This module is designed to develop a range of professional skills of students using a team project as the vehicle. Each team of students will work on a project of their choice given a set of attributes that the project must contain. The projects are research based and incorporate the concepts of specifications, design, and implementation. Within the project students will be learn about sustainability, project and time management, design, legal issues, health and safety, data analysis and presentation, team reporting, and self evaluation.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Apply design methodology to arrive at a design to meet a specification.
2. Undertake a project using appropriate time management and reporting.
3. Have a systematic approach to data gathering, analysis and presentation to a professional standard.
4. Research and apply the appropriate legal issues associated with a project.
5. Maintain a record of work through the use of a logbook, including a reflective diary.
6. Investigate and report on the sustainability parameters of a project/product.

Outline Syllabus

The series of lectures will cover the following topics.

Lecture 1
Introduction including information on submission of work within the School, plagiarism, the use of logbooks and SharePoint.

Lectures 2-3
Team building.

Lecture 4
Sustainability.

Lecture 5-7
Project and time management.

Lecture 8-10
Design methodology - getting from specification to design choice.

Lecture 11-12
Legal issues such as copyright, patents, product liability, professional liability and ethics.

Lecture 13-14
Risk management including health and safety and project risk.

Lecture 15-18
Data gathering, analysis and reporting.

Lecture 19-20
Team reporting and self evaluation.