The paper presents an Excel spreadsheet for the buckling analysis of elastic struts. The spreads... more The paper presents an Excel spreadsheet for the buckling analysis of elastic struts. The spreadsheet has been prepared as a tool for use in the second year course on Strength of Materials in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the University of Botswana. It calculates the elastic critical load and the ultimate stress for any of five typical cross-sections, the dimensions of which are given by the user. The user has also a possibility of choosing the modulus of elasticity from the table containing different materials and their elastic properties.
The paper assesses the changes in the use of the computers and internet, and specifically interne... more The paper assesses the changes in the use of the computers and internet, and specifically internet communication, by students of the Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland in academic years 2009/10 and 2013/14. The structured questionnaire was used as the tool for collecting data. The results indicate there was a dynamic raise of students with their own computers and with direct access to internet. There was a complete swap in the number of desktop units in comparison to laptops. Social media became the most popular application of internet. However, the students used also internet and computers for class preparation. The data collected indicated that the respondends used internet and its available services in every day life.
Engineering practice continues to evolve in response to modern technological and scientific devel... more Engineering practice continues to evolve in response to modern technological and scientific development. The accreditation systems of engineering education programmes has evolved in order to respond to the new trend and needs and also to provide mutual recognition of the different national engineering qualifications. The University of Botswana (UB) is currently the only tertiary institution in Botswana offering degree programmes in Engineering. To enhance its international recognition, UB is "re-engineering" its programmes to be aligned with the accreditation requirements.
Acceptance of blackboard technology by mechanical engineering students at the University of Botswana
International Journal of Engineering Education, 2009
Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whe... more Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whether invited or not. Students and lecturers are confronted with new technologies. There are new teaching methods to accompany them, and new pressures to use them. E-...
Application of spreadsheet in beam bending calculations
IEEE Africon '11, 2011
ABSTRACT The paper presents the application of an Excel spreadsheet as an educational tool for th... more ABSTRACT The paper presents the application of an Excel spreadsheet as an educational tool for the beam bending calculations. It describes the advantages of using the spreadsheet in engineering education. It also describes the spreadsheet which uses Macaulay's method for beam calculations. The spreadsheet can be applied to both statically determined and indeterminate beams. It calculates the reactions (both forces and moments), shear force and bending moment as well as deflections for any of four typical beam end-fixing conditions (simply supported, cantilever, propped and built-in). The dimensions of the beam, the loads and their location are given by the user. The spreadsheet works as a menu driven program and is designed to be user-friendly. The paper therefore makes a case for the use of spreadsheets in beam bending calculation to improve students understanding and performance in this topic.
The paper presents a computer program for the kinematic analysis of a four-bar linkage. It has be... more The paper presents a computer program for the kinematic analysis of a four-bar linkage. It has been written as a final year project in the B.Eng. degree program in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Botswana (UB). It calculates the positions, velocities and accelerations of points and links of Grashof's four-bar linkage. The program can print (either on the screen, or on the printer or into the file) the positions, velocities and accelerations of points and links of the four-bar linkage. The program can also plot all the results in the form of Cartesian co-ordinates of variables and graphically animate the motion of the linkage. The program is completely menu driven and is designed to be user-friendly.
Project Based Learning - Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms for Awning Windows Linkages
The paper describes project-based approach to teac hing in the final year of a degree programme a... more The paper describes project-based approach to teac hing in the final year of a degree programme at Fre nch Military Academy, St Cyr. Project, typically a desi gn project or at least with an element of design, i s the usual requirement in the final year of any degree programme in engineeri ng. From that point of view projects done by French cadets do not bring anything special. However, since the Academy's trai ning programme combines engineering education with military training, the cadets' preparation for final year is different to that of students in a non-military university. In the normal system a typical scenario of a "capstone" final year project is that it should require from the student an elem ent of synthesis to combine knowledge from a few, or several courses in order to solve a particular engineering problem. H owever, in case of cadets from the French Military Academy the demand is not only on the project itself but also on acqui ring necessary knowled...
During the first semester of 2007/2008 academic session at the University of Botswana (UB), some ... more During the first semester of 2007/2008 academic session at the University of Botswana (UB), some mechanical engineering courses were delivered using a blended method i.e. online resource (eLearning) and traditional face to face approach. This paper presents results of a study to analyse students' perception of the eLearning technology, namely WebCT/Blackboard. An electronic questionnaire was administered to a cohort of third year mechanical engineering students for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 92 items that covered such areas as facilities, resources, access, instruction and quality issues. An open ended section enabled students comment on other issues related to the course delivery. The results show that students were very receptive of ICT based course delivery. The paper discusses the challenges of using eLearning and proffers recommendations to ensure that maximum benefit is derived from technological investment and staff effort.
