AUSTRALIA’S COLLABORATIVE MINING

EDUCATION MODEL&

AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Assoc Professor Emmanuel Chanda

University of Adelaide, Australia

School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Engineering

Overview

Part 1: Australia’s collaborative mining education model Introductions

Part 2: Australian uranium education and training capacity

Part 1: Australia’s collaborative mining education model Introductions

• Background

• What is Mining Education Australia (MEA)

• Structure of MEA

• Benefits of MEA

• MEA Curriculum

• How the Collaboration works

• Learning Management Systems

• Content Management System

• Conclusions & Recommendations

Background

• Opportunity (1998): Partnership between industry, government and academia to reshape mining education in Australia and supply the industry’s future mining professionals.

• Vision: Establish a network of selected university mining departments dedicated to providing world class education in mining engineering.

• Network members selected on the basis of willingness to collaborate with other universities to ensure first class coursework delivery, ability to attract first class students, vision to innovate, research capability, qulaity of academic staff, et.

• Industry input into course content and graduate attributes

• Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), peak industry body to provide funding administrative costs associated with the initiative and for course development

• Establish Mining Education Australia (MEA) as virtual Mining School to deliver mining education in collaborative framework bynetwork members.

What is MEA?• Joint Venture signed in 2006:

Curtin University of Technology, University of Queensland, University of New South Wales, and University of Adelaide (2009)

• Aim: “one school delivering a world class program of undergraduate education in mining engineering by integrating and coordinating the resources of Australia’s premier mining universities and producing high quality mining engineering graduates for the national and international minerals industry”

• Industry support through the Minerals Council of Australia

Structure of MEA

Curtin teaching Year 1 and 2

Other institutions and programs meeting pre-

requisites

UQ teaching Year 1 and 2

UNSW teaching Year 1 and 2

New School de livering a single teachning program

for Year 3 and Year 4UA teaching

Year 1 and 2

Functional Structure of MEA:

MEA Executive

EducationalConsultant

Industry AdvisoryGroup

MEA 3rd & 4th YearCurriculum

Adelaide

UQ

UNSW

Curtin Uni

MEA Board

Program Leaders Committee

Benefits of MEA

• Better utilisation teaching staff and involvement of experts in key fields

• Increasing the level of student satisfaction

• Increased student numbers

• More students for the same cost

• Benefits across institutional boundaries

• Involvement of experts• Achieving target

graduate skills attributes

• Increased number of graduates

• Mining education becomes sustainable in Australia

UniversityIndustry

MEA Curriculum: Courses & Roadmap

MEA Courses

Elective: Surface Mining System, Advanced mine geotechnical engineering, Advanced mine ventilation

Elective: Underground mining systems, Surface Mining Systems

Mine Management Rock Breakage

Coal Mine design & FeasibilityMine Ventilation

Mining Research Project IIMine Planning

Semester 2Semester 2

Elective: Mine Asset management; mining in a global environment

Social Environmental Aspects of Mining

Mine Geotechnical Engineering Mining Geomechanics

Hard rock Mine Design & FeasibilityResource Estimation

Mining Research Project IMining Systems

Semester 1Semester 1

Level 4 Level 3

Level/SemesterLevel/Semester

MEA Collaboration

• Same Course materials across 4 universities

• Joint course development/peer review

• Share expertise – staff exchange, podcasting, VC, etc

• Staff Workshops (x2 per year)

• Incentives for publications/conference attendance

• Student Exchange – spend 1 semester at another university

• Student access to all MEA academics – lectures/supervision

• Student conference – final year project

• Combined project teams

• Combined Field trips

• Prizes for performance

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

All MEA Courses use:

• MOODLETM (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment )

• SPARKPlus (Self and Peer Assessment Resource Kit)

• Equella – Content Management (not for students)

• Password to access the systems (with various levels of rights)

Architecture of Collaborative LMS

MOODLETM (host online Courses)

Student Users (all Unis)

Moodle Masters (1 per Uni)

Academics (all Unis)

System Administrator

National Server

Ad

min

istr

atio

nU

sers

Moodle User Interface

SPARKPlus – for Self and Peer Assessment

• SPARK = Self and Peer Assessment Resource Kit

• Adopted by MEA to assist in assessing team based learning.

• Login from Moodle

Assessment

• Assessment criteria for each piece of assessment

• Clear indication of what the student(s) needs to achieve to get a certain mark

• Addresses Graduate Attributes

• Addresses Learning outcomes

Professional SoftwareMining software available at MEA universities:

• Datamine – Mine design & geological modelling

• Surpac – Mine design & surveying

• Vulcan - Mine design & geological modelling

• RockScience – Ground stability and stress analysis

• Whittle Four X – Open pit optimization

• Map3D – Stress analysis and mine design

• TALPAC – Analysis of shovel-truck systems

• VentSim – Mine ventilation design

• GPSS/H & Proof – Mine simulation modelling

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Increase in the quality of teaching and learning

• Improvement in academic standards (assessment) and moderation processes

• Increased learning resources developed by experts from the four unis & industry.

• Balance of coverage of metalliferous & coal mining

• Enhanced course content – risk analysis & “soft skills”

• A variety of learning designs to suit specific units

• Innovative but proven teaching and learning strategies

• UPNET may wish to adopt this collaborative model to deliver UPC on-line education and training

Par

t 2: N

ext

Slid

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Part 2: Australian nuclear education and training capacity

• Introduction

• Australia’s Uranium Mines & Deposits

• Selected Australian Organizations Involved in UPC

• Nuclear Education and Training Capacity

• University of Adelaide – nuclear engineering capability

• Opportunities for collaboration - UPNET

• Conclusions & Recommendations

Introduction• Australia had 1,163 kt of uranium in Reasonably Assured Resources recoverable at costs of less than US$80/kilogram of uranium at the end of 2008• This represents around 34% of world resources in this category. • Approx. 95% of Australia’s total uranium resources are within the following deposits:

� Olympic Dam (South Australia) - the world’s largest U deposit � Beverley (South Australia)� Ranger (Northern Territory)�Jabiluka (Northern Territory) and� Koongarra (Northern Territory); in the Alligator Rivers region � Kintyre (Western Australia) �Yeelirrie (Western Australia).

