Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists
The paper presents the analysis of groupage transport supplying meat and meat products from whole... more The paper presents the analysis of groupage transport supplying meat and meat products from wholesalers to grocery shops. The analysis uses transport efficiency indicators related to time management and is based on data collected for two cases, in two periods of 20 working days each. Based on the data collected by self-registration, loading lists, drivers records in a self-prepared schedule and supplementary interviews with the driver, the following indicators were calculated and discussed: daily load, daily distance, time of transport processes, technical and operational speeds, transport work, vehicle and time efficiencies, and vehicle performance. The most important factors affecting the efficiency were determined. It was found that the daily load varies and depends, not only on the route and the number of pick-up points, but also on the days of the week. It was revealed that in the working time structure, the time of driving with a load was on average from 31% to 44% of the over...
Edmund LORENCOWICZ1, Jacek UZIAK2 1 University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Machiner... more Edmund LORENCOWICZ1, Jacek UZIAK2 1 University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Machinery Exploitation and Management in Agricultural Engineering, Lublin, POLAND 2 University of Botswana, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gaborone, ...
International Journal of Quality Control and Standards in Science and Engineering, 2022
To adequately prepare graduates for the ever-changing and complex work environment, students shou... more To adequately prepare graduates for the ever-changing and complex work environment, students should be equipped with technical and professional skills. This can be achieved by a curriculum that incorporates general education courses (GEC) that teach diverse essential skills that every graduate must possess (e.g., academic and professional competencies, ethics, global learning, and active citizenship). Such courses will produce a well-rounded learning experience and well-versed graduate. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted with undergraduate engineering and industrial design students at the University of Botswana. The study assessed the students' current perceptions of the GEC. The results show that the skills outlined in the learning and teaching policy of the University of Botswana are poorly attained. Furthermore, the skills outlined in the policy are not aligned with the skills that will be needed by graduates in the 4th Industrial Revolution. The GEC curriculu...
ABSTRACT This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Science... more ABSTRACT 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 final-year project (FYP), also known as a capstone course, is usually the principal course, w... more The final-year project (FYP), also known as a capstone course, is usually the principal course, where many learning experiences are realised and gained in an undergraduate engineering programme. Therefore, several exit learning outcomes required by professional accrediting bodies are assessed in the FYP. Programme and instructional designers know the skills and graduate attributes that students should possess, and several studies have been published from the lecturer’s perspective. However, whether those attributes are delivered can only be corroborated by the students themselves. Hence, students as primary stakeholders in any evaluation of the FYP have been asked to assess their FYP experiences. The article presents an assessment of students’ perception of the FYP that was delivered over two semesters at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana. A questionnaire type quantitative method based on a Likert scale was used. The questionnaire als...
The use of Information Technology (IT) has been growing over the years in various human endeavour... more The use of Information Technology (IT) has been growing over the years in various human endeavours. It has also been adopted in education sector for teaching and learning. Various studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and acceptance of e-learning strategy by students. In particular, the current research is an attempt to obtain students’ and instructor’s perspective on the use of Blackboard software. The technology is a course management system used in a blended learning mode to deliver a third year mechanical engineering course at the University of Botswana (UB). In terms of students’ views, the study covered a period of nine years and the questionnaire survey was administered to each succeeding cohort of students. Whereas in terms of the instructor’s perspective the motivation and the challenges faced during the years of use of the platform were described. Results indicate that students were generally comfortable with the use of Blackboard as they highly embraced ...
Research on the selected population of students with a standardized questionnaire method concerni... more Research on the selected population of students with a standardized questionnaire method concerning the use of IT technologies has been carried out since 2008/09. Results for the data from the first and the last year of research (2009 and 2016) for agricultural students were compared. It was reported that students use IT technologies in the process of learning. Majority of students − 94% (2009) and 98% (2016) positively assessed the usefulness of these technologies in the learning process. The Internet was used mainly for communication (respectively in the investigated years 82.5% and 99.1%). Usefulness of the Internet in the process of studying was marked very high - in 2009 it was 51% positive answers and in 2016 − 77%.
The power requirement of tillage implements is an important design consideration particularly for... more The power requirement of tillage implements is an important design consideration particularly for animal-drawn implements where the power is limited. The paper presents the possibility of reduction in the draught requirements of animal-drawn mouldboard plough by using enamel coating on the soil-engaged components such as the mouldboard, share and the landside. Trials were conducted to compare enamel-coated Maun Series single mouldboard plough (manufactured by Zimplow Limited, Bulawayo,Zimbabwe) with similar uncoated plough, both animal-drawn, under comparable working conditions. Experiments were done at 25% and 32% d.b. soil moisture content on a red clay soil inZimbabwe. The parameters measured in evaluating the draught performance of both ploughs were the tractive effort (pull), speed of ploughing, depth and width of ploughing, and soil conditions (i.e. soil moisture content, soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance). It was found that for similar working conditions the e...
