In this Section:
Current Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Projects
The Engineering Subject Centre offers small pots of funding for learning and teaching research or development Mini-Projects. The Mini-Projects aim to stimulate interest and provide motivation for people to get involved in enhancing the student learning experience and to promote excellence in learning and teaching in the area of engineering education. Bids are welcome throughout the year and details of current calls are published on our funding opportunities page.
Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Projects
Projects are awarded up to £3500 over 12 months to complete small scale research or development projects within their own department or institution. The findings and resources from each project are all applicable to the wider engineering community and will be published on the Engineering Subject Centre website for you to make use of. Resources already available from previously funded projects include teaching methodology guides, tutorial sheets and implementation and evaluation reports.
Mini-Projects currently funded by the Engineering Subject Centre:
Open Call
What's the Point of Lectures? Evaluating Students' Perception of the Value of Attending Lectures - Teaching sustainable engineering by learning from laboratory practices
- Educational evaluation of practical sessions centred on student everyday experiences
- Embedding professional competency frameworks within industrial placements
- The evaluation and development of an existing work based learning initiative at the University of Glamorgan
- The development of an Assessment Framework for the assessment of students’ Individual Projects
- Enhancing the first year experience and employability by aligning expectations with experience
- The assessment of the need for enhanced subject insight in first year engineering
- Establishing a virtual online journal for students
Learning Technology
- The design of computer based maths toolbox for engineering students
- Data Sharing (DaSh) for collaborative learnging in laboratories
- Effective feedback in Moodle based computer aided assessment for engineering mathematics
- Learning design through the use of simulation tools and multidisciplinary collaboration
Innovative Learning and Teaching Methodologies
- Embedding Sustainable Development into structural design teaching using sustainability assessment tools
- Incorporating UKSPEC Learning outcomes into an Open Learner Model to Promote Learner Independence
- Scenario-based learning material for use in a virtual environment
Enhancing the Engineering Syllabus
- Made in London - creating an enterprising culture among engineers
- Socio-centric sustainability for Engineers and Product Designers
- Not taught, but self managed - student learning across disciplines
- The inclusion of Robots within problem-solving
- The Online Student Individual Project Management System
Open Call
What's the Point of Lectures? Evaluating Students' Perception of the Value of Attending Lectures
A decline in lecture attendance by engineering students is witnessed at many institutions. The aims of this project are to identify students’ perception of the value of lectures compared with other forms of delivery; to investigate the causes for students not attending lectures; and to devise strategies to improve attendance at lectures.
The information from the research will be used in assessing the effectiveness of teaching strategies, particularly for modules where students do not attend lectures. A broader picture of the perceived usefulness of lectures compared against other learning strategies (background reading, examples classes, working on problems and examination past paper questions) may be of interest to the academic community as a whole, particularly for engineering departments.
Project Co-ordinator: Mike Clifford, University of Nottingham.
Funding: £3500 from August 2009.
Subject Centre Contact: Liz Willis.
Teaching sustainable engineering by learning from laboratory practices
The aim of the project is to embed sustainable development into the teaching curriculum for engineering. This will be done by encouraging use of engineering laboratories as a teaching resource for students, by provision of materials which enables better understanding of their energy consumption and environmental impacts. The materials will be a case study of an engineering laboratory infrastructure, including quantitative information on energy loads (especially those related to heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC)); a simple Excel spreadsheet to enable students to audit the energy consumption of their own laboratory; and briefing documents for use by both lecturers and students.
A subsidiary aim is to develop greater awareness of the principles of energy efficient HVAC and laboratory design, and other lab-related sustainability issues, amongst specialised HVAC and similar courses whose students will be designing laboratories in future.
Project Co-ordinators: Peter Hopkinson and Peter James, University of Bradford. Partners at Ecoversity and Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement (HEEPI).
Funding: £3500 from July 2009.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
Education evaluation of practical sessions centred on student everyday experiences
The School of Engineering at Durham University
are introducing two focus projects, in Levels 1 and 2, in which the students will use academic principles from their courses to design build and test complete systems which the students are familiar with as end-users. The two projects suggested are an audio amplifier with base control for mp3 players (ipods) and a games dance mat. The aim of the overall project is to:
- introduce “student experience lead” learning methods into Levels 1 and 2 electronics laboratory sessions to encourage a more intrinsic learning orientation and
- assess its impact on the students learning experience
Project Co-ordinators: Sherri Johnstone, Durham University, with partners Dagou Zeze and Andrew Gallant.
Funding: £3500 from July 2009.
Subject Centre Contact: Liz Willis.
