Development and Validation of an Instructional Manual in Engineering Drawing 3 with AutoCAD

RESEARCH ABSTRACT

It is necessary to develop and validate a manual in AutoCAD since it is one of the required skills for engineers. Many companies nowadays are looking for graduates who are proficient in using AutoCAD to design their products. It enables designers to coordinate sets of drawings, create tabular data, annotate drawings, and manage sheet sets.

This manual is an introduction to the Computer Aided Design (CAD). The manual aimed to provide appropriate knowledge and skills on how to use the AutoCAD. The knowledge gained can be applied over a wide range of disciplines including the teaching profession, mechanical, structural, civil and architectural drafting.

The Instructional Manual will be very beneficial to all engineering students who are enrolled in Engineering Drawing 3. This will serve as their guide throughout the semester in dealing with 2 dimensional (2D) drawings.

This study used descriptive research design. The respondents of the study were the selected Engineering students from 2^nd year to fifth year levels who were enrolled during second semester of S.Y. 2007-2008 and those who already finished the AutoCAD subject with 1.75 to 1.00 as their final grade.

The Engineering Drawing 3 with AutoCAD Instructional Manual is acceptable to the students and faculty members. Faculty members are still looking for some topics which are needed to be covered and discussed in the manual. Grammatical errors have been observed by the respondents during the assessment and evaluation process that needs to be addressed directly to the author and to the assigned grammarian. 

The respondents acknowledge the suitability of the developed manual to college students especially that the manual provides exercises salient to acquiring concrete knowledge from contents presented in the materials. There is a proper way of associating the lessons to the exercises given in the manual to test the ability and skills of the learners.

There are still some parts of the manual that cannot be learned by the students without the supervision of the instructor. The topics presented indicate unity, coherence and emphasis in general. The manual can assist the student to improve their performance in AutoCAD. The instructional manual in terms of its usefulness is very acceptable to the respondents. The faculty members appreciate the format and design of the instructional manual better than the students. There is a significant difference in the responses of students and faculty members in clarity of the instructional manual. The manual must be carefully and thoroughly proofread to avoid typographical errors of figures and wrong data or measurement supplied in some of the given exercises.

JAKE M. LAGUADOR, Ed.D.

Lyceum of the Philippines University

Batangas City, Philippines

A Proposed Five-Year Development Framework for the Lyceum International Maritime Academy SY 2006-2007

ABSTRACT

The study attempted to evaluate the status of Lyceum International Maritime Academy (LIMA) in terms of its strengths and weaknesses from nine institutional areas of evaluation which includes: Vision/Mission, Goals and Objectives, Faculty, Instruction, Physical plant and facilities, Student Personnel services, Social orientation and Community Involvement, Organization and Administration and Linkages.

BS Marine Transportation (1^st – 3^rd year) and all year levels of Marine Engineering students enrolled during S.Y. 2006-2007 (1^st semester). The outcome of the study could be of value primarily to Lyceum International Maritime Academy Administration, Teaching and Non-teaching personnel and most of all, to the students. The findings from nine institutional areas of evaluation would give an insight and information to Lyceum International Maritime Academy regarding the status of the College that will serve as the basis in formulating the five-year development program.

LIMA has obtained a descriptive rating “Very Good” in nine institutional areas of evaluation. It implies that the college has achieved its objective with high quality. With very minimal descriptive rating of “good” in some items of Physical Plant Facilities and Laboratories, Student Services – Libraries  Accounting/Cashier’s Office, OSA, and Linkages.

The school development focuses in Instruction, Research and Community Extension with some detailed activities included in Five – Year Development Framework of Lyceum International Maritime Academy for S.Y. 2007-2008 to S.Y. 2011 -2012 to support these three functions of Higher Education Institution and to attain the institutional objectives of providing a continuous and maximum customer satisfaction.

Human resource is the one of the most important resources in any organization. The Institutions’ instruction function is measured by the personal competence and professional training of its staff both academic and administrative. There are derivative problems such as the proliferations of advanced degree holders with off-tangent specialization in relation to their basic training and work. A concerted effort to develop a comprehensive faculty development program and policy for maritime educators and coupled with the recruitment of highly qualified instructors. 

Since Lyceum International Maritime Academy is ISO certified, its academic and administrative staff must adhere and follow strictly the quality objectives of the Institution. They should be encouraged to participate in the human resource development program so that their maximum potential could be realized to benefit both the individual and the Institution. Other personnel should be given further training to update them with recent trends so that they can perform their tasks efficiently. Trainings must also be evaluated objectively and personnel involved in the training must also be assessed in order to determine its effectiveness. The Lyceum community must recognize the significance of trainings, workshops and seminars and its implication to personal and professional growth of the individual. They must not only live and exist in the community for the benefits and incentives being offered by Lyceum but they must also exert much effort to support the institution and achieve its objectives beyond what is being expected.

