Project Work Research Articles

Inter-retaliatory Student Projects as Part of Evaluating Practical Knowledge with the Assist of Novel Assessment Technique

This paper enlightens on the enrichment of students in practical aspects rather than by regular lecture sessions. We at RK University came up with a new initiative of introducing inter-disciplinary student projects for the Department of Computer engineering, Electrical engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering& Mechanical Engineering. The approach was that the students of diploma 5th semester of above-said branches will come together in a group of maximum six students to design & develop a prototype model with a specific application in compliance with domestic and industrial needs. The main objective was to make them aware of other disciplines that how things are managed irrespective of the hurdles in their way and to understand basic fundamentals of other branches. This paper showcases the course evaluation methodology, rubrics components and flow of progress of project work. Hence culmination of domestic/industrial needs with practical knowledge of the prototype models would meet their expectations. Keywords: Inter-disciplinary project work, Innovative assessment, Team-coordination

Patient involvement using the example of the Innovation Fund project "Integrated, cross-sectoral Psychooncology" (isPO)

In the German health care system, the participation of patients (patient representatives) and the consideration of their perspectives in all phases of research and care are being increasingly demanded. How appropriate patient participation (participation of patient representatives) can be designed is illustrated by the example of the project on the new form of care titled "Integrated, cross-sectoral psychooncology nVF-isPOI" and funded by the Innovation Fund at the Federal Joint Committee. The realization of patient (representative) participation is presented by the example of the isPO project, taking into account the short form of the Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public (GRIPP2). This is done on the basis of the involvement and participation of patients (patient representatives) in research, care and care evaluation, as well as quality development (1) through the Haus der Krebs-Selbsthilfe - Bundesverband e. V. (HKSH-BV), as the consortium and contract partner in conceptual project work, (2) through the participation of cancer survivors in the role of isPO oncoguides, and (3) through the involvement of cancer patients in the evaluation of the nVF-isPO. Through the constant involvement of the HKSH-BV as a consortium partner, the patients' perspective informed the development and implementation of the nVF-isPO at an early stage. The nVF-isPO's isPO-Oncoguide concept, developed in collaboration with the HKSH-BV, made it possible to involve cancer survivors as isPO-Oncoguides in health care. In addition, oncological patients, who are regarded as health benefit recipients in the health care evaluation, were involved in the further development of the quality of care of the nVF-isPO. The involvement and consideration of the expertise of patients (patient representatives) in all phases of development, implementation and evaluation have been realized in the isPO project. The isPO project has been recognized by the HKSH-BV as having a high degree of patient participation; and the nVF-isPO and the concept of the isPO-oncoguide are recognized as relevant, acceptable and of high quality from the perspective of both cancer survivors and cancer patients.

Rankings, Ruling and Reproducing Inequities: Critiquing the Knowledge Production of Social Work’s “Top 100 Scholars”

ABSTRACT Reflecting on an article authored by Hodge and Turner (2023) that ranks the “top” 100 social work scholars, this article presents a multi-layered critique of the tradition of using bibliometrics to generate “knowledge” and competitive global rankings of individual social work faculty members, departments and universities. We raise concerns regarding the transformation of neoliberal metrics into social work research questions and projects, and then solidified into competitive, martketised knowledge about social work and its scholars. We argue that through this process, inequity and neoliberalism are normalized and legitimized, and we are further distanced from social justice, decolonization, and equity. The article provides alternative assessments grounded in community participation and social justice and aimed at expanding equity and social justice.