Embedding competency frameworks with industrial placements
The overall aim of the project is to educate students on taking control of their careers and directing their practises and opportunities to maximise their skills, consequently allowing them to excel in their graduate positions and their extended careers. A work placement period can be used as an opportunity to highlight to students the advantages of having a structured development plan earlier in their careers. Furthermore, the placement period can be used to produce evidence of professional competency within the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ Monitored Professional Development Scheme (IMechE’s MPDS). The proposed project will look at aligning the current assessment model toward reflective and evidence based materials that could be submitted into the IMechE’s MPDS.
The project will teach students the skills involved in reflective practise and aid them in the collation of a portfolio of evidence from their placement period, demonstrating some of the competencies set out in the IMechE’s professional standards.
Project Co-ordinators: Victoria Dishon, University of Edinburgh, with partner Sandra Mulligan, Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Funding: £3350 from July 2009.
Subject Centre Contact: Liz Willis.
Mini-Projects in Wales
The evaluation and development of an existing work based learning initiative at the University of Glamorgan
HoneyBee, at the University of Glamorgan, is a project that offers a partnership of academia, professional training and personal development to both engineering undergraduates and local businesses by coordinating and supporting a range of bespoke work placements. This mini-project will evaluate the scheme by examining its impacts upon:
- the employability of undergraduates/graduates,
- the skills development of students,
- the area’s brain drain phenomenon
- the growth and development of businesses
in the Objective One area (an area within the South Wales valleys of economic and social deprivation). As a result of the Mini-Project, a new Guide on work based learning practice would be established for other institutions to adopt or adapt.
Project Co-ordinators: Loretta Newman-Ford/Lenira Semedo, University of Glamorgan.
Funding: £3500 from September 2008.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
The development of an Assessment Framework for the assessment of students’ Individual Projects at the School of Engineering, University of Cardiff
This study aims to explore the validity and reliability of the local Individual Project assessment process in order to make enhancements that will ensure that the mark provides a fair account of a student’s performance. This aim will be achieved by proposing the adoption of an Assessment Framework that will fit within the Cardiff University Assessment Strategy, whilst also being generic and thus readily transferable for implementation at other HEI’s.
Project Co-ordinators: Peter Theobald, University of Cardiff.
Funding: £3500 from January 2009.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
Mini-Projects in Scotland
Enhancing the first year experience and employability by aligning expectations with experience, The Robert Gordon University (RGU), Aberdeen
The Robert Gordon University is introducing an activity week for first year students, which includes a day spent at the premises of an industrial sponsor. This will form part of a holistic programme of professional development spanning the degree course. Workshops allow students to explore their own, the university’s and the employer’s expectations of engineering graduates and resulting in a closer alignment of expectations.The mini-project funding has been used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention.
Project Co-ordinators: Norrie Edward/Jenny McConnachie, The Robert Gordon University
Funding: £3500 from June 2007.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
The assessment of the need for enhanced subject insight in first year engineering, University of Edinburgh
This project aims to establish the level of subject and career exploration among those entering a first year engineering class, to track how this is (or isn’t) enhanced by the existing first year curricula, and to identify and explore themes which could well inform a subsequent “root and branch” reworking of first year engineering teaching and learning.
Project Co-ordinators: Stephen Warrington, Tom Bruce and Velda McCune , University of Edinburgh
Funding: £3350 from June 2007.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
Establishing a virtual online journal for students, Glasgow Caledonian University
This project aims to develop an interactive, virtual online journal to allow students to submit technical papers and have them published.
It has focused on the student learning experience including graduate attributes and engaging the research community in enhancing the quality of the student learning experience.
With partners at the Robert Gordon University and at the University of Strathclyde, the virtual journal will be developed to accept submissions based on final year undergraduate and MSc projects in engineering.
Project Co-ordinators: Barry Beggs, Glasgow Caledonian University
Funding: £3500 from April 2007.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
Learning Technology
The aim of the project was to produce design guidelines for a computer-based maths resource for undergraduate and pre-entry Engineering students. The project involved the preliminary design of a multifaceted computer-based maths resource. Specifically, design guidelines have been outlined for effectively collating and integrating learning, support, application, communication and testing tools to produce an engineering student's Maths Toolbox or Gateway. The Gateway aims to provide:
(i) support for student transition into higher education (e.g. though instructional and test materials and on-line support);
(ii) a resource for remedial and reference needs;
(iii) an enabling tool for design tasks and coursework (e.g. through the use of relevant calculators, equation-solvers and discipline-specific content and information databases);
(iv) an adaptable support and information tool for access and use by University departments and lecturers elsewhere in the UK.