Progress in Agricultural Engineering Sciences, 2007
The effect of enamel-coating on the draught performance of an animal-drawn mouldboard plough was ... more The effect of enamel-coating on the draught performance of an animal-drawn mouldboard plough was studied. A single furrow swing mouldboard plough-Maun Series, and the same type enamel-coated plough both ox-drawn, are compared under similar working conditions such as soil moisture content, depth and width of cut and approximately constant speed of ploughing. It was found that the enamel-coating reduces both the plough draught and the specific draught. The percentage reduction of the plough draught for enamel-coated plough compared to uncoated plough varied from 12.7% at 25% soil moisture content to 18.1% at 32% soil moisture content (dry basis). It was also found that the percentage reduction of the specific draught achieved with the enamel-coated plough in comparison with the uncoated plough varied from 20.3% at 32% soil moisture content to 25.7% at 25% soil moisture content (dry basis).
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-...
Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning experiences of mechanical enginee... more Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning experiences of mechanical engineering students who used Blackboard technology at the University of Botswana. The results presented are based on the application of the technology in two courses offered to ...
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education
Freehand sketching is a fundamental skill in mechanical engineering and many other engineering di... more Freehand sketching is a fundamental skill in mechanical engineering and many other engineering disciplines. It not only serves as a communication tool among engineers, but plays a critical role in engineering design and problem solving. However, as computer-aided drafting has replaced traditional drawing classes nowadays, the training of students’ freehand sketching skills has been almost completely eliminated in modern engineering curricula. This paper describes the attributes of freehand sketching and its roles in several essential aspects of engineering; in particular, in its roles in problem solving, of which current literature has ignored. Representative examples are provided to show students’ freehand sketching skills in problem solving in a foundational undergraduate mechanical engineering course. Pedagogical suggestions are made on how to teach freehand sketching to engineering students.
Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists
The paper presents the analysis of groupage transport supplying meat and meat products from whole... more The paper presents the analysis of groupage transport supplying meat and meat products from wholesalers to grocery shops. The analysis uses transport efficiency indicators related to time management and is based on data collected for two cases, in two periods of 20 working days each. Based on the data collected by self-registration, loading lists, drivers records in a self-prepared schedule and supplementary interviews with the driver, the following indicators were calculated and discussed: daily load, daily distance, time of transport processes, technical and operational speeds, transport work, vehicle and time efficiencies, and vehicle performance. The most important factors affecting the efficiency were determined. It was found that the daily load varies and depends, not only on the route and the number of pick-up points, but also on the days of the week. It was revealed that in the working time structure, the time of driving with a load was on average from 31% to 44% of the over...
Edmund LORENCOWICZ1, Jacek UZIAK2 1 University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Machiner... more Edmund LORENCOWICZ1, Jacek UZIAK2 1 University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Machinery Exploitation and Management in Agricultural Engineering, Lublin, POLAND 2 University of Botswana, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gaborone, ...
International Journal of Quality Control and Standards in Science and Engineering, 2022
To adequately prepare graduates for the ever-changing and complex work environment, students shou... more To adequately prepare graduates for the ever-changing and complex work environment, students should be equipped with technical and professional skills. This can be achieved by a curriculum that incorporates general education courses (GEC) that teach diverse essential skills that every graduate must possess (e.g., academic and professional competencies, ethics, global learning, and active citizenship). Such courses will produce a well-rounded learning experience and well-versed graduate. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted with undergraduate engineering and industrial design students at the University of Botswana. The study assessed the students' current perceptions of the GEC. The results show that the skills outlined in the learning and teaching policy of the University of Botswana are poorly attained. Furthermore, the skills outlined in the policy are not aligned with the skills that will be needed by graduates in the 4th Industrial Revolution. The GEC curriculu...
