Дисертації з теми "Final year experience"

Magister Scientiae (Occupational Therapy) - MSc(OT)
Fieldwork is seen to be an essential component in the curriculum of an undergraduate occupational therapy (OT) program through which students develop their professional behavior and apply theoretical education to clinical practice. Students in their final year of the undergraduate OT program at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) use the UWC Community Process as a guide to community fieldwork in community settings. This process follows a community development approach to allow students to focus on the needs of the community. The community fieldwork placement is compulsory for all final year OT students. The main aims of the placement are for students to develop their understanding of the role of an occupational therapist in a community setting and to enhance their understanding of the occupational nature of communities. This study focuses on final year UWC OT students' experiences of the supervision they received while following the steps of the Community Process as well as their perceptions of the relationship between their supervision and their learning about occupation based community practice. The aim of the study was to explore how the 2009 final year OT students experienced fieldwork supervision during their community fieldwork placement. The study followed an interpretivist paradigm with a qualitative research methodological approach and a phenomenological design. Purposeful sampling was used to select participants from the UWC OT department who undertook their community fieldwork placement in 2009. All the data utilized in this study was directly linked to the students' experiences of supervision during their learning of the Community Process. Therefore, the methods of data collection that were used included the students' daily reflective journals, their portfolio files and an evaluative focus group held at the end of the year 2009. All data was critically analyzed through a process of thematic analysis in order to meet the research objectives. The techniques of triangulation and a detailed description of the research process were employed to ensure trustworthiness of the study. The ethical principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence as well as informed written consent were adhered to in the study. The findings of the study highlighted the emotions that the students experienced, the development of their professional judgement and the challenges and experiences they encountered in their personal and professional development. The findings further showed that the process of becoming a part of the community allowed the students to define their role as an OT in a community setting and to increase their understanding of community development in the context of their role within the community. The findings also emphasized the students' experiences with regards to various teaching and learning techniques and approaches used within the supervision of their community fieldwork placement. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the generation of an understanding of how supervision influences students' understanding of occupation-based community practice in occupational therapy.

This scientific phenomenological study aims to explore and better understand the lived experience of learning through reflective processes, the nature, meaning and purpose of reflective learning, what is learned and the triggers and processes that enable meaningful reflective activity. Ten final year nursing students who felt that they had experienced learning through reflective processes were invited to describe their lived experiences of the phenomenon during taped phenomenological interviews. The rich and contextualised data was analysed using the four steps for descriptive phenomenological analysis proposed by Giorgi (1985). The findings essentially differentiate between authentic reflective learning which enables the emergence of 'own knowing', and the academically driven activities often perceived as 'doing reflection'. Authentic and significant personal 'own knowing' is derived from reflective activity prompted by unpredictable, arbitrary occurrences experienced in everyday encounters in the professional and personal worlds of the participants, which stimulate meaningful existential questions that, in turn, demand attention and drive the commitment to ongoing reflection. Engagement with authentic reflective activity is often triggered by an insistent and personal 'felt' sense of a need to understand and know 'something more for the self, and this activity demands far more privacy than the contemporary literature acknowledges. On the cusp of registered practice, the participants described how the maturation of reflective activity had enabled them to engage with the struggle to locate themselves personally and professionally in the context of care, to establish and refine personal and professional values and beliefs and to consider the realities of their nursing practice. Reflection enabled the participants to recognise and affirm that they had become nurses and could fulfil the role to their own and others expectations. Their reflective knowing and understanding was active and embodied in the way they lived their nursing practice. Analysis of the lived experience of learning through reflective processes has raised a number of issues for nurse education, in particular how student nurses may be supported in coming to know themselves and to become reflective, the importance of supportive mentorship and the significance of role modelling in professional development, the psychological safety of the 'practicum' and the need for privacy for authentic reflective learning.

