Environmental Engineering Students Research Articles

Experimental and Didactical Strategy to Improve Understanding of the Fundamental Concepts in Quantum Physics.

Quantum physics is an essential theory serving to explore nature at its smallest scales. Interaction between elemental particles in matter is leading toward new potential alternatives for producing decarbonized clean energies. Despite its importance, students find difficulties in understanding quantum mechanics due to a wrong categorization of the fundamental concepts. Studying quantum physics needs a new flexible ontology in which the quantum entity can have particle or wave properties depending on the context. We developed a workshop in quantum devices to put concepts into the correct conceptual categorization. With the aim of strengthening interinstitutional exchange, we realized the workshop with a population conformed by environmental engineering students of the Corporación Universitaria Uniagraria. Meeting took place in the Institución Universitaria Politécnico Grancolombiano facilities. Laser, LED (Light Emitting Diode), and photocell were the devices used to introduce the most fundamental concepts of quantum physics. The theoretical component of the workshop was divided into two main elements, the first, radiation-matter interaction, and the second, electrical transport mechanisms in materials. Pedagogical instruments employed were diagnostic proof, evaluative proof, and satisfaction inquiry. Despite the success achieved in the general realization of the workshop, students suggested some aspects for considering in future versions.

Efektivitas Bangunan Organic Coastal Defence (OCD) untuk Meningkatkan Persentase Keberhasilan Penanaman Mangrove di Mempawah Mangrove Park

Damage to the mangrove forest ecosystem causes the erosion of beach-forming sediments. Mempawah Mangrove Park (MMP) has experienced severe abrasion and this abrasion caused the land around the coast of MMP to be lost in the current. The loss of land was exacerbated by the destruction of mangrove forests, so in 2011 MMP carried out reforestation of mangrove forests to restore the lost land. Planting often fails, where newly planted mangroves die and are lost in sea currents after 1 to 2 months after planting. In 2022 MMP will collaborate with Environmental Engineering Students at Tanjungpura University under the auspices of the Tanjungpura University Laboratory UPT in activities Matching fund to innovate mud-retaining buildings and breakwaters. The building was named Organic Coastal Defence (OCD). The OCD building consists of a mud retaining building (mud trap) and breakwater buildings (breakwater). The materials used are pieces of board, pieces of wood and pieces of bamboo, where the majority of these materials are left over from building construction in MMP. This building was proven to be able to increase the percentage of success in mangrove planting where during the 6 month monitoring period mangroves that were living in good condition reached 50% in mud trap 1 and 58%. on mud trap 2.

Accessibility Strategies to Information to Strengthen the Quality of Service of a University

The modernization of governmental systems through digitization is a matter of utmost importance today. This shift towards digital aims to update and improve the quality of services they provide to citizens. Therefore, this research has the general objective of proposing accessibility strategies to information to strengthen the quality of service at the UEA in Ecuador, 2023. Methodologically, it is framed in a positivist paradigm, quantitative approach, with a non-experimental design, a descriptive cross-sectional design was used, which involved measuring the variables once and analyzing the results at a specific time. In this context, the study population consisted of 1,343 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the UEA, including the careers of Environmental Engineering, Tourism, and Biology. The sample calculation yielded a total of 371 students. The distribution of these students is as follows: 175 students of Environmental Engineering, of which 75 are men and 100 are women; 73 students of Tourism, of which 20 are men and 53 are women; and 123 students of Biology, of which 44 are men and 79 are women. In total, the sample includes 139 men and 232 women. Demonstrating a positive correlation between the implementation of strategies to improve accessibility to information and the quality of service at the UEA. By strengthening these strategies, the response capacity to student requests is improved.

