University Of Timisoara Research Articles

GREENCOOL-Case Study of an International MOOC Course’s Green and Communication Content Development

Sustainability and green matters are emerging issues among youth in the 21st century. The European Union (EU) emphasises youth discourse on greener thinking and lifestyle, which aims to build an open-minded, green, and digital future. Therefore it is crucial to provide appropriate education and shape attitudes towards green issues. Regarding this scope, four universities of the European Capitals of Cultures (ECoC), the University of Pannonia (Veszprém, Hungary), University of Tartu (Estonia) Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania), and West University of Timisoara (Romania), allied to develop a MOOC course interconnecting green related topics and communication skills and methods. The case study summarizes the main findings of the questionnaire (with 701 youth between 18-25 age), the desktop and focus group interviews research that gave the bases of developing the MOOC course material of GreenCool Erasmus projects. First the primary data, reflecting aspects of the involvement of young people in fighting climate crisis was analysed. The ultimate goal was to come up with a well-documented profile of students in tertiary education, reflecting their 'green' and 'communication' profiles as agents in fighting climate change. Second, taking the outcomes into consideration, the 4 universities carried out focus group interviews with 27 participants: influencers, green and communication experts and university students. As a result the green and communication topics were identified. This led to those methodological tools that were appropriate and effective in developing the GreenCool MOOC material and the corresponding blended Greenfluencer course with the provisional title: ‘Attitudes shaping communication techniques and green related topics in the 21st Century’. The case study describes the process and the results.

Integrating Agile Methodologies and Gamification for Student Engagement and Success

The article highlights a flexible and adaptable approach for the development of game like activities for higher education students from Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania. The approach embraces agile methodologies to guide the iterative development process of educational games and consists of several key elements. First, it underlines the importance of defining clear learning objectives and aligning them with the game’s design. Second, it encourages multidisciplinary collaboration between teachers and instructional designers to deliver relevant information to students, but also appropriate to their learning styles and needs. Regarding engineering problems and methods, students frequently encounter several difficulties. For this reason, the article attempts to provide an organized and engaging learning environment that encourages active participation and information retention. In industrial engineering, most of the students’ exposure is to theoretical materials; nevertheless, there are several ways to give them practical experience with the topics they are studying. Using a comprehensive review of the literature, the article explores the pedagogical benefits, challenges, and practices associated with the use of agile methodologies in education. Agile methods are very based on collaboration, teamwork, flexibility, and participation, and help create a more relaxed learning environment to support students' increasing need for control over their learning path. Throughout regular communication and feedback cycles, students can iterate on content and pedagogical approaches, resulting in activities and games that are more engaging and effective for learning. In the end, the paper presents the conclusions of the authors on the current advantages and limitations of using this approach based on agility and game-based learning in higher education.

Library and Information Sciences in Romanian higher education today

With 33 years of existence in Romania, higher education in the field of library and information science is today organised by four universities: University of Bucharest, Babes Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu and West University of Timisoara. In 2005, the Bologna Process was implemented in this field as well, with specialized education being organized in three specific cycles: undergraduate and master's studies, postgraduate studies and doctoral studies. Starting with this moment, we are assisting the attempt to standardise the curriculum, implicitly the set of skills and competences that graduates must have after graduation. This is supervised by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education; the competences and skills are listed in the register drawn up by the National Agency for Qualifications, and they are correlated with the ESCO register (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations). By analysing the most recent RAQAHE recommendations (updated in 2022), the ESCO and NAQ registers, we aim to highlight the topicality of the study programmes offered by the four universities. The discussions can be held, in essence, on how prepared graduates are for the labour market and what would be the next steps for a more frequent adaptation of the content of subjects in curriculum in order to take into account the views formulated by The European Network Of Public Employment Services in June 2023, as a contribution to the European Year of Skills. It allows us to formulate some conclusions on the current state of curriculum in Romania.

