Dynamic problem-based learning

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Dynamic problem-based learning

• Tina Overton
• University of Hull

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Why dynamic problem-based learning?

• Because real problems change and evolve.
• Because listening to or reading the same report
  over and over gets tedious!

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What is it?

• Problem-based learning in which students can take
  different routes through a problem
• Problem-based learning in which the context of
  the problem changes
• Student choice
• Different data sets
• External changes
• Legislation, Budget, Staffing, Feedstocks

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Sustainable Futures

• Global sustainability focussing primarily on
  energy and waste management
• Choose scenario, select team from experts
• Energy needs, energy sources
• Waste production, recycling, reuse, etc
• Dynamic elements introduced throughout
• Economics, budgeting, legislation, ecology,
  geology, politics, staffing
• Poster, report, oral, portfolio, etc

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The brief

• A sustainable construction company, Global
  Sustainable, has approached you for assistance
  with one of its major contracts for this year.
  This will be their flagship project showing
  potential future customers how they incorporate
  green technology into their designs.
• You will advise on design, economics, technology
  , energy and waste management.
• You will put together a specialist team of
  scientists, politicians, engineers and green
  technology companies, who all have different
  skills and knowledge .

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Site 1 Near the Physt River, Sekiu Chamber
Washington, United States of America

• Your Task
• Design a microgeneration sustainable
• village to house a population 480,
• implementing technology that would
• reduce the impact on the local
• ecosystem.

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Site 2 Postgraduate Campus in Hong Kong.

•  Your Task
• To develop a self sustaining
• postgraduate school in Hong Kong
• where all energy has to be produced
• on site and all waste processed.
• The school will provide education for
• at least 50 students and research
• facilities for 22 research scientists.

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Site 3 Green Transport

•  Your Task
• To analyse the costs of producing biodiesel and
  bioethanol to be used in Midsummers small fleet
  of 42 buses. Decide which biofuel is more
  productive and suitable to the company. Price up
  the cost of reactants, plant and benefits of
  waste management.

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Site 4 Greening Midsummer University

• Your Task
• To develop a strategy for Midsummer
• University which has ambitions to be
• the greenest UK university.
• The chemistry department has been
• identified as having the highest water use.
• The accommodation department was
• identified as having the largest bill for
  electricity consumption.

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Building a team
Agricultural engineer and Fuel Pioneer Professor
Corn Chief researcher into Biodiesel at the
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at
Midsummer University which is recognised as at
the forefront of developing sustainable
technologies for both industrial and personal
applications. He focuses on the production and
uses of biodiesel from both new and used oil
sources including the production of a large
biodiesel pilot plant at the University. http//p
ubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2011/ee/c0ee
00452a
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External events
EVENT Corn prices are beyond a joke The corn
crop across the US bread basket region has failed
due to locust infestation, resulting in an
increase in the price of corn of 20. If you
chose Kapow then your crops are resistant to the
infestation and result in only a 8 increase.
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EVENT Seismic activity at current location
causes grave concerns to site. Either stop the
implementation of geothermal energy or add 2 to
the cost of each building. If you have Nas
Abraham in you team then you can ignore this
event.
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EVENT New local resolution passed encouraging the
use of the Sun. You must use solar energy in
some way as an alternative energy source within
your project and it must account for at least 20
of your energy production.
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EVENTS Pirates in the Indian Ocean are causing
problems with supply routes. To simulate the
delay in resources and equipment everything from
this point further costs 2 more. If you have
Sergeant Jones Ignore this event.
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Data

• Costs of clearing, building, infrastructure,
  energy production
• Ecology
• Geological
• Energy consumption
• Carbon footprint

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Circular economy

• New industrial estate.
• First tenant is eg brewery, pigment manufacturer,
  wind turbine manufacturer.
• Identify other desirable tenants based on
  principles of circular economy.
• Demonstrate relationships and circular framework.
  

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Copy for trialling from t.l.overton_at_hull.ac.uk