Background: Medical bullying has been identified as a growing concern internationally, with multiple studies showing a high prevalence in medical students and residents However, several questions remain unanswered, including a) the prevalence of experienced bullying within our local, socioeconomic and ethnically diverse population, b) which population groups are most likely to bully medical students, c) significant demographic data which may impact on severity, frequency and type of bullying experienced, d) what is the correlation between severity, frequency and types of bullying with psychological distress in our local population. This study aims to 1) examine the association between bullying frequency and bullying types with demographic variables in this population, 2) to investigate the association of bullying severity, bullying frequency and psychological distress, and 3) to gather qualitative data on medical bullying in respondents Methods: The data for this research were collected from final year medical students. The questionnaire included the modified Quinne questionnaire assessing different types of bullying and related frequency, and the CORE-GP questionnaire assessing psychological distress. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data, and thematic analysis was used to assess the qualitative data. Results: There was a high prevalence of reported bullying (86.8%), with no significant differences of overall bullying across demographic variables. However, certain types of bullying were more commonly experienced by female and black students. Consultants and registrars were reported to bully students more frequently than nurses. Increased bullying frequency was significantly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. The main themes to emerge in the qualitative analysis were 1) Negative emotions relating to demographic bullying, 2)Systemised bullying within specific departments which according to the student are repetitive and expected, and 3) Feelings of academic pressure and fear associated to the bullying they have encountered Conclusion: This study suggests that the frequency of perceived bullying in South African medical students is consistent with rates reported in the literature. Bullying may follow the lines of medical hierarchies (with consultants being perceived as most likely to be the bully). Further, social disparities seem to be associated with increased bullying, with female and black students more often targeted. Specific interventions are needed to address bullying and associated psychological distress.

Although women are half of the medical students' population, they may have, different values than men and may be faced with organizational constraints in their medical schools and barriers to their career once they graduate. The general aim of this study is to highlight the question of gender equality in the educational process and the implications for educational managers arising from this issue. The specific objectives of the study are to identify male and female medical students personal values, experiences with regard to the curriculum, career's preparation, mentoring and abuse during the medical education and gender effect after graduation. The research tries to suggest ways in which educational managers can address possible gender inequality. The research is carried out in two phases. The first phase is a survey of a sample of final-year medical students from three and of four medical schools in Israel. In the second phase, a case study of one of the medical schools is carried out. Interviews with students and faculty members provide data to triangulate and illuminate the findings of the survey. Documentary analysis of the school's official prospectus enables further triangulation. Based on the findings, the conclusions are that although women and men medical students tend to differ in their career goals, they are similar in other values. Yet, women medical students are discriminated against to some extend with regard to school experiences such as career's preparation, and student abuse. Surprisingly more men students than women complain on discrimination. Other gender differences are apparent with regard to career choices and opportunities. It appears that a culture of 'gender blindness' is prevalent at medical faculties. The recommendations are that just to wait for the 'critical mass' effect is not enough and educational managers should try to address barriers faced by female students.

Since the middle of the 20th century digital technological developments have transformed human behaviour on an individual, group and societal level. The result of which is that screen time is now an integral part of people’s lives, including that of children. Given this, this research study aims to further extend the current research on the phenomenon of screen time by exploring the views and lived experiences of children. The concept of screen time is broad, therefore, for the purposes of this research screen time is defined as the use of a handheld smart electronic device that is generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G that can operate interactively allowing users to both find and share information. In this research study five participants in the final year of primary school shared their experiences through semi-structured interviews. Transcripts from the interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to generate themes. Four superordinate themes emerged across all participants. These were: • Habitual • Sense of self • Impact on wellbeing and anxiety • Social relationships Possible implications of the study are discussed including further research and implications for educational psychology practice in supporting schools and families in relation to the phenomena of screen time.

Within the nursing profession, the transition from the student to a graduate nurse is a common rite of passage that marks the end of initial educational preparation in the discipline and the beginning of a professional journey as a nurse and a member of the multidisciplinary team (Nash, Lemcke & Sacre. 2009:48). This is a period of adjustment, stress, growth and development and the transitional nurse is likely to feel uncomfortable, fearful and may experience feelings of inadequacy. This study was undertaken to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students at a public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape regarding their preparedness to become registered nurses, with the aim to identify gaps and make recommendations on strategies to close the gaps. The objectives were to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students at the public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape Province with regard to their preparedness to become registered nurses and to recommend strategies to improve the preparation of nursing students for transition to become registered nurses. To answer the research question “What are the experiences of final year nursing students at a public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape Province with regard their preparedness to become registered nurses”, a qualitative, explorative and descriptive design was used as a framework for the study. Data were collected by means of unstructured focus group interviews with a purposively selected sample of 27 final year nursing students at the particular college of nursing. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method of analysis for qualitative research. Two themes emerged, revealing that participants at the college experienced preparedness and lack of preparedness to assume the role of a professional nurse. This related to certain aspects that had an impact on the preparation of the final year nursing students for practice and included: curriculum-related aspects; clinical teaching and learning support; learning opportunities; interpersonal relationships between lecturers, students and clinical staff; equipment; and library resources. It was concluded that the learning needs of the nursing students were not adequately catered for, leading to lack of preparedness. Through the involvement of nursing students in the evaluation of their learning, shortfalls in both education and practice areas could therefore be detected. Recommendations regarding strategies to be used to promote preparedness of final year nursing students included: continuous feedback on student performance in the form of exit evaluations on the part of students to identify learning needs; writing of progress reports on the part of clinical practice; and the employment of clinical preceptors with clear role specifications between the lecturers, ward sisters and preceptors to avoid role confusion.