A window into the academic term control mechanism: a thorough presentation of processed terms in the process of completing an environmental science dictionary

AbstractThe evaluation and improvement of scientific terminology translation plays a crucial role in consistently and accurately communicating knowledge at an academic level as well as in applying this theoretical knowledge in practice. This becomes even more important in countries such as Greece where the majority of scientific innovations originate from other, predominately English-speaking, countries. Consequently, the dissemination of this knowledge must go through a translation process. Within this context, the author is conducting postdoctoral research in the academic field of Environmental Engineering and Hydraulics in the School of Engineering of the AUTh, Department of Civil Engineering. The research focuses on evaluating English to Greek handbooks in the academic field of Environmental Engineering and Hydraulics by using a translation control mechanism based on seven variables firstly derived from the studies of Belgian translatologist Dirk Delabastita. The outcomes so far highlighted the quality of academic and translation work, but also identified a number of translation ambiguities, different semantic variations of terms within the source text in relation to their context, the complete absence of certain terms in the translated text, and the use of an incorrect term’s translation. The evaluation of all these cases constitutes a comprehensive decision-making process that can be applied by any translator of technical texts. This process involves first evaluating the translated texts in their mother tongue and then suggesting enhanced term translations, ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more cohesive scientific consensus in Environmental Engineering terminology to implement the optimal utilization of scientific environmental methods by the Greek academic community to protect the environment, particularly in the highly sensitive Eastern Mediterranean region. Moreover, this process represents an initial step toward creating a state-of-the-art tool in teaching technical translation and lexicography to Environmental Engineering students as well as introducing foreign terminology to students in the faculty of engineering and the schools of English language and literature in the department of translation and intercultural studies, with specialization in technical translation.

A STUDY OF ENGINEERING STUDENT’S ABILITY IN UNDERSTANDING PARTS OF SPEECH AT STTIND PADANG

The purpose of this study is to see the student’s understanding in identifying and classifying parts of speech at English Subject. Parts of speech are English basic component in which words are recognized and classified based on their lexical functions. They consist of eight major parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections. The instrument of this study is written test, there are two kinds of test: first, Identifying the italic word in a sentence and second is classifying the words that consist of 30 words about parts of speech then the participants sort them and classify into the table. The participants of this study are 40 students that consist of four majors; mining engineering, industry engineering, environmental engineering and information system students. From each major the researcher took 10 students. Based on the results of the research, it can be stated that the students’ understanding of parts of speech are varied on the range of 40%-90%. The lowest is ability to understand adverb, only 40% or 16 students ably to identify it, the highest one is Interjection, 90% or abou 36 students easily point out it.

Design, implementation and evaluation of end-of-course skills of undergraduate students in environmental health engineering using Objective Structured in field Examination (OSFE): An action research study

Design, implementation and evaluation of end-of-course skills of undergraduate students in environmental health engineering using Objective Structured in field Examination (OSFE): An action research study

Environmental engineering students’ motivation through foreign language learning in the context of digital teaching realization (on the example of Moodle virtual environment)

The article analyzes the ways digital teaching implementation during the process of foreign language learning by future environmental engineers. The relevance of the work is the need of society for highly qualified specialists with foreign language communication skills. The theoretical significance of the study is in the fact that ways of digital teaching implementation are considered. The practical significance of given paper is in the development of electronic educational and methodological complexes for various levels on the Moodle platform education during the process of foreign language learning, which allow to stimulate the desire for students’ motivation to success, effectively organize independent activities and enhance students’ cognitive activity. “Motivation of success and fear of failure (questionnaire of A. A. Rean)” was applied in the empirical study. The results showed that learning in virtual reality leads to increased motivation and involvement of students in the learning process. It is concluded that the competent organization of independent work in a virtual educational environment and the use of modern tools improve the quality of future environmental engineers’ professional training.

