logbook for industrial supervision and training- a look at paper and digital logbook
DESCRIPTION
Logbook has been in use for many years and mostly for keeping records and these records could be personal or official. Anyone keeping record defines the criteria and the format it will take. For training institutions format of a logbook is well laid out for students to just fill in blank spaces. This has a lot of limitations. However, logbook is usually paper based and few digital logbooks available placed a number of restrictions on the user such that they are not very useful for industrial training. This paper looks at logbook in diverse ways and it was a product of a research conducted at the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria. This will expose the reader to a number of salient details often ignored about logbookTRANSCRIPT
LOGBOOK FOR INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISION AND TRAINING-A LOOK AT PAPER AND DIGITAL LOGBOOKS.
Olubodun, O.J.University of Lagos,College of Medicine,Faculty of Dental Sciences,Lagos Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUNDTechnical and Vocational Education
and Industrial Training.
Paper and Digital Logbooks.
What are they used for?
Rationale for this Study.
Kind of industrial training experience.
Google Images
QuestionsIn the end we should be able to answer the
following questions:
What is logbook and the types that are available.
What are the differences between paper and
digital logbooks.
How can logbook contribute to supervision and
training?
What is BT logbook?
Types of Logbooks
Logbook as:
•Paper Logbook
•Digital logbook which could be a software and non-software, accessible either offline or online.
•As technological Devices.
Digital logbooks
Digital logbook for Transport and Marine Industries K-Log electronic Logbook
Digital logbookAllowing no video, picture and audio option
Offline Digital Logbook
Offline Digital Logbook
Space Limitation for Paper Logbook
Sample Paper Logbook
Highlight of findings Limited spaces for description of lab activities taught and performed. No spaces in some cases for drawing. Burden of having to carrying logbook around every day and from one department of
posting to another. Entries are limited to description and drawing of lab procedures. Logbook becomes rough and untidy as a result of making changes to entries earlier made. Logbook becomes torn because of carrying it from one department of posting to another. Unwillingness on the part of students to share ideas on entries made to logbook. School supervisors unable to see logbook until students are back to school at the end of
programme and hence cannot follow progress of student’s learning experiences. Industrial supervisors show limited understanding of the best ways to pass comments on
student’s work. Entries are sometimes made in a rough paper before transferring it to the main logbook
which sometimes may be lost. Students could make changes at will and sometimes entries may not reflect the actual
learning experiences gained at work. Students sometimes present ‘doctored’ report at the end of the programme which does
not represent the actual learning experiences. Students have difficulties making drawings and may ‘mess’ up pages and leave them
rough.
BT Digital Logbook
BT Digital LogbookGoogle and Blogger account pages
Twitter Sign-up and Entry Page
Comparing Paper and BT Digital Logbooks 1
Advantages of paper logbook Advantages of BT digital logbook
A definitive pattern for students to easily make entries
Drawing and writing abilities are enhanced
Entries not made at due date could still be made without anyone noting it was once omitted
Entries could be made with ease as this does not depend on Internet connectivity. Logbook is always accessible.
Entries when altered are noticeable and this could give idea of students’ attempts to presenting his work well and that he actually did make the entries
Sources: wwww.elearningeuropa.info
Open resources could be built over a period of time
Learning experiences could be presented in different formats e.g. video, photos etc.
There is no strict pattern for making entries and the blog space leaves the students the initiative to decide how entries will be made.
Digital logbook remains in a public domain and could add to the body of knowledge.
Digital logbook remains the intellectual property of the author and can be kept for as long as he wants.
Co-construction of knowledge and resources among students is possible.
Collaboration among students on projects could take place across wider boundaries.
Sources: wwww.elearningeuropa.info
Comparing Paper and BT Digital Logbooks 2
Constraints of BTdigital logbook Constraints of paper logbook Students need to have training on the use
of blog and twitter and devices for making video and entry.
Poor Internet connectivity could hinder or delay entries and uploading files may pose serious difficulties
Extra cost for procuring Internet services. Students could fine tune entries and give
false impression of skills acquired Students could easily be assisted by
anyone if entries could earn him higher marks by his assessor.
Students could upload works not done by him from any sources and claiming it is his work.
Student’s ability to hand drawing which is a required skill in dental technology training could be limited.
Source: wwww.elearningeuropa.info
Insufficient space for description of learning experiences.
Learning experiences can only be represented by drawing and writing
Learning experiences cannot easily be shared among students and with others like teachers back in the school
Paper logbook subject to being torn as it is carried from one supervisors to another during deployment and re-deployment.
Students could lose logbook if not well kept. Making changes to entries could leave
logbook rough and untidy. Student do not have freedom to make
entries of learning experiences in a way he chooses. There is strict pattern for making entries
Source: wwww.elearningeuropa.info
Sequence of a Dental Lab Procedure.Acrylic Denture Repair
Model Making Procedure
Logbook as training and supervision ManualIt serves as a training manual for supervisors to guide students learning activities by correcting entries made into their logbook and by having idea of progress made and the constraints had when learning a procedure.It affords the students the spaces for clearly explaining the details of procedures mastered.It affords the industrial supervisors the opportunity for ascertaining level of progress made by the students in understanding a procedure.It affords the students the opportunity of noting the connection between experiences learnt in the school and those at the industrial training centresIt affords the students the opportunity of building a pool of resources for future reference.It is a tool for collaboration.
Conclusion Logbook is very important in technical and vocational training and in all other professions where
technical skills are required of a professional. For example in the health sector a medical surgeon in an operation theatre need to be dexterous in the use of tools and equipment for his work. Professionals in the engineering profession and other laboratory related arts need to develop manual dexterity for manipulation of materials for handling tools and equipment and for doing something. Industrial training or similar training programmes is always necessary for students of vocational training schools in order to merge theory with practice in real life situation.
The use of logbook for students to represent experiences gained during industrial training and therefore put them in perspective is one among so many other reasons that make the use of logbook an important aspect of industrial training. Paper based logbook is however not the best in today’s technology driven society. This study found that digital logbook if well untilised will be more suitable for learners of the present technology age most of who already could operate some of the common technological devices like phones, computer and other hand-held devices for making entries into a digital logbook. Although technical and vocational education schools and colleges have not embraced the use of digital logbook it is hoped that sooner than later it will be embraced.
The future of technical and vocational education training (TVET) will be positively impacted with students’ industrial training using digital logbook for collaborative learning and for creation of open resources. BT logbook is a novel idea for digitizing industrial training experiences. It cost little or nothing and provides many opportunities for students both for personal use or school work. The school may not need to have a web presence to have their students use BT logbook and so schools from poor countries could use it as well.
References http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-42770536/stock-ph
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al-logbook http://dentaltechnigeria.blogspot.com/2011/10/impro
vised-method-for-acrylic-denture.html#links Paper Logbook School of Health Sciences Ijebu-Ilese
Ogun State Nigeria Olufemi, O (2012) Dental Lab Procedure. Prosthetic
lab. College of Medicine, University of Lagos. Nigeria. Google image Industrial training Site http://www.km.kongsberg.com/ks/web/nokbg0240.ns
f/AllWeb/68C3B566F8C26076C125723B00534423?OpenDocument
