Sonic microgeographies and histories: life listening and home

Tom Ottway firstly provides a broad overview of how home has been conceptualised in terms of space and place by academics in fields as varied as cultural studies, urban studies, sound studies, sonic art, geography, history, law, criminology and migration studies. He then demonstrates that by actively engaging in ‘doing’ a critical geography of home, by creating and analysing audio ethnographies, including an auto-audio ethnography of those working together to produce this intervention on home, the gap between academic and participant; academic and artist; analysis and performance is removed, and powerful sonic micro-geographies and micro-histories emerge that constitute ‘life listening’, which inform the writing on home

Computer-aided design (CAD) certifications: Are they valuable to undergraduate engineering and engineering technology students?

The acceptance of computer-aided design (CAD) certifications in industry has emerged over the last decade. As a result, instructors are beginning to incorporate certification exams into engineering and engineering technology (ET) curricula. Unfortunately, minimal evidence-based research has been conducted to explore the value gained from obtaining such a certification(s). The claims made by the CAD software vendors and resellers are that their certifications are, in general, valuable and beneficial to students. The purpose of this research is twofold: 1) to explore the perceived general value of the SOLIDWORKS certification program, the general benefit(s) of obtaining a SOLIDWORKS certification(s) for students, and the justification(s) for being SOLIDWORKS certified during a typical hiring process, and 2) publish empirical data. This study involved the use of an online survey given to a cross-sectional sample of certified SOLIDWORKS users located in the Midwest region of the United States. LinkedIn® InMail™ messages containing the survey link were sent to 156 individuals, of which 58 (37.18%) responded. Results show respondents generally perceive SOLIDWORKS certification(s) as valuable and the benefit(s) of obtaining a certification(s) outweigh cost(s). Being SOLIDWORKS certified will help students get an interview and gain a competitive advantage over other non-certified candidates. Finally, a ranked list pertaining to the value of being SOLIDWORKS certified during the hiring process is revealed. In general, this paper sheds lights on an emerging trend in engineering and ET curricula, and more specifically, calls for additional research studies investigating the impact of vendor controlled certification programs

The Foraminifera.eu Project: A paleoinformatics bridge between science and community

Foraminifera.eu is a non-commercial international project to foster the interest in foraminifera. A freely accessible image database with an online multi-criteria search facility based on high quality SEM and optical images and drawings has been developed. The website has become a popular resource with more than 5000 monthly unique visitors viewing more than 50000 pages. About 120 scientists and amateurs are contributing samples, images, drawings, ideas and working on projects, publications, exhibitions, talks and collection. Foraminifera from the Oporto Seamount, from the Luz Formation and from the Mem Moniz spongolithic limestone are the first Portuguese contributions to this project.publishersversionpublishe

The Current State of Dimensioning and Tolerancing Pedagogy in United States Post-Secondary Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs

Dimensioning and tolerancing (D&T) is understood to be a crucial element of the engineering product lifecycle and has been documented as an important skill for various careers, e.g., engineering, design, manufacturing, and metrology. Even so, there is a widely perceived skills gap in today\u27s workforce. In response to this perceived misalignment between employer expectations and student preparation, a survey of post-secondary engineering and engineering technology (ET) degree programs in the United States was conducted to quantitatively characterize the current state of D&T pedagogy. Respondents (n = 67) who identified as being the instructor-of-record for a course(s) that required students to understand, apply, and/or analyze D&T topics were asked to characterize their fitness to teach said course(s), the extent of topical coverage, instructional techniques and challenges, and perceptions of student proficiency. A particular focus was placed on assessing how geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) is integrated into engineering and ET classrooms. Results indicate that D&T is a mandatory component of curricula for approximately three quarters of students, but less than one third consistently receive instruction in GD&T. For what coverage there is, fundamental topics such as datum reference frames and the envelope principle were often rated as of relatively low importance by instructors. Challenges which appear to contribute include limited instructional time, sparse and expensive educational resources, and lacking instructor expertise

Industry Supplied CAD Curriculum Case Study on Passing Certification Exams

Students who successfully pass professional certification exams while in school are often targeted first by industry for internships and entry level positions. Over the last decade, leading industry suppliers of computer-aided design (CAD) software have developed and launched certification exams for many of their product offerings. Some have also created educational curriculum and resources for educators, such as sample exams and training guides. This case study investigates students’ passing rates of two SOLIDWORKS certification exams after utilizing free and openly available educator instructional material in the classroom. The engineering technology students were from Mechanical Engineering Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology degree programs. The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) exam was administered at the end of a freshman level introduction to graphics course. The Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Academic (CSWP-Academic) exam was administered at the end of a junior level advanced CAD course. This paper presents a brief description of the curriculum for both courses, including the instructional material and exams. Quantitative and observational outcomes from both courses will also be presented.Keywords: CAD, SOLIDWORKS, certification, engineering technolog

African States and Agriculture: Issues for Research

SUMMARY This article assesses the relative merits of two styles in food marketing from the perspective of small?scale producer?sellers in rural Zambia. Of the alternatives — state?controlled maize cropping; free?market bean sales — the latter has been viewed as ‘obviously’ preferable. The author challenges this view, arguing that the seemingly inferior alternative (hybrid maize) cannot be dropped from the local food system where it has become a substitute for the very labour?intensive ‘traditional’ millet. This production function explains why maize is locally perceived as a valuable crop in spite of the poor infrastructure for providing inputs and for collection. SOMMAIRE Cet article évalue les mérites relatifs aux deux styles de mise en marché d'aliments dans la perspective des producteurs?vendeurs à petite échelle en Zambie rurale. Des deux alternatives — culture de mais contrôlée par l'état: vente libre d'haricots — on a retenu la dernière étant ‘évidemment’ préférable L'auteur conteste ce choix argumentant que l'alternative semblant inférieur (le maïs hybride) ne peut être abandonnée du système local d'alimentation, puisque cela constitue un substitut au travail intensif du millet ‘traditionnel’. Cette fonction de production explique pourquoi la culture du mais est perçue localement comme étant valable en dépit de la pauvreté de l'infrastructure fournissant les apports et facilitant la vente. RESUMEN Este artículo destaca los méritos relativos de dos estilos de comercialización alimenticia desde la perspectiva de los productores?vendedores en la Zambia rural. El autor desafía la creencia de que la venta de frejoles en el libre mercado es ‘obviamente’ preferible al cultivo del maíz controlado por el estado. Argumenta, por el contrario, que el maíz híbrido — alternativa aparentemente inferior — no puede eliminarse del sistema alimentario local, donde se ha convertido en un substituto del ‘tradicional’ mijo, muy intensivo en mano de obra Esta función de producción explica por qué el maíz es percibido localmente como un valioso cultivo, pese a la pobre infraestructura existente para proveer insumos y para la recolección