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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 22 May 2024

Albert Lin, Cindy Kao and Heeju Park

This study aims to develop and evaluate a modular smart garment design framework that simplifies the technical content associated with smart garment design.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop and evaluate a modular smart garment design framework that simplifies the technical content associated with smart garment design.

Design/methodology/approach

Smart garment design challenges were first identified through literature review and interviews. Then, a modular framework and toolkit was created to address these challenges. Finally, workshops were held to evaluate the modular toolkit.

Findings

Interviews highlighted the need for easier attachment of hard devices to soft textile materials, simpler electrical connection creation and straightforward device selection. A modular framework was proposed and divided into four elements: (1) the Central Computation Module, (2) Peripheral Electrical Modules, (3) Securely Attaching Modules with Substrates and (4) Managing Intra-garment Connections. Workshops showed the modular framework had statistically significant improvements in function and certain ease ratings when compared to non-modular components.

Originality/value

This research identified specific technical challenges faced by smart garment designers and alleviated them through a modular smart garment framework that in workshops outperformed non-modular components in key function and ease ratings.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2024

Jackie Khan and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele

The number of young people using e-cigarettes (commonly referred to as vaping) has grown at an alarming rate, creating the need for urgent action. This paper demonstrates rapid…

Abstract

Purpose

The number of young people using e-cigarettes (commonly referred to as vaping) has grown at an alarming rate, creating the need for urgent action. This paper demonstrates rapid step-by-step iterative application of the Co-create, Build and Engage (CBE) framework to showcase how marketing was applied in response to emerging trends that have negative health and environmental consequences. This paper aims to demonstrate how CBE is applied iteratively, ensuring student feedback leads module development.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, a pure seven-step co-design implementation, 19 high school students were invited to co-design a vaping prevention approach that would work for them and other people like them. During the sensitisation phase of co-design, students completed one Blurred Minds Vaping module. Feedback grids were provided, with students identifying likes, dislikes and ideas. This likeability data was used, together with input from technical experts and pedagogical best practice, in a 12-week research and development project that aimed to develop a new online learning module focused on vaping and their environmental impacts for the Blurred Minds Academy. The new module was tested with 20 high school students. Feedback grids were provided once again, allowing a comparison of results.

Findings

Examination of feedback grid data demonstrates that the newly developed Vaping and the Environment module was improved. Considerations taken on board in the new module design (e.g. increased variability within the module) overcame criticisms expressed previously (e.g. it was boring and too long). Other criticisms remained evident, albeit at a much lower proportion suggesting the new Vaping and the Environment module, and future Blurred Minds module development, would benefit from iterative CBE application.

Originality/value

Conduit et al. (2022) note that marketing academia has been criticised for having an increasingly less relevant managerial agenda. This paper outlines a rapid step-by-step application of marketing in response to one of society’s most pressing health challenges – vaping. The iterative application of CBE is outlined, demonstrating that the student experience can be enhanced when marketing’s continual improvement mindset is used. This is the first vaping prevention programme that has included substantive information around the negative impacts of vaping on the environment.

Details

Journal of Social Marketing, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6763

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 February 2024

Canan Mesutoglu, Saskia Stollman and Ines Lopez Arteaga

Few resources exist to incorporate principles of modular approach to course design. This research aimed to help instructors by presenting principles for practical and empirically…

Abstract

Purpose

Few resources exist to incorporate principles of modular approach to course design. This research aimed to help instructors by presenting principles for practical and empirically informed modular course design in engineering education.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first phase, a systematic literature review was completed to identify categories addressing a modular course design. Search and screening procedures resulted in 33 qualifying articles describing the development of a modular course. In the second phase, 6 expert interviews were conducted to elaborate on the identified categories.

Findings

Guided by the interview results and the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate) course design model, the categories were compiled into six design principles. To present the design principles in relation to the guiding principles of modular approach, an overarching conceptual model was developed.

Originality/value

Here, we present our innovation; a foundation for an evidence-based systematic approach to modular course design. Implications have value for supporting flexibility and autonomy in learning.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Niki Fullmer and Katie Strand

This case study explores how universal design for learning (UDL)-informed online instruction modules developed during COVID-19 can better support student information literacy…

Abstract

Purpose

This case study explores how universal design for learning (UDL)-informed online instruction modules developed during COVID-19 can better support student information literacy outcomes. This study will also examine how hybrid learning lends itself to UDL and may resolve some of the issues within library instruction.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study explores how a team of librarians at Utah State University developed three UDL-informed modules to support library instruction and hybrid learning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was sent to composition instructors to understand how they utilized the three new UDL-informed modules and if the modules helped their students reach information literacy outcomes.

Findings

Findings from this case study describe how academic libraries should adopt the UDL framework to support best practices for online learning as well as inclusive pedagogies. The findings indicate that the UDL-informed modules developed for hybrid instruction help students meet information literacy outcomes and goals.