Stories are used to communicate culture, belief, knowledge and understanding. This study filled a gap in the evidence and explored final year midwifery students’ views and experiences of practice-related storytelling as a means for learning. The initial study of four participants used an interpretive phenomenological approach. The main study, conducted in a different university in England, was informed by social constructivism and phenomenography. A purposive sample of 15 participants was recruited from two cohorts of final year students. Data were collected between November 2015 and March 2016, through four focus groups and two semi-structured interviews. These were analysed using a seven step phenomenographic process. The findings indicate that stories are viewed as ‘vehicles’ to communicate childbearing women’s stories; ‘signposts’ to help avoid mistakes in practice; ‘batons’ to pass on learning to other students; ‘comfort blankets’ to reassure and as ‘capstones’ of learning. These metaphors are connected through the analogy of midwifery students’ journeys towards registration. Stories and storytelling link theory to practice, and engage students’ emotions. They facilitate transformational learning, and are a memorable way to learn about practice. Stories are ‘held onto’, particularly in challenging situations, and are a means for ‘containing’ students’ emotions. Students deliberately tell stories in their ‘communities of practice’, within the ‘liminal space’ of clinical practice, and when returning to university. A conceptual model illustrates how stories and storytelling are viewed and experienced by midwifery students. Storytelling is a valuable pedagogical approach to learning. Educators should ensure story-sharing is embedded in curricula, and draw on their personal ‘store of stories’ to enhance teaching. Service users’ digital and face-to-face stories should be used to enable compassionate practice. Mentors should be able to debrief their own critical experiences before passing these stories on to students. Peer storytelling and listening opportunities should be facilitated in practice and university.

Bridges (2004) defines a transition as “a natural process of disorientation or re-orientation” marking the turning points of life (p. 3). One such turning point that has recently attracted the attention of higher education is the shift from university to life-after-study. Some universities, especially in the U.S., have developed programmes and courses to help prepare and support students for this transition. However, most of these educational initiatives have been developed without empirical research that explores graduates’ needs. In this research, therefore, I have sought to understand the experiences and perspectives of recent graduates in the post-university transition with the hope that this may inform potential institutional practices. Twenty young, recent graduates, who were broadly representative of their (U.S.) university’s student population in terms of degree, gender, and ethnicity, were selected to participate in this research. They engaged in recorded, semi-structured interviews and email interviews over a six-month period. Transcripts of interviews were analysed using typical qualitative procedures informed by interpretivism, symbolic interactionism, naturalistic inquiry, and narrativity. Results indicated that despite individual variability, participants shared some common perspectives. Four main themes emerged from the data. Three illustrated the difficulty of the post-university transition (shifting identities, searching, and unmet expectations), but the fourth illustrated how participants used people and resources (stabilisers) to foster support and balance in their transition. Furthermore, participants offered a range of suggestions about ways their institution might help graduating students better prepare for this transition and life-after-university. Recommendations based on these suggestions provide ideas for career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills that institutions might choose to implement.

