2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
MECH5080M Team Project
45 creditsClass Size: 230
Module manager: Dr Wassim Taleb
Email: W.Taleb@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2023/24
Module replaces
MECH 5030M Team ProjectThis module is not approved as an Elective
Module summary
Students undertake an advanced engineering project in groups of 3 to 6 supervised by a member of staff and mentored by a collaborator from industry. The projects are set up to emulate professional practices: students are required to develop a tender or business plan with industrial mentors acting as customers.Objectives
On completion of this module, students should be able to:- have a thorough understanding of team roles, teamwork and creativity in terms of a framework such as Myers-Briggs inventory of styles;
- work as part of a team on a major engineering or design project;
- understand the role of the professional engineer in the context of enterprise, business and management;
- apply formal methods of project planning and management, risk assessment and management and team working to a team engineering project;
- develop an initial project outline into a detailed set of project aims, objectives and a work plan;
- apply the skills of logical reasoning based on a comprehensive knowledge of design principles or engineering science, sound professional judgement, independent critical analysis and effective communication, taking into account commercial and industrial constraints, to the team project;
- research technical literature and other information sources in order to gain the required extensive knowledge and understanding of engineering materials and components necessary to complete the project;
- complete a major project undertaking in a timely and professional manner as part of a team;
- communicate the outcomes of a major project in both written and verbal form.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will have learned how to:
1. Apply engineering reasoning and problem solving;
2. Perform systems thinking;
3. Demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills;
4. Demonstrate professional skills and attitudes;
5. Utilise project and risk management;
6. Employ detailed research skills;
7. Communicate outcomes of the project.
Upon successful completion of this module the following UK-SPEC learning outcome descriptors are satisfied:
A comprehensive understanding of the relevant scientific principles of the specialisation (SM1m, SM7M)
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 (SM3m)
Awareness of developing technologies related to mechanical engineering (SM4m)
Understanding of concepts relevant to the discipline, some from outside engineering, and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them effectively, including in engineering projects (SM6m, SM9M)
Understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to undertake critical analysis of key engineering processes (EA1m)
Understanding of, and the ability to apply, an integrated or systems approach to solving complex engineering problems (EA4m)
Ability both to apply appropriate engineering analysis methods for solving complex problems in engineering and to assess their limitations (EA6m, EA6M)
Ability to collect and analyse research data and to use appropriate engineering analysis tools in tackling unfamiliar problems, such as those with uncertain or incomplete data or specifications, by the appropriate innovation, use or adaptation of engineering analytical methods (EA7M)
Knowledge, understanding and skills to 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 (D3m, DM9)
Communicate their work to technical and non-technical audiences (D6)
Ability to generate an innovative design for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs (D8m, D11M)
Awareness of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering (EL1m, EL8M)
Awareness of and ability to make general evaluations of risk issues in the context of the particular specialisation, including health & safety, environmental and commercial risk (EL6m, EL13M)
Ability to apply relevant practical and laboratory skills (P3)
Understanding of the use of technical literature and other information sources (P4)
Ability to work with technical uncertainty (P8)
Advanced level knowledge and understanding of a wide range of engineering materials and components (P2m, P12M)
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 (P11m)
Apply their skills in problem solving, communication, information retrieval, working with others and the effective use of general IT facilities (G1)
Monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on-going basis (G3m)
Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader (G4)
Skills outcomes
- engineering reasoning and problem solving
- experimenting
- systems thinking
- professional skills and attitudes
- teamwork and leadership
- communications
- conceiving
- modelling
- analysis
- designing / synthesis
Syllabus
Students undertake an advanced engineering project in groups of 3 to 6 supervised by a member of staff and mentored by a collaborator from industry. The projects are set up to emulate professional practices: students are required to develop a tender or business plan with industrial mentors acting as customers.
Projects are supported by a series of classes and seminars on business and marketing (eg, entrepreneurship, innovation and business ethics), project management (eg, individual approaches to teamwork and creativity, project management, risk management) and research methods.
This module will include a number of lectures/seminars on ethical issues related to the themes of this module and overall programme of study.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Supervision Meetings | 12 | 12.00 | 12.00 |
| Lecture | 11 | 1.00 | 11.00 |
| Private study hours | 427.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 23.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 450.00 | ||
Private study
- Individual study of module material: 127 hours- Group project work: 300 hours
- Fortnightly 1 hr supervisor meetings
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Each submission will receive feedback in terms from assessors.An online discussion board will be monitored during specified times each week.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Report | Individual Project Report | 25.00 |
| Report | Team Project Report | 25.00 |
| Oral Presentation | Team Project Showcase (Peer Assessed) | 10.00 |
| Oral Presentation | Individual Oral Presentation | 10.00 |
| Oral Presentation | Team Oral Presentation | 5.00 |
| Project | Individual Conduct | 15.00 |
| Assignment | Contract Performance Plan | 5.00 |
| Assignment | Ethics Assessment | 5.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Failure to pass the module will require the student to retake the module in the next academic year to ensure all Learning Outcomes are met. Resit opportunity is available for the ethics assignment if a student has completed all other coursework components and there is opportunity for a module pass. This will need to be assessed by the module leader with the Director of Student Education. Students must satisfy certain threshold conditions of competence in order to be awarded the credits for this module. These additional competences are specified in the project module handbook, and typically relate to; - Participation in any activities deemed necessary by the university or the project supervisor to undertake work to ethical standards, safely, and competently using workshop or research laboratory facilities - Certain UK-SPEC Engineering Council learning outcomes required for accreditation that are uniquely assessed in this module - Technical writing meeting a minimum standard expected by the Office for Students (OfS)
Reading list
There is no reading list for this moduleLast updated: 16/11/2023
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