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Mini-Project Resources

The Engineering Subject Centre has funded a number of learning and teaching research and development Mini-Projects. The findings and resources from completed projects are all applicable to the wider engineering community and are now available from this website for you to make use of. All of the resources are highlighted below and available via our Resource Database. They include teaching methodology guides, tutorial sheets and implementation and evaluation reports.

Resources now available from previously funded Mini-Projects:

 

The design of computer based maths toolbox for engineering students
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.

 

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.

 

Engineering your Workplace Advantage
Engineering your Workplace Advantage has been developed as a personal development planning (PDP) resource specifically for Engineering degree students. The aims of the project were to help engineering students make clearer links between their academic study and workplace activities, and to develop self-awareness and self-presentation skills for more effective applications and selection. These Engineering-specific materials encourage PDP processes such as skills articulation, reflection on learning, and action-planning within an employability context. The resources support professional development activities and competencies as outlined by the Engineering Council and expectations by professional bodies.

The material builds on skills workshops with undergraduate students at levels four and six and has been developed to incorporate greater understanding of employability and skills transferability. Twelve tasks include building skills needed for specific academic assignments, prompts to connect learning in different contexts, and refining personal evidence for use in selection processes. Careers resources are also provided, including graduate case studies as a basis for a careers exploration exercise.

Project Co-ordinators: Andrea Duncan, PDP Coordinator, University of Northampton.

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Developing peer-assessment of short writing tasks in a large, lecture based Engineering course
This project aimed to improve the writing skills of undergraduate engineering students through short embedded writing tasks and peer-assessment. It also aimed to help staff develop the expertise required to set short writing tasks, write clear assessment criteria and implement peer-assessment. The project investigated whether peer-assessment of the writing tasks provided detailed and timely feedback for students without greatly increasing staff workloads. Moreover it investigated whether students develop a greater understanding of the assessment process and accept the gradings of peer-assessors. Finally, it explored whether staff developed confidence in the use of peer-assessment and found it reliable and efficient. The write-up for this project can found here, which is part of the Thinking Writing website from Queen Mary, University of London.

Project Co-ordinators: Julia Shelton and Sally Mitchell, Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL)

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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. The Co-oridnators of this project proposed extending an existing IOLM, classifying learner knowledge to key areas of UKSPEC so students could check they were meeting requirements for an accredited degree; and lecturers (and departments) could identify whether individuals met specific learning outcomes. The main UKSPEC report is now available.

Project Co-ordinators: Susan Bull and Peter Gardner, University of Birmingham.

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An Indicative Costing Tool for University Taught Engineering Modules
An interim recommendation by the Royal Academy of Engineering on the Henley Report (March 2006) Educating Engineers for the 21st Century, stated that engineering courses need to be more aligned with industry and include more collaborative working, especially in placements.  This is an expensive provision and “the increased costs of ‘hands-on’ engineering training must be recognised.”  This project produced a financial tool for the indicative costing of teaching modules in engineering for existing provision as well as profiling possible new provision as outlined in the Henley Report.

During this first phase information was collected on the amount of staff time spent on module administrative duties, teaching and assessment on taught modules only and NOT online, project or design modules.

The completed costing tool is available below. (The tool requires Microsoft Access to operate.)

Downloading instructions (2 options below):

Option (1):

  • If you have WinZip or Windows XP left-click on this link, choose to download or save the Zip file then when copied to your local machine, unzip the folder. The Zip file contains the costing tool (the .mde file) and also the evaluation documentation detailed below.

Option (2):

  • Right-click on this link: completed costing tool, then select "Save link as..." or Save Target As...." Note: Don't left-click this link, you will get an incompatible Word file.
  • When the "Save as.." dialog box comes up or once the file is downloaded onto your computer change the filename extension from .txt to .mde.

There is a Guide to Using the Costing Tool available here along with a quick evaluation questionnaire. The Mini-Project Report is also available.

If anyone is interested in this topic then please contact Pat Maier

Project Co-ordinator: Pat Maier School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton

ReLOAD : Real Labs Operated At Distance
ReLOAD (Real Labs Operated At Distance) is a system developed to grant Leeds’ students virtually unlimited remote access to experimental equipment. The system was later adopted successfully by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and has been in use ever since. A mini-project grant was obtained to develop equipment and teaching material that could be shared and used by students at Leeds and University College London (UCL). The project was successful, and ReLOAD has now been adopted at UCL. Continuation funding has allowed the system to be expanded enabling automated Submission, Assessment, Feedback and Evaluation (SAFE). This new system (ReLOAD-SAFE) has been used to deliver identical remote experiments in vibration to two different groups of students, one at Leeds and the other at UBC. Using different equipment, ReLOAD has also been used by students at UCL and Leeds in a separate study to deliver control based remote experiments. The project has shown not only how technology and equipment can be developed by cooperation but how learning resources can be developed in collaboration between academic partners. Evaluation of the system has shown it to be robust, reliable and popular with staff and students at each of the institutions involved. The developers are keen to develop links with other institutions interested in using this system and have recently established a special interest group in this area called internet Accessible Laboratory Experiments (iALE). The main ReLoad report is now available. Related case study: The use of Real Labs Operated At a Distance (ReLOAD) as a teaching aid.

