CE101-4-__ : Team Project Challenge - Colchester

Module Description

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, including a reflective diary.
6. Investigate and report on the sustainability parameters of a project/product.


Outline Syllabus


The module lectures cover a range of topics including research skills, managing a team web server, team work, data gathering/analysis/reporting, project management, product development, product design, creativity and problem solving, and professional issues (sustainability, legal & ethical, health & safety). Roles within a team and using personal strengths to form and manage effective teams following known methodologies such as: personality types (Myers Briggs), team formation/Cog’s ladder (Tuckman), and behavioural team roles (Belbin).

Two further lectures are provided by the Employability & Careers Centre to get students of to an early start with their career planning. The lectures are accompanied by a laboratory session each week in which the students hold team meetings and follow weekly activities.

These activities are designed to assist the teams in developing a team product and producing a team report that contains sections on teamwork, product development, project management, and professional issues.

In addition to the lectures and laboratory sessions the students undertake individual work for their team and report this through a web based server.