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Lab to Life: A SWOT-AHP Model for Experiential Learning in Engineering Programs
No full textExperiential learning has recently been recognized as a cornerstone of engineering education, as it provides students with hands-on experience. It also bridges the theoretical concepts with their applications in real world. The present study concerns with development of a structured methodology for assessment and enhancing experiential learning practices using a hybrid SWOT-AHP approach. A comprehensive questionnaire was distributed among faculty members in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of Carleton University to identify key internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors influencing experiential learning. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to rank and prioritize these factors based on the collected input. This study resulted in the development of a strategic SWOT matrix, which provides actionable recommendations to optimize teaching methodologies, institutional policies, and resource allocation in the department. The findings contribute to a data-driven framework for continuous improvement in the engineering education
Engineering Students as Responsible Innovation Auditors? An Intervention in Engineering Design Pedagogy
No full textResponsible Innovation (RI), which was once a concept exclusive to academic research, has gained popularity in the past decade in corporate, governmental, and non-profit sectors. Some educators have responded by integrating RI into engineering classrooms. This paper describes a semester-long assignment in which first-year Electrical and Computing Engineering students in a mandatory communication course roleplay as Responsible Innovation Auditors for peers in a first-year engineering design course. The assignment asks students to understand and apply RI concepts in a real-world scenario, addressing their peers as clients in need of RI consultation. While gaining skills in engineering communication, students are taught the basic premises of RI, apply these concepts to the systems-mapping of a client project, and produce a detailed recommendation report based on the principles of RI. The goal of this intervention is to introduce RI early in the engineering curriculum to promote technological stewardship and foster the grass-roots expansion of RI in the tech industry
Students’ Positive and Negative Experiences Requesting Academic Accommodations
No full textAs part of an investigation on students’ experiences with academic accommodations, 33 students described positive and negative experiences they had while requesting accommodations from their instructors. Responses from participants were qualitatively analyzed, and 13 themes were identified, seven from positive experiences and six from negative experiences. An ascending scale of supportive practices was developed from the themes, ranging from only having positive experiences to dismissive, dehumanizing, and only negative experiences. This paper culminates in a collection of best practices for instructors to improve the learning experiences for students who require accommodations. This study contributes to assets-based research, documenting both positive and negative actions of instructors
Thriving in the Age of AI: A Model Curriculum for Developing Competencies in Artificial Intelligence for K-12
No full textOntario Tech University’s Engineering Outreach developed the course “Thriving in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” to provide high school students with a foundational understanding of AI, addressing the increasing relevance of these technologies in everyday life, education, and the workforce. This research paper outlines the course curriculum and delivery methods and evaluates the course’s impact on students and educators. The curriculum consists of six core modules that align with the Ontario Curriculum, focusing on equipping youth with essential AI knowledge and exploring its societal implications. The course is delivered through online platforms, workshops, and direct classroom integration, designed to expand access to AI education, particularly for students and educators with limited previous exposure. Using qualitative data from student feedback and quantitative metrics on course interaction, this paper analyzes the course’s effectiveness in improving AI literacy and its influence on educators’ instructional practices. Findings indicate that students who completed the course demonstrated an improved grasp of key AI concepts, preparing them for future career opportunities in an AI-driven world. Additionally, the course has provided educators with strategies for integrating AI into their teaching practices, enhancing their confidence and instructional competencies
Minimizing Doctoral Attrition: Insights to realize the Education 5.0 (E.D. 5.0) vision for STEM fields.
No full textDoctoral Attrition (DA) is the phenomenon of graduate students discontinuing Ph.D. studies due to individual or combined factors, such as lack of academic integration, insufficient supervisor support, immense publication pressure, gender bias, burnout, and inadequate financial assistance. DA rates vary from 25-40% in Science, 36% in Engineering, and 57% globally. As current pedagogical landscapes evolve to incorporate Education 5.0 (E.D. 5.0) goals, it becomes imperative to support and provide resources to graduate students that foster positive Ph.D. experiences, preparing them to meet Industry 5.0 (I.D. 5.0) competencies post-graduation. Using bibliometric analysis based on our hypotheses-derived Research Questions (RQs) on Scopus, we map out key factors and attributes perceived as most valuable for successful Ph.D. journeys over the past decade, particularly in STEM fields. Recognizing these gaps will help (i) improve student dynamics, (ii) empower personalized learning to meet E.D. 5.0 objectives, and (iii) promote best practices for graduate student success
Contemporary Relevance of Anne Moody and Imprisoned Intellectual Thought: Anti-Critical Race Theory Ban, Black Women, and the Politics of Structural Denial
No full textAnne Moody’s 1968 autobiographical text, Coming of Age in Mississippi, is receiving increased interest during this current moment of legislated anti-Blackness, most observable in the removal/outlawing of Black history and thought. Moody’s early life in the Deep South during the 1940s-1950s and as a foot soldier in the Civil Rights Movement inform how we understand the continuity of anti-blackness and racial terror. Glen Conley, an imprisoned citizen, examines and teaches Anne Moody within a Mississippi prison context. While her book is used across several academic disciplines, the study of Moody within the prison context is not well known. Conley’s political poetry explores Moody’s life and text, bringing renewed attention to themes of Black mental health, survival, and resistance under a harsh U.S. Southern regime. Using a prison-praxis framework, this paper centers the knowledge production from the civically dead (imprisoned population), which allows for broader insights into themes of racialized confinement, criminalization and surveillance. Thus, this essay situates Conley’s scholarship within the lineage of Black imprisoned radical tradition where he draws attention to Moody’s prescient voice during a political climate of overt forms of legislated anti-Blackness and systemic erasure.
