The MEng Group Design Project is a module which runs throughout the final year of all of the MEng programmes in the School of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering. It provides a capstone element to the course by providing an opportunity for students to work on a major engineering design problem in a team in a way which closely parallels a real-world project. The groups are assigned to a particular project which has an outline project description/specification/customer requirements provided by the teaching team. It is group's job to develop the specification in more detail, to convert it to a technical specification and then carry out the tasks necessary to complete the project. This module provides an opportunity for students to further develop academic skills delivered earlier in the programme. In order to successfully complete the module, the student must establish a plan and work schedule, perform the technical tasks necessary to fulfil the plan, monitor progress, manage the team activities, hold and minute formal team design meetings and resolve any problems that arise. The module is delivered primarily through weekly formal design meetings and regular informal meetings.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Given the broad, multidisciplinary nature of the module and the student-centred self-learning that is required, no indicative syllabus can be given.
The learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of formal design meetings, design reviews, informal design meetings and independent study.
Students are formed into design groups which are presented with initial problem descriptions by staff project supervisors. Each group plans and organises its own work schedule. This schedule includes regular formal design meetings at which minutes are taken and at which each student serves as Chair and Secretary on a rota basis.
Role play is encouraged that each group would organised as a commercial company with every team member playing particular role in the team.
The Project Supervisor monitors the design meetings and general progress of the group, but all members of staff are available to all design groups in the capacity of technical advisors.
During the year, visits may be made by Visiting Professors. At these times, the groups present their work to the Professors who provide the critical appraisal of their design decisions and may suggest solutions to particular technical problems.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Supervised Design Meetings + Design Reviews | 30 |
| Guided independent study | 270 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Generate an industrially relevant design from initial specification through the detailed design stage, to the optimised solution. | Log book, Preliminary (individual) Design Solution Report assessed by Project Supervisor. Final Group Design Solution Report assessed by Project Supervisor, Second Reader and moderated by a Project Moderation Committee. |
| 2) Manage and participate in the design process, devising an effective plan of approach with appropriate time scheduling. | Log book assessed by Project Supervisor. Also assessed via observation by Project Supervisor at weekly meetings, and Peer Assessment by group members. |
| 3) Participate in meetings as a team member, secretary or chairperson, produce minutes and keep a properly-maintained log book | Log book assessed by Project Supervisor. Also assessed via observation by Project Supervisor at weekly meetings, and Peer Assessment by group members. |
| 4) Effectively defend a technical design via a presentation to an academic audience and produce a final technical report to a professional standard. | Group Seminar and Poster assessed by Academic Panel. Final Group Design Solution Report assessed by Project Supervisor, Second Reader and moderated by a Project Moderation Committee. |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 100 | |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It is a requirement to pass the major element of assessment in order to achieve an overall pass in this module.
Given the wide scope of the module, no bibliography can be provided in the module description. However, bibliography/reference will be provided with project proposal.