College lecturers spark new teaching device for students
Two lecturers from West Lothian College have invented a practical teaching aid to help electrical installation apprentices get hands-on with a potentially dangerous issue. They now want to share it with the rest of Scotland.
Thomas Barlow and Scott Cavanagh created an interactive fault board that gives apprentices the chance to learn how to test for neutral current diversion (NCD) which occurs when protective measures fail and the current is diverted through exposed metal fixings such as gas, water and oil pipes.
This has been identified as a particular issue in multiple occupancy buildings which can lead to a build-up of heat and could result in fire or explosion.
The duo was inspired to create the innovative resource by the country’s largest electrical trade body, SELECT, which is leading the way with a range of resources and information about the issue.
One of the lecturers, Thomas Barlow said: “We got the idea when we received the SELECT posters giving guidance on NCD. We thought it was a good idea but we didn’t have anything to actually show the apprentices, so we created something they could physically interact with.
“We used materials that we had lying around - the board itself is a repurposed whiteboard. It’s part of our overall approach to training as we continue to enhance the practical environments in the college to ensure that, on top of the necessary theory, our students get the best experience they can when they’re attending classes.”
The concept has already sparked interest from other colleges, with SELECT Associate Member company Scolmore offering to help with production to roll out the units across Scotland.
“The board allows students to test NCD in a simulated, controlled environment, which is invaluable for reinforcing theoretical concepts and giving practical insights into fault diagnosis and system behaviour under abnormal conditions most won’t have encountered,” lecturer Scott Cavanagh said. “It also possesses the potential for multi-trade training in which gas engineers, plumbers and others could be trained to detect the kind of fault they may come in to contact with in everyday scenarios.”
Thomas added: “So far, we are the only college in Scotland that’s got this, but we’d like to replicate it and give everyone the chance to use it. It’s something that a lot of people seem to be reaching out for experience of and it could even be used by employers for their own in-house electricians.”
Bob Cairney, Director of Technical Services at SELECT, recently visited West Lothian College to inspect the NCD board.
He said: “This is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking which gives electrical apprentices in Scotland such excellent training, delivered under the supervision of lecturers who really care about their subject and their learners.
“Thomas and Scott are to be congratulated on their invention which has the potential to make dealing with a potentially very serious safety issue much easier to grasp for apprentices across a number of trades.”