LIMA must be relevant to the needs and aspirations of its services area. As a center of academic excellence in Southern Tagalog Region, its curricular offering must complement the regional and national development thrusts. They must reflect at the same time appropriate and positive Filipino values necessary in nation-building, personality development and character formation. Such curricular offerings should aim at producing graduates who are not only equipped with the intellect and skills or expertise but also with values and traits that are necessary in human behavior in the community. Faculty members must integrate values formation in delivering subject matters and make the students realize the importance of possessing the right attitude in the working environment. 

As an academic and a research institution, LIMA is expected not only to train high level manpower but also generate bodies of knowledge useful for development purposes. Research and advance studies for the faculty members must also be given importance. They must realize and appreciate the nature of research writing through pursuing their master’s degree. LIMA must formulate an imperative course of action to really encourage members of the professional education to do research studies. Lyceum Research Center is already offering good benefits for the faculty researchers. Research staff has already formulated and modified the research policy in order to further encourage the faculty members to make researches. And the President is really serious in giving out his best to strengthen the research capability of the institution. LIMA is expected to double or triple the research outputs of the faculty members and staff year after year.

Community extension is one of the components of research. Research studies of the institution must provide and cater for local or national development. As a major function of the LIMA, extension services have to be pursued vigorously. A community outreach service program can be organized along with the research activities of the college. Conduct an Awareness Week Celebration for Community Extension wherein various outreach programs will be given importance and attainment in this event. Conduct various activities on community in order to maintain harmonious relationship with the wider community and its resources and make available its own assets and resources needed. Strengthen the capability of the community extension working committee of LIMA and implement all the plans of the committee objectively.

JAKE M. LAGUADOR, Ed.D.

Lyceum of the Philippines University

Batangas City, Philippines

Computer-Aided Instruction on Introduction to Information Technology

RESEARCH ABSTRACT

This study “Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) on Introduction to Information Technology” was designed and developed to significantly lessen teaching burdens since the program itself drills the students. The researcher believes that this study will be of great importance to the Lyceum of Batangas Research Center, IT Instructors and students and to the future researchers as well.

            Faculty members teaching Introduction to Information Technology (IT) and Engineering Subjects in Lyceum of Batangas comprised the expert-respondents who evaluated the CAI. This study involved two classes of second year students, one from engineering and the other one from marine.

            This CAI dealt only on lecture subject of engineering and maritime programs. The design of the Computer-Aided Instruction included 850 computer terminologies defined in the glossary of terms or dictionary. It also incorporated a multimedia and programming technology. It used Microsoft Access and Visual basic Programming language in able to run this application.

            The researcher used the Quasi-experimental method and descriptive method in conducting this study. The obtained pretest score of controlled group was lower than the score of the controlled group with a verbal interpretation of fair. The posttest result of the controlled and experimental groups marked with a very satisfactory verbal interpretation. The experimental group obtained much higher score against the controlled group in terms of posttest. The final grade score of experimental group verify the effectiveness of the Computer-Aided Instruction against the traditional method of teaching.

            The general weighted average, pretest and posttest of both controlled and experimental groups has no significant difference. The final grade mean score of experimental and controlled groups marked - up a significant difference. The expert-respondents agreed that the presentation of CAI is clear and observing the correct grammar as well as the use of clear language and the computer terminologies are comprehensible. The perception of the expert-respondents agreed that the CAI really appraises the knowledge of the students through the given exercises.

            The proposed enhancement in the Computer-Aided Instruction can be incorporated based from the assessment of the experts in terms of content, language and style, evaluation, navigation and usefulness of the materials to make the learning process of the students more interactive and interesting.

Jake M. Laguador, Ed.D.

Lyceum of the Philippines University

Capitol Site, Batangas City

Philippines 

Parent-Child Relationship: A Shared Responsibility

Adolescence is considered as critical stage of being a youth. This is where they experiment to get into relationship, which leads into pre-marital sex and exposure to different vices like smoking, drinking liquor and prohibited drugs. They are physically active and inquisitive individuals about how would it feel to experience such delight with some touch of harm. They are satisfying their curiosity while breaking their innocence and rules of their parents by saying goodbye to the avenues of their childhood years while ignoring the significance of their home-grown values.    

Learning to offer some affection, respect and attention to someone is one sign of maturity. Showing one’s inner feelings and sensitivities to someone would connect to a social network and communication lines of mutual calls and text messaging. Understanding and sharing same emotions between opposite sex would sometimes lead to different moods and directions either choosing the way gearing towards inspiration to make their dreams come true or taking the risk of pre-marital sex.

