Bespak, a division of Consort Medical plc, and Queen's University Belfast have developed a viable and unique in-vitro testing capability for nasal drug delivery devices. The aim was to evaluate and optimize current and conceptual drug delivery devices by quantifying the deposition of drug in the various distinct regions of the nasal cavity. The development of this test apparatus employed computed tomography (CT) scan data of the human nasal cavity to construct an accurate representation of the human nasal airways. An investigation of suitable materials and manufacturing technologies was required, together with extensive analytical method development. It is possible for this technique to be further developed in an attempt to create a standardized apparatus based on nasal geometry that can be used to compare accurately deposition from drug delivery devices. This paper presents the issues encountered in the development of this test apparatus, including manufacturing and material limitations, investigation and choice of suitable materials, laboratory testing considerations, and the steps required to validate the analytical process.

An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate a web-based learning module for teaching Geographic Information Systems to civil engineering students within the context of a problem related to crash data analysis. This module is one part of a National Science Foundation Course, Curricula, and Laboratory Improvement Project in which GIS modules are being developed for several areas of civil engineering. The module was used as a laboratory assignment in a transportation engineering course. Two days later students completed both an objective multiple choice quiz over the material covered in the lab and a subjective questionnaire. Quantitative analysis was carried out on the quiz answers and the Likert scale portion of the questionnaire. A qualitative grounded-theory open-coding analysis was applied to the open-ended questionnaire items. This analysis provided more detail regarding the perceived usefulness of the module. Combined analysis revealed a link between students' perceived usefulness of the material and their motivation to learn. Analysis also supported the learning tool's effectiveness and justified its further implementation and investigation.

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and Technology, graduating in May of 2011. As a graduate research assistant at the Center for Technology Enhanced Learning, Ashley has developed a passion for the fields of usability and educational research. She has worked on educational course evaluation of two research grants, both in engineering education. In her spare time, she enjoys studying the subjects of human factors and leadership.