Timothy McCarthy | University of Wollongong (original) (raw)

Papers by Timothy McCarthy

Mechanics is a key foundation topic for many engineering disciplines, the study of which usually ... more Mechanics is a key foundation topic for many engineering disciplines, the study of which usually constitutes a significant proportion of first and second year engineering undergraduate studies. Many engineering students experience substantial difficulties with introductory mechanics, and it is widely noted in the literature that pass rates in mechanics courses tend to be unacceptably low. This paper details the interim findings of, and issues arising from a literature search focusing on how engineering educators understand, describe, identify and deal with the causes of poor performance in introductory mechanics. The most striking conclusion drawn from this literature search is the lack of conclusive research into the more fundamental causes of difficulties for students studying mechanics.

The University of Wollongong and partner institutions UTAS, UTS, and QUT have engaged in an ALTC ... more The University of Wollongong and partner institutions UTAS, UTS, and QUT have engaged in an ALTC funded project to address issues of intercultural competence in engineering. As a major component of this project, observational research techniques are being employed to assess the current state of intercultural competence in first and second year engineering students. The research described in this paper is a process employed by the authors to observe cultural interactions between students in first or second year design subjects. The process involves simple video recordings of the groups' interactions over the course of a normal project team meeting, which are then coded and analysed using NVivo 8. To identify cultural diversity within the observed groups and perceived intercultural competency, the observation session is followed by a brief survey which incorporates dimensions of self and peer evaluation. This research will be conducted at all four participating institutions over t...

Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams ... more Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams are the simplest abstraction of the external forces and moments acting on a physical object. Some people 'get' FBD's the first time they are shown them while many struggle and continue to produce incorrect diagrams well into their university studies. Having received feedback from lecturers of 3rd year subjects that FBD skills were still below expectations an intervention was implemented in a University of Wollongong first year subject to (a) test students' understanding of FBD's (b) diagnose common misconceptions and errors and (c) reinforce the importance of constructing FBDs that are accurate and complete. This intervention has taken the form of a staged mastery skills test early in the first session of the first year of the engineering degree courses. The quiz is used as a stage gate for the subject and everyone must achieve the mastery skill to pass the subject. T...

Many hours and dollars have been spent developing new resources to improve learning outcomes in e... more Many hours and dollars have been spent developing new resources to improve learning outcomes in engineering mechanics courses. While many of these have been developed into packaged learning systems, available for purchase by other universities, a large proportion are available free of charge for students looking to expand their study options. Over the past eighteen months, a group of engineering academics, through Australian Learning and Teaching Council funding, has been working to develop a way of guiding students towards these online engineering mechanics learning resources. One of the outcomes of this work is an online, database-driven directory of existing online learning resources which are free for students to use in independent study. The database guides students towards resources through a range of search criteria that resources have each been evaluated on, including: Depth of topic coverage; suitable study patterns; appropriate learner level; learning styles, etc. This pap...

Adaptive re-use of buildings is seen by many as a key mechanism for developing a sustainable urba... more Adaptive re-use of buildings is seen by many as a key mechanism for developing a sustainable urban environment. How many buildings are actually designed with adaptive re-use as one of the requirements? This paper is concerned with how new building designs can take into account the future need for renovation, revamp and retrofit. At the outset of a building project, one cannot know for sure what modifications will be needed in the future. However, there are considerations that can be incorporated into the initial design and construction that will facilitate future renovations. Likewise there are practices that are undertaken now that will make renovations more difficult in the future. This preparation for the future re-use of buildings is an area of sustainability that has not received much attention. Examples of buildings that were originally designed with future modifications incorporated illustrate that long term thinking can lead to long term gain. There are also barriers to the ...

This paper describes a process used for, and interim findings of a comparison of final mechanics ... more This paper describes a process used for, and interim findings of a comparison of final mechanics exam papers for first year engineering mechanics courses at the University of Wollongong, the University of Tasmania, the University of Technology, Sydney, and the Australian Maritime College. The process developed for the purpose emphasized a transparent and sequenced approach to comparing the concepts included in each exam paper, as well as the perceived level of difficulty of exam questions. The exercise was carried out remotely, using readily available communications technology, including telephone, email, and Skype teleconferencing. This process is an example of a simple, easy to implement, and readily transportable approach to cross-institutional peer review of assessments, and an effective way of enhancing collaborative links between engineering educators.