From student surveys (Imperial College) and wide consultations with maths-related teaching and support staff from across UK HEIs, proposals for the design features have been produced, which effectively accommodate collaborative learning, on-line student feedback, and formative and formal diagnostic testing, and which enable teachers to adapt and structure content to meet specific learning needs at their HEI. The detailed report is available as the Engineer's Mathematics Gateway.
Project Co-ordinators: Dr Esat Alpay and Professor Michael Lowe, Imperial College London.
Funding: £3500 from January 2009 - jointly funded by the Engineering Subject Centre and SIGMA Centre for Excellence in Mathematics & Statistics Support.
Subject Centre Contact: Simon Steiner.
Data Sharing (DaSh) for collaborative learning in laboratories
The project will develop, implement and evaluate learning technology that will allow students to upload and share data in real time via the internet in order to promote collaborative learning. It will initially be deployed within a laboratory setting where students will use data collected not just from their own experiment but from their peers, in order to maximise the use of experimental data to promote deeper learning. Intrinsically the system will also provide instant feedback to students on the likely quality of their data and the uploaded data will be used to enable rapid assessment by the tutor.
The project aims to conduct research to establish whether enabling students to rapidly share data in an appropriate format promotes collaborative and deeper learning in an environment where pressure on time often causes students to concentrate on gathering data rather than understanding underlying principles.
Project Co-ordinator: Martin Levesley, University of Leeds. Project Partners in University College London, Manchester Metropolitan University and University of British Columbia.
Funding: £3500 from October 2008.
Subject Centre Contact: Emma Hurdle.
Effective feedback in Moodle based computer aided assessment for engineering mathematics
The proposed project will explore the possibilities of providing meaningful and customised feedback thus extending the effectiveness of computer aided self assessment (CAA) and formative assessment under Moodle (an open source e-learning software platform) to enhance the quality of the learning experience of undergraduates learning Engineering Mathematics. Effective and customised feedback enables learners, specially the self learners, to have a sensible measure of their understanding of mathematical concepts. Overall aims of this project are:
Phase 1
(i) to conduct research into good practices of providing feedback within computer aided assessments in Engineering Mathematics,
(ii) to investigate the possibilities of providing such effective feedback with Moodle quizzes used as a CAA engine to deliver assessments containing mathematical content,
Phase 2
(iii) to develop a sample mathematics question database in Moodle to incorporate identified good practices in the provision of feedback,
(iv) to develop guidelines on how to develop Moodle quizzes containing mathematical content to include effective feedback and then
(v) to use the new knowledge for future developments of HELM CAA database which is used nationwide.
Project Co-ordinator: Dr Aruna Palipana, Loughborough University.
Funding: Phase 1 funding £1500 from November 2008.
Subject Centre Contact: Rob Pearce.
Learning design through the use of simulation tools and multidiscplinary collaboration
There is an emerging need for changing designers’ mindsets from ‘solution providers’ to one of ‘user-led innovation’ *, which requires in-depth understanding of the user. In order to prepare students for this change, the proposed project aims to develop a new teaching method through:
1) the use of simulation tools in an effort to help students understand users.
2) the collaboration between Engineering Design students and Occupational Therapy students in answering a healthcare innovation design brief.
The research explores how simulation tools can be used in learning user-led innovation and how the student participants benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration. The plan is to develop a new teaching method through the use of simulation tools (e.g. vision impairment simulators, mobility loss simulators) and through multidisciplinary collaboration, aiming to prepare students for user-led innovation.
*Rodber, M. and Wormald, P.(2007). ‘Aligning industrial design education to emerging trends in professional practice and industry.’ In: Bohenmia, E., Hilton, K., McMahon, C., and Clarke, A., eds. Shaping the futures? London: Taylor and Francis, 87-92.
Project Co-ordinators: Hua Dong and Georgia Spiliotopoulou, Brunel University.
Funding: £3500 from October 2008.
Subject Centre Contacts: Ivan Moore and Emma Hurdle.
Innovative Learning and Teaching Methodologies
Embedding Sustainable Development into structural design teaching using sustainability assessment tools
The Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) believes that Sustainable Development needs to be embedded into engineering education, a core component of which is design. The purpose of this project is to use sustainability assessment tools to help students of structural design develop a deeper understanding of the principles of sustainable development, thereby helping them to deliver schemes that have this philosophy at their heart. This will be achieved by; explaining the principles of sustainability appraisal and commonly available methods of sustainable appraisal, using simple case studies which illustrate the use of a new method of appraising the sustainability of alternative structures/schemes called SASS and developing exercises for use by students to compare the sustainability merits of competing design solutions.
Project Co-ordinators: Liz Read, Royal Academy of Engineering and
C. Arya,
University College London.
Funding: £3450 from July 2008.
