Advanced Individual Project

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Effectively communicate the results and conclusions of the research both orally and in writing. Use a concise, scientific writing style with clear referencing and documentation of results.
• Design an appropriate methodology (such as an experiment or simulation) that will answer the research question. Provide justification for the approach adopted considering possible sources of bias or error in the methods used.
• Provide (where appropriate) an analysis (for example using statistics) to define the degree of uncertainty in the results and their possible implications.
• Produce overall conclusions that are supported by the data and summarise the project in an abstract.
• Define clear objectives and partition the project into a manageable sequence of tasks with clearly defined deliverables and milestones that can be achieved in realistic timescales.
• Critically evaluate the quality of the project (for example strengths and weaknesses of the study), discuss findings in the context of previous literature and make suggestions for future follow-on research.
• Critically appraise existing literature on your project topic, explain concepts where relevant and synthesise information from a range of sources in order to define a clear aim for your research project.

Full CEng Programme Level Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• As part of the project, students must select and apply knowledge of engineering management principles, commercial context, project and change management, and relevant legal matters including intellectual property rights.
• Students must be able to communicate effectively to a technical audience as part of the academic paper and to a varied technical audience as part of the presentation, evaluating the appropriateness of the chosen method.
• As part of their project, students must propose design solutions that are innovative and original to solve their complex problem and that include wider considerations such as health safety, societal and codes of practice.
• As part of the project and assessments, students discuss the role of quality management systems and continuous improvement in the context of the complex problem they are researching and the scientific research process.
• Students make use of risk management process throughout the project duration to mitigate risks associated with particular activities of the project, e.g. access to experimental laboratories for manufacturing and testing, submit jobs to queue on high-performance computing facilities, receiving data from external partners, IT failure and data loss
• In the analysis and interpretation of the project results, students must evaluate the impact their solutions to the complex problem has on the environment and society, including matters from the broader context outside their subject area.
• As part of the assessments, students are assessed on the selection and application of the appropriate methods and techniques to a solve a complex problem, and discussion of the limitations of the techniques employed.
• As part of the project, students must identify and analyse ethical concerns related to their subject area and make reasoned ethical choices based on professional codes of conduct, e.g. human participation, dual use of technology, conflicts of interest
• As part of their project, students must apply an integrated approach to study the multi-faceted aspects that may influence or be influenced by their choice of methods, showing understanding of the system of systems approach.
• As part of their project, students must select and critically evaluate technical literature to identify a gap in knowledge to solve a complex problem relevant to their discipline.
• As part of the assessments, students must formulate and analyse complex problems in their respective discipline to reach sound and substantiated conclusions in cases when data are available or information is uncertain or incomplete, choosing the appropriate approach that involves first principle or engineering judgment.
• As part of the assessments, students must demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of classic engineering principles and disciplinary knowledge relevant to their chosen subject area and demonstrate critical awareness of recent developments and the wider context in engineering.
• As part of the project, students must demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate materials, equipment, engineering technologies and processes for their chosen research topic and be able to recognise and discuss their limitations.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Effectively organise time to deliver on the project’s aims within the limited time available.
• Utilise and respond effectively to critical feedback on your work.
• Reflect on your performance and identify areas for self development.
• Apply critical analysis and judgement to effectively manage tasks and solve problems.
• Communicating ideas and arguments effectively and concisely in a variety of written and oral formats.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Design a research project with suitable consideration of ethics and sustainability in both the project design and outcome. Appraise the risks for the project as a whole.
• Critically apply appropriate analysis methods to research data.
• Develop and apply appropriate data collection processes. Appraise risks and hazards associated with data collection, considering issues of ethics and sustainability where appropriate.

Dependent upon the subject of the project. Key stages in the process: Semester 1 - before week 1 students submit their supervisor details and project title - around week 3 students deliver a project pitch in front of other students and academics to get feedback on their project plan - around week 10 students submit an extended abstract for feedback from their supervisor Semester 2 - submit academic paper by the agreed deadline (before Easter, see Blackboard for deadline) - receive feedback from external reviewers (academic staff) within 4 weeks - submit revised paper and response to reviewers by the agreed deadline (see blackboard for deadline) - present oral presentation to audience including academic staff. Receive oral feedback and respond to questions/comments. Ethical approvals for projects: Where ethical approval is required this should be undertaken and approved as soon as possible so as not to prevent project progress. Note that there can be a delay of a few weeks from submitting an ethical application to it being approved and sometimes revisions will be requested before final approval. These delays need to be taken into account, so it is advisable to apply for ethics approval before week 1.

Teaching methods include regular interaction with supervisor to discuss project aims and progress. Whilst there are no fixed timetabled teaching sessions these supervision meetings are very important and need to be agreed early on in the project process at times mutually convenient to both supervisor and student. Preferably at the same time on the same day each week to avoid confusion. Supervision meetings should be sufficiently frequent to ensure that the project progresses well and deadlines can be untaken to the required standard. Typically with an average frequency of about once a week. Students have responsibility for taking the initiative in planning and managing these meetings and should maintain regular contact with their supervisor. It is good practice to produce agenda lists and any questions you wish to ask before supervisor meetings and send these to the supervisor before the meeting. After the meeting, produce notes on topics discussed, all actions agreed and any target dates for completion of tasks. Three lectures will also be provided, covering: - Module briefing (including risk assessment) - Structuring a paper and writing concisely - Responding to feedback and presentation skills Additional support may cover: - Academic integrity - Risk assessment - Library Information skills - Computer package familiarisation - Laboratory training Learning activities include - Learning through reading, note taking, problem solving, independent research, and (depending on the chosen project), design, use and validation of models (numerical or analytical) and experiments. - Learning through the independent production of an academic paper, delivery of presentation and response to written feedback and oral questions. - Learning through written and oral feedback from the supervisor.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Abstract and Presentation

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Verbal feedback on 5 minute presentation in week 3 to assess project feasibility. Written feedback on 2 page extended abstract in week 10. Verbal feedback via supervisor meetings.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.