There are many threshold concepts for students to grasp in Engineering Mechanics. Research has sh... more There are many threshold concepts for students to grasp in Engineering Mechanics. Research has shown that one of the critical concepts that must be understood is the Free Body Diagram (FBD). This paper describes an approach to check students' mastery of simple Free Body Diagrams and to address errors and misconceptions they may have. An online FBD quiz has been designed and implemented in a first year Engineering subject. Teaching material and follow-up support is targeted for students who struggle with the concept until mastery is achieved. These have been based on the theory of threshold concepts and the force concept inventory. The FBD quiz is found to be a good predictor of future performance in subsequent Engineering Mechanics subjects. An analysis of student performance in the FBD quiz has identified the questions that best test the conceptual understanding.

With ever diversifying engineering student cohorts, faculty, and ultimately, engineering workforc... more With ever diversifying engineering student cohorts, faculty, and ultimately, engineering workforce, there is an increasing need to foster genuine cultural intelligence and awareness in students. An in-depth audit of graduate attribute-oriented learning experiences in engineering curricula at the University of Wollongong, identified a very limited number of learning experiences targeting cultural intelligence. This paper describes a project aimed at developing learning activities to improve the cultural awareness of first year engineering students. Crucially for the project, activities had to be developed with 'nuts and bolts', or 'formulae' focused engineering students in mind. Concepts of Critical Consciousness and self reflection have been cunningly disguised in activities that are directly relevant to engineering, and more specifically the area of engineering design and innovation. Stimulus material, discussion and design activities are packaged for a series of one hour tutorials to be run in conjunction with more traditional design and drawing tutorials. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this approach using a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups is due to be completed in the second semester of 2010.

Engineering is a problem-based practically oriented discipline, whose practitioners aim to find e... more Engineering is a problem-based practically oriented discipline, whose practitioners aim to find effective solutions to engineering challenges, technically and economically. Engineering educators operate within a mandate to ensure that graduate engineers understand the practicalities and realities of good engineering practice. While this is a vital goal for the discipline, emerging influences are challenging the focus on 'hard practicalities' and requiring recognition of the cultural and social aspects of engineering. Expecting graduate engineers to possess communication skills essential for negotiating satisfactory outcomes in contexts of complex social beliefs about the impact of their work can be an unsettling and challenging prospect for engineering educators. This project identifies and addresses Indigenous engineering practices and principles, and their relevance to future engineering practices. PURPOSE This Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) project proposes that what is known/discoverable about indigenous engineering knowledge and practices must be integrated into engineering curricula. This is an important aspect of ensuring that engineering as a profession responds competently to increasing demands for socially and environmentally responsible activity across all aspects of engineering activity. DESIGN/METHOD The project addresses i) means for appropriate inclusion of Indigenous students into usual teaching activities ii) assuring engineering educators have access to knowledge of Indigenous practices and skills relevant to particular engineering courses and topics iii) means for preparing all students to negotiate their way through issues of indigenous relationships with the land where engineering projects are planned. The project is undertaking wide-ranging research to collate knowledge about indigenous engineering principles and practices and develop relevant resource materials. RESULTS It is common to hear that such social issues as 'Indigenous concerns' are only of concern to environmental engineers. We challenge that perspective, and make the case that Indigenous knowledge is an important issue for all engineering educators in relation to effective integration of indigenous students and preparation of all engineering graduates to engage with indigenous communities. At the time of first contact, a rich and varied, technically literate, Indigenous social framework possessed knowledge of the environment that is not yet fully acknowledged in Australian society. A core outcome of the work will be development of resources relating to Indigenous engineering practices for inclusion in engineering core curricula. CONCLUSIONS A large body of technical knowledge was needed to survive and sustain human society in the complex environment that was Australia before 1788. This project is developing resource materials, and supporting documentation, about that knowledge to enable engineering educators to more easily integrate it into current curricula. The project also aims to demonstrate the importance for graduating engineers to appreciate the existence of diverse perspectives on engineering tasks and learn how to value-and employ-multiple paths to possible solutions.