Project Co-ordinator: Martin Levesley, Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds.

Seeing and Touching Structural Concepts - developing a student centre learning environment
The project aimed to re-develop the Seeing and Touching Structural Concepts website and to build up the images, simulations and video clips already created to aid student learning. The contents of the project website have been studied by first and third year Civil engineering students at the University of Manchester and a coursework assignment on the contents was completed by those in the third year. Collections of student’s coursework have been compiled into a booklet entitled, Enhancing the Understanding of Structural Concepts, which will be used to support student recruitment in the future.

All of the resources, images, simulations and video clips are now available from the Seeing and Touching Structural Concepts website for use with students.

Project Co-ordinator: Tianjian Ji, The University of Manchester.

Closing the distance: Development of a web-based Telelaboratory for process control engineering
The principal aim of the project was to enhance the teaching and learning of process dynamics and control by developing an interactive software environment in Labview that combines the concepts of virtual and remote real experiments. The remote experiments were combined with video and sound transmission to create the sensation of being present at the experimental rig.  The aim was to develop experimental rigs which could be used in the classroom to illustrate theoretical concepts of process control with real-time experiments on real processes.

A website has been launched show-casing the laboratory, which can be found from the following link: www.ilough-lab.com. A paper was also written for the Engineering Education 2008 Conference: The TriLab, a Novel View of LaboratoryEducation.

Project Co-ordinator: Zoltan Nagy, Loughborough University.

Peer Assisted Learning using Advanced Web Technologies
This project explored the use of new web technologies for engineering education. A Wiki was designed and implemented with a view to enhancing existing PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) provision for first year students on an IEE accredited Electronic and Electrical Engineering programme. The project evaluated the work in terms of the 3 main stakeholders; students, student leaders and staff and the project report offers guidance for educators wishing to implement such technologies within existing PAL provision.

Project Co-ordinators: Scarlett Xiao and John Hayes, School of Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering, University of Hertfordshire

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Design for Behavioural Change
This project explored how design (in the broadest sense) can influence user behaviour to reduce the social and environmental impacts of products during use.  The project website- Design Behaviour , aimed at students and academics in Engineering Design, Human Sciences, Industrial Design, Product Design and Built Environment, compliments functional issues in design and builds on the impending requirements of the European Energy using Product directive (EuP).  The website encourages design-led approaches to behavioural change and demonstrates how to apply these approaches in practice through inspirational case studies.
An end of project report - Design for behavioural change is also available.

Project Co-ordinators: Vicky Lofthouse and Debra Lilley, Loughborough University.

 

Case Study Centred Teaching Materials for a Foundation degree in Chemical Technology
Redcar and Cleveland College used their Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Project funding to develop case study materials to link teaching with the required learning outcomes of an actual problem faced by Vopak, one of four employers (BASF, Dow Haltermann, Huntsman & Vopak) sending students on a Foundation Degree programme at Redcar and Cleveland College in 2006/7. The materials, now freely available for use by the educational community, include a description of the scenario, a diagram to illustrate the problem and a set of problems/calculations to be solved by the students.

Project Co-ordinator: David Craddock, Redcar and Cleveland College.

Education for sustainable development in engineering: report of a Delphi consultation
The aim of this Mini-Project, based at the University of Manchester, was to produce guidance for Engineering schools in designing modules or threads to embed sustainable development within the curriculum.  The project undertook a modified ‘Delphi’ study to bring convergence of the views of experts from a range of engineering disciplines on sustainable development in the engineering curriculum.


Project Co-ordinators: Bland Tomkinson, Charles Engel and Rosemary Tomkinson, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, The University of Manchester

Intellectual Property in the Engineering Syllabus - a Model for Integrating Key but not Core Concepts across the Disciplines

An understanding of intellectual property rights (IPR) is key to the working life of engineers and related creative professions. At the same time, IPR is not seen as core and can, therefore, be perceived as marginal, within the constraints of the curriculum. In this collaborative project the interaction between lawyers and engineers has been considered through analysis of the current body of literature and project surveys. The activities of international bodies, educational requirements of commercial organisations and curriculum development within university departments have been highlighted. A report and additional resources are available from the project website.

Project Co-ordinators: Ruth Soetendorp, Bournemouth University (e-mail:rsoetend@bournemouth.ac.uk) and Jim Roach, Bournemouth University.