Peer Review Declaration

The Organiser and/or the Editor(s) are required to declare details about their peer review processes. Therefore, please provide the following information: ➢ Type of peer review: Single-blind (the identity of reviewers is not known by the authors) Criteria used by reviewers: The papers underwent assessment based on their scientific substance, the novelty of the information they presented, language accuracy, and the quality of their presentation. Reviewers were provided with a structured review form encompassing sections on novelty, contextual relevance, manuscript coherence (including communication effectiveness and result clarity), abstract adequacy, language proficiency, and absence of commercial bias. Additionally, reviewers were required to provide constructive comments and suggestions for authors in designated sections. They were further tasked with recommending papers for publication, revision, or rejection. Subsequently, reviewers' feedback, facilitated by the track director, was relayed to the authors, who were then responsible for revising their papers in accordance with the reviewers' input and resubmitting them. Final acceptance (or rejection) decisions were made by the conference track director only after authors had made the necessary revisions. ➢ Conference submission management system: Open Conference System (https://siarcongress.eu/index.php/mvt/2022) ➢ Number of submissions received: 107 ➢ Number of submissions sent for review: 67 ➢ Number of submissions accepted:53 ➢ Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 49.53 % ➢ Average number of reviews per paper: 2 ➢ Total number of reviewers involved: 20 ➢ As additional info on review process the papers were checked for plagiarism with www.turnitinn.com platform (the papers ware uploaded in the platform, verified and presented a report with ➢ Contact person for queries: Liviu MIHON, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania, email: liviu.mihon@upt.ro

Foreword

The Congress of Automotive and Transport Engineering is an annual scientific event initiated in 1990 by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Romania (SIAR) and various Romanian universities with an interest in Automotive and Transport Engineering. This Congress is endorsed by EAEC (European Automotive Engineers Cooperation). The XXXII-nd edition of SIARS’s International Congress with the theme “Automotive and Transport Engineering” and the XVII-th European Automotive Congress was organized for the third time by Department of Mechanical Machines, Equipment and Transportation from the Politehnica University Timisoara. The Congress purpose is to gather members from academia, industry and government affiliated presenting their possibilities for investigations and latest research, to achieve collaborations in the near future in the field of automotive and transport engineering. The Congress hosted 201 participants from Europe, United States of America, Moldova presenting their scientific achievements within plenary sessions and congress sections. Thus, the auditorium had the opportunity to: • Gain insight into the cutting edge automotive and transport industry and ideas for future developments; • Update their skills and knowledge by attending focused technical sessions; • Network with potential new partners, clients and suppliers; • View the latest technology products and services in the technical exhibition. The papers included in this volume were selected by the Scientific Committee amongst the ones presented within the Congress and are covering the latest issues such as advanced powertrain and propulsion, automotive design and testing, terrain vehicles, advanced engineering methods, materials, automotive technology and maintenance, road safety, mobility of things. EAEC-MVT 2022 Student Congress was integrated into the main congress and offered students from around the world the opportunity to participate at an international conference and to present their papers on the main congress topics. This was also the meeting place for the young students (SIAR junior’s members) in an International Congress. We hope that these papers will be of interest to experts from academia and industry around the world and we wish them to create a favourable framework for addressing key issues in the field of Automotive and Road Transport Engineering that concern contemporary society today. Yours faithfully, EAEC-MVT 2022 Proceedings Editors List of Acknowledgement, Organizing Committee, Sponsors are available in this Pdf.

A Physically Inspired Model for Estimating Clear-Sky Solar Irradiance

Abstract The estimation of solar irradiance under clear sky conditions is still a research topic. Many times, accessible empirical models are applied in practice, even if more uncertainty is expected than in the case of complex models. This paper reports a class of innovative empirical models for estimating clear sky global solar irradiance. Although the models are of an empirical nature, the mathematical equations are inspired by the physics behind the radiative transfer in the atmosphere. The models are developed with high-quality data recorded on the Solar Platform of the West University of Timisoara, Romania. Considering the local character of the empirical models, the development process is described in detail so that it can be replicated in other locations. Having only deterministic quantities as input, the proposed models harmoniously combine the two key requirements for practical applications: accessibility and accuracy.

Evaluating Outdoor Performance of PV Modules Using an Innovative Explicit One-Diode Model

Due to its simplicity, the one-diode model is commonly used for modeling the operation of photovoltaic (PV) modules at standard test conditions (STC). However, its inherent implicit nature often presents challenges in modeling PV energy production. In this paper, the innovative explicit one-diode model developed by us over time is adapted for estimating PV power production under real weather conditions. Simple yet accurate equations for calculating the energy output of a PV generator equipped with a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) system are proposed. The model’s performance is assessed under various normal and harsh operating conditions against measured data collected from the experimental setup located at the Solar Platform at West University of Timisoara, Romania. As an application of the new equation for maximum power, this paper presents a case study where the energy loss in the absence of an MPPT system is evaluated based on atmospheric and sky conditions.