In this paper the experimental setup, the equipment used, the location of the strain gauges, the ... more In this paper the experimental setup, the equipment used, the location of the strain gauges, the experimental results and the analysis of forces and moments acting upon a ram press machine BP30 are presented and analyzed. The data are obtained under operating conditions when sunflower seeds are crashed and oil is expressed. The results for forces and moments are estimated and analyzed to acquire their average maximum values. By using the data for the maximum forces and maximum bending moments acting on connecting rods the coefficient of kinetic friction is calculated to be 0.0718. It is found that the value of this coefficient agrees with the values listed in the literature for lubricated steel on steel contact surfaces. It is concluded that the results obtained in this study could be used for a subsequent analysis regarding the energy losses and energy balance in the machine. Based on that analysis the mechanical efficiency may also be determined and comparison analysis with other ...
The aim of the study was to investigate access and use of computers and internet by students duri... more The aim of the study was to investigate access and use of computers and internet by students during their studies. The results are based on a survey conducted in 2009-2012 on groups of 320 to 405 students (each year) from two universities in eastern Poland. It was concluded that during the period under study access of students to computers and internet was at a relatively high level. In most of the years considered, there were statically significant differences in computer ownership and internet access between students from rural and urban areas. It was revealed that in students' opinion the application of ICT by lecturers in the courses' delivery did not change significantly since 2009. INTRODUCTION Computer and online use has increased significantly in the recent years and today it is a major component in modern society. University students all over the world use information communication technology in their studies. It is due not only to the advances in computer technolog...
The Symposium is organized at the research project "Development methods and device to complex mea... more The Symposium is organized at the research project "Development methods and device to complex measurements of agricultural nozzles quality works as well as validation one"
Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whe... more Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whether invited or not. Students and lecturers are confronted with new technologies. There are new teaching methods to accompany them, and new pressures to use them. E-learning is penetrating all areas of teaching and learning: academic institutions and corporate training alike. It has been generally accepted as a major and viable component of higher education. However, it is not clear how students accept the use of new technology. This paper deals with the question of acceptance by analysing the University of Botswana engineering students' reflection on Blackboard technology.
This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Sciences in the ... more This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Sciences in the host of the event. As always the symposium is an important occasion for scientists and practitioners to show progress in sustainable agriculture. It is also our great hope that it will stimulate the participants to start new ideas, exchange them with colleagues and to implement them in practice. The following proceedings contain 45 reviewed extended-abstracts presented at the Symposium. It shows developments achieved in the theory and practice in the area of sustainable agriculture. Both the methodological and practical aspects of sustainable agriculture are outlined and presented.
The paper presents an Excel spreadsheet for the buckling analysis of elastic struts. The spreads... more The paper presents an Excel spreadsheet for the buckling analysis of elastic struts. The spreadsheet has been prepared as a tool for use in the second year course on Strength of Materials in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the University of Botswana. It calculates the elastic critical load and the ultimate stress for any of five typical cross-sections, the dimensions of which are given by the user. The user has also a possibility of choosing the modulus of elasticity from the table containing different materials and their elastic properties.
The paper assesses the changes in the use of the computers and internet, and specifically interne... more The paper assesses the changes in the use of the computers and internet, and specifically internet communication, by students of the Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland in academic years 2009/10 and 2013/14. The structured questionnaire was used as the tool for collecting data. The results indicate there was a dynamic raise of students with their own computers and with direct access to internet. There was a complete swap in the number of desktop units in comparison to laptops. Social media became the most popular application of internet. However, the students used also internet and computers for class preparation. The data collected indicated that the respondends used internet and its available services in every day life.
Engineering practice continues to evolve in response to modern technological and scientific devel... more Engineering practice continues to evolve in response to modern technological and scientific development. The accreditation systems of engineering education programmes has evolved in order to respond to the new trend and needs and also to provide mutual recognition of the different national engineering qualifications. The University of Botswana (UB) is currently the only tertiary institution in Botswana offering degree programmes in Engineering. To enhance its international recognition, UB is "re-engineering" its programmes to be aligned with the accreditation requirements.
Acceptance of blackboard technology by mechanical engineering students at the University of Botswana
International Journal of Engineering Education, 2009
Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whe... more Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whether invited or not. Students and lecturers are confronted with new technologies. There are new teaching methods to accompany them, and new pressures to use them. E-...
Application of spreadsheet in beam bending calculations
IEEE Africon '11, 2011
ABSTRACT The paper presents the application of an Excel spreadsheet as an educational tool for th... more ABSTRACT The paper presents the application of an Excel spreadsheet as an educational tool for the beam bending calculations. It describes the advantages of using the spreadsheet in engineering education. It also describes the spreadsheet which uses Macaulay's method for beam calculations. The spreadsheet can be applied to both statically determined and indeterminate beams. It calculates the reactions (both forces and moments), shear force and bending moment as well as deflections for any of four typical beam end-fixing conditions (simply supported, cantilever, propped and built-in). The dimensions of the beam, the loads and their location are given by the user. The spreadsheet works as a menu driven program and is designed to be user-friendly. The paper therefore makes a case for the use of spreadsheets in beam bending calculation to improve students understanding and performance in this topic.