No matter how the parents are serious about giving them proper guidance and discipline, children still have their personal willingness to make decisions for their own good and fulfilment that served as their satisfaction. Sometimes there are people who need to experience things first before they fully realized the effect or advantages and disadvantages of certain consequences. Even though, lot of similar stories have been heard and seen, these are still not enough to convince them that little spark of lighting a cigarette and barely shot of wine could bring them to the firestorm of hell.

Aside from getting involved into several relationships without commitment, they also tried out drinking liquors and cigarettes as outlet to momentarily forget their growing problems with their girlfriend or boyfriend even their failing grades in school and increasing demands of parents at home. They started the blaze expecting to have a good meal afterwards without knowing how to control the bonfire until it burns the whole camp.

Leaving them alone in the middle of nowhere is not a good decision for parents with delinquent family member. They must be resilient to accept whatever their child has done wrong for anyone and for any reason. Their responsibility as parents never ends that way. It is not enough that they provided their children with food every day, materials needed for school and allowance for daily expenses but more of their loving care and attention especially in moments of adversity with no one to support them and hold on their sentiments.

Acquired behaviour of some children from home might change as they enter to the different thresholds and environment without boundaries and restrictions. They will encounter people with different personalities until they have influenced by numerous thoughts and destructive ideas. The social behaviour of every individual is being influenced by certain negativities if the person himself allows it to enter and enjoy it to explore his inner being until it becomes a habit.

 Knowing one’s limitations and safe level or degree of life’s satisfaction must be set to the living standard of youth today. They must realize the importance of do’s and don’ts, the set of house rules and regulations being imposed by their parents, school officials or any individual with authority to speak before them. Children must not ignore giving importance to the moral values taught by parents through paying them respect and gratitude, meeting all the school requirements until graduation and giving them honor to all things they have done with all sacrifices of fulfilling their obligations.

            Having a good relationship is a shared responsibility. Problems might occur in unexpected occasion but the warmth dedication between parents and children would never cease and the connection as one great family would never be unchained.

Sense of Volunteerism among Students

Social responsibility is being taught in institutions of higher learning through involving the students in community extension projects as part of the threefold functions of their respective colleges or universities aside from research and instruction. The goal of this undertaking is to uplift the lives of people in the adapted community of the university and teach the students to realize the value of volunteerism. But it would be achieved if we will develop a responsible community through reshaping the culture and instilling noble values to every individual. Promoting the character of Good Samaritan would set the minds of people to find more time sharing not only the gift of things but also the gift of heart. 

Letting the students participate in community extension programs of the university would not only provide them the idea of how they can make people satisfied with the services and donations they brought to the beneficiaries. But the most important insight they must realize is how they could be an instrument of God’s vision to impart their full potentials, talent and wisdom to become living emblems of notable volunteers and future heroes.

The making of dedicated volunteers requires some pieces of encouragement, inspiration, guidance, sense of responsibility and purpose. Add some slices of faith, trust, integrity and commitment would complete the ingredients of having a delightful character of good servant leaders. The youth of today must take part on many challenging roles of designing plans and implementing the programs that would give them the sense of leadership and ownership of their achievements. Giving them the right empowerment and freedom to think and choose the best way where they could enjoy and be successful volunteers.  

Developing an open-handed community of volunteers is a process of building a strong foundation of another society from the underprivileged people to participate in moving out the negative thoughts of hopelessness and wretchedness. Cultivating a positive mental attitude of people would give them enough courage and weapon to fight against poverty. The quest for social transformation and mobility would show them more the challenging experiences leading to another circle of an enormous adventure.

Creating the life of volunteers is a great art of giving and surrendering ones’ own gift of time and spirit. Offering material possession is not the only way people could find themselves true volunteers but also through utilizing their power to serve people to the best of their ability. It would lead them to a life which is quite memorable seeing the faces of children painting the scene of innocence and goodness of God. They are the living examples of why should a university must continue its journey and keep its hand wide open to share and embrace the people who really need care and understanding of God’s fairness and justice.

From simple gifts of joy and time to share with hard-up people, students can learn how to appreciate little things they are receiving in any manner and kind, that even little things can provide a greater happiness to the people who lost their way and hope to see if there’s still a bright future ahead of them. Sharing the gift that people are receiving from God is the best way of saying “Thank you” from God the Father and our Great Provider.

             Helping people realize that life is not as hard as they thought. Life would be better off, if they would keep their faith and feet in a journey sharing the same mission of helping other people. The essence of being responsible volunteer is how we use our hands lifting up people from misery and leaving them life with full of hopes and dreams. Little things can be a great reward no matter how much its value, the most important is, to realize the significance and purpose of giving, not only material things, but how we give the gift of our self.