A student-driven multilevel approach for increasing energy sustainability of remote areas in the Emilia Romagna Apennines

This paper is aimed at discussing a series of energy sustainability solutions proposed by a master class of students in environmental engineering using analytical and visual collaborative tools. The activities described are part of the class “Sustainability and renewable sources” at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Six groups of 3-4 students worked on six energy efficiency and sustainability projects chosen from a remote area of the Apennines in Emilia Romagna. The specificity of the case-study framework allowed the implementation of projects where different sustainability aspects are integrated using tools of transitional thinking: agro-food production, use of renewable energy sources, waste management and social integration were considered. Each group identified the key actors for each project, allowing them to approach sustainability from a multilevel perspective. Net Present Value analyses were applied to evaluate economic viability of each project. Photovoltaic power plants and boilers fueled with local wood are the main renewable energy source identified to promote energy sustainability in each project. As result, the combination of the six works creates a powerful tool to demonstrate possible best practices for remote mountain areas.

Kegiatan Penanaman Pohon di Lingkungan Kampus II Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangka Raya dalam Rangka Mengurangi Resiko Banjir

Reforestation is an effort to plant trees or plants in places considered to be able to grow and develop these plants. Greening/reforestation is done to restore a beautiful and healthy environment without pollution. The atmosphere around the housing complex for the lecturers of Campus II University of Muhammadiyah Palangka Raya, there is still some vacant land, the trees are scarce, and each resident's house also has a few plants on its terraces. The results of the survey that we received were that the people's level of awareness about the importance of plants was shallow. This is the basis for this community service activity, by carrying out reforestation to build awareness of the importance of reforestation by planting trees to reduce the risk of flooding. This community service was carried out by 26 high school / vocational / MA students throughout Palangkaraya City and 18 students of Environmental Engineering, University of Muhammadiyah Palangka Raya, as many as 2020 and 2021 students by providing plant seeds and planting them directly on each side of the road in front of residents' houses. Plant seeds used are fruits and others. The result of the implementation of this activity is that the residents feel helped and happy; they also happily accept this activity; the residents think that it is easier for us students and students who directly plant their plants in their complex to try to reduce the risk of flooding or erosion.

Understanding Research Data Practices of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Students

Research data management is essential for high-quality reproducible research, yet relatively little is known about how research data management is practiced by graduate students in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Prior research suggests that faculty in CEE delegate research data management to graduate students, prompting this investigation into how graduate students practice data management. This study uses semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis to explore how CEE graduate students work with data and practice data management in their research, as well as what resources and support would meet their needs. Many respondents touched on data collection, data management, disseminating research outputs, and collaboration and learning in their interviews. Several themes emerged from the interviews: data quality as a concern, as many CEE graduate students rely on secondary data for research; a gap between values and enacted practices; a connection between disseminating data and reproducibility; and a reliance on peer and self-directed learning for data management education. Based on these themes, the study recommends strategies for librarians and others on campus to better support CEE graduate student research data practices.

Writing Essay as Essential Assessment in Groundwater Contamination Course

An essay was used as an assessment to illustrate a certain way of thinking and attitude of a student. The essay demonstrates the student's utmost degree as an author with a cognitive and affective style. The study aimed to provide a simple description of the essay as an assessment and critical function in the Groundwater Contamination course of the Environmental Engineering Program offered by Curtin University Malaysia. Groundwater Contamination is designed for students of environmental engineering and covers a number of topics, including groundwater characterization, contaminant transport processes in groundwater flow systems, migration and chemical development of contamination plumes, and groundwater remediation. No correlation exists between essay length (word count) and report or presentation grades, while there was a strong relationship between the student mark and essay content (R2 = 0.88), but a moderate relationship to essay format (R2 = 0.55). Overall, the students at Curtin University Malaysia were able to meet the Course Outcome of Groundwater Contamination and the Program Outcome of Environmental Engineering because of the essay they wrote as a test.

