| Semester 2, 2023 Toowoomba On-campus | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Engineering |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: ENG8001 and normally have a GPA greater than 3.5 and completed 50% of the courses in the program
Overview
Project work undertaken by individuals is a central part of engineering and spatial science practice. At the professional level project work routinely involves research in the sense that there are non-standard requirements to be met and non-standard problems to be overcome. This course, combined with ENG8412 Masters Engineering Research Project B (or ENG8414 Masters Engineering Research Project D, prepares the student for professional-level technical project work. With the guidance of supervisor/s, the student will augment, integrate and demonstrate skills spanning both the technical and non-technical dimensions of engineering and spatial science at the professional level. The project (ENG8411 immediately followed by ENG8412 or ENG8414) will develop and test the ability to define and analyse the problem, to develop solutions to the problem, to make the necessary decisions, convert ideas into useful outcomes and to cope with the unexpected problems encountered in testing and evaluation. All of this must be accomplished in a tight timeframe, within resource limitations and with due regard for safety, social and ethical considerations.
The project (comprising ENG8411 Masters Engineering Research Project A immediately followed by ENG8412 Masters Engineering Research Project B) is intended to integrate and augment the student's total formal knowledge by means of its application to a real problem at the appropriate professional level. This course (being the first half of the project) will comprise firstly the selection, negotiation and approval of a project topic appropriate to the student's major study. Following this the student will (i) research the background, context and literature, (ii) develop an appropriate methodology, (iii) demonstrate a sound appreciation of the overall task and its constraints by formal reporting, and (iv) make substantial progress in the execution of the work.
Course learning outcomes
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- commence and make appropriate progress in a major technical task;
- find and critically review the quality and value of information from published literature and other contextual sources;
- identify sustainability, safety and ethical issues associated with a major technical task;
- define the goals, determine an appropriate methodology, a realistic schedule, and the resource requirements for the execution of a major technical task involving research;
- provide an appropriately structured progress report on a major technical task;
- establish, manage and maintain appropriate interaction and reporting with the designated supervisor during all phases of a major technical task.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Project work in which students will plan, commence and make substantial progress in an individual, generally open-ended task which will encompass a range of technical skills appropriate to the student's major study. These will include ALL of the following: literature research and evaluation; determination of consequences; and planning and self management. | 30.00 |
| 2. | Project work tasks will also include some (and often many) of the following: planning and management; feasibility assessment; experimental work and trialling; fieldwork; data analysis; design; prototype construction and testing; simulation and modelling; financial analysis. | 40.00 |
| 3. | Project work will be undertaken with the guidance of a supervisor/s appointed from the academic staff of the Faculty. Sponsors and technical advisors external to the Faculty may also be involved. | 10.00 |
| 4. | Report writing. | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report 1 | No | 10 | 1 |
| Report 2 | No | 10 | 1,2 |
| Report 3 | No | 80 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |