EXPERIMENTAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS - 2023/4

Module Overview

Engineers need to develop a variety of experimental, transferable and programming skills as part of their education and on-going professional development. This module introduces the concepts of experimental and professional skills and includes:  (i) laboratory skills, (ii) basic data handling skills, (iii) basic programming skills (iv) report writing (v) presentation skills and (vi) an introduction to the expectations and responsibilities of a professional engineer. The laboratory part of this module is designed both to support learning in other parts of the FHEQ level 4 curriculum, through practical experiments, and also to further develop generic and transferable skills, including practical laboratory skills, data handling, a basic understanding of experimental uncertainty and scientific writing. Working as part of a group is an integral part of the laboratories. Some basic data handling and programming skills are covered, including: Using mathematical formulae and functions in Excel, creating academically appropriate graphs using MS Excel; An introduction to Matlab including: variables, assignments, operators, built-in functions and plotting, Matlab scripts, m-files, indentation, commenting, for- and while- loops and if-conditions + Boolean variables, arrays and matrices, user-defined functions. The professional skills part includes preparing a CV and cover letter, considering basic aspects of the economic, legal, social, ethical, security and environmental contexts in which professional engineers operate and preparing and delivering a presentation to a small group of their peers. 

Module provider

Mechanical Engineering Sciences

Module Leader

KEDDIE Joseph (Maths & Phys)

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

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes: 1. Laboratory Experiments 6 laboratory experiments will be conducted in small groups. These experiments are complementary to the wider FHEQ level 4 curriculum. 2. Lectures 3 lectures: An Introduction to Laboratory Skills (1 hour), PowerPoint and Oral Presentations (1 hour). Laboratory Skills and Report Writing (1 hour). 3. Skills Tutorials There are 5 tutorials in which data handling and basic programming skills are developed through formative exercises. 2 tutorials use Excel exercises to reinforce data handling and presentation, as needed for laboratory sessions and reports. 3 tutorials develop Matlab skills to explore basic programming skills, data handling and manipulation and data presentation. The content will be taught through pre-recorded materials and optional "drop-in" sessions will also be offered to provide additional support. 4. Professional Skills seminars. 6 hours The expectations of a Professional engineer will be introduced through pre-recorded lectures, guest speakers and employability seminars. These will introduce basic aspects of the economic, legal, social, ethical, security and environmental contexts in which professional engineers operate. The seminars will also consider the skills employers seek and include preparation of a CV and cover -letter for an engineering career. Students will develop their presentation skills by preparing, delivering and reviewing a short presentation to their peers, on a subject linked to the role of a professional engineer 5. Independent Study Students should typically spend 80 hours of time on independent study for this module. This includes:- preparation for laboratories, reviewing laboratory results, planning report writing, completing formative assessments for Matlab and Excel including studying notes and watching on-line lectures provided for course, researching presentation topic and other personally directed skill development.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Matlab test: an online assignment. Laboratory report 1: full laboratory write up.  Laboratory report 2: full laboratory write up Laboratory sessions:  written answers or on-line quiz for two different experiments and a report on the performance of one laboratory accounting for the nature and minimization of experimental error. Professional skills portfolio: Written assignment and audio/video recording of the presentation.

Assessment Strategy

Undertake basic research and preparation prior to a practical investigation.  Carry out laboratory experiments and analyse and discuss results, including identification of sources of experimental uncertainty.   Produce written technical reports to a prescribed formal style.   Use MS Excel and Matlab to address problems that require data manipulation and handling and repetitive use of mathematical functions.  Present engineering data in a formal academic manner using MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and Matlab as appropriate for a specific context.  Produce a short formal oral presentation and learn from the experience of taking part in a series of presentations delivering a presentation to a non-technical audience.  Prepare for a career as a Professional Engineer. 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of: Preparation, participation and review for each experiment (approximately weekly) Learning outcomes 1, 2 , 3. 20% Production of two lab reports Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 ,4. Two at 15% each.  A 1 hr test which requires the use of Matlab to perform basic calculations and data handling. Learning outcomes 1, 4. 20% Participate in 6 seminars considering the basic aspects of the economic, legal, social, ethical, security and environmental contexts in which professional engineers operate and the employability skills required. Prepare a cv, cover letter and prepare and deliver a short, oral presentation. Learning outcomes 3, 5, 6. 30%

Feedback: In every laboratory session, students have face-to face discussions with the experiment supervisor. Written feedback on the lab reports is returned within 3 weeks, to enable feed-forward to the writing of the next report, and is formative as well as summative. Staff and PGRs give formative feedback in the tutorials as the students undertake a diverse range of tasks involving academic presentation skills, basic programming, data presentation and data handling. 

Module aims

• A basic introduction to economic, legal, social, ethical, security and environmental contexts in which professional engineers operate.
• Knowledge of the employability skills expected by the engineering profession
• Laboratory experience which reinforces and illustrates wider aspects of the FHEQ level 4 engineering curriculum
• Basic training in experimental approaches, including the handling of data and identification of the likely contributions to experimental uncertainty by error.
• Experience in working as part of a team
• An introduction to basic programming/Matlab.
• Knowledge and experience of using standard MS Office products to support academic writing and data analysis and presentation.
• Knowledge and experience of how to present information in a formal professional context.
• An introduction to basic report writing skills commensurate with FEHQ level 4

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:



Give students a basic grounding in experimental procedure and scientific/technical report writing.



Reinforce engineering science concepts taught in other modules though practical experimentation and demonstration.



Give students a basic grounding in the use of MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and Matlab to produce (i) appropriately formatted academic writing, (ii) appropriately presented engineering data, (iii) simple formal presentations, (iv) implement simple programmes



Give students the experience of participating in all aspects of formal oral presentations.



Introduce wider aspects of the context in which professional engineers operate.



The learning and teaching methods include:





Introductory briefing lectures on lab work and presentations, 3 hrs total



6 x 1-2 hrs/wk laboratory sessions in small groups; including a guided introduction to experiment and apparatus, group work on experiment itself to obtain results and discuss conclusions and an assessed review of session preparation and outcomes.



Production of 2 full laboratory reports, following written and oral guidance given on report production



IT-lab based tutorials using Excel and Matlab, 5 hrs total



Preparation and participation (1 hr/wk, for 6 wks) in seminars to reinforce professional skills and expectations

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: ENG1091

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 2023/4 academic year.