PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT - 2021/2

Module Overview

This module gives students experience of working in groups to develop skills that will be valuable both in their mathematics degree course and the wider world of employment. They will learn basic programming capability in MATLAB and data handling skills in Excel which they will then apply to a group project selected form a choice of topic.  Students will individually write a report, peer review and mark three other students' reports, keep a personal log, give a part of the group presentation and mark (in addition to the academics) other groups' presentations.  They will participate in group in work on the project -  project planning and monitoring integrating the individual reports into a coherent group report and writing a chapter on sustainability related to the project topic, keeping meeting minutes and a PowerPoint presentation and creating a wiki, which is the vehicle for submitting all the group project work.

Module provider

Mathematics

Module Leader

ROBERTS James (Physics)

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

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• 
  MATLAB worksheets
  


• 
  Excel worksheets
  


• 
  Myers Briggs type profiles (group roles)
  


• 
  Basic data handling and analysis methods
  


• 
  Resource research skills
  


• 
  Report writing resources
  


• 
  Project planning and management resources using Microsoft Project
  

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

1. Tests
2. Reports
3. Assigned project and presentation done individually

 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

• 
  Knowledge of MATLAB programming and Excel
  


• 
  Ability to apply this knowledge in a real life context
  


• 
  Capability of working in groups and development of “soft” skills.
  

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

The three units of assessment for this module are awarded marks as follows.

Students will take two in-semester tests: one in MATLAB, worth 25% of the module mark, and one in Excel, worth 10% of the overall module mark. These marks are combined in the ratio 5:2 to give Programming Class Tests unit of assessment mark worth 35% of the overall module mark. For example, a student who scored 63% in the MATLAB class test and 49% in the Excel class test would score 59% for the Programming Class Tests unit of assessment.

Some programming also features in the Project work, Wiki and Presentation unit of assessment, which is comprised of 1) group MATLAB project work (worth 10% of the overall module mark); 2) group Excel project work (worth 5% of the overall module mark); 3) group presentation (worth 15% of the overall module mark); 4) group Wiki (worth 10% of the overall module mark); and 5) group plan and minutes (worth 5% of the overall module mark). Scores from these five assessments are combined in the ratios 2:1:3:2:1, in the order just shown, to produce a single mark for the Project work, Wiki and Presentation unit of assessment. So, for example, someone who scores 45%, 54%, 63%, 90% and 46% on the assessments 1) to 5), and in that order, would be awarded (2/9)*45 +(1/9)*54+(3/9)*63+(2/9)*90+(1/9)*36=61% for the Project work, Wiki and Presentation unit of assessment, which overall is worth 45% of the module mark.

Finally, the Report and Peer Review unit of assessment is comprised of two marks: one for a report on the group project (worth 15% of the overall module mark) and Peer Review (worth 5% of the overall module mark). These are combined in the ratio 3:1 to produce a single mark for Report and Peer Review unit of assessment.

The individually marked work will comprise 55% of the marks for this module. Group work, marked * comprises 45%. The overall mark for the group work will be awarded to the group, the members of which will distribute the marks to each individual according to their individual contributions using a structured process.

The constraints are

• 
  No mark awarded to an individual to exceed 100
  


• 
  All group marks to be allocated.
  

Marks will be moderated by the module organiser.

Essays are marked individually by members of other groups. This peer review is then marked by postgraduates.

Formative assessment and feedback

• 
  Online exercises related to the material covered in the MATLAB and Excel worksheets give students the opportunity to practice and develop their skills. The feedback given for each question shows them the correct code/command,
  


• 
  An online unassessed MATLAB test is set which students take repeatedly to ensure that basic skills are grasped at an early stage
  


• 
  Three or four sets of written feedback are provided on each individual’s report
  


• 
  Feedback is given on individuals’ presentations and each student sees a video of their presentation
  


• 
  Students take a Maple TA test in the use of English with feedback and correct answers
  


• 
  Feedback on effectiveness of the project plan and the group working processes is provided by observation from the module organiser
  


• 
  Individual feedback is provided during the supervised computer lab sessions and during regular office hours
  

Module aims

• computer programming using MATLAB
• data handling using Excel
• report writing
• presentation skills and the use of PowerPoint
• how to work effectively in a group, planning work and allocating resources  to meet deadlines and manage the production of a group submission
• how to make a web page

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide

• 
  steady progression and development of skills in MATLAB and Excel through regular formative online assessment and individual tests and group project assessment
  


• 
  development of group working skills through completion of a series of group and individual tasks with feedback
  


• 
  development of transferable “soft” skills through report writing, making and delivering a presentation, planning, execution and management of a group submission and basic web page design
  
   
  

The learning and teaching methods include:

 

Contact Hours - programming

• 
  12 computer lab sessions on MATLAB and 6 on Excel, supported by drop in sessions and office hours availability which provide help and support as students work through worksheets and the programming required for the project.
  


• 
  online exercises in Maple TA and Excel are provided for the worksheets
  


• 
  unassessed work involves a Maple TA test that may be taken repeatedly to achieve a proficient standard
  
  Contact Hours - group work
  


• 
  15 workshops (lectures and integrated practical individual and group work) on group dynamics, research skills, essay writing, project planning, presentation skills and creating a wiki, all supplemented by on-line resources.
  


• 
  Office hours availability as required
  

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: MAT1041

Other information

N/a

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 2021/2 academic year.