The paper presents a computer program for the kinematic analysis of a four-bar linkage. It has be... more The paper presents a computer program for the kinematic analysis of a four-bar linkage. It has been written as a final year project in the B.Eng. degree program in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Botswana (UB). It calculates the positions, velocities and accelerations of points and links of Grashof's four-bar linkage. The program can print (either on the screen, or on the printer or into the file) the positions, velocities and accelerations of points and links of the four-bar linkage. The program can also plot all the results in the form of Cartesian co-ordinates of variables and graphically animate the motion of the linkage. The program is completely menu driven and is designed to be user-friendly.
Project Based Learning - Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms for Awning Windows Linkages
The paper describes project-based approach to teac hing in the final year of a degree programme a... more The paper describes project-based approach to teac hing in the final year of a degree programme at Fre nch Military Academy, St Cyr. Project, typically a desi gn project or at least with an element of design, i s the usual requirement in the final year of any degree programme in engineeri ng. From that point of view projects done by French cadets do not bring anything special. However, since the Academy's trai ning programme combines engineering education with military training, the cadets' preparation for final year is different to that of students in a non-military university. In the normal system a typical scenario of a "capstone" final year project is that it should require from the student an elem ent of synthesis to combine knowledge from a few, or several courses in order to solve a particular engineering problem. H owever, in case of cadets from the French Military Academy the demand is not only on the project itself but also on acqui ring necessary knowled...
During the first semester of 2007/2008 academic session at the University of Botswana (UB), some ... more During the first semester of 2007/2008 academic session at the University of Botswana (UB), some mechanical engineering courses were delivered using a blended method i.e. online resource (eLearning) and traditional face to face approach. This paper presents results of a study to analyse students' perception of the eLearning technology, namely WebCT/Blackboard. An electronic questionnaire was administered to a cohort of third year mechanical engineering students for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 92 items that covered such areas as facilities, resources, access, instruction and quality issues. An open ended section enabled students comment on other issues related to the course delivery. The results show that students were very receptive of ICT based course delivery. The paper discusses the challenges of using eLearning and proffers recommendations to ensure that maximum benefit is derived from technological investment and staff effort.
In this paper the experimental setup, the equipment used, the location of the strain gauges, the ... more In this paper the experimental setup, the equipment used, the location of the strain gauges, the experimental results and the analysis of forces and moments acting upon a ram press machine BP30 are presented and analyzed. The data are obtained under operating conditions when sunflower seeds are crashed and oil is expressed. The results for forces and moments are estimated and analyzed to acquire their average maximum values. By using the data for the maximum forces and maximum bending moments acting on connecting rods the coefficient of kinetic friction is calculated to be 0.0718. It is found that the value of this coefficient agrees with the values listed in the literature for lubricated steel on steel contact surfaces. It is concluded that the results obtained in this study could be used for a subsequent analysis regarding the energy losses and energy balance in the machine. Based on that analysis the mechanical efficiency may also be determined and comparison analysis with other ...
The aim of the study was to investigate access and use of computers and internet by students duri... more The aim of the study was to investigate access and use of computers and internet by students during their studies. The results are based on a survey conducted in 2009-2012 on groups of 320 to 405 students (each year) from two universities in eastern Poland. It was concluded that during the period under study access of students to computers and internet was at a relatively high level. In most of the years considered, there were statically significant differences in computer ownership and internet access between students from rural and urban areas. It was revealed that in students' opinion the application of ICT by lecturers in the courses' delivery did not change significantly since 2009. INTRODUCTION Computer and online use has increased significantly in the recent years and today it is a major component in modern society. University students all over the world use information communication technology in their studies. It is due not only to the advances in computer technolog...
The Symposium is organized at the research project "Development methods and device to complex mea... more The Symposium is organized at the research project "Development methods and device to complex measurements of agricultural nozzles quality works as well as validation one"
Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whe... more Technology-based teaching and learning is entering academic life at an amazing rate. It comes whether invited or not. Students and lecturers are confronted with new technologies. There are new teaching methods to accompany them, and new pressures to use them. E-learning is penetrating all areas of teaching and learning: academic institutions and corporate training alike. It has been generally accepted as a major and viable component of higher education. However, it is not clear how students accept the use of new technology. This paper deals with the question of acceptance by analysing the University of Botswana engineering students' reflection on Blackboard technology.
This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Sciences in the ... more This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Sciences in the host of the event. As always the symposium is an important occasion for scientists and practitioners to show progress in sustainable agriculture. It is also our great hope that it will stimulate the participants to start new ideas, exchange them with colleagues and to implement them in practice. The following proceedings contain 45 reviewed extended-abstracts presented at the Symposium. It shows developments achieved in the theory and practice in the area of sustainable agriculture. Both the methodological and practical aspects of sustainable agriculture are outlined and presented.
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Papers by Jacek Uziak