A joint work package sizing and scheduling problem considering resource constraints with a look-ahead heterogeneous reinforcement learning method

Effective work package sizing and project scheduling are crucial for construction project management. However, existing studies often address them as separate optimisation problems, neglecting the interactive nature of these processes. In practical scenarios with limited resources, there is an increasing demand for integrating work package sizing and project scheduling to enhance project management efficiency. This research aims to bridge this gap by developing an integer non-linear programming model that incorporates work package sizing and project scheduling while considering their interaction within a resource-constrained environment. Moreover, we introduce a novel look-ahead heterogeneous reinforcement learning approach that dynamically adjusts work package sizes and project schedules based on observed information at each decision step. A look-ahead sequential decision mechanism is proposed to effectively address the interdependencies and constraints inherent in the joint model. We extend the heterogeneous agent mirror learning technique to our problem to improve sample efficiency and ensure progressive enhancement of the joint policy. To evaluate our approach's effectiveness, we conduct experiments using datasets of 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 tasks from Rangen and PSPLIB and validate our method in a real-world modular integrated construction project. The experimental results reveal that a joint model integrating work package sizing and project scheduling offers a more comprehensive understanding of their interplay, leading to better resource utilisation and improved project schedules. A comparative analysis against existing state-of-the-art reinforcement learning and priority rule-based methods further substantiates the superior effectiveness of our proposed approach, yielding an approximate 5% reduction in total project cost.

Generative AI and its Impact on Activities and Assessment in Higher Education: Some Recommendations from Master's Students

The rapid development of generative AI (GenAI) raises new questions in higher education such as: What should be the university policy regarding GenAI? How ought courses be redesigned for fair and resilient assessment? What the added pedagogical and didactical values when involving GenAI in teaching and learning activities? Different universities have rapidly created and presented contradictory standpoints and draft policies, and teachers show different opinions regarding the pros and cons of GenAI. This study has been carried out with a student perspective, where 16 students have been examining their own Master's programme on sustainable information provision. Students have assessed the assessment in their previous courses in the Master's programme. The aim of the study is to investigate how sustainable course activities and assignment are, and to explore how GenAI tools might support and facilitate teaching and learning activities. Moreover, the students were given the task to test detection software on GenAI generated solutions to assignments in chosen Master's courses. Students conducted these tasks as a part of a 7.5 ECTS project course in the same Master's programme as the investigated courses are a part of. For inspiration and for background information on artificial intelligence to the project work students participated in the first Symposium on AI Opportunities and Challenges (SAIOC) in December 2023. Data have been gathered from reports of 3 group projects where 16 students have investigated 5 freely chosen courses in the programme in each group work. Beside from testing GenAI tools in existing activities and assignments students also interviewed the subject matter experts that are responsible for the chosen courses. Results were firstly analysed and presented in group reports, combined with 16 individual reflection essays. Regarding the individual essays students were instructed to bring up ethical perspectives on GenAI in higher education, and also to present and discuss suggestions for how the current course design and assignments better could be redesigned for improved sustainability and fairness. Finally, all the group reports and the individual reflection essays were thematically analysed by the author, who also is the subject matter expert and main teacher for the project course. Findings show that many of the existing assignments in the Master's programme could be partly solved with different GenAI tools. The AI generated solutions showed different levels of quality and correctness for different types of activities and assignments. An ethical concern that many student essays brought up was the relatively poor quality of the tested detection software. A question in one of the essays was if teachers should use detection software with an accuracy rate just above 50% to evaluate student submissions. The recommendations from both the students and the author are to provide clear instructions about when GenAI is allowed and not in course activities, and to redesign the course structure for continuous assessment. With or without GenAI tools, a continuous assessment where the whole study path through a course is assessed, and not only isolated submissions, would strengthen fairness and sustainability. Finally, several students suggest oral examinations as a complement to the existing assessment methods, even if their findings showed that GenAI tools can be used to prepare oral presentations.

Leadership development programmes in healthcare research: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-aggregation

BackgroundAcademic institutions benefit from researchers adopting leadership positions and, subsequently, leadership development programmes are of increasing importance. Despite this, no evaluation of the evidence basis for leadership development programmes for...

