An approach to developing independent learning and non-technical skills amongst final year mining engineering students

There is mounting evidence to show that engineers need more than technical skills to succeed in industry. In this paper we describe a curriculum innovation in which so-called “soft” skills, specifically inter-personal and intra-personal skills, were integrated into a final year mining engineering course. The instructional approach was designed to promote independent learning and to develop non-technical skills, essential for students on the threshold of becoming practising engineers. Three psychometric tests were administered at the beginning of the course to make students aware of their own and their classmates’ characteristics. Substantial prescribed reading assignments preceded weekly group discussions. Several projects during the course required team work skills and application of content knowledge to real-world contexts. Results obtained from students’ reflection papers, assignments related to “soft” skills and end of course evaluations suggest that students’ appreciation of the need for these skills, as well as their own perceived competence, increased during the course. Their ability to function as independent learners also increased.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ceee20ai201

The Sasol Engineering and Leadership Academy

Contrary to the way it is often portrayed, the average organization or company is far from being a cold, calculating machine. It is actually a highly emotive place where interaction with people is a fundamental part of its ability to perform satisfactorily. The company, through its employers, expects employees, including new graduates, to have the ability to cope adequately with this emotive environment. The graduate is frequently unable to meet this expectation because he/she has not been developed to do so. Technical knowledge is his only asset. This deficiency manifests itself in leadership shortcomings, both intrapersonal and interpersonal. Further analysis reveals a deficiency in three elements of leadership – self-awareness, oral communication, and an ability to work cooperatively in teams. To address these three elements of leadership, Sasol Coal, a subsidiary of the big petrochemical company in South Africa, sponsored a leadership programme at the University of Pretoria for their final-year bursary students in the faculty of Engineering. This programme, the Sasol Engineering and Leadership Academy (SELA), consisted of a number of interventions designed to address the three areas of self-awareness, oral communication, and cooperative behaviour in teams. These interventions varied from an intrapersonal nature to interpersonal aspects. Psychometric assessments were followed by experiential modules dealing with the three constructs. SELA was evaluated at the end of the year. The results showed a positive shift in the main constructs of self-awareness, communications, and cooperation. This was measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations for improving the programme were proposed.http://www.saimm.co.za/journal-papersam201

Iowa Crop Variety Yield Testing: A History and Annotated Bibliography

Variety testing by U.S. agricultural universities, often in cooperation with experiment stations, and professional crop associations is recognized as an independent, unbiased validation of the viability of commercial crop varieties. In Iowa, variety testing has also been conducted by many private agricultural companies and individual farmers. Records for crop variety evaluations within the state can be traced back to 1871, well before the creation of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station in 1888. The Iowa Corn Yield Test (ICYT) is undeniably the most famous of the Iowa variety yield trials; however, corn (Zea mays L.) varieties were being tested long before that program was initiated. Furthermore, Iowa researchers have been conducting variety yield tests on many other field crops. Knowledge of how Iowa variety tests have been organized and published could be helpful to researchers looking for similar, long-term evaluations from other states and around the world. Variety tests from the past also have the potential to help guide new research efforts and may provide an important untapped resource for unique varietal data. As crop scientists and agronomists look to find new sources for biofuels, bio-products, and other industrial uses for various crops, data from historical varieties could be useful. The objective for this review is to provide an historic account with sections on varietal testing in Iowa. It is presented in chronological order followed by sections devoted to specific crops. A Supplemental Information file containing a detailed annotated bibliography is also provided

Using Technology to Support Proactive Management of Materials Degradation for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The majority of the U.S. reactor fleet is applying for license renewal to extend the operating life from the current 40 years to 60 years, and there is now active interest in extending the operating life to beyond 60 years. Many plants are also applying for increases in power rating and both of these changes increases the need for an improved understanding of materials degradation. Many materials degrade over time and much is known about the degradation of materials under normal environmental conditions; however, less is known about the characteristics of materials degradation when the environment is subject to higher than normal radiological conditions over extended periods of time. Significant efforts are being made by industrial, academic and regulatory groups worldwide to identify, classify and mitigate potential problems arising from degradation of components in this context. From a regulatory perspective, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is very interested in being able to identify ways to ensure their licensees proactively manage the identification of materials degradation and the mitigation of its effects. To date, the NRC has consolidated “generic” programs for mitigating aging issues in the two volume Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report (NUREG-1801) and has encouraged applicants for license renewal to use these programs where applicable in their plant when applying for renewal of their reactor’s license. The NRC has also published a comprehensive report entitled Expert Panel Report on Proactive Materials Degradation (NUREG/CR-6923) [3]. This report inventories the types of degradation mechanisms that could exist in each component of a light water reactor (LWR) and indicates how much is known about mitigating the effects within that context. Since the number of plant designs and materials used varies greatly within the U.S. fleet, there are many variations to implementing aging management programs (AMPs), requiring significant dialogs between the licensee and the NRC. These discussions are part of the licensing basis and as such are documented with up to multi-hundred page responses that are loosely coupled through the NRC Agency-wide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS serves as an electronic records repository for the NRC. These discussions have supported revisions to the GALL, including the revision that is being prepared as this paper is being written. The NRC has sought the help of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to improve their staff’s ability to navigate the significant numbers of documents that are generated in this process. PNNL is also to provide a forum for regulators, licensees, and researchers to share knowledge in their efforts to improve the cyclic process for defining, applying, validating, and re-defining AMPs. Work to date in this area is publicly accessible, and this paper will describe that work and outline a potential path forward. The presenter will also demonstrate the capabilities of the PMMD information tools (http://pmmd.pnl.gov).</jats:p

Exploring the Benefits of Project-Based Pilot Plant Experience for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

The process operations and management (POM) module offered by the University of Surrey’s Chemical and Process Engineering Department, in which students take charge of pilot-scale industrial equipment, is thought to create a learning environment which challenges undergraduates to develop their transferable skills. This study aimed to assess how effective the POM module is at improving student perceptions of their transferable skills by using questionnaires. The students reported high learning in the areas assessed, and an increased appreciation for transferable skills. The results indicate that the interest in UK Chemical Engineering departments for using pilot plants as a tool for effective teaching is justified, although care must be taken to make the most of the opportunities they provide when designing the modules that use them

An approach to developing independent learning and non-technical skills amongst final year mining engineering students

There is mounting evidence to show that engineers need more than technical skills to succeed in industry. In this paper we describe a curriculum innovation in which so-called “soft” skills, specifically inter-personal and intra-personal skills, were integrated into a final year mining engineering course. The instructional approach was designed to promote independent learning and to develop non-technical skills, essential for students on the threshold of becoming practising engineers. Three psychometric tests were administered at the beginning of the course to make students aware of their own and their classmates’ characteristics. Substantial prescribed reading assignments preceded weekly group discussions. Several projects during the course required team work skills and application of content knowledge to real-world contexts. Results obtained from students’ reflection papers, assignments related to “soft” skills and end of course evaluations suggest that students’ appreciation of the need for these skills, as well as their own perceived competence, increased during the course. Their ability to function as independent learners also increased.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ceee20ai201