Developing a Pipeline to Convert Marker Less Motion Capture Data from Theia3D into Open Sim for Advanced Biomechanical Analysis
No full textMarker less motion capture technologies, such as Theia3D, have become popular for biomechanical analysis by eliminating the need for physical markers, therefore improving the ease of data collection and post-processing. A major limitation to this technology is the lack of tools that integrate marker less motion capture output into more advanced biomechanical analysis software, such as Open Sim. The absence of a workflow between these software prevents researchers from performing advanced biomechanical analyses using Open Sim’s modelling capabilities Thus, the main objective of this research was to develop a pipeline to convert the output from Theia3D into a compatible format for analysis in Open Sim.
A subroutine was developed in Python to convert the Theia3D outputs into a format suitable for Open Sim. The test data included marker less motion data from treadmill running collected in Theia3D by 8 Sony cameras. The output of this data was in an .mot file that was processed to develop a file compatible in Open Sim. This process involved 4 key steps: (a) extracting kinematic data from Theia3D, (b) restructuring matrices to match Open Sim’s input requirements, (c) generating plots to visualize the motion, and (d) producing a compatible file that allowed for model scaling in Open Sim. The tool was tested by processing the Theia3D dataset, and successfully converted the marker less motion capture data into an Open Sim-compatible format that allowed for analysis.
This tool provides an advantage to biomechanical researchers by integrating marker less motion capture data into Open Sim, expanding its applications of motion analysis. Currently, this tool has only been tested on a limited dataset, and future work will focus on optimizing the conversion algorithm and expanding compatibility with different movement patterns to enhance the usability and reliability of marker less motion capture data in Open Sim
The Reduction of Identity: How consent changes everything in street photography
No full textStreet photography as a genre is known for being quick, capturing a brief moment in public. Bruce Gilden (b. 1945) is a famous American street photographer based in New York, and known for his up-close flash photos, taken without the consent of the subject. Vivian Maier (1926-2009) is a mysterious figure, none of her street photographs were published during her lifetime which leaves many questions about her intent. Although Gilden and Maier are very different artists separated by time, both provide insight into the lack of control of a subject in their chosen genre. While the photos taken by Gilden and Maier depict the physical likeness of a person, I will argue that they are not portraits aimed at capturing a person’s likeness and identity. The distinction between street photography and portraiture lies in the subject’s ability to curate or exert control over how they are portrayed. By examining this disparity, I will show that when consent is not given, the resulting reduction becomes a potent manifestation of powerlessness, as the subject’s identity is distilled into an image that may fail to accurately reflect their sense of self; thus, the photograph separates the identity of a person from their physical likeness. This presentation is an exploration of how photography can neglect identity to focus on a particular moment in time.
Deciphering the Influence of the Immune Environment on Trained Immunity Induction
No full textTrained immunity is a novel vaccination concept that enhances innate immune responses through epigenetic reprogramming. Targeting trained immunity provides tremendous opportunities for vaccine generation against infections and conditions in which classical, adaptive immunity failed to provide protection (e.g., Tuberculosis, sepsis).
For clinical application, the robustness of vaccination strategies in heterogenous populations is crucial. Diverse baseline immune statuses originate from genetics as well as persistent conditions, e.g., chronic infections and allergies. To date, the extent to which the host’s baseline immune status impacts trained immunity generation is unknown.
To evaluate vaccine robustness across different immune environments, we have tested trained immunity-inducing vaccination in mouse models of both pro-inflammatory and pro-allergic skewed immune systems. To that end, we administered β-glucan, a potent inducer of trained immunity, to mice of different genetic backgrounds with or without established allergic sensitization and challenged these mice in sepsis experiments. Immune responses were measured by flow cytometry. While trained immunity vaccination conferred host protection independent of the immunological background of the mice, protection was mediated through different pathways.
Characterizing the impact of immune environments on trained immunity induction will strengthen clinical translation and enable host-directed adaptation of these next generation vaccines