Welding Research for 2014-15

. To keep the skill level of the students in each group as equal as possible, an even number from each

helmet while the user is performing live, arc-on welds.” (http://realityworks.com/categories/welding-

solutions)

Students will be given eight hours of shop time. The students will practice only the Gas

Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG/wire feed) process on carbon steel while data is being collected.

Welding positions are prescribed according to how gravity affects the axis of the weld (Figure 1).

In the eight hours available, students will be asked to practice and perform a 1G

Square Butt Joint, a 2F Tee Joint, and a 2F Lap Joint all on 1/8” and 1/4” carbon steel, six total

assignments. Eight hours of shop time is approximately eight class periods over a total time of

three weeks. A worksheet for students will be given to all students to help them and the instructor

track their progress (Document 2). This sheet will help the researcher in collecting the data points

necessary.

Class periods range from 72 minutes to 82 minutes. This allows for some instruction on

theory and content knowledge at the beginning of class and a ten-minute clean up period at the end of

When the school year starts all students will go through shop orientation and safety. This

time is not calculated in their training time for this study. As well, all students will be shown

demonstrations on how to use the welding equipment. All students at this time will be given a

welding pre-test. They will run a single stringer bead on 1/4” x 2” x 6” steel plate. Document 1 will

be used to develop a pre-test score and help with a fair stratified randomization to each method.

Students following the traditional method (TW) will receive critique and suggestions for

improvement as they seek the guidance from the welding instructor on hand, typical of what they

would receive in any traditional welding program. As they reach an approximate skill level of 85%

the instructor will allow them to move on to the next assignment. Metal plates will be available for

both TW and GW already cut into 2”x6” pieces. There will also be several on hand that are already

tacked into Tee Joints, Lap Joints, and Butt Joints.

Those on either type of simulation training (VW, GW) will receive help from the instructor on setting

up, operating equipment, and troubleshooting the technology. The instructor will still be available to

help interpret the feedback and guide the students in their progress when necessary. It is a firm belief

of the researcher that these machines were never intended to replace the role of an instructor, and as

such will still maintain proper intervention with the students. The simulators track every movement

made by the operator and produce a score based on accuracy. Each student will practice welding

while receiving feedback from the machine and then reproduce welds until they reach the appropriate

score. Previous studies have held the mastery level score at 85% before a student could go on to

another welding assignment. This level seems to be appropriate for the high school students in this

study, and students will be encouraged to reach this level before they do the actual welds that will be

evaluated in the study.

Inspection and grading of the welds will be conducted by the researcher who is a Certified

Welding Inspector (CWI) and Certified Welding Educator (CWE). Both are credentials earned

through the American Welding Society (AWS). An independent CWI/CWE professional to inspect

the final weld tests to avoid any conflicts of interests will be considered. However, availability of

any local inspectors to put in the time without compensation could pose a problem. If there is not a

CWI available the researcher will continue to score the welds on his own, tests will be marked with

ID numbers that will keep students anonymous. The criteria for inspection will be based on Table

6.1 of AWS D1.1 welding code (Figure 2). This table is intended to be the minimum standard at

which to pass/fail a weld visually according to this particular welding code. Criteria for the rubric

for weld samples were taken from this table and compiled as Document 1.

After eight hours of training time on the students assigned method either TW, VW, or GW,

they will be required to perform actual welds tests using traditional welding equipment and supplies.

Students will be given one chance at three specific hands-on welding tests on 1/4” carbon steel. Two

skills competency tests will be required, a 2F Tee Joint, and 2F Lap Joint, both welded on a single

side. These welds will only be visually graded on a ten point scale using Document 1. A 1G Butt

Joint qualification test will be given according to the welding procedure AWS2-2-GMAW. The

AWS2-2-GMAW test will be visually inspected using Document 1. If it passes visually with a 7/10

and meets the limits set by Table 6.2 it will be destructively tested. The purpose of the destructive

tests it to check for soundness and inspecting the result will end in a pass/fail of the test.

The data from the different groups will be analyzed and compared against each other using

ANCOVA. This will include, the amount of time taken by each student to pass each assignment

did the student use the whole time allotted to him/her, and did the student finish ahead of schedule?

What group passed the most skills competency tests and qualification tests? Did any group TW,

VW, or GW do statistically better than the other on these tests? The time each student used and the

number of attempts it took each of them on each welding assignment should indicate which training

process is more efficient. The number of metal coupons/virtual coupons used by each student in

order to pass off a weld will also be noted. Subsequently, the data collected should also provide

information regarding the relative cost of the training programs.

The dependant variables are, the rubric score, time taken, the number of attempts taken with

each assignment, and the number of students who passed the weld tests. The independent variables

are what method was used, pre test score, final test score, and a possible look at what grade level the

student was in (10th

students throughout the course of the study. Therefore, data will be dropped from the study for any

student that is absent more than twice during the eight day trail,

, 11th

, or 12th

). It is unrealistic to expect perfect attendance among 100 different