| Unit name | Individual Research Project 4 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EENGM8889 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Wang |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
The project you will undertake in this unit is the capstone of your programme of studies: it will allow you to showcase the competencies you have acquired as an engineer in your chosen area. You will build on the taught component of your degree to investigate the application of novel components or techniques in addressing a specialized, challenging real-world problem. You will assimilate your acquired skills and knowledge as you identify the engineering challenge of the problem and propose a range of possible solutions. You will proceed to narrow this solution space by making evidence-based choices and to communicate your findings in ways appropriate to a range of audiences. This experience prepares you for the challenging, open-ended, time-bound projects which you will face in your career in industry or academia.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This is a mandatory unit on your programme of studies. You must pass this unit before you can be awarded the MEng degree.
An overview of content
This unit provides students with an opportunity to develop the skills required to scope and solve real, open-ended problems, to plan and organise work, and to effectively communicate results. This involves evaluation of academic literature to establish the state of the art in the relevant discipline, which leads to work on addressing an open-ended engineering question using appropriate tools and methodologies.
The nature of the projects may be scientific and may involve the study of certain phenomena with engineering research tools or they may be technology or product-orientated with a design emphasis.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
After completing this unit successfully, you will be able to work towards solving an engineering problem that you have not encountered before. You will be able to articulate your contributions to knowledge in the area under investigation and you will be able to clearly distinguish your contributions from related work. You will know how to identify and critically analyse relevant information in the literature and how to select a methodology appropriate for addressing the task at hand. You will be able to break the project down into smaller tasks and to create and follow a plan for the delivery of an engineering project. You will be able to report and defend your findings to familiar and unfamiliar audiences in writing as well as verbally.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:
You will be allocated an academic supervisor at the beginning of the project. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor, who will be responsible for providing advice on how you might progress with the project. The overall specification of the project is decided by the supervisor with input from the student.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will be assigned an academic supervisor at the start of the unit. Formative feedback on your progress will be provided during regular meetings with your project supervisor. You will also have the opportunity to attend drop-in sessions and get feedback on a draft version of your final submission.
Before the end of the first teaching block, you will submit a written document describing your proposed project, the progress you have made to date, and a work plan that you will follow to deliver the remainder of the project. After submission, you will be required to attend a brief Q&A viva to discuss and receive feedback on your progress and project planning.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Coursework with Q&A viva (100%): The unit will be assessed through an individual coursework submission that will assess all LOs and that will carry a 100% weight. Your submission will include multiple items:
After submission, you will be required to attend a brief Q&A viva, where you will be asked to reflect on your project and you will be asked technical questions about your work.
Attendance of the Q&A viva is a must-do component. You will be required to attend the viva in order to be awarded credit. If you are unable to attend the viva at the first scheduled opportunity, a second opportunity will be provided.
When assessment does not go to plan
Reassessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EENGM8889).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
