Description
Engineers seldom work in isolation and most tasks they undertake require a range of expertise, designing, developing, manufacturing, constructing, operating and maintaining the physical infrastructure and content of our world. The bringing together of these skills, expertise and experience is often managed through the creation of a project.
This unit introduces students to the techniques and best practices required to successfully create and manage an engineering project designed to identify a solution to an engineering need. While carrying out this project students will consider the role and function of engineering in our society, the professional duties and responsibilities expected of engineers together with the behaviours that accompany their actions.
Among the topics covered in this unit are: roles, responsibilities and behaviours of a professional engineer, planning a project, project management stages, devising solutions, theories and calculations, management using a Gantt chart, evaluation techniques, communication skills, and the creation and presentation of a project report.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to conceive, plan, develop and execute a successful engineering project, and produce and present a project report outlining and reflecting on the outcomes of each of the project processes and stages. As a result, they will develop skills such as critical thinking, analysis, reasoning, interpretation, decision-making, information literacy, and information and communication technology, and skills in professional and confident self-presentation.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Formulate and plan a project that will provide a solution to an identified engineering problem.
Examples of realistic engineering based problems:
Crucial considerations for the project
How to identify the nature of the problem through vigorous research
Feasibility study to identify constraints and produce an outline specification
Develop an outline project brief and design specification:
Knowledge theories, calculations and other relevant information that can support the development of a potential solution
Ethical frameworks:
The Engineering Council and Royal Academy of Engineering’s Statement of Ethical Principles
The National Society for Professional Engineers’ Code of Ethics
Regulatory bodies:
Global, European and national influences on engineering and the role of the engineer, in particular: The Royal Academy of Engineering and the UK Engineering Council
The role and responsibilities of the UK Engineering Council and the Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs)
The content of the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UKSPEC)
Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician
International regulatory regimes and agreements associated with professional
engineering:
European Federation of International Engineering Institutions.
European Engineer (Eur Eng)
European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education
European Society for Engineering Education
Washington Accord
Dublin Accord
Sydney Accord
International Engineers Alliance
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Engineers Agreement
2. Conduct planned project activities to generate outcomes which provide a solution to the identified engineering problem.
Project execution phase:
Continually monitoring development against the agreed project plan and adapt the project plan where appropriate
Work plan and time management, using Gantt chart or similar.
Tracking costs and timescales
Maintaining a project diary to monitor progress against milestones and timescales
Engineering professional behaviour sources:
Professional responsibility for health and safety (UK-SPEC)
Professional standards of behaviour (UK-SPEC)
Ethical frameworks:
The Engineering Council and Royal Academy of Engineering’s Statement of Ethical Principles
The National Society for Professional Engineers’ Code of Ethics
3. Produce a project report analysing the outcomes of each of the project processes and stages.
Convincing arguments:
All findings/outcomes should be convincing and presented logically where the assumption is that the audience has little or no knowledge of the project process
Critical analysis and evaluation techniques:
Most appropriate evaluation techniques to achieve a potential solution
Secondary and primary data should be critiqued and considered with an objective mindset
Objectivity results in more robust evaluations where an analysis justifies a judgement
4. Present the project report drawing conclusions on the outcomes of the project.
Presentation considerations:
Media selection, what to include in the presentation and what outcomes to expect from it. Audience expectations and contributions
Presentation specifics. Who to invite: project supervisors, fellow students and employers. Time allocation, structure of presentation
Reflection on project outcomes and audience reactions
Conclusion to report, recommendations for future work, lessons learned, changes to own work patterns
Reflection for learning and practice:
The difference between reflecting on performance and evaluating a project − the former considers the research process, information gathering and data collection, the latter the quality of the research argument and use of evidence
The cycle of reflection:
To include reflection in action and reflection on action
How to use reflection to inform future behaviour, particularly directed towards sustainable performance
The importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in refining ongoing professional practice
Reflective writing:
Avoiding generalisation and focusing on personal development and the research journey in a critical and objective way