BACKGROUND Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been widely acknowledged as an emerging techn... more BACKGROUND Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been widely acknowledged as an emerging technological and procedural shift within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM represents a methodology to manage the building design and project data in digital format throughout a building lifecycle. With the implementation of BIM, the design, construction and operation processes can be better streamlined to improve project efficiency. Because of its far-reaching benefits, there is a current push for BIM by governments worldwide, including Australia. However, a significant lack of the understanding of BIM and industry readiness has been identified as a major hindrance; hence, there is a growing demand for tertiary institutions to incorporate BIM into their architecture and engineering curricula to equip new graduates with such knowledge. A number of universities around the world are offering courses for various BIM applications. However, there remain numerous issues associated with the development and delivery of appropriate BIM courses that require careful considerations. PURPOSE This study presented in this paper was developed to answer the following question: what are the current issues perceived as critical by BIM professionals on the integration of BIM into universities' engineering curricula? METHOD An exploratory analysis was conducted by using a qualitative analysis of the data obtained from a popular online social network platform for professionals-LinkedIn. Data in the form of discussion posts and comments associated with BIM in education were captured from a BIM-specific discussion group using NVivo 10 software. To carry out the analysis, discussion posts and comments were coded to identify important themes emerging from the data. These themes were then examined, interpreted and discussed. OUTCOMES The results showed that the themes emerged from the selected discussion posts were concentrated on the recommendations on how BIM can be integrated into a curriculum and the barriers to the integration. The need to teach BIM as a collaborative process rather just a software tool was highlighted, with the difficulty in bridging educational silos identified as one of the main barriers. CONCLUSIONS BIM is an innovative concept that can help improve the efficiency of the AEC industry. To successfully integrate BIM into education, the industry perceived that there is the need for universities to be more innovative in developing a collaborative curriculum that requires integration across different educational disciplines. This represents a major challenge to be overcome not only for engineering education, but also other related disciplines within the AEC context.

This paper relates to the optimisation of structural design using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and pr... more This paper relates to the optimisation of structural design using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and presents an improved method for determining the fitness of genetic codes that represent possible design solutions. Two significant problems that often hinder design optimisation using genetic algorithms are expensive fitness evaluation and high epistasis. Expensive fitness evaluation results in slow evolution and occurs when it is computationally expensive to test the effectiveness of possible design solutions using an objective function. High epistasis occurs when certain genes lose their significance or value when other genes change. Consequently, when a fit genetic code has an important gene changed this can have a dramatic effect on the fitness of that genetic code. Often the reduction in fitness results in failure of the genetic code being selected for reproduction and inclusion in the next generation. This loss of evolved genetic information can result in the solution taking consider...

In an ongoing research project focusing on improving learning in first year engineering mechanics... more In an ongoing research project focusing on improving learning in first year engineering mechanics, a framework for engineering mechanics knowledge has been identified. The framework has been applied to break down and categorise common mistakes made by students at four separate institutions to find out where students are struggling in their efforts to learn statics and dynamics. The framework separates knowledge into factual, procedural, conceptual, and principle areas in a semi hierarchical manner. In using this framework, it has become clearly evident that the marks students are awarded for their work tend to be biased towards procedural knowledge, rather than conceptual knowledge as one might expect for an introductory course. The implication here is that students make most of their mistakes in the problem solving procedures for which most marks are awarded. We propose in our efforts to encourage a deep conceptual understanding needed for further study in engineering mechanics, we...

The work described in this paper has emerged from an ALTC/OLT funded project, Exploring Intercult... more The work described in this paper has emerged from an ALTC/OLT funded project, Exploring Intercultural Competency in Engineering. The project indentified many facets of culture and intercultural competence that go beyond a culture-as-nationality paradigm. It was clear from this work that resources were needed to help engineering educators introduce students to the complex issues of culture as they relate to engineering practice. A set of learning modules focussing on intercultural competence in engineering practice have been developed that cover the various aspects of culture in engineering identified in the project. Supporting the resources, an eBook detailing the ins and outs of intercultural competency has also been developed to assist engineering educators to embed opportunities for students to develop skills in unpacking and managing cross-cultural challenges in engineering practice. PURPOSE This paper argues that the Engineering Across Cultures eBook and learning modules provide a useful tool for creating opportunities for to develop their intercultural competence. The authors also propose a plan for establishing a community of practice in the area in intercultural competence in engineering education. DESIGN/METHOD A key aim of this project overall was to go beyond the culture-as-nationality approach adopted in much of the work around intercultural competency (Deardorff, 2011). The eBook explores different dimensions of culture such as workplace culture, culture's influence on engineering design, and culture in the classroom. The book describes how these connect to industry practice and explore what they mean for engineering education. The packaged learning modules described here have been developed as a matrix of approaches moving from familiar known methods through complicated activities relying to some extent on expert knowledge. Some modules draw on the concept of 'complex un-order' as described in the 'Cynefin domains' proposed by Kurtz and Snowden (2003). RESULTS Several of the modules included in the eBook have already been trialled at a variety of institutions. Feedback from staff has been reassuringly positive but the evaluation to this point is limited. Further trials are planned for second semester 2012, and version 1 of the eBook and learning modules, Engineering Across Cultures, is due to be released in late October 2012. CONCLUSIONS The Engineering Across Cultures eBook and learning modules provide a useful and ready to employ resource to help educators tackle the complex issue of intercultural competency in engineering education. The book is by no means exhaustive, and nor are the modules, they instead provide an accessible, engineering specific guide to bringing cultural issues into the engineering classroom.

The marine risers are generally used as the main transport means for economic materials and resou... more The marine risers are generally used as the main transport means for economic materials and resources discovered undersea. In general, the marine risers are secured at either an offshore platform or a vessel. Both ends of the riser are to be adjusted to obey with the design criteria but in many cases their rotational stiffness is hardly set free for the hinge connection. This paper integrates the analytical investigation and the design consideration for the effects of end supports on the free vibrations of a marine riser conveying fluid. It is well known that resonances of marine risers/pipes can cause excessive stress and strain responses, leading to ultimate fatigue failure of the riser system. To avoid a resonance resulting in the sustainable use of the riser, the study to evaluate the influence of end rotational stiffness on the natural frequency of a marine riser conveying fluid is imperative. Using variational principle, the riser model formulation includes both the bending rigidity and the axial elasticity. Using Galerkin finite element method, the natural frequencies and their corresponding mode shapes are determined. The highlight in this paper is the free vibration behaviours in the transition from hinge to fully fixed ends, which can indicate a health monitoring methodology of the risers. The design concepts for the marine risers/pipes conveying fluid to minimize the influence of support conditions are discussed herein as a guideline for structural offshore engineers.

Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams ... more Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams are the simplest abstraction of the external forces and moments acting on a physical object. Some people "get" FBD's the first time they are shown them while many struggle and continue to produce incorrect diagrams well into their university studies. Having received feedback from lecturers of 3 rd year subjects that FBD skills were still below expectations an intervention was implemented in a University of Wollongong first year subject to (a) test students' understanding of FBD's (b) diagnose common misconceptions and errors and (c) reinforce the importance of constructing FBDs that are accurate and complete. This intervention has taken the form of a staged mastery skills test early in the first session of the first year of the engineering degree courses. The quiz is used as a stage gate for the subject and everyone must achieve the mastery skill to pass the subject...

The economic problems the world is currently facing have caused severe cost pressure on pharmaceu... more The economic problems the world is currently facing have caused severe cost pressure on pharmaceutical manufacturing. Revalidation of manufacturing processes and equipment comprises a significant cost to the industry. Maintaining a validated status is a regulatory requirement. Technical issues, patient risk, and business considerations impact the organizational approach to revalidation. This discussion addresses the need for revalidation with particular attention to business considerations. Strategies to prioritise revalidation among systems and how to decide on what, how, and when to revalidate are discussed. Alternative approaches when revalidation is not possible are suggested. Costs associated with revalidation are described. Activities to reduce the need for revalidation including statistical process control are discussed. Business models for approaching revalidation including in-house and outsourcing are considered. Change management is a key component of a revalidation progra...

Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams ... more Free body diagrams (FBD) present a conceptual challenge for Engineering students. These diagrams are the simplest abstraction of the external forces and moments acting on a physical object. Some people "get" FBD's the first time they are shown them while many struggle and continue to produce incorrect diagrams well into their university studies. Having received feedback from lecturers of 3 rd year subjects that FBD skills were still below expectations an intervention was implemented in a University of Wollongong first year subject to (a) test students' understanding of FBD's (b) diagnose common misconceptions and errors and (c) reinforce the importance of constructing FBDs that are accurate and complete. This intervention has taken the form of a staged mastery skills test early in the first session of the first year of the engineering degree courses. The quiz is used as a stage gate for the subject and everyone must achieve the mastery skill to pass the subject...