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Vid Umeå universitet används sedan några år tillbaka ett regelverk i form av ett sammanhållet kvalitetssystem för utbildning som bygger på nio aktiviteter som stödjer, utvecklar och synliggör det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet. En av dessa aktiviteter är ”Utbildningsutvärdering genom kollegial extern granskning”, vars syfte är att bidra till att säkra kvaliteten i utbildningarnas innehåll och genomförande samt ge stöd för kvalitetsutveckling. Vi beskriver processen för utvärderingen av 11 ingenjörsutbildningar som genomförts under 2022 och diskuterar fördelar och nackdelar med det valda upplägget ur kvalitets- och resursperspektiv. Därefter diskuteras några programövergripande utvecklingsområden som de externa granskarna lyft fram, däribland jämställdhet, pedagogisk modell, samt professions- och forskningsanknytning. Avslutningsvis sammanfattar vi den återkoppling vi erhöll från både de externa granskarna och programansvariga som deltog i processen. Återkopplingen är av betydelse för att kontinuerligt förbättra vår process för kollegial extern granskning inför kommande utvärderingsomgångar.

This short paper describes the first prototyping of a self-evaluation process of Curriculum Agility at a Faculty of Technology in Sweden. The process comprises guided, semi-structured, individual interviews at different organisational levels within the faculty, a joint narrative based on those interviews, prioritizing development strategies per level, and jointly mapping them on importance and implementation time. The self-evaluation is part of and based on the research on the principles of Curriculum Agility. The results show the interplay in timely curriculum change for futureproof engineering education between the teaching staff, the systems and the people who control the systems. The self-evaluation brings together the different perspectives and perceptions within the faculty and gives insight in how those affect the willingness towards and occurrence of curriculum development. This work in progress indicates how doing such a qualitative self-evaluation paves the road for transparent strategic dialogues on a holistic level about what to give attention and organize differently.

Svenska lärosäten har utvecklat egna kvalitetssystem som ska granskas och godkännas av universitetskans-lersämbetet (UKÄ). Typiskt bygger lärosätenas kvalitetssäkrings-system på cykliska mäta-värdera-åtgärda aktiviteter. I flera av dessa system förekommer extern kollegial granskning som en viktig komponent. Syftet med detta arbete är att belysa två olika system för extern kollegial granskning från olika perspektiv. Den externa granskningen av högskoleingenjörsprogrammen i maskinteknik vid Uppsala universitet och Umeå universitet är utgångspunkten och de perspektiv som belyses är de från

• Programansvariga,

• Utbildningsledare på fakultetsnivå, samt

• Extern granskare

I arbetet teoretiseras inte upplägg och genomförande av kvalitetsarbetet eller den kollegiala granskningen, utan målet är att genom vittnesbörd sprida praktisk kunskap och erfarenheter om två olika system för extern kollegial granskning.

Initialt beskrivs de två olika systemen, hur olika aktiviteter och processer är tänkt att tillsammans bidra till att säkerställa att utbildningar håller en hög kvalitet. Särskilt fokus läggs på att beskriva upplägget på den externa kollegiala granskningen och hur den information som granskningen ger vid handen återkopplas till program och andra intressenter. Fakultetens utbildningsledare ger sin syn på genomförandet av den kollegiala granskningen ur ett övergripande fakultetsperspektiv samt beskriver de fakultetsövergripande slutsatser som dragits utifrån de externa granskningarna. Programansvariga beskriver verksamhetsnära erfarenheter av de kollegiala granskningarna. Särskilt intressant är beskrivningen av hur utfallet av den kollegiala granskningen bidragit till att definiera utvecklingsprojekt på programnivå. Resultatet kopplas till resursåtgång.

Det tredje perspektivet är det av den externe granskaren. I fallet med högskoleingenjörsprogrammet i maskinteknik vid Uppsala respektive Umeå universitet var det samma granskare vilket ger en unik möjlighet att få en extern parts synpunkter på underlag i förhållande till efterfrågad granskning.Slutligen sammanfattas styrkor och svagheter i de båda ansatserna till extern kollegial granskning.

A numerical 3D ray tracing model was used to evaluate the long-term visual effects of two regimens of corneal crosslinking (CXL) treatment of 48 patients with the corneal degeneration keratoconus. The 3D ray tracing analyses were based on corneal elevation data measured by Scheimpflug photography. Twenty-two patients were treated with standard CXL applied uniformly across the corneal surface, whereas 26 patients underwent a customized, refined treatment only at local zones on the cornea (photorefractive intrastromal CXL; PiXL). Spot diagrams, spot root-mean-square (RMS) values, and Strehl ratios were evaluated for the patients prior to and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. It was found that the group of patients treated with PiXL, on average, tended to attain a long-term improvement of the corneal optical performance, whereas only minor changes of the optical parameters were found for group treated with standard CXL. Our results confirmed that standard CXL treatment stabilizes the corneal optical quality over time, and thus halts the progression of the corneal degeneration. In addition to stabilization, the results showed that a significantly higher proportion of subjects treated with PiXL improved in RMS, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, compared to with CXL (p<0.05). This finding indicates that the PiXL treatment might improve optical quality over time.