The role of waste management policy on the efficiency of concrete material waste in dam projects

Abstract Concreting in construction often generates significant waste, but effective waste management can mitigate this. This study examines the impact of management policies on waste efficiency in the concrete pouring work of the Logung Dam project in Kudus. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research analysis empirical data to understand observed phenomena. The quantitative analysis employs a statistical compare-mean test to assess concrete work efficiency, while qualitative analysis involves interviews with project stakeholders about waste management policies. Findings show that inadequate waste control and management systems lead to resource and budget wastage. In response, a new policy was implemented to improve concrete waste management. This policy includes procedures for managing leftover materials, work instructions for controlling the volume and weight of ready-mix concrete delivery and receipt, and detailed oversight of concreting work. Implementation led to positive changes, such as organizational structure modifications, a transparent and controlled ordering system, and Joint Inspections (JI). Following the policy implementation, waste management efficiency improved significantly, with the waste inefficiency level decreasing from 0.527% to -0.225%, reflecting a 0.752% efficiency increase. Although the correlation between policy changes and waste volume efficiency was positive, it was relatively weak.

Multiethnic Teamwork as Means of Attaining Psychosocial Competence and Interpersonal Skills For Successful Transitioning From School Life Into Adulthood

Historically multicultural European areas display a tendency towards openness and sociability that transcends mere geographics. In ensuring that the youth of diversified ethnic populations attain life skills, the school community ought to provide the means for such social capital to build networks of interethnic school and social relationships by designing guidelines to help relate and work together on school and community projects. Hence, the necessity arose for soft skills in the respective teams working towards shared goals and transferrable objectives in the framework of set task. The present article not only develops on the key concepts, but as practical application project work, it can serve as incentive for extended use in later years, a conducive toolkit along the adulthood pathway. Furthermore, the research conducted as follow-up project validation consists of a 1-5 Likert scale conducted among 81 highschoolers in West Romania. Were such multiethnic teamwork as good practice example applied in blended learning contexts, repeatedly and purposefully, interpersonal skills and effective communication, not only within the school community, but also in non-formal contexts would be acquired and attained with increased levels of trust. Thus, highschoolers would be equipped for achieving the ends set within the school educational environment, as well as for fulfilling the lifelong occupational and personal development agenda. Such project-based work, easily extensive to interschool similar multiethnic student team structures, might trigger similar proactive future attitudes for the students on the brim of maturity, whereas meaningful insights into the validated pattern will undoubtedly trigger societal active participation.

Soundings: views from the urban forest: eulogy for urban trees

ABSTRACT Around the world trees are being removed unnecessarily for urban development works. At a recent protest rally against the removal of thousands of trees for a major road work project in Melbourne, Australia, local community groups and citizens gathered to protest and mourn the loss of over 20,000 trees. The protest took the form of a funeral service for the trees lost and as customary, a eulogy was delivered.

Factors Influencing the Quality of Undergraduate Students' Degree Projects: From Student and Supervisor Perspectives.

Degree projects are part of most professional study programmes and correspond to professional and academic requirements. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate factors that influence the quality of student degree projects from a supervisor and student perspective. Semi-structured interviews were performed with eight supervisors from the study programme in dentistry at Karolinska Institutet. The interviews were transcribed. The first part was summarised and described, and the second part was analysed thematically. Also, a questionnaire was completed by 45 students in their 7th and 9th semesters of the study programme. Student responses were summarised and described. The main findings indicate a convergence of expectations and perspectives between supervisors and students regarding the factors that influence the quality of the degree project. They emphasise the importance of realistic expectations, feasibility and adherence to academic standards for a high-quality outcome. Effective supervision involves the supervisor being readily available, responsive to student inquiries and supportive in time-management. Conversely, students are expected to demonstrate motivation, engagement and increasing autonomy. Additionally, both agree that the project should be engaging, relevant to the supervisor's expertise and the student's interests, contribute to personal and academic growth and ideally result in a publication. Taken together, supervisors and students share grounds for the degree project work, which is an important condition for ensuring a qualitatively sound degree project. Sharing expectations and perspectives in the beginning and having a continuously open dialogue concerning this issue during the degree project work benefits a sustainable collaboration and ensures quality.

