Bernadette K. McCabe

An Integrated Approach to the Use of Complementary Visual Learning Tools in an Undergraduate Microbiology Class

The ability to appreciate the inter-connectedness of complex biological relationships can be difficult for many students. Graphical knowledge in the form of concept maps and flow charts are learning tools which can assist students to recognise the inter-connectivity. This report focuses on a trial which incorporates these two related visual learning tools using a tablet PC to support their instruction in an undergraduate introductory microbiology class. The objectives of the trial were to introduce both concept maps and flow charts so as to assist students in linking theory with practical knowledge, to make connections within and outside their course of study, and to increase student preparedness and time management in laboratories. An integrated approach to teaching using a pen-based technology with live audio visual in both lectures and laboratories was used. This report details the implementation of the teaching approach focusing on the application of the concept maps and flow charts and how tablet PC technology was incorporated in both settings. The evaluation results of the trial are also reported indicating the impact of the integrated teaching approach on student learning experience and concludes with potential areas for future consideration.

Evaluation of chemical, thermobaric and thermochemical pre-treatment on anaerobic digestion of high-fat cattle slaughterhouse waste

This work aimed to enhance the anaerobic digestion of fat-rich dissolved air flotation (DAF) sludge through chemical, thermobaric, and thermochemical pre-treatment methods. Soluble chemical oxygen demand was enhanced from 16.3% in the control to 20.84% (thermobaric), 40.82% (chemical), and 50.7% (thermochemical). Pre-treatment altered volatile fatty acid concentration by -64% (thermobaric), 127% (chemical) and 228% (thermochemical). Early inhibition was reduced by 20% in the thermochemical group, and 100% in the thermobaric group. Specific methane production was enhanced by 3.28% (chemical), 8.32% (thermobaric), and 8.49% (thermochemical) as a result of pre-treatment. Under batch digestion, thermobaric pre-treatment demonstrated the greatest improvement in methane yield with respect to degree of pre-treatment applied. Thermobaric pre-treatment was also the most viable for implementation at slaughterhouses, with potential for heat-exchange to reduce pre-treatment cost. Further investigation into long-term impact of pre-treatments in semi-continuous digestion experiments will provide additional evaluation of appropriate pre-treatment options for high-fat slaughterhouse wastewater.

Parallels of lived experiences in learning: a scientist learning qualitative research and nurses learning science

Abstract This article documents my personal experiences in entering research in tertiary teaching and learning. My role as a science academic has included teaching both undergraduate science and nursing students, as well as incorporating scientific research in the discipline of microbiology. Through teaching these two different cohorts of students I have come to realise that they demand different teaching styles and strategies. Previous studies concerning science courses in nursing programs suggested that nursing students have a negative attitude towards the relevance of science in nursing and lack the confidence to study this subject. In an attempt to improve this situation. I have taken the approach of investigating my teaching and learning practices in nurse education by undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the course, and in doing so I have become more open to learning about new teaching and learning activities. This shift in research experience, from laboratory-based to educational, has produced an interesting parallel. The new experiences and anxieties that I faced in entering a new paradigm of educational research can be seen as analogous to those experienced by my nursing students when studying science in nursing for the first time. This paper provides a personal account of this shift in research and reflects on how my lived experience of entering a new field of research has facilitated the way that I understand how students learn.

Effect of trace element addition and increasing organic loading rates on the anaerobic digestion of cattle slaughterhouse wastewater

In this study, anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse wastewater with the addition of trace elements was monitored for biogas quantity, quality and process stability using CSTR digesters operated at mesophilic temperature. The determination of trace element concentrations was shown to be deficient in Fe, Ni, Co, Mn and Mo compared to recommendations given in the literature. Addition of these trace elements resulted in enhanced degradation efficiency, higher biogas production and improved process stability. Higher organic loading rates and lower hydraulic retention times were achieved in comparison to the control digesters. A critical accumulation of volatile fatty acids was observed at an organic loading rate of 1.82 g L-1 d-1 in the control compared to 2.36 g L-1 d-1 in the digesters with trace element addition. The improved process stability was evident in the final weeks of experimentation, in which control reactors produced 84% less biogas per day compared to the reactors containing trace elements.