Magister Curationis - MCur
In South Africa, mental health nursing forms part of the basic (pre-registration) education of Professional Nurses, in order to equip them for employment as general nurses in the comprehensive health services of the country. Mental health nursing is an interpersonal process, in which counselling is aimed at supporting and facilitating healthy lifestyle functioning. At the higher education institution of interest, psychiatry nursing is incorporated at the final year level of nursing. The student nurses are prepared with the theory of psychiatric nursing, two weeks before their clinical placement in hospitals and clinics. At the end of the year, they are expected to pass both the theory and practical component. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of final year student nurses, regarding their preparedness for psychiatric clinical placement. The objective of the study was to describe the experiences of the students, regarding their preparedness for psychiatric clinical placement. A descriptive design, with a qualitative approach, was used to explore and describe the phenomenon under investigation. The researcher used purposive sampling to select participants for the study from a population of final year student nurses of a higher education institution in the Western Cape. They met the sampling criteria because they knew a great deal about the phenomenon of interest, had completed the two-week orientation programme and worked in a clinical placement for at least three months. Their participation in the study was on a voluntary basis. The researcher used unstructured interviews to collect data from the participants. The data analysis was done following Coliazzi's seven steps. The findings indicated that the students were not prepared for their psychiatric placements, even though they attended a two-week orientation programme, prior to their placements. It was revealed that anxiety played a huge role in the unpreparedness of students. The participants, therefore, suggest that the orientation period be extended. The researcher, however, applauds the staff members in the clinical placements and urges them to maintain their positive attitude towards the students, as the participants acknowledged and appreciated their support.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Home-based rehabilitation (HBR) in under-resourced areas in a primary health care context exposes students to the real life situations of clients. The educational experience of HBR, underpinned by the theory of situated learning, promotes experiential and transformative learning. HBR leads not only to academic learning and personal development, but also to an understanding of social accountability and responsibility. Physiotherapy students and their clients frequently have diverse lingual, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds which may hinder the provision of appropriate treatment to clients in their residences. Increased knowledge of HBR in the physiotherapy context could result in an enhanced experience for both student and client. This study sought to explore the perceptions of physiotherapy students and their clients regarding HBR as part of clinical training in resource-constrained settings. Whether the students felt adequately prepared to perform HBR was also explored. A qualitative research design in the interpretivist paradigm was used. An exploratory case study was performed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clients (N=7) living in an under-resourced setting who had received HBR from physiotherapy students. Paired interviews were conducted with final year physiotherapy students (N=6) after their HBR placement. The data were subjected to inductive thematic analysis and themes developed. The findings showed that while clients appreciated the students’ services, there were communication barriers and unmet expectations. Students reported difficulty in adapting to the unfamiliar context, resulting in interventions not being sufficiently client-centred. They voiced a need for language competency to assist in communication. Earlier facilitated exposure to under-resourced contexts in the early clinical phase was suggested to reduce culture shock. An awareness of home environments in under-resourced areas influenced the students’ interventions in other contexts. To gain maximum benefit from the learning opportunities available through HBR, students require support for client management and client-centred problem solving in an under-resourced setting. Guided reflection should form part of the HBR placement to facilitate the construction of new knowledge, to promote deep transformative learning and to increase the students’ awareness of their role as change agents. Exposure to real life situations in under-resourced settings in the form of HBR provides valuable situated and authentic learning opportunities for physiotherapy students. The experience can be useful in preparing graduates to address the needs of the populations they will serve during community service.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tuisgebaseerde rehabilitasie (TBR) in ondervoorsiende gebiede in die primêre gesondheidsorg-konteks stel studente bloot aan die werklike lewensomstandighede van kliënte. Die opvoedkundige ondervinding van TBR, gerugsteun deur die teorie van gesitueerde leer, bevorder ervarings- en transformasionele leer. TBR lei nie net tot akademiese leer en persoonlike ontwikkeling nie, maar bevorder ook insig in maatskaplike verantwoordbaarheid en verantwoordelikheid. Fisioterapie-studente en hul kliënte het dikwels verskillende taal-, sosio-ekonomiese en kulturele agtergronde wat kan verhinder dat die toepaslike behandeling vir kliënte tuis verskaf word. ’n Toename in kennis van TBR in die fisioterapie-konteks kan lei tot ’n beter ondervinding vir beide die student en die kliënt. Die doel van die studie is om die persepsies van die fisioterapie-studente en hul kliënte met betrekking tot TBR, as deel van die kliniese opleiding in omgewings waar daar beperkte hulpbronne is, na te vors. Daar is ook nagegaan of die studente gevoel het dat hulle genoegsaam voorberei is om die TBR toe te pas. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp in die interpreterende paradigma is gebruik. ’n Verkennende gevalle-studie is gedoen. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die kliënte (N=7) wat in ondervoorsiende omstandighede leef en wat TBR van fisioterapie-studente ontvang het, gevoer. Onderhoude is in pare met fisioterapiestudente in hul finale jaar (N=6) gevoer nadat hulle hul TBR-plasing voltooi het. ’n Induktiewe tematiese analise van die data is gedoen en temas is ontwikkel. Die resultate het getoon dat, alhoewel die kliënte waardering gehad het vir die dienste wat deur die studente gelewer is, daar kommunikasiegapings en onvervulde verwagtinge was. Die studente het gerapporteer dat hulle gesukkel het om aan te pas by die onbekende omgewing met die gevolg dat die intervensies nie genoegsaam kliëntgerig was nie. Hulle het ook aangedui dat daar ’n behoefte is om die nodige taalvaardigheid te ontwikkel om kommunikasie te verbeter. Die kultuurskok wat beleef is, kan moontlik in die vroeë kliniese fase reeds gefasiliteer word deur die studente aan ondervoorsiende kontekste bloot te stel. Die kennis van die tuisomgewings in ondervoorsiende areas het ’n invloed gehad op die studente se intervensies in ander kontekste. Studente benodig ondersteuning in kliëntebestuur en kliëntgesentreerde probleemoplossing in ondervoorsiende omgewings ten einde maksimum voordeel te verkry uit leergeleenthede wat beskikbaar is deur TBR. Begeleide refleksie behoort deel te vorm van die TBR-plasing om die opbou van nuwe kennis te fasilliteer, diepgaande transformatiewe leer te bevorder en die student se bewustheid van hul rol om verandering teweeg te bring, op te skerp. TBR voorsien nie net waardevolle, outentieke leergeleenthede ter plaatse nie, maar gee ook die fisioterapie-studente blootstelling aan die werklike situasies waarin mense hulle in ondervoorsiende omgewings bevind. Hierdie ondervinding kan waardevol wees om graduandi voor te berei om die behoeftes aan te spreek van die bevolkingsgroepe wat hulle tydens hul gemeenskapsdiensjaar sal bedien.

