TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS & RESEARCH SEMINARS - 2020/1
Module code: ENGM256
Module Overview
Designers and managers working in technology intensive industries constantly face new problems to which they have to find solutions. Research is becoming important part of their job carried out on daily and routine manner. Also, one of the best ways to get insights into these challenges is to get the first-hand experience from expert who already faced them and provided appropriate solutions proven to be successful.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the general principles and practices associated with planning, undertaking and reporting research in engineering or physical sciences. At the same time, a series of seminars will be delivered by academics and industrial experts from diverse hi-tech industries and business (including chemicals, oil and gas, information systems and renewable technologies) which will present students with valuable insights into today’s challenges faced by technology-intensive industries in terms of their business and information systems activities. It also covers general business aspects that will explain how to start up a technology-based company.
Module provider
Chemical and Process Engineering
Module Leader
HARE Colin (Chm Proc Eng)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 7
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 115
Lecture Hours: 15
Seminar Hours: 20
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
- Introduction: needs for research in industry, business and research institution, sources of research support, consequences on industry and business;
- Organising research: objectives and scientific methods, the framework of research, the purpose and methods of literature review using bibliographic resources;
- Practical considerations: experimental methods, error analysis and calculation of uncertainties; health and safety considerations, ethics in research;
- Communicating research: presentations and oral communication, report and research paper writing, the use of the Internet, preparing research proposals;
- Intellectual property: importance of the patent search, protecting and exploiting research.
Seminars: individual seminars will be delivered by speakers from different sectors to cover the following aspects;
Selected seminar topic have an emphasis on:
- process design, modelling, optimisation, operations and control;
- decision support systems, information management and semantics;
- environmental applications, and
- Energy and renewable technologies.
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | COURSEWORK 1: WRITTEN REPORT ON TECHNOLOGY RELATED TO PRESENTED SEMINARS | 40 |
| Coursework | COURSEWORK 2: PRESENTATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PROPOSAL | 60 |
Alternative Assessment
As above.
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the full range of learning outcomes though a written report on technology and one individual associated presentation.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
· Coursework 1: Written report on technology related to presented seminars - 40% (learning outcomes assessed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, a, b, c)
· Coursework 2: Presentation of the individual project proposal -60% (learning outcomes assessed 1-6, a, b, c, d)
Formative assessment
· None
Feedback
- Verbal feedback during the presentations (learning outcomes 1-6, a,c,d)
- Written feedback on the course works (learning outcomes 1-6, a-d)
Module aims
- The aim of the module is to build skills in research methods and to help the students understand and communicate research as well as to the most up-todate information, developing trends and contemporary opinions relevant to various aspects of technology, business and information systems.
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 1 | Develop understanding of the purpose and nature of the research, associated ethics and misconduct, and to differentiate between academic and industrial research; | KC |
| 2 | Understand the ways of reviewing literature, organizing and undertaking experiments, writing reports and proposals and presenting the research outcomes; | KCT |
| 3 | Appreciate requirements and opportunities for protecting and exploiting research | KC |
| 4 | Identify and explain latest development in business, technology and regulation | KC |
| 5 | Recognise challenges faced by industry and academic research and to convert them into opportunities by addressing associated practical problems, | KC |
| 6 | Develop skill to assess technical presentation and a more critical view to research | KC |
| 7 | Synthesis, analysis and visualisation of data | T |
| 8 | Technical report writing | T |
| 9 | Reviewing, assessing, and critical thinking | T |
| 10 | Use of spreadsheets | T |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
- Cover in lectures the necessary fundamental knowledge to build skills in research methods and to help the students understand and communicate research
- Allow student to consolidate and apply understanding through a written case study research and its associated presentation
The learning and teaching methods include:
- Lectures: 15 hrs of lectures
- 10 hrs of research seminars, 10 hrs of individual project work and presentation
- Independent learning: 115 hours in total
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: ENGM256
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Refining Systems Engineering MSc | 1 | Optional | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
| Process Systems Engineering MSc | 1 | Optional | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
| Information and Process Systems Engineering MSc | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
| Renewable Energy Systems Engineering MSc | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
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.