The Implications of Assessment Based on Contextual Learning on Students' Results

Creating contexts in teaching, learning, and assessing the student involves a complex activity whose purpose is the student's progress. The connection between the three processes can be assured by choosing the best educational context for the university teacher. In the student-centered university educational process, having the students as partners in the teaching process and assessing them based on contextual learning is essential. This study analyses the influence of assessment based on contextual learning on students' learning results and used descriptive and comparative quantitative research with a non-experimental design to achieve this goal. The sample was 114 students from the Teacher Training Department, West University of Timisoara, Romania, second year of study, Level 1 of the Postgraduate Program, for the academic year 2021–2022 (20 males and 94 females). Using two formative context-based assessment tasks and one summative content-based assessment task, the study revealed that assessments based on practical contextual learning tasks positively impact students' results more than content-based assessments. Also, the contextual assessment task type influences students' results, with the practical context determining better results than a cognitive-theoretical context. The study's limitations suggested that many factors could be involved in studying the impact of different types of contextual assessment on students' results. Future experimental research could be done on considering experimentally confirmed variables and criteria for construing and choosing the appropriate type of task for formative and summative contextual assessment that confirms students' progress, including new technologies support in contextual assessment.

Innovating the Use of Labour Market Intelligence Within European Universities

Abstract The “Innovating the Use of Labour Market Intelligence within European Universities” (LMI-EUniv) project, set within the Erasmus+ programme’s Key Action 2, represents a pioneering effort to harness Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) for enhancing the alignment between higher education offerings and labour market demands across Europe. This initiative, led by a consortium including the West University of Timisoara, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Tallinn, Prospektiker, and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, aimed to explore the current utilisation of labour market information and intelligence by European universities in planning and delivering their educational provisions. With a focus on fostering the congruence of educational supply with labour market demand through innovative learning and teaching methodologies, the project sought to empower Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the skills and competencies necessary to meet these challenges. By mapping essential LMI sources at a national level, examining the use of LMI across European HEIs, and developing a comprehensive training course and an online Labour Market Intelligence Hub, this project aspired to create an indispensable reference for HEIs. This article synthesises the project’s key findings, underscoring the critical role of labour market intelligence in adapting academic curricula to meet specific labour market needs, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on the integration of LMI in higher education and its implications for curriculum development, graduate employability, and the overarching alignment between education and labour market expectations.

Preface

Hunedoara, Romania, May 24-27, 2023 (face-to-face and on-line) Organizers: Politehnica University Timisoara and University of Banja Luka in cooperation withMinistry for Scientific and Technological DevelopmentHigher Education and Information Society of the Republika SrpskaAcademy of Romanian ScientistsAcademy of Sciences and Arts of the Republika SrpskaAcademy of Technical Sciences of Romania - Timisoara BranchGeneral Association of Romanian Engineers - Hunedoara BranchAssociation Universitaria Hunedoara ICAS 2023 - International Conference on Applied Sciences took place in Hunedoara, Romania, from May 24 to 27, 2023, at the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara. Its primary objective was to provide a platform for the exchange of information across diverse fields of applied sciences and to facilitate communication among scientists from various nations, countries, and continents.The conference, structured into five sections - Fundamental Sciences, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Engineering - encompasses a wide range of topics related to the application, operation, and impact of applied sciences and technologies on the industry.Throughout the conference, participants engaged in 2 round tables, 1 keynote lecture, and 74 presentations. From the materials presented at the conference, 25 papers have been selected to be published in this volume of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series, which is a part of the IOP Conference Series. List of Honorary Committee, Organizing Committee, Scientific Committee are available on the web site of the conference.

