Study information

Industrial Awareness and Problem Solving - 2022 entry

MODULE TITLEIndustrial Awareness and Problem Solving CREDIT VALUE15
MODULE CODEECM3176 MODULE CONVENERDr Corrina Cory (Coordinator)
DURATION: TERM 1 2 3
DURATION: WEEKS 12 0 0
Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) 40
DESCRIPTION - summary of the module content
Plastic pollution of the coastal and marine ecosystems is a global environmental issue. The manufacture of single use products has overwhelmed the planet especially in developing Asian and African nations due to inefficient refuse collection systems and developing countries with low recycling rates. This issue has prompted the development of a Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution through the UN and relates to many of the UN sustainable development goals especially 12 Responsible Consumption and Production and 14 Life Below Water. This problem offers an abundance of opportunity for entrepreneurs who wish to be part of the solution.
 
Your career as a professional engineer/entrepreneur will require you to work effectively within teams on complex and challenging industry projects within a large company, SME or as a startup entrepreneur. You will improve your industrial awareness in terms of the circular economy and opportunities and harness your problem-solving skills to contribute to the solution of plastic waste in the marine and coastal ecosystems. You will be tasked with answering the following PBL
driving question:
 
How might we implement aspects of the circular economy (refuse, reform, reduce, reuse, recycle) to tackle plastic waste issue in the coastal and marine ecosystems?'
 
PBL will be the vehicle for developing knowledge of plastic waste issues in the coastal and marine ecosystems, the circular economy and the application of this knowledge to entrepreneurial thinking, idea development and innovation. In addition to team study related to the engineering principles behind the problems, you will also have input from innovators and engineering entrepreneurs who exemplify the values, spirit and skills essential to entrepreneurial thinking.
 
This creative and technical design project will allow you to practice the application of the Stage Gate Innovation Process detailed in ENG1006 (Entrepreneurship 1) and ENG2004 (Entrepreneurship 2). Your team PBL project will culminate in a professional multimedia pitch with a visualisation and proof of concept of your final product.  

 

AIMS - intentions of the module
 
The purpose of this module is to:
 
  • Address the plastic waste  emergency through a team project.
  • Advance your 21st century skills in creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership and technology literacy.
  • Gain valuable experience in research, 3D modelling and proof of concept.
  • Steer projects through the Design Process and create a proof of concept for your final PBL ‘Public Product’.
 
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)
This is a constituent module of one or more degree programmes which are accredited by a professional engineering institution under licence from the Engineering Council. The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V3).
 
This module contributes to learning outcomes: SM1p, SM3p, SM3m, SM4m, SM6m, EA5m, D1p, D1m, D2p, D2m, D3p, D3m, D4p, D4m, D5p, D5m, D6p, D6m, D7m, D8m, ET2p, ET2m, ET3p, ET4p, ET4m, ET6p, ET6m, ET7m, EP3, EP3m, EP4, EP4m, EP6m, EP8, EP9, EP10m, EP11, G1p, G1m, G2p, G2m, G4p, G4m
 
A full list of the referenced outcomes is provided online: http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/studentinfo/subjects/engineering/accreditation/ The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/


On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
 
Module Specific Skills and Knowledge: SM1p, SM3p, SM3m, SM4m, SM6m, EA5m
1 SM1p - Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and methodology necessary to underpin their education in their engineering discipline, to enable appreciation of its scientific and engineering context, and to support their understanding of relevant historical, current and future developments and technologies.
2 SM3p/SM3m - Ability to apply and integrate knowledge and understanding of other engineering disciplines to support study of their own engineering discipline and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them effectively
3 SM4m - Awareness of developing technologies related to own specialisation.
4 SM6m - Understanding of concepts from a range of areas including some outside engineering, and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them effectively in engineering projects.
5 EA5m - Ability to use fundamental knowledge to investigate new and emerging technologies
 
Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge: D1p, D1m, D2p, D2m, D3p, D3m, D4p, D4m, D5p, D5m, D7m, D8m, ET2p, ET2m, ET3p, ET4p, ET4m, ET6p, ET6m, ET7m, EP4, EP4m, EP6m, EP8p, EP8m, EP9p, EP10m
6 D1p/D1m - Understand and evaluate business, customer and user needs, including considerations such as the wider engineering context, public perception and aesthetics.
7 D2p/D2m - Investigate and define the problem, identifying any constraints including environmental and sustainability limitations; ethical, health, safety, security and risk issues; intellectual property; codes of practice and standards.
8 D3p/D3m - Work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain, quantify the effect of this on the design and, where appropriate, use theory or experimental research to mitigate deficiencies.
9 D4p/D4m - Apply advanced problem-solving skills, technical knowledge and understanding to establish rigorous and creative solutions that are fit for purpose for all aspects of the problem including production, operation, maintenance and disposal.
10 D5p/D5m - Plan and manage the design process, including cost drivers, and evaluate outcomes.
11 D7m - Demonstrate wide knowledge and comprehensive understanding of design processes and methodologies and the ability to apply and adapt them in unfamiliar situations.
12 D8m - Demonstrate the ability to generate an innovative design for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs.
13 ET2p/ET2m - Knowledge and understanding of the commercial, economic and social context of engineering processes
14 ET3p - Knowledge and understanding of management techniques, including project management, that may be used to achieve engineering objectives
15 ET4p/ET4m - Understanding of the requirement for engineering activities to promote sustainable development and ability to apply quantitative techniques where appropriate
ET6p/ET6m - Knowledge and understanding of risk issues, including health & safety, environmental and commercial risk, risk assessment and risk management
16 techniques and an ability to evaluate commercial risk
17 ET7m - Understanding of the key drivers for business success, including innovation, calculated commercial risks and customer satisfaction
 18 EP4p/EP4m - Understanding of the use of technical literature and other information sources.
19 EP6p/EP6m - Understanding of appropriate codes of practice and industry standards.
20 EP8p/EM8m - Ability to work with technical uncertainty.
21 EP9p - Understanding of, and the ability to work in, different roles within an engineering team.
22 EP10m - Ability to apply engineering techniques taking account of a range of commercial and industrial constraints.
 
Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Entrepreneurship Skills and Knowledge: D6p, D6m, EP11m, G1p, G1m, G2p, G2m, G3p, G3m, G4p, G4m
23 D6p/D6m Communicate effectively to technical and non-technical audiences and have the ability to present ideas effectively;
24 EP11m - Understanding of different roles within an engineering team and the ability to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader.
25 G1p/G1m - Apply their skills in problem solving, communication, working with others, information retrieval and the effective use of general IT facilities
26 G2p/G2m - Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD
27 G3p/G3m - Monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on going basis
28 G4p/G4m - Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader
 
SYLLABUS PLAN - summary of the structure and academic content of the module
  • Introductory Lecture;
  • Project Launch – recycling and circular economy inspiration;
  • Project Planning
  • Technical research, IP and competition analysis
  • Team PBL progress through the Design Process;
  • Visual Presentation of Designs and Proof of Concept;
  • PBL support sessions;
  • Multimedia presentations.
 
LEARNING AND TEACHING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities 45 Guided Independent Study 105 Placement / Study Abroad 0
DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Category Hours of study time Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 5 Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30 Proof of concept
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 5 PBL support sessions
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 5 Project launch
Guided independent study 105 Research, development, innovation, multimedia

 

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade

None

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)
Coursework 100 Written Exams 0 Practical Exams 0
DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Form of Assessment % of Credit Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
Research and Critical Thinking
 
 20 1500 word literature review and 1 page poster summary 1, 3-8, 13, 15, 19-29 Written Feedback - ebart
Design Development 30 Individual Slide Deck Presentation - 10 slides 10-12, 14, 15, 20-29 Panel marking - verbal feedback
Investor Funding Application 50

3000 word application, 5 min Group pitch followed by Q&A

 1-29 Panel marking - Written (ebart) and verbal panel and anonymous peer feedback

 

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)
Original Form of Assessment Form of Re-assessment ILOs Re-assessed Time Scale for Re-assessment
All above Coursework (100%) All Completed over summer with a deadline in August

 

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES

If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.

If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 40% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

RESOURCES
INDICATIVE LEARNING RESOURCES - The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener
Online resources:
 
IDEO, Design Thinking, 2019, https://designthinking.ideo.com/
 
SolidSolutions, SolidWorks Video tutorials, 2019, https://www.solidsolutions.co.uk/solidworks/Tutorial-Videos/Search.aspx
 
MakerSpace, What is a Maker Space?, 2019, http://makerspace-etec522.weebly.com/what-are-makerspaces.html
 
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) UK, Prototyping, 2019, https://vimeo.com/349906028
 
Rushing, Steve, 2016, 25 daily rituals of history’s most successful, 
 

 

Reading list for this module:

Type Author Title Edition Publisher Year ISBN
Set Blank S., and Dorf B. The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company. 2012
Set Chouinard, Y Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual Penguin Books 2016
Set Gallo, Carmine Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds 2014 978-1250041128
Set Hart, H. Introduction to engineering communication Prentice Hall 2005 978-0131461024
Set Osterwalder, A and Pigneur, Y Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers John Wiley & Sons 2010
Set Ries, Eric The Lean Start-up: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses
CREDIT VALUE 15 ECTS VALUE 7.5
PRE-REQUISITE MODULES ECM2121, ECM1111
CO-REQUISITE MODULES
NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) 6 AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING No
ORIGIN DATE Friday 31st January 2020 LAST REVISION DATE Friday 8th April 2022
KEY WORDS SEARCH Industry, innovation, creativity, design, design process, 3Dmodelling, proof of concept, communication, Project Based Learning (PBL), 21st Century Skills, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking

Please note that all modules are subject to change, please get in touch if you have any questions about this module.