Management of the Portfolio of Works For A Public Hospital Complex

Objectives: The main objective of this research is to develop a decision-making support model for prioritizing works projects in a public hospital complex, establishing criteria for characterizing and evaluating these projects. Theoretical reference: Strategic management; management control; project portfolio management; multi-criteria analysis; hospital works projects. Method: This is a quantitative exploratory research based on the Multi-Criterion Decision Support Methodology (MCDA), whose primary data are derived from semi-structured questionnaires. This methodology makes it possible to carry out a multi-criterion analysis of a large quantity of information, involving conflicting interests amongst themselves in decision-making contexts of high uncertainty and high complexity. Results and Discussion: A model for evaluating demands was developed, consisting of 16 criteria for analysis (descriptors), grouped into four thematic groups, whose measurement scales, once transformed into cardinal quantities, present the performance of each characteristic under study and make possible the construction of a global model for evaluating demands. These criteria are based on the decision-makers' perceptions of the institutional needs of works projects, revealing their concerns about the infrastructure problems in the body's buildings. Implications of Research: The implementation of this model leads to the creation of a service queue for the demands of works projects that materializes the priority actions in the area of infrastructure from the objectives, expectations and preferences of the decision makers. In the end, the model developed makes it possible, starting from the attribution and weighting of values, to define institutional priorities. Originality/Value: The research points to a path for overcoming major challenges in the decision-making on the prioritization of works projects in a public hospital, highlighting the high volume of demands, conflicts of interest, resource constraint and obsolescence of buildings and equipment.

SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS ON AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SECTOR

The public sector is transforming by adopting an agile approach to overcome bureaucratic rigidity and lagging the private sector. The aim is to overcome the limitations of traditional approaches by encouraging flexibility in planning, operations, and service delivery. In the face of diverse, agile characteristics, further research is required on the challenges and best practices other public sector organizations can adopt. This research identifies key challenges in agile implementation within the PMBOK 7th edition project performance domains with the most issues: Development Approach and Life Cycle and Project Work Domain. Using a systematic literature review (SLR), 35 of 680 reviewed papers were selected as references. The biggest challenges were in the Project Work Domain, dominated by the context of monitoring new work and changes, project processes, and procurement processes. Best practices were identified to address these challenges and guide other public sectors in supporting more flexible and responsive public service delivery.

Quantification of Facial Geometrical Dimension for Student Attendance Tracking

The traditional method of manual attendance-taking has been used in educational institutions for decades which have consumed one-sixth amount of class time for attendance marking. Great research on attendance systems has come up with techniques like biometrics, NFC’s and QR codes. Moreover, with advancements in technology, this research project can provide a more efficient and effective solution. This research project utilizes image processing, computer vision and facial recognition technology to mark the attendance of the students in class. The objectives of the system are registration of facial image, perform landmarking of the facial image and develop automated attendance system. As a result, this project works by installing a camera on top of the board which detects the student faces and performs attendance marking. Now is the time to implement this system in schools, institutions, colleges, and universities to streamline the attendance-taking process. This automated system will not only save time and effort but will also provide accurate attendance records, which will benefit both management and students.

Exploring the effective reuse rate of materials and elements in the construction sector

In North-West European countries, the uptake of reusing construction elements following their first use in a building is still low. Although a large number of elements are technically reusable, they end up being recycled by crushing ormelting, or simply disposed of. This results in a high environmental impact and a net loss of economic value. This study aims to define a framework that can guide project managers, public and local authorities, as well as other organisations in setting, measuring, and reporting rates of material reuse in construction and renovation projects. To support this, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 32 construction and renovation projects that have incorporated reclaimed elements. To quantify the effective reuse rates, the data are categorised according to the types of work, functional layers, and type of projects. In summary, achievable reused targets can be determined for the structural layer (1–5% in mass), skin layer 5–15 % in mass), space plan layer (10–25 % in mass), and for outdoor surfaces (0–50 % in mass). Results confirm the contextual nature of reuse practices, emphasising that the achieved rates of reuse are linked to project types in specific layers, and depend on the overall quantity of materials in a project. It also underscores the importance of integrating reuse rate calculations proactively at the beginning of the project, particularly during the preparation of the bill of quantities. This can be accomplished by utilising appropriate procurement strategies, as-built documentation, monitoring material flows during works, and establishing a detailed record of reclaimed building elements.

