This module gives you an opportunity to work as a member of a design team on an Aerospace/Mechanical/Civil design project. It also further develops your broader understanding of the business context of engineering activities. It will develop a set of skills and techniques which will prepare you for employment.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
The group design project will represent roughly half of the content of this module. It will bring together ideas for all of the modules which constitute the programme. There will also be a series of lectures on the business environment. These will typically cover the following areas:
This module incorporates Project-Based Learning (PjBL) and Collaborative Learning.
The Business Environment element of the module will be delivered through regularly scheduled interactive lecture sessions. Students will be assigned readings before the lectures to ensure they can contribute to the discussion. Tutorials will be used for smaller group discussion and to support students in applying the analysis discussed in the lectures.
There will be no formal lectures covering the design project element of the module. This will build on the skills and techniques developed in the level 5 module Engineering Project Management. The design groups will be selected by the course team to ensure a diverse range of backgrounds for the team members. The design briefs will reflect real world design problems.
Each design group will be assigned an academic supervisor who will monitor the progress of the group. The supervisor will regularly attend some group meetings throughout the year, but groups are also expected to meet independently.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Formal lectures Tutorials Supported group meetings | 40 10 20 |
| Guided independent study | Independent group meetings Individual study/design work | 40 190 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
This module is primarily assessed through coursework. This comprises a major group project and a team entry into the annual Bright Ideas competition. A phase test is used to assess the students' ability to apply the business analysis techniques discussed in the lectures and reviewed in the tutorials. Tutorials will give students the opportunity to practice applying these techniques and feedback on their performance before the test.
The group design project will run throughout the module. The theme of the project is based on real world engineering design problems. Students apply problem-solving skills, technical knowledge and understanding to create designs solutions. It will develop their team-working, communication and project management skills. A series of mini-reviews and formative feedback workshops will provide feed forward opportunities for students to improve their work. A final group design report which includes supporting evidence of the analysis underlying the design will be submitted.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Work effectively as part of a design team to produce a solution to a real world engineering design problem | Group design project |
| 2) Communicate their ideas in written and oral form at the level expected of a graduate engineer | Group design project |
| 3) Demonstrate the competences in management and business required by professional engineers including basic accounting principles and performance measurement | Group design project, business test |
| 4) Analyse the domestic and international business environment including the driving forces that affect business growth | Business test |
| 5) Discuss the choices available in the pursuit of growth and success and the concept of strategic marketing | Coursework (Bright Ideas) |
| 6) Apply business and engineering principles to their own entrepreneurship. | Coursework (Bright Ideas) |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Business test | Written exam | 30% |
| Bright Ideas competition entry | Coursework | 20% |
| Group final project report | Coursework | 50% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
These texts support the business environment element of the module. There are no set texts for the design project.
Boddy, D. (2010) Management : An Introduction (5th Edition), London, Financial Times Press.
Johnson, G., Scholes, K. & Whittington, R (2010) Exploring Corporate Strategy - Text and Cases, (9th Edition), London, Financial Times Press.
Worthington I & Britton C, (2009) The Business Environment, 6/e, Financial Times Press.