Magister Curationis
Background: Globally, nurses and midwives are the most important healthcare providers. In most countries, nurses and midwives are often the first point of contact to healthcare, and in many rural areas, they are the only point of contact for patients. Skilled midwives are essential for the care of pregnant women and the safe delivery of their infants. Midwives play an important role in promoting the health and wellbeing of women, newborns and their families. In South Africa, slow progress in reducing maternal mortality can be partially attributed to a lack of appropriately trained health professionals to render some basic maternal care services. Aim & objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the self-perception of preparedness for midwifery practice of final-year nursing students at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa. The objectives of the study were to: identify midwifery skills final-year nursing students found challenging to perform independently, determine the level of confidence of final-year nursing students for managing patients in the maternity unit, determine the level of comfort/confidence of final-year nursing students in key practice skills performance, and collect baseline evidence of nursing students’ perceptions of self-preparedness to inform the higher education institution of gaps and needs identified by nursing students. Methodology: A quantitative research approach using a descriptive survey design was implemented to gather information. A self-administered questionnaire using the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey was used. Due to the limited size of the population, an all-inclusive sampling strategy was utilised, with a sample size of N=217. At the time of the survey, only 164 nursing students attended class. Only 112 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 70.88%. All returned questionnaires had no missing data. SPSS Statistics version 25 was utilised for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and tests for association were utilised.

This ethnographic case study explores how four dyslexic pupils coped with classroom reading during their final two years at a large prim3IY school in an exmining village on the outskirts of a northern city. The research takes a constructivist view of childhood which regards pupils as competent reporters of their experiences, and connects the psychological concept of dyslexia with a socio-cultural view of literacy development. The central tenets of symbolic interactionism and ideas put forward by the mid-twentieth century sociologist, Erving Goffinan, form a theoretical underpinning and frame the qualitative analysis of the observational and interview data. The findings suggest that the pupils' dyslexic difficulties had a negative effect on their reader identity and that this resulted in low self-esteem in the academic domain. Problems with word reading meant that many texts encountered at school were beyond their independent level and the consequence was marginalisation within the classroom community of literate practice, an effect intensified by attendance at withdrawal sessions. However, the need to present themselves in a favourable cultural light resulted in the use of impression management techniques designed to enable them to appear more competent readers than they really were. The pupils also developed a repertoire of inter-person and within-person coping strategies for difficult reading which all had the effect of minimizing the amount of text they read themselves. These strategies could be viewed as positive in the short term in that they enabled them to function in the classroom with some semblance of normality, but were damaging to learning in the longer term as problems with reading were disguised. Electronic multimodal texts, especially those associated with internet use, have increased the complexity of classroom reading in recent years, and the findings of this study suggest that they may have added to the marginalisation experienced by dyslexic pupils.