Application of Max-Plus Algebra for Time Optimization of Wooden Furniture Production System “Berkah Usaha” Jepara Regency

This research aims to provide a periodic schedule on the Berkah Usaha wood furniture production system in Jepara using Max-Plus Algebra. The data required in the research is data on the flow and processing time of each project work unit. In this research, the main focuses on the Berkah Usaha wooden furniture dining table production system whose processing stages consist of raw material preparation, measurement, wood cutting, wood smoothing, measurement of puruses and holes, table floor manufacturing, puruses and holes manufacturing, table floor smoothing, assembling, sanding, and finishing. The techniques of data collection used in this research are interviews and field observations. Then, a directed graph and model of the Berkah Usaha wood furniture production system were compiled based on the flow data, processing time for each project work unit, and the rules for applying Max-Plus Algebra to the scheduling system. Analysis of the Max-Plus Algebra model of the Berkah Usaha wooden furniture production system using the Power Algorithm with Scilab software assisted. The results of the analysis obtained the production time period of the Berkah Usaha wooden furniture for 253 minutes and the optimal time to start production on each processing unit are 0, 11, 46, 92, 115, 117, 127, 137, 155, 195, 223 time units (in minutes).

Appraisal of Some Modern Assessment Techniques in Science Education

Researches into effective science teaching at primary school provide us with two important information; the ideas that science teaching and learning of children should start at school and understanding of a concept is the fundamental of the learning. Recently, the quality of teaching and learning science becomes the question in hand. A lot of researchers agree that objectives of learning science at primary and secondary schools may not be only to prepare students for the secondary stage education, it is also important for the preparation of lifelong learning and understanding of the phenomenon around them. Today, there is a fundamental shift from testing to learning as assessment is perceived as integral part of teaching-learning process. This shift has also brought a shift in traditional ways (tools and techniques) of assessment. Tasks like role plays, crossword puzzle, flow charts, popular science, book review, field trips, class work/homework assignments, group work, survey, project work, worksheets, games, etc. became tools for assessment. This paper discusses role plays, debate and flow charts as tools and techniques, which can be used by teachers in science classroom.

Metadata for Everyone: Identifying Metadata Quality Issues Across Cultures

Metadata is crucial to the dissemination and communication of research. Quality metadata facilitates discovery and access and provides contextual, technical, and administrative information in a standard form. Yet metadata are also sites of tension between sociocultural representations, resource constraints, and standardized systems. Formal and informal interventions may be interpreted as metadata quality issues, political acts to assert identity, or strategic curatorial choices to maximize discoverability and visibility. This presentation documents the work of Public Knowledge Project (PKP) and Crossref on the Metadata for Everyone project to understand how metadata quality, consistency, and completeness impact individuals and communities. Working from a sample of records known to have erroneous, incomplete, or otherwise imperfect metadata, we set out to identify and classify issues stemming from how metadata and communities press up against each other to intentionally reflect (or not) cultural meanings.

Corporate Technology for the Implementation of an Automated System: Functional, Technological and Methodological Aspects