Originality/value

The authors present a case study examining the current climate of information literacy instruction and UDL while providing actionable instructional practices that can be of use to librarians implementing hybrid instruction.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2023

Dinar Saurmauli Lubis, Kadek Tresna Adhi, Gde Ngurah Indraguna Pinatih, I Gusti Agung Agus Mahendra and I Putu Gede Bangkyt

There are insufficient health and nutrition education interventions targeting adolescent females in rural contexts in Indonesia. There is also a paucity of research evaluating the…

Abstract

Purpose

There are insufficient health and nutrition education interventions targeting adolescent females in rural contexts in Indonesia. There is also a paucity of research evaluating the impact of implemented programs. This paper aims to develop and test the validity of a tailored education module to improve the knowledge, attitude and skills of adolescent females on health and nutrition.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted between 2019 and 2023 in Ban Village, Karangasem Regency. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods research approach consisting of three stages: formative research using mixed methods, validation and review of the module by experts using the Delphi technique and pilot testing of the module. In the formative research stage, there were 40 female adolescent respondents implicated, in the validation and module review stage, there were 14 nutrition and public health experts implicated, and in the pilot test, a new cohort of 60 female adolescents were recruited. Validity was assessed by exploring the feasibility, reliability and linguistics of the module. The Delphi score was measured by the mean score and standard deviation.

Findings

The Health and Balanced Nutrition Education Module was impactful in improving the health and nutrition of female adolescents in Ban Village. The validation score of the module shows that from the total score of 4, construct reliability obtained a score of 3.18 with a 0.35 standard deviation. The construct feasibility and language revealed better scores, which were 3.31 with 0.4 standard deviations and 3.29 with 0.46 standard deviations, respectively. After dissemination of the module, participants’ mean score of knowledge on the importance of balanced nutrition significantly improved by 68.8% (p-value = 0.0001).

Research limitations/implications

The Health and Balance Nutrition Education Module has been proven to improve the awareness of adolescents on balanced nutrition. Nevertheless, this study also has limitations due to the small number of respondents attending the information sessions and the pilot testing. Further studies should consider using implementation research for scale-up in other parts of Bali.

Practical implications

This study provides insight for health and nutrition educators for creating modules that better align with the context and information needs of the target group particularly for adolescents in rural areas, which are seldom neglected.

Social implications

This study indicates that the trialed education materials can play a role in improving female adolescents’ knowledge of nutrition throughout their life cycle and their role in preventing stunting and noncommunicable diseases in later adult life.

Originality/value

The health and nutrition module trialed in the study is tailored specifically to the context of rural areas of Bali and validated by public health experts, then tested with 60 adolescents.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 53 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2022

Zihao Zheng, Yuanqi Li and Jaume Torres

This paper aims to propose a generative design method combined with meta-heuristic algorithm for automating and optimizing the floor layout of modular buildings using typical…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a generative design method combined with meta-heuristic algorithm for automating and optimizing the floor layout of modular buildings using typical standardized module units, which are the room module, the corridor module and the stair module.

Design/methodology/approach

The integrated framework involves the generative design method and optimization for modular construction. The generative rules are provided by geometric relationships and functionalities of the module units. An evaluation function of the generated floor plans is also presented by the combination of project cost and cost penalties for the geometric features. The multi-population genetic algorithm (MPGA) method is provided for the optimization of the combination of costs.

Findings

The proposed MPGA method is demonstrated fast and efficient at discovering the globally optimal solution. The results indicate that when the unit price of modules is high, the transportation distance is long, or the land cost is high, the layout cost, which related to the symmetry, the compactness and the energy is tend to be lower, making the optimal layout economical.

Originality/value

This paper presented an integrated framework of generative floor layout and optimization for modular construction by using typical module units. It fulfills the need for automated layout generation with repetitive units and corresponding assessment during the early design stage.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2023

Gil Marom, Shahar Grossbard, Moti Bodek, Eran Neuman and David Elad

Ventilation of indoor spaces is required for the delivery of fresh air rich in oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, pollutants and other hazardous substances. The COVID-19…

Abstract

Purpose

Ventilation of indoor spaces is required for the delivery of fresh air rich in oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, pollutants and other hazardous substances. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the topic of ventilating crowded indoors to the front line of health concerns. This study developed a new biologically inspired concept of biomimetic active ventilation (BAV) for interior environments that mimics the mechanism of human lung ventilation, where internal air is continuously refreshed with the external environment. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed proof-of-concept of the new BAV paradigm using computational models.

Design/methodology/approach

This study developed computational fluid dynamic models of unoccupied rooms with two window openings on one wall and two BAV modules that periodically translate perpendicular to or rotate about the window openings. This study also developed a time-evolving spatial ventilation efficiency metric for exploring the accumulated refreshment of the interior space. The authors conducted two-dimensional (2D) simulations of various BAV configurations to determine the trends in how the working parameters affect the ventilation and to generate initial estimates for the more comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) model.

Findings

Simulations of 2D and 3D models of BAV for modules of different shapes and working parameters demonstrated air movements in most of the room with good air exchange between the indoor and outdoor air. This new BAV concept seems to be very efficient and should be further developed.

