LABORATORIES, DESIGN & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES I - 2020/1

Module Overview

Expected prior learning:  None.

Module purpose:  Working individually or in groups on engineering projects requires a wide range of professional and technical skills. This module helps first year students develop skills in research and technical presentation, along with the practical laboratory skills required by the professional engineer.  Both units of assessment must be passed individually.  No compensation is allowed for this module.

Module provider

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Module Leader

JACKSON Philip (Elec Elec En)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes the following.

Professional skills

With a series of Lectures and Course Workshops, the following topics will be covered:

1. 
   Ethics of a Professional Engineer
   


2. 
   Professional Orders, Bodies and Societies
   


3. 
   Research and Data Analysis
   


4. 
   Reporting techniques
   


5. 
   Oral presentation techniques
   


6. 
   Opportunities in Electronics and Engineering
   
    
   
   In weeks 1-2 the students will be introduced to ethical behaviour in the work environment and the benefits of joining professional societies will be presented. In weeks 3-4 library resources will be introduced, the different methods to research and analyse data will be presented, with two 3-hours-long “hands on” workshops. Harvard and other styles to properly refer different sources will be presented. In weeks 5-6 guidelines about how to successfully convey technical contents in written and oral form will be given. In a conference-like simulated scenario, the students will prepare informative slides, practice their oral skills, answer questions from a general audience. Finally, in weeks 7-11 an overview of the work environment and opportunities they will find as Electronic Engineers will be given, with examples from both the academic and the industrial world.
   
    
   
   Experimental and Design Work
   
   Students spend six hours per week in the first-year electronics laboratory. The laboratory work is made up of 9 exercises and experiments. All laboratory-based work will be assessed on the day. These are supported by laboratory lectures and web-based guided learning which introduces students to the key concepts and ideas. Around 2 hours of private study in the form of laboratory preparation work is required before each experiment.
   
   The laboratory work is made up of exercises, experiments, and design exercises. These are designed to help students understand the relationship between theory, simulation and actual circuits, appreciate the difference between design expectation and actual performance, and acquire confidence in testing circuits. Attendance at laboratories is a mandatory part of each student’s engineering degree course. The exercises and experiments support the wider Year 1 formal taught material; but they are also intended to provide familiarity with the use of the electronic instruments needed to test circuits and measure their electronic characteristics, to introduce students to the practicalities of circuits and circuit components, and to introduce practical techniques useful in the context of electronic design. 
   
   To support learning each student will be required to prepare for the exercise/experiment beforehand, and will be encouraged to analyse data as it is acquired during the experiment, to compare results with the relevant theory, and to keep an effective, reproducible record of the work undertaken. Laboratory supervisors and demonstrators will be present to maximize the learning process; students should appreciate that finishing an experiment is not as important as demonstrating clear understanding of key concepts. The final marks for the laboratory assessment will be an aggregate of marks from the individual exercises. Marks will be moderated between graduate assessors to ensure fairness.
   

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

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

Assessment Strategy

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

·         a basic knowledge of electronic equipment, including tools needed for assembly of circuits, and electronic instruments needed to test and make measurements;

·         a good capability of preparing and delivering an oral presentation to a general audience;

·         a good capability of preparing technical reports;

·         a basic knowledge of databases, search engines and reference systems.

 

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

·         Weekly laboratory experiments and exercises.

·         Presentation skills assignment (set in week 3, deadline in week 5).

·         A data-search assignment (set in week 4, deadline in week 6).

·         Technical report on laboratory experiment (set in week 6, deadline in week 9).

 

Any deadlines given here are indicative. For confirmation of exact dates and times, please check the Departmental assessment calendar issued to you.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

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

·         During lectures, by question and answer sessions and discussions

·         During tutorial classes

·         During meetings with the module coordinator and other contributors

·         Via the marking of coursework

·         During supervised laboratory sessions

Module aims

• to give the students a firm grounding in the principles and practices of engineering with particular emphasis on the design, construction and testing of electrical circuits.
• to allow the student to obtain some of the transferable skills that all professional engineers need to possess through working on technical projects and presentation skills.
• Provide the opportunity required for professional accreditation for all Year 1 students to gain the practical experience that will lead to basic competency in laboratory practice.
• Reinforce electronics lecture material so that students experience for themselves the relationship between theory and practice.
• Develop a range of professional skills, such as data research and analysis, written and oral presentation skills, all required to work in technical project environments.
• Develop and run a cycle of seminars on opportunities in Electronics and Engineering, in academic, research and industrial environments.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to achieve the following aims:

• 
  communicate knowledge and information on basic electronic equipment, including tools needed for assembly of circuits, and electronic instruments needed to test and make measurements through supervised laboratory work;
  


• 
  engage students in the analysis and testing of basic electronic circuits through supervised laboratory work;
  


• 
  transfer professional skills on data research analysis, presentations and technical reports through lectures and tutorials;
  


• 
  communicate knowledge on ethical behaviour in work environment through lectures;
  


• 
  communicate information on opportunities in electronic engineering paths through lectures.
  

• 
  1-hour lectures x 9 weeks
  


• 
  1-hour tutorials x 2 weeks
  


• 
  6-hour supervised laboratory sessions x 11 weeks
  

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: EEE1027

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 2020/1 academic year.