The innovation index: Environmental measurements as a pedagogic tool

The innovation index: Environmental measurements as a pedagogic tool

How do Afeka students learn about wireless communication systems? By going out in the field to measure radiation and noise

As a leading institution for educating engineers, Afeka College believes in academia’s involvement in the community. Thus, Afeka encourages its faculty members to initiate and develop within their various courses activities that combine social initiatives and contributing to the community – enabling students to learn using innovative methods that venture beyond the classroom and challenge their thinking.

One such unique course is “Wireless communication systems”, taught by Prof. Ely Levine, a lecturer at Afeka’s school of electrical engineering, with support from the social involvement unit. A joint venture by Afeka and the Council for Higher Education, the course was created to encourage students to take part in social initiatives and contribute to the community.

The course engaged 20 students in a process of learning and integrating potential environmental hazards: cellular radiation, magnetic fields, noise, ultraviolet radiation, lighting and light pollution (screen radiation), small and large particle air pollution, and the noxious gasses in the air. The students visited 26 schools and kindergartens in order to raise awareness among schoolchildren and teachers to the quality of the air around us and the potential hazards it contains. They ran field tests using an advanced set of tools acquired especially for this project, in order to monitor the hazards and identify abnormalities.

Additionally, the students held meetings with the schoolchildren, with lessons on the subject followed by taking measurements together.

The course and the activities within it allow Afeka to impact several social circles: the students themselves, who broaden their knowledge on the issue and thus also their awareness of environmental quality; the students’ social circle, which includes those close to them; and the schoolchildren taking part in the activity, who become environmental ambassadors. Thus, the course ripples out to impact the community.

Shoval Hayun, fourth-year student at the school of electrical engineering: “This has been an original and extraordinary learning experience, which focused on the pragmatic aspect of implementing the theories we study in class. We thoroughly enjoyed the course, and especially the latitude that Ely gave us in experimenting and learning hands-on.”