Aims There is a lack of sufficient knowledge about the stress experience in counselling psychology training. Previous research suffered methodological issues and there was a specific lack of qualitative studies. This research aims to contribute towards the topic as it explores the experience of stress in counselling psychology training from the perspective of young final year female trainees. Design Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight final year female trainees (aged between 25 and 30) in order to explore their experiences of stress and major stressors in counselling psychology doctoral training. Method Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the verbatim transcripts of interviews. Findings The process of analysis identified three superordinate themes: ‘identifying ambivalence in training’ (refers to the trainees’ mixed views about stress in training); ‘the impact of training on self and self-and-other’ (refers to the perceived lack of life outside of the training and high risk of failure); and ‘managing the lack of boundaries in training’ (refers to the process of merging with training and being forced to age). The themes are considered in relation to relevant existing literature. Conclusions Findings imply that young female trainees perceive stress as an integral element of training, which is both destructive and promoting their growth. It is suggested that training programmes should consider developing targeted interventions to support these trainees. Evaluation of the current study is followed by recommendations for future research.

La present tesi doctoral s’ha centrat en el repte d’aconseguir, mitjançant Fabricació Additiva (FA), models per a assaig quirúrgic, sota la premissa que els equips per fer-los haurien de ser accessibles a l’àmbit hospitalari. L’objectiu és facilitar l’extensió de l’ús dels prototips com a eina de preparació d’operacions quirúrgiques, transformant la pràctica mèdica actual de la mateixa manera que en el seu moment ho van fer tecnologies com les que van facilitar l’ús de radiografies. El motiu d’utilitzar FA, en lloc de tecnologies més tradicionals, és la seva capacitat de materialitzar de forma directa les dades digitals obtingudes de l’anatomia del pacient mitjançant sistemes d’escanejat tridimensional, fent possible l’obtenció de models personalitzats. Els resultats es centren en la generació de nou coneixement sobre com aconseguir equipaments d’impressió 3D multimaterials accessibles que permetin l’obtenció de models mimètics respecte als teixits vius. Per facilitar aquesta buscada extensió de la tecnologia, s’ha focalitzat en les tecnologies de codi obert com la Fabricació per Filament Fos (FFF) i similars basades en líquids catalitzables. La recerca s’alinea dins l’activitat de desenvolupament de la FA al CIM UPC, i en aquest àmbit concret amb la col·laboració amb l’Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona (HSJD). El primer bloc de la tesi inclou la descripció de l’estat de l’art, detallant les tecnologies existents i la seva aplicació a l’entorn mèdic. S’han establert per primer cop unes bases de caracterització dels teixits vius -sobretot tous- per donar suport a la selecció de materials que els puguin mimetitzar en un procés de FA, a efectes de millorar l’experiència d’assaig dels cirurgians. El caràcter rígid dels materials majoritàriament usats en impressió 3D els fa poc útils per simular tumors i altres referències anatòmiques. De forma successiva, es tracten paràmetres com la densitat, la viscoelasticitat, la caracterització dels materials tous a la indústria, l’estudi del mòdul elàstic de teixits tous i vasos, la duresa d’aquests, i requeriments com l’esterilització dels models. El segon bloc comença explorant la impressió 3D mitjançant FFF. Es classifiquen les variants del procés des del punt de vista de la multimaterialitat, essencial per fer models d’assaig quirúrgic, diferenciant entre solucions multibroquet i de barreja al capçal. S’ha inclòs l’estudi de materials (filaments i líquids) que serien més útils per mimetitzar teixits tous. Es constata com en els líquids, en comparació amb els filaments, la complexitat del treball en processos de FA és més elevada, i es determinen formes d’imprimir materials molt tous. Per acabar, s’exposen sis casos reals de col·laboració amb l’HJSD, una selecció d’aquells en els que el doctorand ha intervingut en els darrers anys. L’origen es troba en la dificultat de l’abordatge d’operacions de resecció de tumors infantils com el neuroblastoma, i a la iniciativa del Dr. Lucas Krauel. Finalment, el Bloc 3 té per objecte explorar nombrosos conceptes (fins a 8), activitat completada al llarg dels darrers cinc anys amb el suport dels mitjans del CIM UPC i de l’activitat associada a treballs finals d’estudis d’estudiants de la UPC, arribant-se a materialitzar equipaments experimentals per validar-los. La recerca ampla i sistemàtica al respecte fa que s’estigui més a prop de disposar d’una solució d’impressió 3D multimaterial de sobretaula. Es determina que la millor via de progrés és la de disposar d’una pluralitat de capçals independents a fi de capacitar la impressora 3D per integrar diversos conceptes estudiats, materialitzant-se una possible solució. Cloent la tesi, es planteja com seria un equipament d’impressió 3D per a models d’assaig quirúrgic, a fi de servir de base per a futurs desenvolupaments.
La presente tesis doctoral se ha centrado en el reto de conseguir, mediante Fabricación Aditiva (FA), modelos para ensayo quirúrgico, bajo la premisa que los equipos para obtenerlos tendrían que ser accesibles al ámbito hospitalario. El objetivo es facilitar la extensión del uso de modelos como herramienta de preparación de operaciones quirúrgicas, transformando la práctica médica actual de la misma manera que, en su momento, lo hicieron tecnologías como las que facilitaron el uso de radiografías. El motivo de utilizar FA, en lugar de tecnologías más tradicionales, es su capacidad de materializar de forma directa los datos digitales obtenidos de la anatomía del paciente mediante sistemas de escaneado tridimensional, haciendo posible la obtención de modelos personalizados. Los resultados se centran en la generación de nuevo conocimiento para conseguir equipamientos de impresión 3D multimateriales accesibles que permitan la obtención de modelos miméticos respecto a los tejidos vivos. Para facilitar la buscada extensión de la tecnología, se ha focalizado en las tecnologías de código abierto como la Fabricación por Hilo Fundido (FFF) y similares basadas en líquidos catalizables. Esta investigación se alinea dentro de la actividad de desarrollo de la FA en el CIM UPC, y en este ámbito concreto con la colaboración con el Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona (HSJD). El primer bloque de la tesis incluye la descripción del estado del arte, detallando las tecnologías existentes y su aplicación al entorno médico. Se han establecido por primera vez unas bases de caracterización de los tejidos vivos – principalmente blandos – para dar apoyo a la selección de materiales que los puedan mimetizar en un proceso de FA, a efectos de mejorar la experiencia de ensayo de los cirujanos. El carácter rígido de los materiales mayoritariamente usados en impresión 3D los hace poco útiles para simular tumores y otras referencias anatómicas. De forma sucesiva, se tratan parámetros como la densidad, la viscoelasticidad, la caracterización de materiales blandos en la industria, el estudio del módulo elástico de tejidos blandos y vasos, la dureza de los mismos, y requerimientos como la esterilización de los modelos. El segundo bloque empieza explorando la impresión 3D mediante FFF. Se clasifican las variantes del proceso desde el punto de vista de la multimaterialidad, esencial para hacer modelos de ensayo quirúrgico, diferenciando entre soluciones multiboquilla y de mezcla en el cabezal. Se ha incluido el estudio de materiales (filamentos y líquidos) que serían más útiles para mimetizar tejidos blandos. Se constata como en los líquidos, en comparación con los filamentos, la complejidad del trabajo en procesos de FA es más elevada, y se determinan formas de imprimir materiales muy blandos. Para acabar, se exponen seis casos reales de colaboración con el HJSD, una selección de aquellos en los que el doctorando ha intervenido en los últimos años. El origen se encuentra en la dificultad del abordaje de operaciones de resección de tumores infantiles como el neuroblastoma, y en la iniciativa del Dr. Lucas Krauel. Finalmente, el Bloque 3 desarrolla numerosos conceptos (hasta 8), actividad completada a lo largo de los últimos cinco años con el apoyo de los medios del CIM UPC y de la actividad asociada a trabajos finales de estudios de estudiantes de la UPC, llegándose a materializar equipamientos experimentales para validarlos. La investigación amplia y sistemática al respecto hace que se esté más cerca de disponer de una solución de impresión 3D multimaterial de sobremesa. Se determina que la mejor vía de progreso es la de disponer de una pluralidad de cabezales independientes, a fin de capacitar la impresora 3D para integrar diversos conceptos estudiados, materializándose una posible solución. Para cerrar la tesis, se plantea cómo sería un equipamiento de impresión 3D para modelos de ensayo quirúrgico, a fin de servir de base para futuros desarrollos.