The BabA adhesin mediates high-affinity binding of Helicobacter pylori to the ABO blood group antigen-glycosylated gastric mucosa. Here we show that BabA is acid responsive-binding is reduced at low pH and restored by acid neutralization. Acid responsiveness differs among strains; often correlates with different intragastric regions and evolves during chronic infection and disease progression; and depends on pH sensor sequences in BabA and on pH reversible formation of high-affinity binding BabA multimers. We propose that BabA's extraordinary reversible acid responsiveness enables tight mucosal bacterial adherence while also allowing an effective escape from epithelial cells and mucus that are shed into the acidic bactericidal lumen and that bio-selection and changes in BabA binding properties through mutation and recombination with babA-related genes are selected by differences among individuals and by changes in gastric acidity over time. These processes generate diverse H. pylori subpopulations, in which BabA's adaptive evolution contributes to H. pylori persistence and overt gastric disease.

Based on numerical 3D ray tracing, we propose a new procedure to optimize personalized intra-ocular lenses (IOLs). The 3D ray tracing was based on measured corneal elevation data from patients who suffered from advanced keratoconus. A mathematical shape description of the posterior IOL surface, by means of a tensor product cubic Hermite spline, was implemented. The optimized lenses provide significantly reduced aberrations. Our results include a trade-off study that suggests that it is possible to considerably reduce the aberrations with only minor perturbations of an ideal spherical lens. The proposed procedure can be applied for correction of aberrations of any optical system by modifying a single surface.

We propose a numerical three-dimensional (3D) ray-tracing model for the analysis of advanced corneal refractive errors. The 3D modeling was based on measured corneal elevation data by means of Scheimpflug photography. A mathematical description of the measured corneal surfaces from a keratoconus (KC) patient was used for the 3D ray tracing, based on Snell's law of refraction. A model of a commercial intraocular lens (IOL) was included in the analysis. By modifying the posterior IOL surface, it was shown that the imaging quality could be significantly improved. The RMS values were reduced by approximately 50% close to the retina, both for on-and off-axis geometries. The 3D ray-tracing model can constitute a basis for simulation of customized IOLs that are able to correct the advanced, irregular refractive errors in KC.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a practical model of work integrated learning for undergraduate engineering students in relation to Conceiving-Designing-Implementing-Operating standards 7 (Integrated Learning Experiences) and 8 (Active Learning). Moreover, it is discussed the role of cultural-social perspective and peer learning in enhancing the developed learning model from a pedagogical point of view.

Design/methodology/approach – The model is based on an organized collaboration with the industrial partners in the surrounding geographic region. As a part of the collaboration, each participating student is guaranteed internships at a chosen company over the summer period. In the model, company-based projects are integrated with some of the study program courses. Moreover, the participating students are given a possibility to perform their final thesis at the chosen company.

Findings – A number of positive effects have been observed and documented as follows: first, the integrated learning improves the learning process for the students, where learning, knowledge and practice are integrated into the engineering curricula; second, the general quality of the study programs in the faculty has been developed and improved based on the professional skills as required by modern industrial companies; and third, the obtained advantage for the industrial partners has been to establish professional contacts with the students as well as the possibility to be acquainted with potential future employees.

Research limitations/implications – The feedback the authors received so far from the industrial partners has been positive. A detailed evaluation will be made at a later stage when more information is available. Practical implications – The developed learning model supports the expected learning outcomes, especially with regard to interpersonal skills, teamwork and communication. As a part of the collaboration, each participating student is guaranteed internships at a chosen company over the summer periods. The authors consider this collaboration as a “win-win situation” for the three parties involved in the learning model: the students, the university/faculty and the industrial partners.

Originality/value – Case study based on observations and evaluation of a developed learning model. 

We present a cost-effective, simple and fast digital holographic microscopy method based upon Rayleigh-Sommerfeld back propagation for identification of the geometrical shape of a cell. The method was tested using synthetic hologram images generated by ray-tracing software and from experimental images of semi-transparent spherical beads and living red blood cells. Our results show that by only using the real part of the back-reconstructed amplitude the proposed method can provide information of the geometrical shape of the object and at the same time accurately determine the axial position of the object under study. The proposed method can be used in flow chamber assays for pathophysiological studies where fast morphological changes of cells are studied in high numbers and at different heights.

We present a recently developed learning model of work integrated learning in the Bachelor programs in Mechanical Engineering as well as Electronic and Computer Engineering at Umeå University, Sweden. The model is based on an organized collaboration with our industrial partners in the surrounding geographic region. As a part of the collaboration, each participating student is guaranteed internships at a chosen company over the summer period.

In the model, company based projects are integrated with some of the study program courses. Moreover, the participating students are given a possibility to perform their final thesis at the chosen company. We consider this collaboration as a "win-win situation" for the three parties involved in the learning model: the students, the University/faculty and the industrial partners. A number of positive effects have been observed and documented as follows:

i) The integrated learning improves the learning process for the students, where learning, knowledge and practice are integrated into the engineering curricula.

ii) The general quality of the study programs in the faculty has been developed and improved based on the professional skills as required by modern industrial companies.

iii) The obtained advantage for the industrial partners has been to establish professional contacts with the students as well as the possibility to be acquainted with potential future employees.

We discuss the experiences of this learning model in relation to CDIO standard 7 (Integrated Learning Experiences) and 8 (Active Learning). It has been found that the company based projects promote interdisciplinary learning as well as fostering system building skills and personal communication skills. Moreover, the developed learning model supports the expected learning outcomes, especially with regard to interpersonal skills,  teamwork and communication. Finally, we investigate the learning theories that support the developed learning model from a pedagogical point of view.