Peer Review Statement

All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors.Review criteria:1) Scientific interest of results2) Scientific merit and originality3) Quality and relevance of diagrams, figures, tables and legends4) Bibliography - recent, adequate, correctly cited5) Agreement with templateAll corresponding authors were given the opportunity to resubmit articles after revisions. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.Type of peer review: Single anonymousConference submission management system: MorressierNumber of submissions received: 40Number of submissions sent for review: 37Number of submissions accepted: 25Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 62,5 %Average number of reviews per paper: 5Total number of reviewers involved: 11Contact person for queries:Name: ALIC Daniela DeliaAffiliation: POLITEHNICA UNIVERSITY TIMISOARA, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING HUNEDOARAEmail: daniela.alic@upt.ro

European Journal of Geography (Year 2023): Reviewer Appreciation & Publication Recap

European Journal of Geography (Year 2023): Reviewer Appreciation & Publication Recap

An Ensemble Approach for Intra-Hour Forecasting of Solar Resource

Solar resource forecasting is an essential step towards smart management of power grids. This study aims to increase the performance of intra-hour forecasts. For this, a novel ensemble model, combining statistical extrapolation of time-series measurements with models based on machine learning and all-sky imagery, is proposed. This study is conducted with high-quality data and high-resolution sky images recorded on the Solar Platform of the West University of Timisoara, Romania. Atmospheric factors that contribute to improving or reducing the quality of forecasts are discussed. Generally, the statistical models gain a small skill score across all forecast horizons (5 to 30 min). The machine-learning-based methods perform best at smaller forecast horizons (less than 15 min), while the all-sky-imagery-based model performs best at larger forecast horizons. Overall, for forecast horizons between 10 and 30 min, the weighted forecast ensemble with frozen coefficients achieves a skill score between 15 and 20%.

Research on the Influence of the Heat Treatment Temperature on the Cavitation Behavior of the Aluminum Alloy 2017 A

The good mechanical properties of aluminum alloy 2017 A have determined its use in a wide range of applications in which cavitational solocitations occur, such as hydraulic actuation installations, heat engine blocks, boat propellers and sloops, pumps in the cooling system of thermal engines, wings and ogives of airplanes. Currently, research is focused on the development of procedures for improving the resistance to cavitational erosion of these materials. This paper presents the results of the research on the cavitation erosion behavior of the material subjected to thermal aging treatment at different temperatures of 140 °C and 180 °C respectively and a constant holding time of 12 hours. The research was carried out according to the ASTM G32-2016 norms, on a vibrating device with piezoceramic crystals from the Cavitation Laboratory of the Polytechnic University of Timisoara. The research results, based on characteristic curves, mechanical properties, micro and macro structural images, showed that the sample kept for 12 h at a temperature of 180 °C is weaker than the control sample, during the sample time kept for 12 h at a temperature of 140 °C, has a small increase, even if, compared to the control sample (without heat treatment), the hardness is lower.

Influence of aging heat treatment at 180 °C on cavitation erosion for aluminum alloy type 5083 in cold rolled state

Aluminum-based alloys have wide applicability in the construction of aircraft, vehicles, and ships. Some of their components, during operation, such as the radiators and the rotors of the cooling pumps in the vehicles, and the propellers of fishing and pleasure boats are affected by the abrasive, chemical and cavitational corrosive action of the water. At certain hydrodynamic flow regimes, the most dangerous becomes the corrosion through cavitation. Operation in such regimes inevitably leads to damaging the structure, due to cyclic stresses of the micro-jets and shock waves generated by the implosion of cavitation bubbles. Although the chemical constitution and alloying with other chemical elements increase the mechanical properties, the service life is still limited when operating in high-intensity cavitation flows. Therefore, researchers are looking for solutions to improve this resistance through various treatments, such as bulk heat. Research heading the same direction, but, made on 5083 alloy, is presented in this paper. The results highlight the behavior of a modified structure compared to the semi-fabricated state (obtained by rolling), through three durations regimes (one hours, 12 hours and 24 hours) of aging heat treatment to 180 °C temperature, after hardening treatment at 450 °C. The cavitation tests were performed in the Laboratory of the Polytechnic University of Timisoara, on the standard vibrating device with piezoceramic crystals. The results were expressed by curves and parameters specific to the evaluation of cavitation resistance, and by macro and microscopic images, showing the unique aspects of the connection between the structure and the mechanical properties obtained through heat treatment regimes. Thus, comparison of the results, including with the delivery state (laminated product), shows that the highest resistance is provided by the treatment at 24 hours. At the same time, the erosion, of pitting and caverns type, and differs from one structure to another.

