90-CREDIT EXTENDED PROJECT - 2017/8

Module provider

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Module Leader

XIAO P Prof (Elec Elec En)

Number of Credits

90

Module cap (Maximum number of students)

N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Not applicable: students failing a unit of assessment resit the assessment in its original format.

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None  

Module overview

Expected prior/parallel learning:  Appropriate background knowledge related to the project topic.

The EEEM053/EEEM054 and EEEM055 Engineering Professional Studies (EPS) coursework is closely linked with the student’s activities in his/her 90-Credit Extended Project, as appropriate. As far as is practicable, all the EPS coursework should relate to and complement the project work, by involving auxiliary studies on issues of wider context.

Module purpose:  This is an individual student project module giving each student an opportunity to gain realistic experience in developing a solution to a problem from its inception to a demonstrable result. It provides a framework as well as vehicle for exercising all key aspects of project work, from project specification, through literature and technology research, leading to project planning, as well as design and implementation, culminating in performance assessment, project demonstration, and project evaluation. It also provides a scope for gaining practical experience in project management, project reporting and project presentation. The project can be either of engineering design nature or have a research flavour.

Time-frame:  The main project activity is conducted in the second academic year of the EuroMaster Programme. However, projects are allocated in the first academic year, according to

the following time-table:

 





 


Due  (all events in first academic year)




 


All except Medical Imaging


Medical Imaging




Project list available


Sem1: Week 3


Sem1: Week 6




Project presentations by Research Centres


Sem1: Weeks 5-6


NA




Project choice made


Sem1: Week 9


Sem2: Week 12




Project definition report due


Sem2: Week 2


Sem2: Week 15




Project Fair


Sem2: Week 12


NA





 

Module aims

To provide an opportunity for the student to tackle a significant engineering problems independently and to gain experience in having to produce a report and to defend their work.

Learning outcomes

Module content

The project forms an integral and important part of the course. It is intended to occupy some 900 hours spread over approximately 150 working days. The normal arrangement is that students may carry out a project either in the Department or in industry. The duration of full-time project work is nominally 30 weeks in the second academic year, but there is also preparatory work in the first academic year. Projects are usually individual, although it is possible to have a group project, which can be broken down into different parts so that the contribution of each individual can be separately specified and assessed. For University based projects there may be a need for students to visit companies, especially if there is an industrial link in the project.

The different environments where a project can be carried out are as follows.

University: Projects are usually carried out in association with one of the research groups - a full time academic or experienced research worker will be appointed as academic supervisor though day-to-day supervision may sometimes be by a researcher working in the project area. 

Industry: Arrangements exist for students, if they so wish, to undertake a project in industry or one which is carried out in collaboration with industry. Students who are voluntarily carrying out an industrial project away from the university are normally paid a bursary by the company for the duration of the full-time project work. The research groups also have several industrially funded research projects and MSc projects often contribute to this activity.

European: It is also possible to undertake a project either in another university or within European industry.

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to allow students to achieve the specified learning outcomes by means of study and research & development work, all of which is supervised by a full-time academic or an experienced research worker. In this way, a student can gain mentored experience in applying knowledge achieved during academic studies to particular theoretical or practical problems. As part of this process, the student will need to critically evaluate the relevant literature, marshal ideas for research or lab evaluation, and produce a reliable and coherent report.  

The time-frame for the EuroMasters 90-credit Extended Projects is as follows. Students on the mode that includes a professional placement start their full-time project work in Semester 2 of the second academic year and finish over the following summer period. Students on the mode without professional placement start their full-time project work in Semester 1 of the second academic year and finish at the end of Semester 2.

During the period of full-time project working, it is expected that there will be (on average) at least 1 contact hour per week involving project-related discussions between the student and his/her supervisor.

Learning and teaching methods include the following.


Lectures (5 hours)
Independent study, and independent research and development work, by the student.
Meetings on a one-to-one basis between student and supervisor  (45 hours)
Preparation of technical reports by the student, for both written and oral presentation


 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy for this module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the following:


Ability to analyse project objectives and specification to identify the key tasks and to produce an associated workplan
Ability to conduct state-of-the-art technology and research review
Ability to work independently when developing and implementing solutions to the project components
Technical skills required to integrate project components, develop user interfaces, and demonstrable working system
Effective project reporting and system documentation
Ability to design and conduct performance evaluation of the system developed
Communication skills to present their project to different audiences
Appreciation of wider project issues such as safety, costs  
Ability to evaluate the project achievements
Ability to defend their project in a critical examination


Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of the following:


Mid-project review (via written report and interview)  (20%).


End-of-project assessment, comprising:


Final written project report  (45%).
Oral presentation and viva-voce examination  (35%)


For full-time students, the timings of related events are as follows





Event


Due  (all events in second academic year)




Mode without placement


Mode with placement




Mid-project-review report


Semester 1, Week 13


Semester 2, Week 13




Mid-project-review interview


Semester 1, Week 15


Semester 2, Week 13




Final project written report


Semester 2, Week 13


Mid August




Oral presentation and

Viva-voce examination


Semester 2, Weeks 14-15


Early September





 

The expected lengths of the submissions are as follows





Submission type


Expected length




Project definition report


About 2 pages




Mid-project-review report


About 20 pages




Final written project report

(excluding any annex)


About 20000 to 25000 words





 

These timings are indicative. For confirmation of exact dates and times, please check the specific project information issued to you.

The Final Project Report needs to cover the objectives, methods and achievements of the project, needs to be professionally presented, and should conclude with a critical appraisal of the student's own work, including reflections on what has been learnt during the project. The report is assessed both as a measure of your technical achievement, and on the quality of its production (clarity of layout and reporting, and also English structure and grammar).  The oral presentation and related questioning are also assessed both as a measure of your technical achievement, and on the quality of your performance.

Formative assessment and feedback

For the module, students will receive formative assessment/feedback in the following ways.


During lectures, by question and answer sessions
Via feedback on the project definition report (in the first academic year
During meetings with his/her project supervisor
Via feedback relating to oral and written reports made by the student.

Reading list

Reading list for 90-CREDIT EXTENDED PROJECT : http://aspire.surrey.ac.uk/modules/eeem056

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2017/8 academic year.