Australian Uranium Deposits and Mines

(Source: Bakers Investment Group)

Australian Organizations Involved in UPC

• Government (Research, Training)

� ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization)

� ARPANSA (Australian Radiation Protection & Nuclear Safety Agency)

�CSIRO (Chamber of Scientific & Research Organisation)

• Mining Companies (producers)

� BHPBilliton – Olympic Dam

� Energy Resources of Australia (RioTinto) – Ranger Mine

� Heathgate Resources - Beverley Mine

• Universities (Education & Training)

� Australian National University, Central Queensland University, University of Newcastle,

� University of New South Wales, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, etc.

• Other (Consulting, Research, Training))

�AINSE (Australian Institute of Nuclear Science & Engineering)

Australian Nuclear Education and Training

• Australia does not have a dedicated School of Nuclear Science

• However, several courses exist that deal with aspects of UPC

• These courses span vocational training to doctoral studies relevant to research and development

• “Significant additional skilled human resources will be required if Australia is to increase its participation in the UPC”– UA 2006

• “In addition to expanding our own R & D and education and training efforts, Australia could leverage its nuclear research

and training expertise through increased international

collaboration” - UA 2006

Australian Nuclear Education and Training Capacity

• ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization

� Education and Training Courses – by practicing specialists

� Most advanced radiation and safety training facilities

� Laboratories for practical instruction

� Certificate of completion recognized by regulatory authorities

� Conducted training programs in Asia and the Pacific

� radsafetytraining@ansto.com.au

University of Adelaide – Nuclear Science and Engineering Expertise

• Radiation Protection and management

• Radiation monitoring

• Nuclear Physics and Chemistry

• Materials and particle science

• Uranium Mining

• Characterization of rock mass for radioactive waste repository

• Environmental Impact Assessment of mining projects

• Radioactive packing for optimal long term storage

• Mineral processing and metallurgy of uranium ores

• Medical physics and occupational medicine in

University of Adelaide – Example 1:“Radiation Safety & Protection” On-line Course

• Module 1: Radiation Interaction with Matter

• Module 2: Radiation Protection Quantities

• Module 3: Risk and Exposure

• Module 4/5: Biological Effects of Radiation

• Module 6/7: Sources of Radiation

• Module 8: Radiation Incidents and Radiation Accidents

• Module 9: Health Effects of Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

• Module 10: Early Effects from High Dozes of Ionizing Radiation

• Module 11: Shielding Calculations in Radiation Equipment Installations

• Module 12: Radiation Safety in the Laboratory

• Module 13: Personnel Protection and Radiation Monitoring

University of Adelaide – Example 2:“Mining Basics Masterclass” Course

• Module 1 - Introduction to Mining

• Module 2 - Stages in the Life of a Mine

• Module 3 - The Global Mining Industry

• Module 4 - Planning Mines and the Business of Mining

• Module 5 - Surface Mining Methods and Equipment

• Module 6 - Underground Mining Methods and Equipment

• Module 7 - Unit Operations of Mining

• Module 8 - Socio-Environmental Aspects of Mining

• Module 9 - Ground support & mine ventilation

• Module 10 - Special Mining Methods & Technologies

University of Adelaide Short Courses (2-4 days)

• Surface Mining

• Underground Mining

• Resource Estimation

• Rock Mechanics

• Mineral Processing

Australian National University –Master of Nuclear Science

Semester 1 Courses:PHYS8201- Fundamentals of Nuclear Science PHYS8202- Reactor Science PHYS8203- Accelerator Science PHYS8204- Nuclear Radiation SCOM8014- Communicating Science STST8026- Nuclear Strategy in the Asian Century (Through Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and offering in Winter Session)

Semester 2 Courses:PHYS8205- Nuclear Fuel Cycle PHYS8206- Nuclear Measurement Methods SCOM8027- Science and Policy Either Semester

PHYS8207- Special Project

University of SydneyMaster of Applied Nuclear Science &

Graduate Diploma in Applied Nuclear Science

Courses:• PHYS 5011- Nuclear Physics• PHYS 5012- Radiation Physics and Dosimetry• PHYS 5013- Nuclear Instrumentation• PHYS 5014- Applications of Nuclear Physics• PHYS 5015- Reactor Physics and Systems• PHYS 5016- Nuclear Chemistry and Nuclear Fuel Cycle• PHYS 5017- Energy Options and Environment• PHYS 5018- Health Physics and Radiation Protection

University of SydneyMaster of Applied Nuclear Science &

Graduate Diploma in Applied Nuclear Science

Courses:• PHYS 5011- Nuclear Physics• PHYS 5012- Radiation Physics and Dosimetry• PHYS 5013- Nuclear Instrumentation• PHYS 5014- Applications of Nuclear Physics• PHYS 5015- Reactor Physics and Systems• PHYS 5016- Nuclear Chemistry and Nuclear Fuel Cycle• PHYS 5017- Energy Options and Environment• PHYS 5018- Health Physics and Radiation Protection

Conclusions

• The expanding uranium industry in Australia will need to be resourced with adequately skilled personnel

• There is need to boost education and training activities to overcome nuclear skills shortage (global problem)

• A wide range of Radiation Safety Courses are available in Australia (various institutions)

• Australia to leverage its UPC research and training expertise

through increased international collaboration (such as through

UPNET)