| Unit name | Skills in Mathematical Research |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SEMTM0015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lawrie |
| 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 Engineering Mathematics and Technology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
This unit seeks:
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit will seek to equip students with a range of skills essential to successful navigation of study in the area of Engineering Mathematics. The unit will address academic research skills, team-based mathematical modelling and enable students to plan a research project. Furthermore the unit will furnish students with a variety of transferrable skills (e.g. scientific writing, group-working, textual analysis).
An overview of content
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of lectures, group discussion with an academic supervisor, and individual supervision. Mathematical modelling activities will be organised in the form of group modelling projects on topics of interest to academia, business, or industry. Research project planning will be supported by individual supervision meetings. Lectures will provide supplement and context to these activities as required.
For the part of the unit focussing on mathematical modelling exercises, students will work in groups. In the first few weeks, introductory problems are provided as formative training. For the remainder of the unit, each group will work on a single substantial problem. These problems are typically drawn from current questions proposed by our industrial partners. Supervising academics will guide students, working in small groups, towards mathematical and computational solution methodologies. At the end of the unit, each group of students will present their results and submit a written technical report.
The other part of the unit focusses on the preparation of a literature survey under individual supervision on a topic related to their research project, and this is assessed by written report.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will be prepared to approach their research project, having acquired the necessary skillset for doing so. This suite of skills is transferrable to other disciplines and into the working world, so students taking the unit will also be well-prepared for a range of career paths ahead,
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, a student will be able to:
Students will learn core material through a combination of individual supervision meetings, lectures and practical, interactive workshops, where advice will be issued on appropriate strategies for the development of text, models, and implementation of techniques and tools. Substantial independent study will be required to prepare the literature survey, and collectively-motivated group work will be required of all students on the course.
The attributes being assessed here are important preparatory skills for onward study in the research project and more generally for careers in related areas. Most aspects of the working world involve a combination of group work of some description and self-motivated independent work, culminating in reports and/or presentations, and so this is good preparation for such future directions. Formative elements of assessment are as important a contributor to student development as work leading up to the summative assessments.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A formative group exercise in data analysis and model development will be provided. Presentation of the results will be informal, and feedback will be provided by the audience. Interactive group workshop sessions at an early stage will also provide enable detailed formative feedback from academics supporting the course. Feedback on progress with the literature survey will be provided by the individual supervisor in supervision meetings.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
50% individual written report in the form of a literature survey. [ILO 1,3]50% written group report on the mathematical modelling exercise. [ILO 2,4] Student engagement and contribution will be monitored through continuous observation by the supervisory team and peer evaluation, which in turn will be used to assign an individual moderated mark for the group project.
When assessment does not go to plan:
For the individual written report, re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment. For the group report, an equivalent assessment will not be possible for the purposes of reassessment due to the groupwork component. Therefore, reassessment will take the form of a report with two parts. The first part demonstrates understanding of the mathematical modelling cycle, whilst the second focuses on explaining a modelling case study including discussion of group work elements.
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. SEMTM0015).
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.