Development of a Learning Model of Quadric Surfaces With Augmented Reality and Didactic Engineering

<p class="0abstract">Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging technology that has permeated different spheres of life, one of them is education, and specifically the teaching-learning process at different educational levels and objects of study. For this reason, this paper presents the development of a learning model of quadric surfaces mediated by a mobile AR application and based on didactic engineering. The model was applied to a group of environmental engineering students of the Catholic University of Manizales. To obtain information on the use of the application and the learning results obtained, some intervention instruments were developed. The students stated that the use of AR allowed them to better understand the concepts of quadric surfaces, even more so in a time of pandemic by COVID-19, where education was highly measured by ICTs.</p>

Teaching Reform of Environmental Impact Assessment Course Focusing on Practical Ability Training

The environmental impact assessment course is a comprehensive and practical course for environmental science and engineering major. Environmental impact assessment is also an important employment direction for environmental science and engineering students after graduation. Continuous research on the teaching reform of this course is necessary for cultivating talents with strong creativity and practical ability. Based on the analysis of the current situation of the course teaching, it is proposed to update content of course, appropriately increase class hours, highlight the case-based practice teaching, clarify the teaching goals, highlight the direction of employment (environmental impact assessment engineers), focus on cultivating application and innovation capabilities, reform achievement assessment methods and other corresponding measures and solutions.

Sustainability of Wetlands in the Eyes of the New Generation of Environmental Engineering Students

This research paper investigates the general understanding and skills of young third-year environmental engineering students concerning the criteria for monitoring wetlands. Students were asked to describe approaches, data, and final solutions to identify and/or eliminate wetland odor. Over half of the students (55%) did not consider the “identification” strategy by which to determine the source of unexpected odors. The rest gave answers focused on “restoration” (24%) and “prevention” (15%) strategies, while 6% of the answers were unrelated. In fact, without knowing the causes and without thinking about the necessity/importance of visiting/surveying the site, students came up with a priori solutions. In their mind, the immediate cause of the odor could be a disturbed or unbalanced distribution/composition of ions, salts, or microbes in the water. Indeed, most data types (71%) were those related to “water”. As the final solution, 50% of responses considered “physical” followed by “legal and planning” solutions (32%). Each factor, including “Chemical” and “Biological”, constituted 9% of the answers. This research highlights engineering students’ communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities by contemplating class activities that simulate real-world situations. The research presumes that these engineering student cohorts represent typical student communities worldwide. Such findings contribute to policymaking in the engineering education system on a larger scale.

Designing and Assessment of Disinfection of Vegetables and Fruits Educational Software based on Smartphone for Environmental Health Engineering Students, Kerman University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: This study aimed to design and assess theeducational integrated software of Environmental Health Engineering Students (NAJBAM) based on Smartphone for education of cleaning and disinfection of vegetables and fruits.
 Methods: This applied research by development method was conducted in two stages; design and construct of mobile application under android operating system and survey satisfaction through the electronic questionnaire among 81 environmental health engineering students, Kerman University of medical sciences. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS version 24.
 Results: Results showed that 77.8% of students in this study were women, 64% in the age group of 20 to 30 years, 67% bachelor student and 31% in the fourth year of university. More than 86% of students declared that it was easy to install the application. More than 92% users reported that understand of application was easy and information was up to date. Totally 93.8% of students stated that it was simple to use the software and communicate with manufacturers. Also 53% of them preferred to use this mobile application compared to the text study.
 Conclusion: becauce the software can provide useful information for users and also evaluation of students had good results, so its design and usage can be useful to upgrading the level of education of students in this field.

Implementation of Service Learning in the Chemistry Classroom: A Colombian Experience

Service-learning methodology makes a connection between student classroom learning and the application of knowledge to solve community needs. The present study was carried out with the Universidad Autonoma de Occidente (Colombia) community by environmental engineering students enrolled in a Chemistry 2 course. The students helped the Universidad Autonoma de Occidente community reinforce criteria for separating solid waste generated in the cafeteria. To carry out this project, the students had to appropriate concepts from the chemistry course such as functional groups, types of polymers, and the biodegradation process of materials and its relation to the principles of solid waste separation. Once the concepts were learned, students developed strategies to guide the community in the correct separation of solid waste using a simple vocabulary so that people unfamiliar with chemistry could understand and apply the concepts. The project positively impacted student learning and promoted personal satisfaction as a result of performing useful service and using their knowledge to solve a real worldwide problem.

