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Unit information: Principles of Professional Practice in 2023/24

Unit name Principles of Professional Practice
Unit code MENG20008
Credit points 10
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Mr. Martin Ould
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Faculty of Engineering

Unit Information

The unit will focus on the fundamental skills required for students to perform effectively in an integrated group working towards a common goal. Using a blended learning approach that combines knowledge from theory and practice, lectures and seminars will explore the processes used to plan and manage projects, work in teams and control the quality of work completed/delivered in an authentic setting.

Your learning on this unit

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1.Work as part of a small team, participating and contributing effectively towards a collective goal, whilst appreciating the benefits of diversity within a small group;

2.Prepare a project master plan, covering inter-dependent activities for each group member, that includes performance measures which can be used to track and report progress;

3.Identify, assess and mitigate potential project risks (hazards) in both operational and management contexts;

4.Explain the importance of creation/innovation processes and stakeholder satisfaction in the modern economy;

5.Reflect on a variety of personal experiences with the purpose of establishing a professional approach to career development planning and improved performance.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures, practical activities supported by drop-in sessions, problem sheets and self-directed exercises.

How you will be assessed

This unit is assessed by two separate coursework assignments:

  • Personal Reflection on Industrial Mentoring Experience (20%): students reflect individually on the experience gained via the Faculty’s Industrial Mentoring Scheme and prepare a reflective report using a standard form provided (an alternative assessment may be available to eligible students who have been unable to join the Mentoring Scheme from the start);
  • Group Project (80%): students work in small groups to prepare an engineering-themed research/development proposal for a hypothetical undergraduate project and submit a group assignment, including individual reflections on the experience of working together in a small team.

Other Pass Requirements:

In addition to achieving the minimum pass mark in the unit assessments, students must complete the Faculty’s Industrial Mentoring Scheme (or alternative assessment) to be awarded credit points.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MENG20008).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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