TRANSFERABLE SKILLS AND LABORATORY SKILLS - 2020/1

Module Overview

The experiments covered in this module are selected so as to support other parts of the level 1 curriculum and to develop a range of generic skills including practical laboratory skills, data handling and understanding experimental uncertainty.

The transferable skills introduced in this module centre on academic research skills, writing skills and presentation skills. These skills, whilst of generic importance to undergraduate study, are examined largely in the context of presenting the findings of experimental work or information relevant to Year 1 Chemical Engineering students.

Module provider

Chemical and Process Engineering

Module Leader

COSTELLO Katie (Chm Proc Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Normal entry requirements for degree courses in Chemical Engineering and Chemical and Bio-Systems Engineering or equivalent

Module content

Indicative content includes:

1. Laboratory Experiments

Six laboratory experiments will be conducted in small groups. These experiments are complementary to the wider level 1 curriculum.

2. Lectures

There are 12 lectures: An Introduction to Transferable Skills, An Introduction to Laboratory Skills, How to write Scientific Reports I and II, Academic Writing I and II, Research Skills I and II, Excel and Data Presentation, Excel and Functions, PowerPoint and Oral Presentations.

3. Skills Tutorials

There are 10 tutorials (class size c. 50 students) in which skills are developed during formative exercises. The exercises use Word and Excel to explore academic writing, referencing, data presentation and manipulation, and research skills.

4. Presentation Tutorials

6 hours of student-led oral presentations.

Students should typically spend c. 110 hours of time in preparation for laboratories, completing the formative assessments and in personally directed skill development

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the full range of learning outcomes though the balanced mixture of lecture and tutorial/problem classes coupled with the carefully grades tutorial problems which reflect current industrial practice.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• MatLab assessment – 20%, assessment of appropriate and effective use of academic resources for research (LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7, LO9) through one laboratory write up


• Oral Presentation – 30%, 1 hour per week for 6 weeks (LO4, LO6, LO8)


• Laboratory Reports – 50%, 2 hours per week for 6 weeks (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4,LO6, LO9)

Formative assessment

Online assessment of Excel competence following use of online teaching resources and tutorials, as detailed above. Written feedback given on all lab report assignments, and verbal feedback given during and after lab sessions and immediately following presentations, chairing roles and peer review of other students’ presentations.

• Following online learning tutorials of Excel, Word and PowerPoint, students will complete a self-assessment online test which will indicate their competence and understanding. Following the results of this, students have the option to attend drop in tutorial sessions to improve their understanding, and will also have further resources available to them online to work through and identify their strengths and weaknesses.


• In every laboratory session, students have face-to face discussions with the experiment supervisor and receive their preparation and session marks at this time.


• Written feedback on the lab reports is returned within about 2 weeks, to enable feed-forward to the writing of the next report, and is formative as well as summative.


• Staff and PGs give formative feedback in the tutorials as the students undertake a diverse range of tasks involving basic academic presentation skills, basic programming, data presentation and data handling.

The feedback given after each presentation provides an on-going formative experience on oral presentation skills.

Feedback

Weekly verbal feedback will be given during tutorial classes.

Written feedback on the MatLab assessment (included within the lab report feedback, but focused on this)

Written and verbal feedback on the oral presentation

Weekly verbal feedback will be given during laboratory sessions

Written and verbal feedback on the laboratory reports

Module aims

• Laboratory experience which reinforces and illustrates wider aspects of the engineering curriculum.
• Basic training in standard experimental approaches, including the handling of data and dealing with experimental uncertainty.
• A basic knowledge and understanding of appropriate and effective use of academic resources for research.
• Support in understanding how to structure and present academic work with an emphasis on writing laboratory reports and project reports.
• Practical formative experience in delivering oral presentations.
• A basic introduction to the use of Excel in support of their laboratory work and other academic studies.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Use lectures and tutorials to develop a basic understanding of appropriate and effective use of academic resources for research.


• Use student-led oral presentations to develop necessary skills in structuring and presenting projects.

• Provide students practical training in standard experimental approaches, to develop the ability to prepare, perform and effectively report experimental investigations.


• Encourage and train students with team work in an engineering context.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures                                 8 hrs total, 2/wk for 3 weeks and 1 in each of weeks 5                                                       .                                             and 6


• Introductory briefing lectures 2 hrs total, 1 hr/wk on lab work


• IT-lab based tutorials              8 hrs total, 2 hr/wk for Excel and MatLab


• Oral presentation                  1 hour per week for 6 weeks


• Laboratory training                2 hour per week for 6 weeks


• Independent learning              9.5 hours per week for 12 weeks (average)

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: ENG1083

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.