Environmental Health Science Department

Occupational Health and Safety

Assignment Report Prof. Johannes Mockenhaupt
University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS)
Polytechnic of Namibia, Windhoek
February 16 – March 4, 2011

downlaod report (pdf)

After a successful assignment with B360 education partnerships at the Polytechnic in 2010 I was able to teach the same combination of subjects in a slightly shorter time frame this year. Vibration, noise measurement and illumination were the main topics on the timetable for the 2nd year students over a period of 2½ weeks.

It is striking how students are not only very eager to learn the subject matter but also have good ‘regulation mechanisms’ when things become too difficult for them. Apart from class room lecturing, I used e-Learning for which Polytechnic provided access to the brand new platform ‘Jisawa’.  This way students could work on specific topics and complete smaller tests outside of normal lectures.

The end of my guest lecturer period was a final test, which all students passed very well. A highlight was the excursion to the taxi stand where the annoying honking was objectively measured and then analyzed for potential risks.

In the morning, we used a small trick to have the students in the classroom on time. Every morning at 8h, I let Christine Tasman read a German fairy tale. Those who were late, only dared to enter the class room after the end of the story.

The course has left its mark. Some of the students are now aiming to participate in an exchange program with their German colleagues of the University of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. There will be news on this project in the course of next year…

Hennef,  Germany, March 2011