The purpose of the study is to form a methodological justification for the pedagogical model of the individual trajectory of professional development of bachelors and masters for the implementation of the stages of creating an automated system based on the principles of continuity and experimental verification of its application in the educational process of the university in accordance with the requirements of IT departments, vendors and employers. It is shown that there is a gap between the socio-economic order for the training of IT specialists with high professional competence in the field of information systems and the insufficient level of targeted formation of their readiness to implement the stages of creating automated systems. In addition, the lack of methods and practical recommendations for the implementation of such systems in the context of maximum preservation of corporate standards and taking into account the requirements of Russian legislation, as well as specialists competent in these matters, determined the feasibility of conducting the study in two aspects - functional-technological and pedagogical.Methods and materials. The key methods are structural-functional and process modeling, interactive methods of organizing the educational process (project method, etc.). The research materials include a functional model for developing a corporate technology for implementing an automated system in the form of a function tree.Results. The results present a model of causes and factors determining the success of the projects for the implementation of the automatization systems. The role of the factor “qualification of the performing team” and the possibilities of the educational environment of the university to influence this factor are considered. The pedagogical aspect of the research problem is determined by the methodological justification for conducting students’ project work within a number of disciplines for training bachelors and masters in the field of “Applied Informatics”. The description of the structure and requirements for students’ projects gives an idea of the level of formed competencies, their consistency with the work functions of specialists in the field of information systems.Conclusion. At this stage of work on the research problem, its dual nature was determined. On the one hand, modern IT projects require their own technologies and management methodologies, which should change from project to project, so it is important to have practical recommendations for the development of corporate technology for the implementation of an automated system. On the other hand, one of the success factors of the project for the implementation of an automated system is the “Project Implementation Team”, its level of qualification. This factor is successfully determined and influenced by educational institutions responsible for training specialists in this field. In this direction, the project method plays a key role. It ensures the development of communication skills, the ability to independently pose a problem and develop a way to solve it together. Methodological aspects and practical results, generalizing the pedagogical model for training bachelors in the field of creating automated systems presented in the paper, as well as the development of corporate technology for the implementation of information systems, were reflected in three electronic multimedia educational publications: “Portfolio of Software Engineering Projects”, “Theory and Practice of IS Implementation”, “Theory and Practice of IS Maintenance”.

Automation in Greenhouse using IoT

This work provides an IoT-based plant monitoring system for avoiding over-exploitation of resources, ensuring compact design with easy installation and the best environment for the plants to grow. This type of agricultural monitoring system provides environmental monitoring services that help the crop grow in good shape. The system offers the service of storing a database about the environment and soil information acquired from a wireless sensor network deployed in the planted area. Furthermore, it enables users to track environmental data regarding planted crops in real-time using any Internet-enabled device. Our project introduces automatic sunlight prevention and soil moisture control based on data received from the moisture and temperature sensors. The proposed work is implemented using a microcontroller, programmed accordingly to measure the temperature and moisture using respective sensors. It is well capable of controlling temperature by operating a fan, controlling a shade for blocking excess sunlight and controlling moisture by operating a watering device through a motor. The potential outcome of the project work can be used for greenhouse

What influences the on-site recycling behaviour of C&D plastic waste in Australia? An action determination model approach

While the recycling of construction waste has received widespread attention, plastic waste generated at construction sites has been overlooked. At the same time, existing studies on pro-environmental behaviour have only considered practical knowledge of implementing recycling, while ignoring the possible impact of circular economy knowledge on recycling behaviour. This study investigates on-site personnel's behaviour regarding C&D plastic waste recycling through the lens of the comprehensive action determination model (CADM), which uniquely incorporates behaviour as a key variable and extends with moderating effect of knowledge of the circular economy. Utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), results indicate that perceived behavioural control is the most substantial factor influencing recycling behaviour of plastic waste on construction sites rather than intention. This is in stark contrast to existing pro-environmental behaviours research and reflects the importance of providing resources and encouragement to increase personnel's confidence in performing recycling behaviours on site, contributing more to actual behaviours than intention. Key areas for improvement were identified, including management encouragement, resource allocation (site area, timeline, budget), and recycling training. Contrary to expectations, awareness of the circular economy did not statistically significantly moderate the predictors of recycling behaviour and intentions, perhaps because participants had limited knowledge of plastic consumption and recycling rates in the construction industry. As construction personnel become more familiar with the circular economy, future research should re-evaluate these moderating effects and consider conducting categorical moderation analyses with larger sample sizes, incorporating variables such as work experience, project type, and project phase.