Incorporating UKSPEC Learning outcomes into an Open Learner Model to Promote Learner Independence
Independent Open Learner Models (IOLM) encourage learner independence by showing students a representation of their current understanding, inferred according to recent actions in an online environment. This is designed to prompt reflection on knowledge and difficulties (including misconceptions), to help individuals make appropriate decisions in their learning: the role of the computer environment is to promote formative assessment and learner independence. We propose extending an existing IOLM, classifying learner knowledge to key areas of UKSPEC so students can check they are meeting requirements for an accredited degree; and lecturers (and departments) can identify whether individuals have met specific learning outcomes.
Project Co-ordinators: Susan Bull and Peter Gardner,
University of Birmingham.
Funding: £3500 from July 2008.
Scenario-based learning material for use in a virtual environment
The project aims to develop scenario-based learning material for use in a virtual learning environment to develop construction engineering skills for university students. Situational learning on construction sites takes place in a fast-moving and pressurised environment, and calls for a range of mature judgements and decisions, often with limited resources and support. Immersion in virtual reality offers the opportunity for deep personal learning, and scenarios chosen for development need to be appropriately rooted in the demands of the industry. The project will develop realistic scenarios for use in developing the skills of construction engineering students which have been designed from specific observations of two separate construction projects, including aspects of engineering design, production and construction.
Project Co-ordinator: Paul Yates, Coventry University
Funding: £3250 from October 2007.
Enhancing the Engineering Syllabus
Made in London
Make Your Mark is a government funded campaign designed to create an enterprising culture among young people in the UK. The campaign uses a huge range of entrepreneurial role models who have inspirational stories to engage young people. One of the resources produced by Make Your Mark has been a DVD showcasing some young entrepreneurial role models in manufacturing in the London area. The purpose of this project is to produce supporting teaching materials that will aid the use of this DVD as a teaching tool for engineering undergraduates to understand and appreciate the importance of generic skills that they are taught.
Project Co-ordinators: Liz Read, Royal Academy of Engineering and Peter Johnson,
University College London
.
Funding: £3500 from July 2008.
Not taught, but self managed - student learning across disciplines
The 'advice letter' model addresses needs identified in recent government policy reviews and has been favourably commented on by UK IPO and the patent profession. It is a way of enabling engineers to learn about IPR, and IP lawyers to understand innovation that has been developed and evaluated during the original project. This project aims to establish the 'Advice letter' as a model for facilitating cross disciplinary student learning and for facilitating student self-managed learning.
Project Co-ordinators: Jim Roach, Design, Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University
Project Partners: Ruth Soetendorp, Department of Law, Bournemouth University, Janice Denoncourt - Buckingham and Nottingham Trent
University's.
Funding: £3500 from March 2008.
Subject Centre Contact: Liz Willis.
Socio-centric sustainability for Engineers and Product Designers
The project aims to provide a resource for undergraduate engineering and product design students that will give them a better understanding of the implications with respect to the human expectations of sustainable solutions to engineering problems. The resource will be developed from a literature review and an evaluation of existing learning and teaching resources for sustainable design.
Project Co-ordinator: Tania Humphries-Smith, Bournemouth University
Funding: £3,500 from April 2008
The inclusion of Robots within problem-solving
This three-year (two-cycle) Action Research project aimed to develop a creative thinking and problem solving process skills capability in students, using firstly LEGO RCX and more recently LEGO Mindstorm NXT robots as a means of providing the motivation within a Problem Based Learning (PBL) scenario. In the first cycle, mediation of the creative problem solving process was enabled through classroom-based sessions and in the second cycle through the use of Reusable Learning Objects within a Blackboard-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
The use of the LEGO robots enabled problem ownership, motivation and visualisation through a student-generated challenge. The challenge scenario also provided the opportunity for students to acquire and develop a number of further creative problem solving skills, including: the need for visualisation techniques, the desire for realistic experiential learning activities, the value of developing critical and reflective thinking skills, and the ability to work in teams.
Further details about this research work
Mini-project report: Developing Key Engineering Graduate Skills using Learning Objects
Project Co-ordinators: Jonathan Adams and Scott Turner, Northampton University.
Funding: £2500 from June 2007; continuation: £3500 from August 2008.
The Online Student Individual Project Management System
OSIPMS enables academic staff to effectively manage student project activities and students will benefit from OSIPMS as it is an enabling tool for them to submit weekly journals and to reflect on their current progress, whilst maintaining an up-to-date online project plan. The complexity of managing multiple projects will be simplified through a simple to use web application that is accessible anywhere, anytime.
Project Co-ordinators: Johann Siau, Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering, University of Hertfordshire.
Funding: £3500 from March 2007.