Guest Editor’s Introductory Note. Modern Japan: From the Meiji Restoration to the Takarazuka Revue

This is the first special issue of the Annals of the West University of Timisoara (Humanities Series) dedicated to Asian studies, and I am excited not only that it is focused on Japan, but honored that I was asked to curate it. It’s been a longer than anticipated journey to see this work to completion, but I am proud of the result. The contributions gathered here reflect the importance and worldwide spread of current scholarship on modern Japan. Italian, Korean, American Romanian, and Romanian researchers who teach and do research at universities in Japan, Romania, South Korea and the United States bring an unique and complex universe of themes and methodologies to their contribution to the field.

Two Teachers, One Textbook: Challenges and Changes

This paper offers an insight into the efforts of two teachers trying to put together a textbook, called English for Social Sciences. The teachers are myself and a friend, Ramona Bran, who is an English language teacher at the Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, within the West University of Timisoara, where I also used to work until the autumn of 2015. This book came with some challenges due to our target audience, our students, but also our styles of teaching which impinged on what we taught. This paper looks back at how these challenges were overcome and how we adapted to the changes necessary to come up with the book.

Calibration of GFS Solar Irradiation Forecasts: A Case Study in Romania

Models based on Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) are widely used for the day-ahead forecast of solar resources. This study is focused on the calibration of the hourly global solar irradiation forecasts provided by the Global Forecast System (GFS), a model from the NWP class. Since the evaluation of GFS raw forecasts sometimes shows a high degree of uncertainty (the relative error exceeding 100%), a procedure for reducing the errors is needed as a prerequisite for engineering applications. In this study, a deep analysis of the error sources in relation to the state of the atmosphere is reported. Of special note is the use of sky imagery in the identification process. Generally, it has been found that the largest errors are determined by the underestimation of cloud coverage. For calibration, a new ensemble forecast is proposed. It combines two machine learning approaches, Support Vector Regression and Multi-Layer Perceptron. In contrast to a typical calibration, the objective function is constructed based on the absolute error instead of the traditional root mean squared error. In terms of normalized root mean squared error, the calibration roughly reduces the uncertainty in hourly global solar irradiation by 16%. The study was conducted with high-quality ground-measured data from the Solar Platform of the West University of Timisoara, Romania. To ensure high accessibility, all the parameters required to run the proposed calibration procedures are provided.

Photogrammetry as a Digital Tool for Joining Heritage Documentation in Architectural Education and Professional Practice

Given the accelerated technological advance in all fields, vast knowledge of digital tools becomes mandatory for future interior designers and architects. Thus, experimenting with as many such methods and technologies must become a priority for the teaching process. Noticing a high demand for digitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Polytechnic University of Timisoara has decided to encourage the implementation of digital teaching throughout disciplines, preparing students for their future careers. Photogrammetry as a study method, among others, has the potential to outrank traditional documentation techniques currently applied in architectural education and practice. The presented research was divided into two main phases: an educational, experimental workshop and a project restoration application. After learning, testing, and refining the close-range photogrammetry workflow, the authors and students took the best practices and applied them to an ongoing facade restoration project in Timisoara, scanning original and restored plaster ornaments and finally 3D printing one of the models. The article aims to show that, unlike traditional teaching methods, using photogrammetry as a documentation process creates a coherent link between theoretical education and restoration practice. Consequently, the exercise brings students closer to the applicable side of their careers through a contemporary digital technique.

"THE IMAGE OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION: WEST UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA "

The goal of this paper is to analyse the image, a public relation perspective, of an educational institution - West University of Timisoara. The image concept is a key concept in public relations and the sociology of mass communication. The image of an organization is based on creating elements that characterize identity that gives the uniqueness factor. These are the goals, objectives, structure, the staff and organizational culture and their translation into the external environment. The external environment is the general public, clients/customers, suppliers, partners, and not least by the media (Vid 2016, p.29). The image is the representation: “which was formed as a sum of beliefs, attitudes, opinions, prejudices, experiences and expectations to groups of people or within the public opinion on a natural or legal person, institution or organization” (Iorgu 2011). According to Roger Mucchielli picture is “a representation or an idea which is formed by individuals of an environment or of a segment of the public – due to reception of information about a social object. In the image case, it is about an opinion or an attitude whose roots are mostly irrational” (Iorgu 2011). We analyse the current image of West University of Timisoara. The overall objective of the analysis is to identify all the instruments that UVT uses to communicate with its public. The adequate tools for studying such an approach are the following: observation and content analysis.