ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES LABORATORY AND PROJECT - 2025/6

Module Overview

During this year-long module, students develop a range of laboratory and transferable skills through both individual laboratory work and group project work. The content of this module is designed to consolidate knowledge gained in ENG0013 (semester 1) and ENG0015/16/17 (semester 2) modules.

 

Semester 1 focuses on core Engineering and Physical Sciences laboratory work and guides students through the basic skills of laboratory work, recording work in a lab diary, and lab report writing. Alongside this individual laboratory work, students participate in a group project; this involves working in a small group (5-8 students) to design an experiment, collect data, present their experimental findings as an academic poster, and report their findings to peers via a group oral presentation. Students are guided through the development of teamworking, project management, presentation, and digital skills (e.g., in using MS Teams as a group communication platform) whilst working on this project.

 

Semester 2 provides an opportunity for subject-stream specific practical work (individual) where students will build on the laboratory and lab report writing skills developed in semester 1 to produce a full lab report. Students participate in a further group project in semester 2 where they build upon the skills developed in semester 1.  Students work as a team to find and develop an engineering / physical sciences idea into a potentially viable business case.  Student groups produce a written business case report and pitch their ideas to a panel including University Student Enterprise experts.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

TAYLOR Alison (Maths & Phys)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

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

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

(a) Laboratory experiments:

Semester 1 (12 hours laboratory work), linked to theories students study in module ENG0013, for example:
 

• 
  Measurement of fluid properties (density)
  


• 
  Electric fields
  


• 
  Magnetic fields
  


• 
  p-V-T relationships
  


• 
  Heat transfer
  


• 
  Engineering drawing
   
  

Semester 2:

Module stream specific experiments: ENG0015/16/17 (12 hrs total laboratory work or equivalent interactive demonstration or virtual laboratory); i.e. series experiments related to the fundamentals of mechanics and materials (ENG0015), chemistry (ENG0017) and electricity, electronics and quantum phenomena (ENG0016)

(b) Project and skills development related:

• Group project (Semester 1) –Introduction to the engineering design process through a small group experimental design project, which involves students developing research, digital) MS Teams) and team working skills. Group project forms the basis for engaging students in relevant academic literature as well as using software and experimental apparatus relevant to the discipline.

• Group project (Semester 2)- Students build on semester 1 group project experience to develop an engineering / physical sciences idea into a potentially viable business case.  Students address a global challenge and consider issues of ethics in engineering including corporate social responsibilities.

 

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Basic skills short tasks 1-4, alternative assessment for this coursework in the form of online written materials to work through followed by short online quizzes to evidence completion. Group Project Semester 1 (Experimental design poster and presentation):  Research, prepare and submit a recorded PowerPoint slideshow discussing development of transferable skills and personal strategies for successful study in the context of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Foundation Year and beyond. Group Project Semester 2 (Business case design report and presentation): Submit a written self-reflection on group working, and written responses to questions about a case study in the context of student group-working assignments. Online skills test (S1) and Lab report (S2) no alternative assessment.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of laboratory practice and project work, to show their skills in preparing and conducting a variety of experiments and writing the associated reports, and to develop their skills in researching, proposing, planning and executing a design project.

Thus the summative assessment for this module consists of:

five individual and four group coursework assignments, plus one short online test [assessing learning outcomes 1-7] as follows:

 

Semester 1:

Coursework 1-4 (individual): Assessment and feedback of the first-set of laboratory experiments (including preparation and practical component) [learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3]

Online summative test 1 (individual):  Assessment of the skills necessary for writing laboratory reports, e.g. writing abstracts, treatment of experimental uncertainties etc. [learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4]

Coursework 5 (group): Group experimental design project (poster*) [learning outcomes 4, 5 and 6]

Coursework 6 (group): Group experimental design project (presentation*) [learning outcomes 7]

 

Semester 2:

Coursework 7 (individual): A full technical report of one experiment. [learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5]

Coursework  8 (group): Business case for a design proposal (report*)[learning outcomes 4, 5 and 6]

Coursework  9 (group): Business case for a design proposal (presentation*) [learning outcomes 7]

(*peer assessment and project tutorial individual evaluation of contribution and engagement)

 

Formative Assessment is ongoing throughout the year. Draft versions of coursework components are shared for written feedback comments including an interim business case report in semester 2.

 

Feedback

Written feedback on lab book entries together with recommendations for the next lab book entry are shared after each lab session, as well as written feedback on the full lab report for future lab reports at the next stages of study. Further feedback is shared with students through weekly conversations in labs, tutorials and workshops for all project and laboratory work; additionally, students are guided through giving peer feedback to each other on project work.

 

Module aims

• Learning consolidation of engineering principles through practical (laboratory) classes and project-based learning
• Laboratory skills development in areas of experiment planning, measurement, data analysis and reporting
• Transferable skills development in areas of group work, communication and project planning and management
• Discipline subject overviews for informed student selection and consideration

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

 

• Use seminars to develop a basic understanding of appropriate and effective use of academic resources for design and research

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

• Encourage and train students with teamwork skills and ethical practice in an engineering context

• Use methods of peer-feedback and self-assessment to develop personal effectiveness and professional practice

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Online laboratory resources and materials to be accessed prior to the Semester 1 and 

Semester 2 labs including appropriate health and safety information

• Laboratory related classes (or equivalent) in which students complete hands-on experimental lab work

• Laboratory workshops (taking place in the weeks that labs are running) that provide opportunities to discuss results further and develop key skills in lab report writing

• Seminars (project) to guide students successfully through completing the group work assignments

• Independent/guided learning to supplement timetabled group work sessions and develop lab report writing and experimental skills

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: ENG0014

Other information

Foundation Year programmes are committed to developing students with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to develop knowledge and skills in the following:

Digital capabilities: Students develop skills and confidence in using a variety of software tools, and they are encouraged as well as supported in organising and setting up their own social network groups. Specifically in this module, students are introduced to Microsoft Teams as part of their group projects including how to work with these tools in a professional versus social setting. Further applications that students develop competency in for producing academic output include using MS Office tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Students explore digital tools to analyse and present their experimental data effectively, often choosing Excel for this purpose; they use PowerPoint to create an academic poster, and Word to produce their business case reports.

 

Employability: Students learn to use a variety of digital tools in authentic situations and develop associated competencies and experience that is transferable to multiple workplace settings. Teamworking skills developed through active participation in group projects, and practical laboratory skills help Foundation Year students enhance their suite of employability skills particularly for engineering and science-based employers. This suite of skills is broadened through liaison with the University Student Enterprise team who provide mentoring and guidance in the business case preparation giving students an awareness of considerations in a business setting.  This is further enhanced through students being part of the Engineers in Business Competition that provides opportunities for prize money and links with the Sainsbury’s Management Fellows for mentorship.

 

Global and cultural capabilities: The student cohort has a diverse spectrum of social and cultural backgrounds. Students are encouraged to work together, particularly in lab and tutorial sessions where they gain exposure to different points of view, approaches and experiences. Students also learn for example that engineers work to different standards in different countries and that design codes and health and safety regulations may evolve as a function of location.

 

Resourcefulness and resilience: All of the modules are designed in such a way as to encourage and support the progressive development of independent thinking and resourcefulness through scaffolded activities and assessments. Students will progress from a more structured approach to group work and labs in semester 1 to applying what they have learnt about working effectively in a   team or in the lab to tasks in semester 2. Students are exposed to challenging authentic scenarios which invariably lead to setbacks and frustration e.g. trouble-shooting during experimental design work. They are encouraged to reflect and to question their strategy if the outcome of a problem-solving process is not as expected. Students learn how to seek verification of their output through independent research or peer collaboration and how to respond constructively to formal and informal feedback. 

Sustainability: When students join the Foundation Year Programme they often have a very mechanical approach to problem solving, accepting facts and applying them without question and without consideration of the implication for society or for the environment. Through the introduction of more complex and connected scenarios, such as within independent research projects, the students begin to appreciate that there are often many ways of approaching the same problem and the solutions have differing impacts on society and the environment. UN sustainability goals are considered and discussed as a part of the group project work. Societal and environmental impact, and “real-world” examples are included in lab sessions and follow up workshops.

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 2025/6 academic year.