Plant functional traits and viewer characteristics co-regulate cultural services provisioning by stormwater bioretention

Green stormwater infrastructure such as bioretention cells (BRCs) have the potential to influence human well-being through ecosystem services. Many services are regulated by vegetation, but only a handful (primarily regulating services) have been linked to specific plant functional traits that control their provisioning. Less attention has been paid to cultural services (e.g., aesthetics and sense of place, defined as people's attachment to and identification with natural elements that capture the unique character/identity of a place), such that we presently know little about the role plant traits play in regulating cultural services provisioning by BRCs. We address this knowledge gap by 1) quantifying aesthetic services and sense of place for 15 plants that are native to Southern California, U.S., and common in BRCs (human subjects surveys) and 2) the role of plant functional traits in regulating the provisioning of these services (supervised machine learning). Our survey demographic was civil and environmental engineering students in Southern California, who have grown up during a time of increased BRC implementation and are likely to play a role in their future design. Our study suggests that aesthetic services and sense of place in Southern California are regulated by different plant traits (leaf color for aesthetic services and maximum plant height for sense of place) and participant characteristics, particularly psychosocial characteristics like environmental worldviews (defined as an individual's perception of their environmental role in the world), which significantly influenced aesthetic services, but not sense of place. Reflecting these differences, only 4 of the 15 plant species evaluated were found to provide both cultural services well. This suggests that careful attention to plant selection is needed if we want BRCs to co-provide these services, enriching people's experiences with green stormwater infrastructure.

A Systematic Approach To Promote Environmental Engineering Students' Learning in Environmental Molecular Microbiology.

Environmental Molecular Microbiology (EMM) is a core course cluster for students majoring in environmental engineering. To help students learn the EMM courses, we developed a three-stage teaching approach to deliver EMM courses in a systematic manner: prerequisite course and survey studies; course cluster teaching; and feedback and improvement.

Academic Exchange and Outreach Projects: Reflexions from an Experience on Refugees, Homeless and Occupations in Brazil and France.

Environmental engineering students conduct academic exchanges as part of their education. Refugees and homeless in many countries have in common the search for decent housing and basic survival conditions. Today's serious socio-environmental problems must be addressed by professionals who are able to propose effective and lasting solutions. Thus, and seeking to contribute to a full citizen formation of the individual and engineer of today's society, this article describes the experience of a French exchange student from EIVP (Ecole des Ingénieurs de Ville de Paris) in Environmental Engineering at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) in the MUDA Outreach project, where the student had the opportunity to visit occupations supported by social movements in previously unoccupied places in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. From reflections on the concept of refugee in Brazil and France, were analyzed and compared initiatives of settlements and homeless in both countries. It is concluded that, although distinct, the displacement crises of individuals and families in both countries have several points in common, highlighting that successful solutions can occur when the main objective is to propose comprehensive social inclusion projects that begin with the consolidation of a new generation of global citizens, which is the main contribution of this work.

Developing soft skills for sustainable development in environmental engineering students through foreign language learning

The paper focuses on education for sustainable development (ESD) as an integral part of the sustainable development program with its main principles defined by UNESCO. The key competencies that must be developed in accordance with ESD are outlined. Learning a foreign language is considered from the point of view of its contribution to the process of attaining ESD goals in general and developing soft skills in environmental engineering students in particular that is closely connected with students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) and integrated with their expectations. The research is done on learners’ beliefs and expectations concerning studying a foreign language at the beginning of the academic year in order to choose the most appropriate teaching strategies for developing soft skills, WTC in L2 within the framework of ESD.