Course Catalogue

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This course consists of four main components:

■ an introduction to programming and problem solving within an engineering context using Python;

■ a design and manufacturing skills component comprising manufacturing and workshop practice;

■ computer aided drawing/design (CAD);

■ a foundation component on Creativity, based on the "double-diamond approach", involving multidisciplinary interaction.

1 lecture per week

5 tutorials

Mandatory Entry Requirements

None

Recommended Entry Requirements

None

None

None

40% Written assignment

40% Set Exercise (lab sessions)

20% Attendance at student-organised meetings and poster presentation on a creative outcome

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

It is not practicable to offer reassessment in any aspect of this course that requires practical or group work.

The aims of this course are to:

■ develop an understanding of the use of computing in addressing and solving engineering problems;

■ provide a deeper understanding of how engineering problems can be framed in a computing context;

■ develop a logical top-down problem solving approach to this process in order to be able to write well-structured programming solutions;

■ provide introductory training in the use of CAD and industrially relevant software;

■ provide training in engineering drawing and design presentation;

■ indicate the use of CAD to provide manufacturing information for design;

■ provide practical engineering applications labs, building on 1st year engineering practice.

■ provide students with practical experience in measurement and analysis;

■ encourage independent thought and the application of analytical skills to an unfamiliar area;

■ provide an introductory course on a systematic approach to creativity in engineering;

■ provide the experience of working on projects in single discipline and multidisciplinary group environments.

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

■ solve problems using Python and develop its use as a tool in solving familiar engineering problems;

■ analyse a problem, adopt a logical step-wise approach to its solution and be able to formalise this solution within the Python programming environment;

■ explain and use basic programming methods such as iteration, branching;

■ draw an engineering system using CAD;

■ use CAD libraries, tools and layers;

■ present detailed components assemblies and projections using CAD;

■ perform more advanced practical engineering tasks within the engineering application workshops describe engineering workshop manufacturing techniques and requirements;

■ explain the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act;

■ complete simple workshop tasks including sheet metal work, measurement, machining and the use of CNC; 

■ demonstrate an understanding of the importance and systematic application of creativity in engineering.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components of the course's summative assessment.

Students must attend all the tutorial classes.

Students must attend all the timetabled engineering applications (practical) workshops.

Students should attend at least 75% of the timetabled classes of the course.

Note that these are minimum requirements: good students will achieve far higher participation/submission rates.  Any student who misses an assessment or a significant number of classes because of illness or other good cause should report this by completing a MyCampus absence report.