The Wider Teaching of Sustainability based upon Student Perceptions and the Expectations of Professional Bodies 
This Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Project report examines student views, perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the teaching of sustainability. The findings are considered alongside the expectations of professional bodies and those setting the agenda for sustainability within engineering education. The outcomes of the study are discussed in relation to potential strategies for incorporating the teaching of sustainability in engineering programmes.

Project Co-ordinator: Roger Penlington, School of Informatics, Engineering and Technology, University of Northumbria

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The use of On-Line Practical Classes to Reinforce Theoretical Concepts in Engineering and Construction courses
Practicals are essential to reinforce the theoretical concepts in engineering and construction courses but large class sizes, out-dated equipment and the time demands of coordinating formal laboratories are a drain on resources. To maximise the impact of laboratory-practicals on learning outcomes and to reduce their cost, Wayne Hall, University of Plymouth, has developed a series of interactive simulations and movie clips to reinforce theoretical concepts in a structures module. The e-practicals based on virtual tensile tests are now available for you to use with your students.

Project Co-ordinator: Wayne Hall, School of Engineering, University of Plymouth

Smart Laboratory Instruction Sheets (SLIS)


This project developed ‘smart’ laboratory instruction sheets using advanced features of Microsoft Word 2003. The approach allows students to receive help and advice from the computer on various aspects of the experiment and to enter results directly via the keyboard. Feedback is given on formative exercises and a final summative test is automatically assessed.

The approach was tested via two experiments in basic electrical science with a class of 85 engineering foundation students during the 2006/7 academic year. The SLIS examples and case study of their use at Coventry are now available.

Project Co-ordinator: Nigel Poole, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, University of Coventry

How to make electricity
This project has developed an overview of the history of electricity, with an emphasis on Faraday as part of  the Engineering Timelines website. Clare Sims, Engineering Timelines and Frank James, UCL worked on this first page of a new wing of the site titled “The How To Series", where interactive web narratives will lead users through key concepts in the history of engineering.

Case studies for chemical product design teaching
The need to guarantee and reinforce the competitiveness of the chemical industry by incorporating chemical product design topics into undergraduate curricula has been well recognised in recent years. However, finding examples to illustrate concepts remains a major difficulty faced by those involved in teaching this subject.  Geoff Moggridge and Raquel Costa, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge received Mini-Project funding to produce a web resource of case studies and sample problems that can be used as support for chemical product design courses taught in the UK and beyond.

Project Co-ordinators: Geoff Moggridge and Raquel Costa, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge

Using a competition assessment strategy for incorporating risk management into an undergraduate Civil Engineering course
This case study from the University of Plymouth examines the results of five years experience of applying a competition assessment strategy on undergraduate construction courses. The competition assessment strategy involved a problem-based learning approach in which students compete against their peers in running a virtual multi million pound construction organisation in a computer based business simulation.

Project Co-ordinator: John Reynolds, Civil Engineering, University of Portsmouth

Introductory Mechanics Leaflets

The Engineering Subject Centre report : responding to the changes in the teaching and learning of mechanics in schools, 2005, provided information about the changes in A-level mathematics and research confirmed that many engineering students start university with a limited knowledge of mechanics. It also found that a significant number of schools no longer offer mechanics as part of their mathematics courses.

In response 19 A4 leaflets on introductory topics in mechanics have been produced as part of this Mini-Project based at Loughborough University. The topics covered closely follow the syllabi of A-level and explain principles in mechanics, provide worked examples and exercises and answers. The quick reference leaflets are available to all students and staff via the mathcentre website.

Project Co-ordinators: Martin Harrison, Carol Robinson Mathematics Education Centre, Loughborough University and Ted Graham, the Centre for Teaching Mathematics, University of Plymouth

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Establishing an Appropriate Web Resource for Engineering Fundamentals
This report describes the work undertaken as part of an Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Project to develop a web resource for students to help them understand fundamental principles of engineering and socio-economic research topics. The aim was to provide a web resource that the students would adopt as a learning environment they could shape and manage according to their needs. The report describes the three different web technologies that were investigated as potential tools for the student learning resource (Adiuri, Zope and TWiki) and explains why a TWiki was selected as the most suitable.

Project Co-ordinator: Andrew King, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol

Interactive Support Materials for Engineering
Building on a previously funded Mini-Project, PDF Support Materials for Engineering, the project co-ordinators from the University of Plymouth have produced four new interactive packages , which will be of especial use to students in the field of communications and electronic engineering including:

  • Electrical Sources and Units
  • Electrical Amplifier Models and Gain
  • Further Boolean Algebra
  • Phasors

This software is freely available to any student with access to the internet. The packages provide immediate feedback to students and help them with their learning. The full range of these packages (including those produced by the previous project to support algebra) and some instructions can be obtained from their Mathematics Support Materials website. 

