Students’ design of new Harbour Bridge on display at ‘Tech Expo’ 

A two-day education ‘Tech Expo’ opened on Thursday where the adaptation and advancement of technology will be discussed.

The expo is being held by the Innovative Technology Unit at the National Centre for Educational Resource and Development (NCERD) in Kingston, Georgetown. The expo is being held under the theme: “Embracing Traditional and Non-Traditional Technology.

It will showcase technologies including a design of the New Demerara River Bridge from local students who will also be sharing their experience in the industry.

The proposed design for the New Demerara River Bridge was done by the students of the Government Technical Institute.

“It is a cable-stayed bridge where the cables are in tension and they are held up by pylons, so the road would be pulling on the cable and in return, the pylon would be pulling in the road, so the cable itself would be in tension and this would hold in place the curvature of the bridge,” Isaiah Peana, one of the students who helped with the design told the News Room.

Peana further explained that there will be a free passage for motorists and road users; there will be no retractions and marine vessel will have an uninterrupted flow of traffic at all times.

The new Demerara Bridge is one of the largest infrastructural projects to be undertaken by the government. But the project has been stalled pending a decision by the independent Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required.

Meanwhile, Ricardo Sarius, a student at the Guyana Industrial Training Centre built a hydraulic brake system with the assistance of his colleagues.

“The simplest explanation as to what this does is to slow your vehicle down until it comes to a complete halt,” Sarius said.

Chief Education Officer Dr Marcel Hutson said while technology is being used here, there needs to be more familiarity and it is for this reason that the expo is being held.

Dr Hutson explained that the effective use of digital learning tools in the classroom can increase student engagement. He urged that when students return for face-to-face learning after the Easter Holidays, they must not neglect the use of technology for learning.

“Rather than writing a whole set of notes we can now upload notes, we could have quizzes, classroom discussions using technology,” Dr Hutson explained.

Meanwhile, Head of Management of Information Systems, Yoganand Indarsingh said the increasing opportunity for technology use in Guyana is needed now more than ever. He noted that there are also numerous career opportunities in the field of technology.

Students attending the expo were also given a tour of the smart rooms and labs at the National Centre for Educational Resource and Development.