic emission technique used for both bulk and depth profile analysis, which had not previously been applied to TBC's, and SEM and TEM in order to enhance understanding of failure modes in TBC systems and adhesion process. The results obtained from the studies indicate that the GDOES technique can be applied to depth profile bond coats and exposed TBC systems both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. GDOES has been able to detect elements such as silicon and sodium that are in the ppm levels which are difficult / impossible to detect using EDX systems, and are very important in coating developments. In addition, as a preliminary guide GDOES has shown Ti diffusion from the superalloy substrate into the bond coat to be detrimental towards coating adhesion on most of the systems studied.The results of SEM and cross-sectional TEM on selected bond coat systems has shown the low cost Pt bond coat microstructure system to consist of TBC, Al2O3 bond coat and CMSX-4 superalloy substrate in all cases. The intermediate layer between the TBC and bond coat consists of Al2O3 which has been identified as responsible for maintaining the adhesion. Also identified is evidence of Ti segregation at the Al2O3 / bond coat interface, known to lead to decohesion in coatings. Failure in the low cost Pt bond coat system has been identified as the decohesion between the interfacial layer of Al2O3 and the bond coat.The program of studies has enabled failure mechanisms and factors affecting bonding to be identified in low cost Pt bond coat systems, so that in future better coating systems with enhanced properties can be designed This should also ensure that improved reliability in engines and increased service life of turbine blades be achieved.

A creative approach is presented for understanding the attitudes of Royal Engineer (RE) Geographic Technicians (Geo Techs) to training and education. Through a grounded theory methodology, participants' experiences of learning and teaching are explored. These provide a greater awareness and perception of attitudes than have emerged through more established, formal methods of evaluating the effectiveness of training. Recent developments in technology, doctrine, requirements and operations have brought about significant changes to the range and complexity of subjects taught in the field of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). This in turn has increased the challenges to RE staff and students, many of whom find themselves instructing on or undertaking demanding degree level courses without the requisite formal qualifications. Grounded theory, based on guidelines rather than rigid rules, is adopted to provide a study of RE Geographic Technicians' learning experiences from the perspective of those who live it and for an interpretive understanding of their meanings to emerge. The policies, culture and social processes in which the RE Geo training takes place are explored to appreciate the influence of the training environment on learning. Data obtained through focus groups held with students and instructors, and through in-depth interviews with individuals who hold key roles associated with the course, recognises the relativism of multiple social realities in developing a rich source of knowledge on attitudes to learning. The collection, synthesis and analysis of data led to the emergence of core categories: context, commitment, expectations, motivation, qualifications, relevance and respect. Through their engagement the research participants' awareness, in particular of instructors, of Geographic Technicians' attitudes to training and education has been raised. Using the theoretical framework of communities of practice, the challenges and effectiveness of the RSMS as a learning organisation for the instructors is reviewed. By exploring beyond the routine, an insight is offered into how the quality of teaching and learning can be enhanced for RE Geographic Technicians through a better understanding of attitudes to learning. Whilst the research is focused on a specific environment the lessons identified can have relevance to other learning situations where the training and education are closely aligned to the work place or to professional practice. In particular, the way in which teacher-practitioners are inducted, developed and employed in training and education has resonance with the wider lifelong learning sector.

Metal Matrix ceramic-reinforced composites are rapidly becoming strong candidates as structural materials for many high temperature and engineering applications. Metal matrix composites (MMC) combine the ductile properties of the matrix with a brittle phase of the reinforcement, leading to high stiffness and strength with a reduction in structural weight. The main objective of using a metal matrix composite system is to increase service temperature or improve specific mechanical properties of structural components by replacing existing super alloys.The purpose of the study is to investigate, develop and implement second phase reinforcement alloy strengthening empirical model with SiCp reinforced A359 aluminium alloy composites on the particle-matrix interface and the overall mechanical properties of the material.To predict the interfacial fracture strength of aluminium, in the presence of silicon segregation, an empirical model has been modified. This model considers the interfacial energy caused by segregation of impurities at the interface and uses Griffith crack type arguments to predict the formation energies of impurities at the interface. Based on this, model simulations were conducted at nano scale specifically at the interface and the interfacial strengthening behaviour of reinforced aluminium alloy system was expressed in terms of elastic modulus.The numerical model shows success in making prediction possible of trends in relation to segregation and interfacial fracture strength behaviour in SiC particle-reinforced aluminium matrix composites. The simulation models using various micro scale modelling techniques to the aluminum alloy matrix composite, strengthenedwith varying amounts of silicon carbide particulate were done to predict the material state at critical points with properties of Al-SiC which had been heat treated.In this study an algorithm is developed to model a hard ceramic particle in a soft matrix with a clear distinct interface and a strain based relationship has been proposed for the strengthening behaviour of the MMC at the interface rather than stress based, by successfully completing the numerical modelling of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites.