Thesis Project Research Articles

On the design of unconventional testing machines for engineering testing – the case study of advanced joining processes unit

Abstract Structural adhesive joining has become a widely used joining method for various types of structures, thus avoiding more conventional joining methods. In this manner, adhesive materials may be present in structures which suffer loading conditions that may not be normally considered in the design phase, such as high-strain rate conditions or creep and torsional loading. In these situations, adhesive properties and mechanical behaviour are sometimes not well understood, thus requiring special machine testing setups that can only be built for the specific application. Therefore, this paper provides a brief overview of proposed machine architectures for a torsion testing apparatus, a tensile & compressive Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB), a drop-weight apparatus and a three station creep testing machine with a climactic chamber. Each testing apparatus has been designed by graduate students during their master thesis projects, and facilitated in the production of interesting and relevant scientific output in the field of structural adhesive behaviour.

“Publish or not”: an output problem of higher education students

Publication is an important activity for students studying at university, especially for those who are completing their thesis or final project. The aim of this research is to know problems experienced by students during the publication process and students' perceptions about the output of article publications to obtain a master's degree in the English education master's department, is it better “publish or not”?. The researcher uses a descriptive qualitative method and interviews as a data collection technique for two students in Higher Education especially master’s students of English education. The results of this finding are there are several problems experienced by students during the article publication process: articles that were rejected by the journal, so they had to look for another journal and it would take a long time. It takes quite a long time to get to the publication stage because as said by participants, each journal has provisions for the publication stage how many times a year and wait for the article review stage which was quite long. And both participants chose "publish" because they thought that the English education master's department had made this policy for a reason and that reason would have a positive impact on students in the future, especially to support the careers of students who wanted to become lecturers and work in the world of education.

Performance Analysis of Facial Image Feature Extraction Algorithm for Smart Home Security System Detection

Alongside the development of technology to facilitate multi-family security, security tools are also being developed. Smart home security is one of the very popular security tools in Indonesian home construction. The tool works automatically in real time and has no restrictions on environmental conditions. However, currently available tools still lack consistent accuracy and consistent performance. To solve this problem, the author proposes a smart home security system with an Arduino UNO-connected camera, two relay modules, a magnetic lock, and connecting to a home Internet of Things system. The methods used in the research for this thesis project were: 1. Literature review of ongoing Smart Home Security using facial image feature extraction algorithm research; 2. Deployment of Arduino UNO, 2 Relay Module, and Solenoid Lock; 3. The feature extraction algorithm used is Wavelet. The proposed method is expected to achieve an accuracy of 80% or more. The experimental results showed that the proposed prototype of this experiment achieved the accuracy of 85.7%. In addition to accuracy, there is also precision rate at 87.94%, recall rate at 87.56%, and f1-score rate at 87.28%

Regimes of visibility and algorithmic surveillance on digital platforms: operationalizing the thought through images in a collaborative perspective

In this article, I present and analyze the results obtained in the first interview for the ongoing thesis project, which investigates how visibility regimes interfere with the algorithmic surveillance regime of bodies in contemporary times. In an initiative stimulated by the exchanges carried out in the Thematic Group Digital and Popular Communication, promoted by the IX ALAIC Summer School, I propose to connect in a single interview the two methodological fronts addressed: the construction of a collaborative visual atlas in the theoretical wake of archeology of visual knowledge, inspired by Aby Warburg, and conducting semi-structured interviews with collective leaders who question aspects of the capitalist culture of surveillance. To this end, the interviewee was presented with a set of images of artistic works related to the themes of body visibility and algorithmic surveillance. The data obtained brought up three thematic nodes: 1) Historical struggles, 2) Countercolonial cosmovisions, and 3) Thinking of images in opposition, which will be analyzed in resonance with the reflections of the authors Antônio Bispo do Rosário, Tarcízio Silva, and Kate Crawford.

Examination of the Interaction Process between Architecture Students and Supervisors in the Thesis Studio

This paper aims to criticize the current supervision process in the undergraduate thesis project in the architecture program to reveal philosophical contradiction exists in the schools of thought. The architecture programs have adopted an apprenticeship style of education as a tradition that is called learning by doing even in the thesis projects. However, new schools of education and thought are looking for more students’ freedom and flexibility. A qualitative method with focus group workshops and group reporting techniques was applied in the research to discover the opinions of the thesis students about the supervisors and their own works and progress. Data was extracted from the reports of the students. The findings reveal that the students received guidance for the design process and outputs. However, they faced problems in keeping ownership of the thesis project idea, communication, interaction, and motivation with the supervisors. The power of the supervisors over the students resulted in changing the projects, crits, and outputs in the absence of clear guidelines in more personal manners. In conclusion, thesis projects include complicated processes that need clear guidelines and training for supervisors, even undergraduate theses in architecture departments. Despite the apprenticeship tradition in architecture education, new findings in education recommended a knowledge-based orientation for the supervision process.

Project Management and File Management in Multimedia Applications Version of ActionScript 2.0

Multimedia is a key focus within the Information Systems Study Program at Universitas Komputer Indonesia. With increasing student interest and certification from the National Professional Certification Agency, more students are producing quality multimedia theses. However, many lack understanding of theoretical principles such as project and file management, which this research aims to address for both academic and real-world applications. This research was conducted at PS-SI UNIKOM. The research data was taken from the collection of thesis students of the UNIKOM PS-SI even semester academic year 2019/2020. The focus of this research is using the Adobe Flash CS 6 version ActionScript 2.0 approach. This study expects students to understand multimedia scientific principles and implement them in a real thesis and multimedia project. Implementing project management and file management in the multimedia field will help developers develop multimedia application products effectively and efficiently.

Improvement of Information Technology Undergraduate Thesis Project

Many students face challenges in the thesis preparation process, including time constraints, lack of integration with industry requirements, and lack of understanding of research methodology. This research aims to formulate another form of student thesis project with equal reasoning and difficulty level that can be measured and converted as a thesis. Apart from that, it also improves the quality and relevance of undergraduate thesis projects in Information Technology. The research method used is a descriptive approach, involving surveys and interviews. Research participants include Information Technology undergraduate students, supervisors, industry practitioners, and advisory boards. Data collection instruments include a structural questionnaire and interview guide designed to explore experiences, perceptions, and suggestions regarding changes in the preparation of the thesis project. The proposed solution involves implementing effective time management, closer integration with industry challenges through partnerships with companies, increased understanding of research methodologies, and adaptation of curricula to reflect dynamic changes in the Information Technology industry. It is hoped that the results of this research can provide concrete guidance for improving thesis projects and creating graduates who are better prepared and relevant to industry needs. Through this approach, it is hoped that this research can contribute to improving the academic process in producing higher quality and relevant thesis projects in the context of information technology.

Factors Hindering the Students in Completing Their Undergraduate Thesis: A Study at an English Education Study Program in Indonesia

One of the obligations of undergraduate students at the end of their study is writing a thesis. During the process, students find several problems that can hinder them completing their thesis. This study was aimed at finding and analyzing the factors that hinder the completion of the thesis and how the students try to cope with the factors. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach by using questionnaire and interview as the research instruments. The population in this study was the undergraduate students of the English Education Study Program who were working on or had finished working on their thesis. The results showed that there were ten factors that hindered students' thesis completion. Of the ten factors, the writers categorized them into two parts, namely internal factors and external factors. The internal factors are; health, psychological barriers, academic ability, and approach (attitude and study habits). While external factors are in the form of; family, environment/friends, thesis administration system, thesis advisor guidance process, references, and other activities. If sorted from the factor most experienced by students to the factor least experienced, the results are psychological barriers (92.9%), reference (78.6%), academic ability (74.3%), learning approach (74.3%), thesis advisor guidance (71.4%), thesis administration system (64.3%), health problems (54.3%), family (48.6%), environment/friends (45.7%), and other activities; participating in internal/external campus organization, working, and some unnecessary activities (30%). In facing the factors, students make various kinds of efforts so that they can still complete their thesis project.

The place of writing in practice-based Ph.D. programmes

The relationship between the written and artistic work in practice-based Ph.D. dissertations is often ambiguous, leaving the student to languish as they navigate ill-defined expectations tied to a daunting ideal of ‘scholarly writing’ they feel pressured to meet, uncertain about its purpose in relation to their artistic practice. This ambiguity about the place of writing in practice-based Ph.D. programmes has been at the forefront of debates in the European Union’s Bologna Process. In this article, Álvarez investigates the problem writing presents in the context of doctoral programmes in which creative practice is the cornerstone of the thesis project. Probing expectations that the written portion of the dissertation serve an exegetical function that explains the significance of the work of art, Álvarez examines the ways in which written requirements in practice-based Ph.D. programmes trouble foundational premises of art-making in relation to knowledge-making and offers a way of framing writing that collapses the hierarchy being writing and art-making.

The Learning Collaboratory: developing and evaluating public health students' skills while promoting community health.

Complex and continuous developments in health and healthcare require innovative changes in programs that educate public health scientists and professionals. Public health change agents need critical competencies to confront today and tomorrow's leading problems including leadership, communication, interprofessional practice, and systems thinking. Public Health training programs teach competencies through their applied field experience and culminating project, typically late in the program, and often implemented in isolation from peers and faculty. Objectives and skills do not always align closely with community-based program needs. Students pursuing a degree in science in public health need to deeply comprehend multi-dimensional and interconnected systemic problems and communicate with diverse stakeholders across disciplines to produce relevant community-engaged research. The University of Miami Public Health Learning Collaboratory (LC) was established to transform the learning experience of public health master's students by providing opportunities to develop necessary core skills for effective public health practice early in their training, while applying these skills to address real-world public health needs in the community. Spanning an average of 3 semesters, the LC promotes student involvement in collaborative and impactful capstone and thesis projects. Practice-based teaching and service learning are central approaches to teaching cross-cutting competencies of leadership, communication, problem solving, collaboration, and systems thinking in public health. Significant to the approach is the engagement of previous cohorts of senior students to teach back to junior students, further integrating concepts learned. Long term alumni feedback recognized strengths of the program, including its structure, teamwork & collaboration, critical thinking & problem solving, guidance, nurture & support, teaching back, and content & curriculum. Community partners agreed the LC prepared students to practice in the field of public health. The LC is a promising model for master's level public health education and community application, given the opportunities it provides to strengthen and integrate students' public health skills in a supportive environment, and enhance the transferability and sustainability of student and faculty's community public health work.

An open-hardware community ice nucleation cold stage for research and teaching

Aerosol particles with rare specific properties act as nuclei for ice formation. The presence of ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere leads to heterogeneous freezing at warm temperatures and thus these particles play an important role in modulating microphysical properties of clouds. This work presents an ice nucleation cold stage instrument for measuring the concentration of ice nucleating particles in liquids. The cost is ∼ $10 k including an external chiller. Using a lower cost heat sink reduces the cost to ∼ $6 k. The instrument is suitable for studying ambient ice nucleating particle concentrations and laboratory-based process-level studies of ice nucleation. The design plans allow individuals to self-manufacture the cold-stage using 3D printing, off-the-shelf parts, and a handful of standard tools. Software to operate the instrument and analyze the data is also provided. The design is intended to be simple enough that a graduate student can build it as part of a course or thesis project. Costs are kept to a minimum to facilitate use in classroom demonstrations and laboratory classes.

Creativity and cyanotype: Exploring camera-less photography as an alternative for art education

This article presents the results of several workshops developed as a Master of Arts dissertation project from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes in Mexico. The project explored cyanotype, a different photographic printing technique that diverges from chemical photography, and the possibilities of incorporating it in art education programs. The workshops aimed to introduce emerging artists to cyanotype – a camera-less photography technique and a low-cost creative process to explore visual expression. The emerging artists were exposed to the concept of cyanotype in a series of 9-h workshops, in which they learned the theoretical and technical fundamentals and some of the artworks of the leading artists who work with this technique. The workshops also showcased cyanotype prints on traditional and non-traditional surfaces. We also gathered, from a qualitative perspective, the experiences of the participant artists, their impressions, and feedback. At the end of the paper, we discuss the visual language of cyanotype and its process characteristics that make this technique an excellent alternative for art education since it provides creative engagement to the participants and requires little investment from the facilitators.

Mechanisms and triggers: a discussion on Absorptive Capacity and Sustainability

This document is part of the doctoral thesis defended in 2022, being a theoretical discussion about the Absorptive Capacity and the Sustainable Performance of organizations and their relationships. At the time, 2018, the thesis project was based on questions such as: “What mechanisms allow organizations to acquire external green knowledge?” or “what triggers the need to acquire green knowledge in organizations”? The theoretical reviews indicated the following question: which mechanisms of social integration, and triggers of organizational absorption capacity, contribute to the sustainable performance of organizations? The discussion provided by a content analysis, based on articles indexed in SCOPUS and WEB of SCIENCE, allowed the description of the mechanisms of social integration and the triggers of the absorptive capacity in relation to the acquisition of green knowledge. In addition, this article identified that employees' mental models, processes and routines directly influence activation triggers and social integration, consequently, Green Absorptive Capacity.

The 'master's dissertation fair': reflections on impact and future development

Every year in early spring, postgraduate taught (PGT) students start preparing for their dissertation project. At the University of Reading, this time coincides with the end of teaching, including the Library seminars supporting skills development. Acknowledging that our sessions were ill-timed to support effectively our PGT students at a challenging stage in their degree trajectory, the Study Advice and Academic Liaison teams at the University of Reading Library trialled in June 2020 a week of webinars tailored to PGT level and focusing on elements of the dissertation. The Master’s Dissertation Fair was born! The popularity and positive reception of the initiative took us by surprise and motivated us to continue running the Master’s Dissertation Fair as an annual tradition ever since.
 In this session, we shared our reflections on the successes and lessons learnt from the first three iterations of this programme, focusing on its Study Advice component. We reviewed the student feedback collected post session and explored what the impact was on our one-to-one service in supporting PGT students with dissertation projects over the summer. We also discussed how this initiative impacted our team, as it provided a (rare for us) opportunity to plan and develop collaboratively a coherent and complementary set of sessions. Finally, we explored how this reflection on impact can inform our planning for a more holistic approach to PGT support. For example, are there opportunities to use new formats beyond the webinar? What else could we do to improve our reach and inclusivity?

ПЕРСПЕКТИВНИЙ РОЗВИТОК ТЕРИТОРІЇ САНАТОРІЮ «КУЯЛЬНИК»

The article examines the historical prerequisites for the formation of the territory of the "Kuialnyk" sanatorium and the development of its space over time. The general characteristic features of the site were identified, and the strengths and weaknesses of the site, prospects, and opportunities for its development were analyzed. The problems of the territory around the Kuialnytskyi estuary attract the attention of the public and encourage the creation of conceptual searches for solutions for the organization of the resort area. A detailed review of the infrastructure showed that the functional structure is a comprehensive framework for meeting the needs of the user. However, the condition of many structures and buildings makes them unsuitable for use. This underlines the necessity of implementation of restoration and reconstruction actions. Transport connections are such that form connections with the city and surrounding settlements, but at the same time do not sink deep into the site. Pedestrian routes are branched only on separate fragments of the territory but allow connecting parts of the territory at different heights. One of the problems is the separation of the embankment from the main part of the site by a road. The existing green framework of the territory of the Kuialnyk resort can be described as extensive greening with the predominance of steppe plants. Its further development with the help of new plantations is desirable. Access to water is one of the key aspects of the site. The compositional structure of the site is generally harmonious, formed by a hierarchy of main and secondary elements. The accent-dominant composition of objects on the site forms a scenario of interaction between man and the environment. The research considers a sketch proposal for the design of the environment of the rehabilitation center on the site of the existing "Kuialnyk" sanatorium, which was developed as part of the master's degree thesis project. The thesis project presented for consideration in the article considers the further development of the Kuialnyk sanatorium area through the prism of expanding the existing material and technical base and preserving important monuments on its territory.

When Diane Tells Me a Story

Abstract This essay examines the complex relationship that developed between ethnographer Lashon Daley and her research subject, Diane Ferlatte, over the course of Daley’s master’s thesis project and the years beyond. Through storytelling and narrative prose, Daley investigates the roles that grief, death, Black motherhood, and the Black southern oral tradition play within their ever-growing bond. As their relationship progresses from researcher and respondent to mother and daughter, their bond displays the connective tissue that binds one person to another through history, memory, and the common experience of loss. By exploring the performativity of Black women who are bonded by love and not blood, this essay demonstrates how Black womanhood becomes a conduit for grieving and healing.

Evaluating the Pedagogical Effectiveness of Study Preregistration in the Undergraduate Dissertation

Research shows that questionable research practices (QRPs) are present in undergraduate final-year dissertation projects. One entry-level Open Science practice proposed to mitigate QRPs is “study preregistration,” through which researchers outline their research questions, design, method, and analysis plans before data collection and/or analysis. In this study, we aimed to empirically test the effectiveness of preregistration as a pedagogic tool in undergraduate dissertations using a quasi-experimental design. A total of 89 UK psychology students were recruited, including students who preregistered their empirical quantitative dissertation ( n = 52; experimental group) and students who did not ( n = 37; control group). Attitudes toward statistics, acceptance of QRPs, and perceived understanding of Open Science were measured both before and after dissertation completion. Exploratory measures included capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage with preregistration, measured at Time 1 only. This study was conducted as a Registered Report; Stage 1 protocol: https://osf.io/9hjbw (date of in-principle acceptance: September 21, 2021). Study preregistration did not significantly affect attitudes toward statistics or acceptance of QRPs. However, students who preregistered reported greater perceived understanding of Open Science concepts from Time 1 to Time 2 compared with students who did not preregister. Exploratory analyses indicated that students who preregistered reported significantly greater capability, opportunity, and motivation to preregister. Qualitative responses revealed that preregistration was perceived to improve clarity and organization of the dissertation, prevent QRPs, and promote rigor. Disadvantages and barriers included time, perceived rigidity, and need for training. These results contribute to discussions surrounding embedding Open Science principles into research training.

Case study of using KEPServerEX software as a connection tool between Tecnomatix Plant Simulation and a real device

The article focuses on the processing of simulation models, covering their creation methods and exploring the possibilities of collaboration. The author utilized the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation program developed by Siemens to design a visual representation of a production line and provided a detailed description of the steps involved in its creation. To achieve the objectives of the thesis, the author employed KEPServerEX, a software solution enabling the connection and communication between the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation program and the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This integration allowed for the successful connection of a CNC device, establishing communication and collaboration with the Plant Simulation program. In summary, the thesis project employed the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation program to create a comprehensive visualization of a production line. The integration of KEPServerEX facilitated seamless communication between the simulation software and the PLC, enabling effective cooperation with a CNC device.

Ph.D. Thesis Project - The Obscene Device: Pornographies Between Cinema, Art, and Virtual Reality

Ph.D. Thesis Project - The Obscene Device: Pornographies Between Cinema, Art, and Virtual Reality

Long non-coding RNA and ribosomal protein genes in a yeast ageing model: an investigation for undergraduate research-based learning.

The unicellular yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe are widely used eukaryotic model organisms. Research exploiting the tractability of these model systems has contributed significantly to our understanding of a wide range of fundamental processes. In this article, we outline the features of yeast that have similarly been exploited for undergraduate research training. We selected examples from published literature that demonstrate the utility of the yeast system for research-based learning embedded in the curriculum. We further describe a project which we designed for the team-based final-year dissertation projects module on our transnational joint programme, which investigates whether the expression and functions of the budding yeast RPL36 ribosomal protein paralogs are influenced by the overlapping long non-coding RNA genes. Students carry out the experimental procedures in a 2-week timetabled teaching block and exercise widely applicable biochemical techniques, including aseptic yeast cell culture and sample collection, RNA isolation, qRT-PCR quantitation, protein extraction and Western blot analysis, and cell cycle progression patterns using light microscopy and flow cytometry. It is challenging to design training programmes for undergraduates that are meaningful as well as practical and economical, but it is possible to transform active research projects into authentic research experiences. We consider yeast to be an ideal model organism for such projects. These can be adapted to the constraints of course schedules and explore fundamental biochemical topics which are evolutionarily conserved from yeast to mammals.