UEW Level 400 Physics Students Showcase Their Projects
Level 400 Physics Education students at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) have showcased their projects on semiconductor physics, heat, and waves as part of the requirements for completing their programme of study.
The students constructed a rotating V-shaped solar panel tracker, an irrigation system, a smart dustbin that opens itself when someone walks up to it, and a radio transmitter to identify a radio station's frequency range, among other inventions.
The rotational V-shape solar panel tracker was designed to use just four panels that revolve in the direction of the sun to absorb heat energy instead of eight panels, four in the east and four in the west.
The Head of the Department of Physics Education, Dr. Gloria Armah, who was overwhelmed by the creativity and innovation depicted by the final-year students in their projects, highlighted the importance of the projects to the Department and expressed her outfit’s intention to consider enhancing the projects for the market.
"We can take these projects as a department, seek sponsorship, and develop them to serve as a source of revenue for the Department and to tell people out there that we are not only training students to become teachers. So, those who are going to teach can still carry this skill along to the schools they are teaching and train the younger ones. Others who will not find themselves in the teaching field can still carry on with these projects for industry and the wider community," she said.
Dr. Gloria Armah expressed gratitude to the instructors and advised the level 300 students to be positive that they could match the standard or even outdo their predecessors.
One of the instructors, Dr. Michael Gyan, said that the Department had discovered that the best way to get students ready for the workforce was to combine theoretical and practical orientations in the programme.
“We do this yearly, but this time, we focused on how to sustain or continue the innovations. We have plans to build upon whatever the students produce every year,” he stated.
Dr. Gyan was confident that the lecturers had done their bit in training the students. He expressed the expectation that students will perform well wherever they find themselves in the job market.
"We give our students hands-on training so that if they don’t become teachers, they can be relevant in the industry and make an impact," he noted.
A student, Bright Owusu Ansah, commended the department for structuring their timetable in a way that promoted hands-on activities. He pointed out that the hands-on activities had broadened their knowledge and shaped their skills. Bright Owusu’s group used WiFi to control home appliances in one’s comfort zone.
Another student, Priscilla Zegani, whose group worked on the automatic close and open door system, was appreciative of the department for giving them the opportunity to learn the practical aspects of physics and facilitating their ability to do a variety of tasks.
"Despite the fact that we have all worked on various projects, we can all accomplish this. Given the opportunity, we can work on any project thanks to the knowledge we have gained. This has given us the understanding that, even if we graduate and are unable to find the employment prospects we desire, we are still capable of starting something on our own to earn a living," she affirmed.
