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A framework for interpreting experimental errors in VISIR

Publication . Garcia-Zubia, Javier; Alves, Gustavo R.; Hernandez-Jayo, Unai; Cuadros, Jordi; Serrano, Vanessa; Fidalgo, André

Students usually do errors while performing experiments. In traditional, hands-on labs, instructors are able to help students surpass those errors. In non-traditional labs, like virtual labs or simulations, the support is usually provided by built-in mechanisms that prevent erroneous actions or that provide some sort of online assistance. In remote labs, like the Virtual Instruments Systems in Reality (VISIR) remote lab, the same principle applies. This paper describes the very initial stage of a framework for interpreting experimental errors done in VISIR. It considers the course syllabus of electrical circuits and situates the work done till the moment, in relation to that syllabus. Future work is also addressed.

2019Conference object

Open access

Impact of a remote lab on teaching practices and student learning

Publication . Viegas, Clara; Pavani, Ana; Lima, Natércia; Marques, Maria Arcelina; Pozzo, Isabel; Dobboletta, Elsa; Atencia, Vanessa; Barreto, Daniel; Calliari, Felipe; Fidalgo, André; Lima, Delberis; Temporão, Guilherme; Alves, Gustavo R.

Remote Laboratories have become part of current teaching and learning, particularly in engineering. Their potential to aid students beyond their hands-on lab classes has been a matter of discussion in literature. Teachers and researchers are aware that the thorough analysis of both strengths and shortcomings of remote labs in didactical implementations may not only lead to the improvement of these resources but also of the pedagogical implications in engineering classes. The present study was carried out in a Higher Education Institution in Brazil in two different courses during three consecutive semesters where a remote lab (VISIR) addressing electric and electronic topics was implemented, yielding 471 students' academic results and opinions. These students' results (while using VISIR) cross-analysed with the course characteristics, reveal some factors teachers may tackle to foster student learning and motivation. The conclusions point to the need for VISIR interface modernization and showed it is more useful in basic courses than in more advanced ones, when dealing with classic lab experiments. Results also show that teachers' involvement plus their ability to brief students on VISIR's usefulness have a significant influence not only on students' performance but also on their perception of learning and satisfaction with the tool. In the analysed cases, the students with more learning needs seemed to be the ones who could benefit more from VISIR.

2018-11Journal article

Open access

Engineering education addressing professional challenges

Publication . Viegas, Clara; Marques, Maria Arcelina; Alves, Gustavo R.

Engineering profession is very demanding because of the different competences young graduates need to master. The exponential growth in technology, even though very beneficial to all, tends to worsen their needs of expertise, having to endlessly update themselves. Engineering education has been addressing these issues, hoping to contribute to better teaching practices more aligned with engineering professional world. Students must develop the necessary competences from the beginning of their education and engage into actively learning the subjects. Three aspects of this problematic are presented in this special session: educational experiences, students’ learning and professional challenges

2019Conference object

Open access

Slow pyrolysis of oil palm mesocarp fibres: Effect of operating temperature

Publication . Almeida, A. F.; Direito, D.; Pilão, Rosa Maria; Mayer, B.

This study investigated the effect of temperature on the slow pyrolysis of oil palm mesocarp fibres. The biomass was characterized in terms of proximate and ultimate analysis, and its higher heating value (HHV) was 18.51 MJ/kg. For pyrolysis temperatures from 469 to 783°C, at a heating rate of 20°C/min, bio-char yield varied between 32.7% and 25.8%. Gas and liquid phases were analysed by gas chromatography and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR), respectively. CO2 was the major gas produced for all temperatures (6.9 to 10.0mol/kg of biomass) and H2 concentration increased rapidly as the temperature rose (0.6 to 8.0 mol/kg of biomass). FTIR measurements show that the bio-oils contained alcohols, phenols, alkanes, alkenes, carboxylic acids, aldehydes and aromatic compounds. The HHV of both bio-chars (27.50 to 28.86 MJ/kg) and bio-oils (25.95 to 28.50 MJ/kg) were measured. Thermal decomposition of the fibres was also studied using thermogravimetric analysis.

2019Conference object

Restricted access

A robust ex vivo method to evaluate the diffusion properties of agents in biological tissues

Publication . Carneiro, Isa; Carvalho, Sónia; Henrique, Rui; Oliveira, Luís; Tuchin, Valery V.

A robust method is presented for evaluating the diffusion properties of chemicals in ex vivo biological tissues. Using this method that relies only on thickness and collimated transmittance measurements, the diffusion properties of glycerol, fructose, polypropylene glycol and water in muscle tissues were evaluated. Amongst other results, the diffusion coefficient of glycerol in colorectal muscle was estimated with a value of 3.3 × 10-7 cm2 /s. Due to the robustness and simplicity of the method, it can be used in other fields of biomedical engineering, namely in organ cryoprotection and food industry.

2019Journal article

Restricted access