This thesis investigates the evolving learning needs and expectations of modern day higher education students in Australia, and explores the efficacy of online social networking tools within design and digital media education. This research is concerned with tertiary students at both first and final year levels, and also focuses on the international student experience within Australia. The principle aims of the research are a) to determine the effectiveness of social networking sites for improving the first year learning experience by establishing connections, both academic and social, between students, specifically connections between local and international students; and b) to establish networking opportunities for final year design students with relevant professionals, including recent graduates and industry leaders. The core research is conducted through two case studies, focussing on the use of Facebook as an online learning environment for both first and final year education. The first year case study uses the course Imaging Our World as an academic platform, and is analysed from 2008 to 2011. The final year case study uses the Master of Design with Digital Media program as an academic platform, and is analysed from 2009 to 2011. From 2008 to 2011 first year students engaged with their peers through an online forum in Facebook, in addition to the traditional teaching mechanisms of lectures and tutorials. Students were required to submit work online, and critique their peers’ submissions. The 2008 experience showed that the virtual classroom hosted by Facebook provided a platform for students to generate preliminary academic and social interactions with peers in first year university, while meeting the diverse learning needs and attitudes of Generation-Y. These relationships however often stayed embryonic in nature, due to a lack of connection between the real and virtual classrooms. In 2009 online discussions were transferred and expanded upon in the physical classroom to promote face-to-face interaction. This blended learning environment helped transform emergent online connections into meaningful relationships by supporting virtual communication with face-to-face communication in the classroom. A shift in focus from stand-alone content galleries to work-in-progress galleries in 2010 revealed that the virtual environment in Facebook enabled students to produce strong academic results, by submitting preliminary design work throughout the semester and receiving constant feedback from a range of sources. In 2011 the study expanded to include national and international partners. The resulting experience indicated that Facebook has the potential to host international design classrooms, allowing students from around the world to connect with their global peers, learn about new fields of design, and improve their own work via feedback from an ever-growing number of sources. The online environment in Facebook improved the first year experience by providing students with a platform to establish connections with their peers. The virtual environment negated common first year communicative pitfalls, and enabled interaction that might not have otherwise occurred. Between 2008 and 2011, relationships, both academic and social, were forged between peers; these relationships provided support for students as they adjusted to university life, and led to a sense of belonging in the learning community. The three year study in the Master of Design with Digital Media program provided much insight into the use of Facebook as a learning environment for industry and peer mentoring in design education. From 2009 to 2011 final year students engaged with their peers and a group of industry mentors within an online forum in Facebook. Students were required to submit work-in-progress related to major assignments online, whereupon mentors would provide critical feedback the following week. The 2009 pilot study showed that the scheme allowed students to receive feedback and critiques from a range of sources including current peers, recent graduates from the program, and leading local and national industry professionals. It also presented students with the opportunity to gain insight into various design professions while they were still studying and forge connections with potential future employers. In the 2010, the scheme was revised with a more structured framework and as a result there was more consistent feedback for all students from the mentors. At least two mentors provided critiques to each student every week, resulting in long online discussions and significant networking opportunities for the cohort. Both the 2009 and 2010 schemes led to strong connections between mentor and mentee participants, including work experience and paid employment. In 2011 the study expanded to include an international partner in the United States. In this scheme final year students from Australia would mentor undergraduate students from the United States, while the Australian students would in turn be mentored by United States staff and industry professionals. The 2011 experience outlined that Facebook is suitable to host collaborative international mentor projects. Interaction between students was strong throughout the semester, and all parties benefitted from the opportunity to collaborate with their global peers and industry partners. The online environment in Facebook helped establish a framework for an evolving and expanding community of students, recent graduates and industry leaders, to promote professional networking. Given the global nature of the design industry, there is a strong need to connect with peers and industry leaders around the world. The opportunities for national and international collaboration are endless, at both university and industry levels. Students seeking advice and mentoring are no longer limited to their immediate geographical location, and similarly, companies can discover and establish connections with potential employees all over the world.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2012