ABSTRACT This year the symposium takes place in Lublin, Poland and the University of Life Science... more ABSTRACT 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 final-year project (FYP), also known as a capstone course, is usually the principal course, w... more The final-year project (FYP), also known as a capstone course, is usually the principal course, where many learning experiences are realised and gained in an undergraduate engineering programme. Therefore, several exit learning outcomes required by professional accrediting bodies are assessed in the FYP. Programme and instructional designers know the skills and graduate attributes that students should possess, and several studies have been published from the lecturer’s perspective. However, whether those attributes are delivered can only be corroborated by the students themselves. Hence, students as primary stakeholders in any evaluation of the FYP have been asked to assess their FYP experiences. The article presents an assessment of students’ perception of the FYP that was delivered over two semesters at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana. A questionnaire type quantitative method based on a Likert scale was used. The questionnaire als...
The use of Information Technology (IT) has been growing over the years in various human endeavour... more The use of Information Technology (IT) has been growing over the years in various human endeavours. It has also been adopted in education sector for teaching and learning. Various studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and acceptance of e-learning strategy by students. In particular, the current research is an attempt to obtain students’ and instructor’s perspective on the use of Blackboard software. The technology is a course management system used in a blended learning mode to deliver a third year mechanical engineering course at the University of Botswana (UB). In terms of students’ views, the study covered a period of nine years and the questionnaire survey was administered to each succeeding cohort of students. Whereas in terms of the instructor’s perspective the motivation and the challenges faced during the years of use of the platform were described. Results indicate that students were generally comfortable with the use of Blackboard as they highly embraced ...
Research on the selected population of students with a standardized questionnaire method concerni... more Research on the selected population of students with a standardized questionnaire method concerning the use of IT technologies has been carried out since 2008/09. Results for the data from the first and the last year of research (2009 and 2016) for agricultural students were compared. It was reported that students use IT technologies in the process of learning. Majority of students − 94% (2009) and 98% (2016) positively assessed the usefulness of these technologies in the learning process. The Internet was used mainly for communication (respectively in the investigated years 82.5% and 99.1%). Usefulness of the Internet in the process of studying was marked very high - in 2009 it was 51% positive answers and in 2016 − 77%.
The power requirement of tillage implements is an important design consideration particularly for... more The power requirement of tillage implements is an important design consideration particularly for animal-drawn implements where the power is limited. The paper presents the possibility of reduction in the draught requirements of animal-drawn mouldboard plough by using enamel coating on the soil-engaged components such as the mouldboard, share and the landside. Trials were conducted to compare enamel-coated Maun Series single mouldboard plough (manufactured by Zimplow Limited, Bulawayo,Zimbabwe) with similar uncoated plough, both animal-drawn, under comparable working conditions. Experiments were done at 25% and 32% d.b. soil moisture content on a red clay soil inZimbabwe. The parameters measured in evaluating the draught performance of both ploughs were the tractive effort (pull), speed of ploughing, depth and width of ploughing, and soil conditions (i.e. soil moisture content, soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance). It was found that for similar working conditions the e...
Progress in Agricultural Engineering Sciences, 2007
The effect of enamel-coating on the draught performance of an animal-drawn mouldboard plough was ... more The effect of enamel-coating on the draught performance of an animal-drawn mouldboard plough was studied. A single furrow swing mouldboard plough-Maun Series, and the same type enamel-coated plough both ox-drawn, are compared under similar working conditions such as soil moisture content, depth and width of cut and approximately constant speed of ploughing. It was found that the enamel-coating reduces both the plough draught and the specific draught. The percentage reduction of the plough draught for enamel-coated plough compared to uncoated plough varied from 12.7% at 25% soil moisture content to 18.1% at 32% soil moisture content (dry basis). It was also found that the percentage reduction of the specific draught achieved with the enamel-coated plough in comparison with the uncoated plough varied from 20.3% at 32% soil moisture content to 25.7% at 25% soil moisture content (dry basis).
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-...
Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning experiences of mechanical enginee... more Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the learning experiences of mechanical engineering students who used Blackboard technology at the University of Botswana. The results presented are based on the application of the technology in two courses offered to ...
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education
Freehand sketching is a fundamental skill in mechanical engineering and many other engineering di... more Freehand sketching is a fundamental skill in mechanical engineering and many other engineering disciplines. It not only serves as a communication tool among engineers, but plays a critical role in engineering design and problem solving. However, as computer-aided drafting has replaced traditional drawing classes nowadays, the training of students’ freehand sketching skills has been almost completely eliminated in modern engineering curricula. This paper describes the attributes of freehand sketching and its roles in several essential aspects of engineering; in particular, in its roles in problem solving, of which current literature has ignored. Representative examples are provided to show students’ freehand sketching skills in problem solving in a foundational undergraduate mechanical engineering course. Pedagogical suggestions are made on how to teach freehand sketching to engineering students.
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Papers by Jacek Uziak