EGH408 Research Project

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This is an accelerated project unit allowing for EN01 students to complete their 24 credit points of final year capstone project in one semester. You are required to identify a research related issue or problem and apply your learning to carry out a comprehensive, independent research informed project designed to extend and broaden your understanding of the chosen topic. The unit also gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have completed the required work placement for accreditation with Engineers Australia. The purpose of this unit is to prepare you for your transition to the professional world or to further research studies.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Conduct a literature review to inform an engineering problem using survey, reference management, analysis and synthesis at a mastered level.
2. Formulate a proposal for an engineering project that addresses client needs, management of time, resources, and communication at a mastered level.
3. Practise professionally in the collaborative environment of an engineering project at a mastered level.
4. Formulate a progress stage followed by a solution to an engineering problem using a process that display rigorous research and investigation practice and account for risk, ethics and sustainability considerations at a mastered level.
5. Report project progress followed by a project delivery that address an engineering problem using written communication and defend that project delivery using oral communication at a mastered level.
6. Compile a Work Placement Experience Report that meets the QUT Engineering Work Placement Experience and Certification Guidelines.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:

• Formal lectures (in weeks 1, 2, 3,4, 5, and 11 for a total of 12 hours) from experienced engineering
  research academics to give you insight into professional engineering research knowledge, skills
  and attributes. You will have the opportunity to ask questions during these lectures.

To complement these timetabled activities, you will be provided with learning resources including videos and readings on a unit Canvas site that you can access flexibly to assist you in completing your learning in this unit.

At the beginning of the unit, you will be made aware of the ways in which you can ask questions or seek clarification from the Unit Coordinator.
You are expected to:

• Engage with timetabled activities on campus and ask questions.
• Manage your time to engage with online resources outside of timetabled activities. These will be available on the unit Canvas site. You will receive regular email announcements regarding release of these resources.
• At commencement of semester apply, and then be accepted for by the end of week 1, a research topic approved by a potential supervisor, which is relevant to your engineering first major (study area A) using the system prescribed by the unit coordinator.
• Work in a self-directed manner and with your student project team throughout the semester to arrange, prepare for, and attend bi-weekly meetings with your academic supervisor and where relevant industry supervisor, where you will demonstrate your progress and discuss your ongoing work with your project team.
• Undertake work independently and with your student project team outside of your timetabled activities and supervision meetings to complete your work.
• Complete assessment tasks by working consistently through the semester and meeting the due dates that are published on the unit Canvas site.

You must have completed their work placement (60 days including 30 days engineering placement) according to the QUT Engineering Work Placement Experience and Certification Guidelines by Week 13.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

During weekly meetings with your academic supervisor (and industry supervisor for industry projects), you will share your formative ideas for your assessments and you will receive feedback from your supervisor/s and your student project team. As part of an effective team you will share the findings of your project work with your supervisor/s for marking and feedback, and you will share your project progress presentation with your supervisor/s with members of your class. You are encouraged to view this team as a learning community and to share and discuss emergent ideas in the engineering research and investigation process and your understandings of engineering professional practice. Each assessment submission will be graded against criteria and standards that will be shared with you at the beginning of semester through Assessment Task Descriptions and Marking Rubrics. Marked assessment will include feedback given by the markers against the criteria.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in the unit has been designed to give you the opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes. The due dates of assessments represent a series of coordinated milestones within an engineering research project that spans an intensive 13 weeks for a 24cp unit. You will work as a member of a cohesive team with your academic supervisor (and industry supervisor for industry projects) and your student project team, which will be assessed by your academic supervisor in your work performance assessment, and which will be reflected in your project proposal, progress report, project delivery report and oral defence. You will deploy work practices that align to professional practice (such as teamwork, project management, ethics, risk management, stakeholder and audience engagement).

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Project Proposal

You will develop a written report that includes a literature review and project
proposal.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Progress Report

You will prepare a written and illustrated report (20% individual).
With your student project team you will deliver a presentation that summarises this report to your supervisor and marker (5% individual, 5% group).

This is an assignment for the purposes of extension

Assessment: Work Performance

Your academic supervisor will observe your individual participation and work performance during meetings and interactions throughout EGH408 Research Project. You are encourage to ask for feedback on your progress at any time. Your academic supervisor will take account of the records of your project, contained within a reporting system prescribed by the Unit Coordinator (e.g. Microscoft Teams). In some cases, your supervisor will ask industry partners or other project stakeholders to provide feedback on your individual work performance.

This is an assignment for the purposes of extension.

Assessment: Project Delivery Report and Oral Defence

You will submit an individual report that documents your project delivery, whose
form will be negotiated with your academic supervisor as appropriate for your
project topic, such as a white paper or business case (20% individual).

With your student project team you will give an oral defence of your project delivery
to your academic supervisor, industry supervisor where applicable, and members
of your class (5% individual, 5% group).

Assessment: Work Placement Experience Report

You are required to submit a Workplace Experience Report along with a Work Log, Certificate of Time Worked (signed by workplace supervisor) and InPlace Approval email.

Your Workplace Experience Report will conform to a template and be 2 pages long.
It will take the form of a Career Episode statement, linking to the competencies of the Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer.

This task will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Satisfactory completion is requirement for finalisation of your grade for EGH408 and graduation.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

You may (depending upon the nature of your project) be required to access QUT laboratories or workshops. Such access will require you to have completed any relevant safety courses and hold any relevant safety cards. You must follow all relevant workplace health and safety rules, and follow the instructions of laboratory or workshop staff.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.