Originality/value

The concept of ventilating interior spaces with periodically moving rigid modules with respect to the window openings is a new BAV paradigm that mimics human respiration. The computational results demonstrated that this new paradigm for interior ventilation is efficient while air velocities are within comfortable limits.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 33 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2022

Rashmi Rekha Behera, Ashish Ranjan Dash and Anup Kumar Panda

The purpose of this paper is to design a cascaded Multilevel inverter with reduce number of switches for high power applications. This paper came up with an innovative three-phase…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a cascaded Multilevel inverter with reduce number of switches for high power applications. This paper came up with an innovative three-phase multilevel inverter (MLI) topology, which is a cascaded structure based on classical three-legged voltage source inverter (VSI) bridges as an individual module. The prominent advantage of this topology is that it requires only one direct current (DC) link system. The main characteristic of it is that a higher number of voltage levels can be achieved with considerably a smaller number of semiconductor switches, which improves the reliability, power quality, cost and size of the system significantly.

Design/methodology/approach

The individual modules are cascaded through three-phase transformers to provide higher voltage at the output with the higher number of voltage levels. In this work, the phase-shifted pulse width modulation technique is implemented to verify the result.

Findings

The proposed topology is compared with three-phase cascaded H-bridge MLI (CHB-MLI) and a modified CHB-MLI topology and found better in many aspects. The proposed MLI can produce a higher number of voltage levels with fewer semiconductor switches and associated triggering circuitry. As the device count in the proposed MLI is less compared to other MLI discussed, it tends to have less switching and conduction loss which increases the efficiency and reliability. As the number of level increases, the voltage profile and the total harmonic distortion of the proposed MLI improves.

Originality/value

This is a transformer-based modular cascaded MLI, which is based on classical VSI bridges. Here in this topology, a single module provides all three phases. So, a single string of cascaded modules is enough for three-phase multilevel voltage generation.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2022

Mehtab Khan, Adnan Daud Khan, Muhammad Jawad, Zahoor Ahmad, Naveed Ur Rehman and Muhammad Israr

This paper aims to investigates a novel design of a modular moving magnet linear oscillating actuator (MMM-LOA) with the capability of coupling modules, based on their application…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigates a novel design of a modular moving magnet linear oscillating actuator (MMM-LOA) with the capability of coupling modules, based on their application and space requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

Proposed design comprised of modules, and modules are separated by using nonmagnetic materials. Movable part of the proposed design of LOA is composed of permanent magnets (PMs) having axial magnetization direction and tubular structure. Stator of the proposed design is composed of one coil individually in a module. Dimensions of the design parameters are optimized through parametric analysis using COMSOL Multi Physics software. This design is analyzed up to three modules and their response in term of electromagnetic (EM) force and stroke are presented. Influence of adding modules is analyzed for both directions of direct current (DC) and alternating input loadings.

Findings

Proposed LOA shows linear increase in magnitude of EM force by adding modules. Motor constant of the investigated LOA is 264 N/A and EM force per PM mass is 452.389 N/kg, that shows significant improvement. Moreover, proposed LOA operates in feasible region of stroke for compressor application. Furthermore, this design uses axially magnetized PMs which are low cost and available in compact tubular structure.

Originality/value

Proposed LOA shows the influence of adding modules and its effect in term of EM force is analyzed for DC and alternating current (AC). Moreover, overall performance and structural topology is compared with state-of-the-art designs of LOA. Improvement with regard of motor constant and EM force per PM mass shows originality and scope of this paper.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2021

David M. Blodgett and Marjorie N. Feld

The sustainability of the global food system hinges on its environmental resiliency and safety, including the health and well-being of its labor force. Single disciplinary courses…

2176

Abstract

Purpose

The sustainability of the global food system hinges on its environmental resiliency and safety, including the health and well-being of its labor force. Single disciplinary courses in liberal arts or science often fail to highlight the overlap between environmental and social vulnerabilities that lead to food insecurity and diminish the sustainability of food systems. This paper aims to present the design and delivery of a successfully co-taught, interdisciplinary module on agricultural labor and sustainable food systems as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors designed a co-taught module in which they joined each other’s respective history and science class sessions at the undergraduate business college where they teach. Innovating the cross-disciplinary content of food security, immigration status, labor exploitation and pesticide exposure, they approached sustainability from the disciplinary perspectives of labor history and environmental science to show how these elements had both unique and overlapping impacts across food systems levels. Comparisons between pre- and post-module survey responses, alongside assessments of a co-authored exam question, measured the effectiveness of this module is changing students’ perspectives as food consumers and as citizens.

Findings

This module altered students’ understanding and perspectives around issues of food systems sustainability. Assessments indicated that students increased their awareness of agricultural workers at the front end of the food system, during production; students also gained awareness beyond consumption as they came to see the connections between workforce invisibility and ecosystem degradation.

Originality/value

These insights are valuable to educators at all institutional levels who seek to collaborate on sustainability initiatives and teaching, both in the singular, robust modules and in building modules that will lead to the development of entire courses focused on sustainability. The module described here builds on previous demonstrations of the value, significance and effectiveness of cross-disciplinary collaborations; it pioneers the use of the food system as the link between social and environmental sustainability education.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000