Minimum Curriculum and Course Specifications for Geological Engineering Technologists in Nigeria (Published)
In view of the vital role of mineral, petroleum and other earth resources in national development and economic growth, adequate development of quality technical professionals is critical for geological exploration and evaluation of the resources. This paper presents an overview of recent reviews of education programmes for geological engineering technologists. The geological programmes are traditionally offered at Higher National Diploma (HND) levels alongside mining, petroleum, and mineral engineering in several Nigerian polytechnics, and are supervised by the National Board for Technical Education. The HND programmes are preceded by a common-based National Diploma (ND) in Mineral and Petroleum Resources Engineering. The entry requirements for candidates are similar to those for university degrees in engineering, but the curriculum structure and course contents give stronger emphasis to practical and industrial orientation, with a minimum ratio of 60:40 respectively, in the professional course units. The products of the ND and HND are employable as technicians and technologists respectively, in numerous engineering aspects of earth resources exploration, evaluation, exploitation, and construction. The strong blend of geological and engineering courses in their curriculum prepares the geological engineering technologists for a productive career in exploration and mining geology, mining, petroleum, civil and construction, military, chemical, and environmental sectors. It is recommended that the government should derive more benefits from its technical capacity by removing all existing derogatory impediments, and allowing technologists to pursue more effective postgraduate studies and professional development along the path of practical orientation.
Keywords: Engineering, Professional, Technical Education, diploma, postgraduate
Evaluation of the Impact of E-Laboratory on Engineering Research and Development in Nigeria: Emphasis on Universities in Delta State (Published)
The study evaluated the impact of electronic laboratory to engineering research and development in Universities in Delta State. Three research questions and three corresponding hypotheses guided the study. Design of the study was descriptive survey. Population of the study comprised 12, 482 (8,338 academic and 4,144 administrative) while the sample for the study consisted of 747 (382 academic and 365 administrative) staff who were sampled for the study using random sampling technique. Instrument used for collecting data for the study was an 18 item questionnaire titled. The instrument was validated by three experts; one each from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Measurement and Evaluation, and Educational Management who assisted in determining the face and content validities of the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach Alpha with an index of 0.88. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using z-test at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that online simulation laboratory, three-dimensional laboratory and computerized science laboratory all impact on engineering research and development. There was no significant difference in the opinion of academic staff and administrative staff on the impact of online simulation laboratory and three-dimensional laboratory but a significant difference existed on the impact of computerized science laboratory. Based on these findings, it was recommended that more technological facilities should be provided for the conduct of engineering research activities and the staff who carry put this research should be trained on modern technological research skills from time to time.
Keywords: Delta State, Development, E-laboratory, Engineering, Research