90-CREDIT EXTENDED PROJECT - 2020/1

Module Overview

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

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.

Module provider

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Module Leader

XIAO Pei (Elec Elec En)

Number of Credits: 90

ECTS Credits: 45

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None  

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.

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:

• 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)  (22%).


• Final project examination (via final dissertation and viva voce examination) (78%)

Please refer to the project handbook and programme handbook for details of deadlines and a more detailed breakdown of marking.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

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

• During special briefing sessions on skills including literature reviewing and research methods


• Via feedback on the project definition report


• During meetings with his/her project supervisor


• Via feedback relating to oral and written reports made by the student.

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

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

 

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: EEEM056

Other information

Please refer to the dissertation handbook for further details of the assessment and the departmental MSc programme handbook for details of submission deadlines.

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 2020/1 academic year.