Scope of the presentation

1. Workshop for New Lecturers:Engineering ProjectsDate: 30-31 January, 2007Alan WebbSubject Centre Associate based atThe University of Ulster, JordanstownCampus

2. Scope of the presentation • Definition of a project type – related issues • Project allocation systems • Constructing an appropriate project brief • Initial meeting/s and motivating the student • Resources, contacts and risk assessment/s • Background reading and promoting reflection • Planning and Gantt chart requirements • Initial/Interim feedback and related dialogue • Nurture of design approaches, avoiding ‘potted solutions’

3. Definition of project type • Live/linked to industry or the workplace? • Current/topical e.g. involving ethical or sustainability issues etc. • Cognate with research activities? • Applications-orientated/Theoretical or modelling/mix? • Further development of a previous project? • Part of a larger group project?

4. Project allocation systems • First Come First Serve (FCFS) • Merit-Based Pecking Order (MBPO) • Drawn From The Hat (DFTH) • Chase Round The Department (CRTD) • Matched To Student Profile (MTSP) • Wing And A Prayer (WAAP) From IEEE project Fair 2005

5. Constructing the project brief • A departmental/school agreed proforma is useful • There should be a module description/specification with defined learning outcomes (albeit generic) • Background material is needed to describe the project and place it in some useful context • Well defined core objectives are desirable • Further objectives can be separately defined to ‘stretch’ the student e.g. for honours or masters level

6. Break for a short exercise in small groups: Critically examine the following project briefs and identify good, bad and acceptable features, within these samples From www.steelcase.com/

7. Initial meeting & bootstrapping the project • Students are often anxious and apprehensive about the project and the supervisor/s • There is a need to engender interest and enthusiasm • If the lecturer is not full of enthusiasm, the student is unlikely to ‘catch’ the vision • If the project is not going to gel with the student, it is better to pass it to someone else from the outset • The student should leave the meeting ‘fired up’ & encouraged

8. Facilitating the work effectively & safely • Appropriate references are generally vital, if the student is to ‘get into’ the project in an effective way • Although the student is at a final stage, care should be taken to ensure that the Library/Learning Resource suite is being accessed including e-aspects • There may be a need to walk with the student to laboratories, to meet key technical staff. A journey with the student is a strong and positive signal • Resources should be clarified and also indicated • The Risk Assessment process must be initiated

9. Establishing sound pedagogy • The project is primarily a vehicle through which the student should achieve Learning Outcomes • The project must be designed or modified as required to enable this to take place • The challenges embedded must be commensurate with the course/programme and level of study • Links with appropriate literature and underpinning theory must be established early in the cycle • Explicit links with other modules studied tend to be advantageous • A literature review is vital, to ensure that a sound project cycle gets going, in a well understood context

10. Emphasising the importance of well-structured forward planning • Development of good project planning skills is an important aspect to develop • It must be addressed very early and Gantt chart approaches are preferable • The project report is a major task for any student and the plan should include early written work which can be ‘banked’ for later editing/inclusion • Specialist resources or laboratory access will often need to be scheduled carefully

11. Encouragement and direction via timely feedback • Students want to see a mark for the first submission but they need to be encouraged to read more detailed feedback, to help them to score higher • The explicit link between reflection on feedback and doing better in future submissions is critical (sell!) • In a good course, this is well embedded by final stages and students are hungry for detailed feedback • Delayed feedback can cheat the student and also become a waste of academic time (aim for 2 weeks) • A good model is: start with positive points, be direct about weaknesses/faults and then finish with strong encouragement

12. Break for a short exercise in small groups: Examine the three draft project abstracts provided and suggest appropriate feedback comments for each example

13. Mentoring in relation to design strategies • Design can be a major part of many projects and it needs to follow recognised models, relating to the subject area concerned • Students may often aim for a ‘potted solution’ as a quick fix, without exploring 3 or more options and undertaking a critical appraisal • Creativity and innovation should be fostered, including lateral thinking, but design must be ‘reined in’ where analytical aspects and underlying theory or models need to have academic rigour

14. Questions/discussion JAC.Webb@ulster.ac.uk

15. References • Cooper, B. M., (1990) ‘Writing Technical Reports’, Penguin. • Cryer, P., (2000) ‘The research Student’s Guide to Success’, Open University. • Eisenberg, A.,(1992), ‘Effective Technical Communication’ McGraw-Hill. • Howard, K. and Sharp, J. A., (1983) ‘The Management of a Student Research Project’, Gower. • Lewis, R., (1994) ‘How to write reports: the key to successful reports’ Collins.