The placement project with the topic “ Applications of the instrumental analysis methods in the chemistry laboratory” was developed within the international cooperation strategy of the Technical College “C.D. Nenitescu” Pitesti( the institution being certified for this type of projects).The target group was formed of 12 students in initial professional training in this technical college, with the profile “Natural resources and Environmental Protection”, level 3 of qualification, XI- th grade; among the group, 10 students had the “Laboratory Chemistry Technician” qualification and 2 students had the “Environmental Technician and Environment Quality Protection” qualification.
The planned results of the project aimed at developing the competences of the 12 participants by: experimenting the instrumental analysis methods with the purpose of determining the main characteristics of raw materials and/or finite products in the chemical industry and in the field of natural resources and environment protection; interpreting the results of the instrumental analyses; increasing the abilities of communicating in a foreign language and of team working in an international context.
The placement took place between 04.04–15.04.2011 in Krefeld, Germany, the participants being divided into two groups that alternatively worked for a week in the host school (Berufskolleg Uerdingen) and for a week in Currenta training centre of Bayer Uerdingen.
The participants worked individually under the German students and teachers’ guidance as well as in a team, having the possibility to better understand this concept. The mixed learning methods consisted of active participation centred on the student and individual/group training and stimulated creativity and logical thinking, self-esteem and confidence in performing the practical work during the daily training programme.
The placement resulted in acquiring new knowledge, abilities and competences in performing the instrumental analysis works. The partipants’ programme was applied on the „Instrumental Analysis” module which is part of their training programme in the sending institution. In the labs of the host school the participants performed the following practical works: determining the concentration of an ethylic alcohol solution using the ABBE refractometer, determining the Ph, determining the concentration of a sugar solution with the immersion refractometer, determining acids and bases of different concentration by ph-metric method, separating a mixture of colorants by thin-layer cromatography. During the week spent at Bayer( Currenta centre) the participants performed the following practical works: analysing the composition of a mixture of alcohols by gaseous cromatography, separating a mixture of organic compounds by liquid cromatography, determining the concentrations of some coloured solutions by photocolorimetric method, performing conductometric determinations, spectrophotometric determination of a concetration of a solution, dosing the concentration of Cu 2+ in a solution by electrogravimetric methods. At the end of each day the participants filled in the daily practice sheet and the report of the work performed according to the programme presented above.
In addition to the works stipulated in the Training Agreement the participants performed two other extremely interesting practical applications of instrumental analysis methods. They obtained an indicator out of red cabbage( cyanidine) in the form of a liquid extract whose ph was then measured. Another interesting application was determining the phosphoric acid content in soft drinks. During the last day of stage all participants have given a practical examination to evaluate the competences acquired during the placement, in order to be certified and validated by ECVET system.
All the objectives of the project were fully acquired and satisfied completely the targets proposed.In developing the placement project there were involved some VET institutions as well as enterprises where the participants performed the practical training, thus leading to developing and strengthening the collaboration relations between the beneficiary institution and the host institution ( a prestigious VET institution in Germany). The cooperation between the two VET institutions will continue in the future by implementing the next mobility projects approved for 2011. At the same time the cooperation between European enterprises and the beneficiary institution. Thus, Bayer by its training centre Currenta expressed its firm agreement to continue the cooperation with the beneficiary school. In March 2012 another group of students from Pitesti will have a training stage at this firm.
Taking part in this placement brought the participants the following benefits:
- Developing their professional competences by experimenting and using modern instrumental analysis methods and equipment. During the entire placement the participants were encouraged to work individually, to experience the active participation methods centred on the student. The activity was developed in small groups, which permitted the students to understand the basic principles of the works performed and to practice the abilities of using the lab equipment.
- Developing the participants’ linguistic abilities by the training programme and by communicating in English during the placement. All participants had a remarkable progress in their English knowledge obtaining a superior competence level compared to the initial one.
- Developing the participants’ behaviour competences which materialized in a bigger confidence in their own forces, in their capacity of communicating in a foreign language, and of coping with new situations.Taking part in this placement had favourable effects on the participants’ personal development by increasing their self-esteem due to the good and very good results with which they finalized the placement.
- Developing the intercultural competences as a consequence of the information received during the cultural training programme, of the visits made and of the communication with the German students and teachers; the participants came daily in contact with different persons or institutions in the host country of whom they got a lot of information with a positive impact on their capacity to understand another culture; they also knew directly the way of working and living in the host country.
- Developing their capacity of adaptation ( solving problems, team work); the participants managed to integrate themselves very well in the group and to interact excellently within the group as well as with the other persons with whom they came in contact. The group functioned as a powerful team capable to solve their current problems, inherent to any other similar situation; an extremely important benefit is developing the capacity of team working in an international context. In comparison with the other groups of participants in the previous projects this group proved the most powerful capacity to adjust to a new way of work and life.
Developing the competences of using the internet and computer science in the participants’initial professional training; participants used the internet for documentation and for translations(Google Translate). Via the computer they precessed the data obtained in teir instrumental analysis works, they traced diagrams, titration curves etc.(most of the equipment being connected to a computer). During the project the participants became familiar to blogs and forums as communication instruments. Before leaving in the placement they were initiated in using the intranet and they learned how to fill in the individual reports in the Leopass database. All these activities contributed to developing the participants’ abilities to use the computer, the internet and intranet.
The validation of the competences acquired by the participants during placement was possible by establishing a work programme based on a curricula module which is part of the participants’ training in the sending institution and by evaluating and certifying the competences acquired.
The evaluation of the competences acquired by the participants during the mobility stage consisted of the current evaluation made at the end of each practical work from the work programme and of the final evaluation within which each participant performed a practical work from those included in the work programme. All participants have obtained the cerfication and validation of the placement and they received the Europass Training Certificate issued by the Technical College Costin D. Nenitescu Pitesti and validated by Berufskolleg Uerdingen Krefeld, signed by the legal representatives of both institutions. The sending institution validated the competences acquired on the basis of this document in accordance with the Ministry Of Education order concerning the certification of practice stages in Europe by ECVET system.
The project is remarkable by the quality of the partnership, by the work programme applied on a professional training module of the participants which is part of the curricula - curricular area Technologies. By disseminating the results of the project at local and regional levels our educational institution’s prestige and attractiveness increased considerably. Detailed information concerning the project may be accessed on the project’s blog http://ani-chim.blogspot.com.