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During the course of a Final Year Engineering Project (FYEP), students need to apply a variety of skills, including time management, project management and personal reflection. Students can use logbooks to demonstrate progress to their supervisors, who may then provide feedback through formative assessment. Within the School of Engineering, Design and Technology, the FYEP concludes with an assessed report and poster presentation. The University provides all students with access to an e-portfolio tool (PebblePAD). E-portfolio tools allow students to generate, store and share evidence, minute meetings and record reflections. There is possible scope for enhancing the FYEP experience through the use of e-portfolio tools by, for example, maintaining communication, monitoring progress and providing feedback. The poster provides an introduction to the project, highlighting a sample of survey results from FYEP students and supervisors, respectively.
Royal Academy of Engineering National HE STEM Programme

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The Royal Academy of Engineering, together with the Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre, organised one of the two Dissemination Seminars at University of Bradford. This event was for the project leaders of funded engineering projects under their three calls, opened between March 2010 and March 2011.
Royal Academy of Engineering, National HE STEM Programme.

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The presentation provides information on the results of the on-line student and staff surveys that addressed the final year engineering project experience. The work was performed as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering's National HE STEM Programme. The presentation was made at Outduction's National Conference at Kew Gardens. Outduction was a three-year collaborative project between Kingston University London and University of Bradford, funded by the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, which aimed to improve understanding of the experience of students in their final year of undergraduate study.
Royal Academy of Engineering, National HE STEM Programme