Project Co-ordinators: Frank Hamer, Robin Horan and Martin Lavelle, School of Computing, Communications & Electronics and the School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Plymouth.

Creating Assessment Choice for Engineering Students
This case study was carried out as part of an Engineering Subject Centre Mini-Project by the School of Engineering and the Staff-Student Partnership for Assessment Change (SPACE) Project, at the University of Plymouth. SPACE is a three year (2002-05) HEFCE-funded collaborative project developing and promoting inclusive approaches to assessment. The Mini-Project provided the opportunity to approach assessment in an innovative way. The case study outlines how a range of assessment choices were offered to Architecture and Environmental Building degree students during their structures module.

Project Co-ordinators: Melanie Parker, Disability Assist Services and David Easterbrook, Civil Engineering, University of Plymouth

Design of an Objective Assessment Tool to Evaluate Students' Basic Electrical Engineering Skills
This resource is the result of a Mini-Project at the University of Hertfordshire. The project looked at designing an objective assessment tool to evaluate students' basic electrical engineering skills through their university curriculum. A number of short exercises were developed which relate to different aspects of electronic engineering. The report covers the effectiveness of this method and how it has been implemented.

Project Co-ordinators: Nandini D Alinier and Guillaume Alinier, School of Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering, University of Hertfordshire

Day Projects in Engineering Degrees : A Guide to Implementation.
 The aim of this guide is to inform the reader of the advantages of Day Projects in Engineering degrees. It is a resource for University teachers who may wish to introduce such projects into their curriculum. In addition to describing a range of important factors for introducing intensive one day projects, and the key elements of project design, the guide also gives details of Day Projects undertaken at the Universities of Hertfordshire and Portsmouth with video examples of interactions illustrating different styles of facilitation.

Project Co-ordinator: Kate Williams, Electronics, Communication and Electrical Engineering, University of Hertfordshire

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Lab Accessibility for Disabled Students
This short guide provides guidance on how to make engineering course labs accessible to all disabled students and covers teaching aims, location, equipment, lab environment, timing and preparation. Also available from the Mini-Project is a Case study on evaluating accessibility and use of a laboratory by a student who uses a wheelchair and a blind member of staff.

Project Co-ordinator: Marion Hersh, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow

The Application of Computer Algebra Software in the Teaching of Engineering Mathematics Case Study
 This case study is the result of a Mini-Project which investigated the use of computer algebra software in the teaching of maths to a mixed ability class of first-year Chemical Engineers. The aim was to improve student achievement and understanding in maths, whilst introducing them to a useful tool that can be applied in other contexts throughout the course. The project also produced related work sheets in Maple.

Project Co-ordinator: Chris Rielly, Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University

Improving Student Success and Retention Through Greater Participation and Tackling Student Unique Tutorial Sheets
 This Report is about a Computer Assisted Assessment (CAA) programme trialled at the University of Hertfordshire. The report discusses how the programme developed, delivered, collected, marked and provided feedback for the weekly-assessed tasks of individual students and how this influenced student success. The available is a series of 11 tutorial sheets.

Project Co-ordinators: Mark Russell and Peter Bullen, Aerospace, automotive and mechanical engineering, University of Hertfordshire

Portable Learning and Assessment - Towards Ubiquitous Education
This report briefly discusses potential uses for Personal Digital Assistants ( PDAs) for engineering students, especially those with a disability. The PDA is a small, portable handheld computer that typically comes equipped with diary and personal organiser tools. A PDA normally has the ability to synchronise and exchange data with a desktop computer and can be customised by installing extra applications, thus enabling the PDA to be utilised in many ways.

Project Co-ordinators: Jane Magill and Jon Tinder, Robert Clark Centre for Technological Education, University of Glasgow

Tool Box for Sustainable Design Education
This Toolbox has been created for lecturers in engineering and design who recognise the importance of including Sustainable Design in undergraduate and postgraduate engineering and design courses, and are looking for guidance and material to support the development of a module of this nature. The material in the Toolbox can be used to create lectures and modules for undergraduate and postgraduate engineers and designers. A limited number of copies of the Tool Box are also available on CD-Rom.

Project Co-ordinators: Tracy Bhamra and Vicky Lofthouse, Design and Technology, Loughborough University

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Putting Engineering First and Mathematics Second in Engineering Education
This report was a result of the 'Minimal-mathematics introduction to engineering' Mini- Project. The project sought to collate, develop and disseminate new ways of teaching engineering topics to mathematically-deficient new students. The Mini-Project funding enabled the development of a guidebook to equip engineering lecturers with new material that enables them to approach some of the introductory engineering topics and principles in a way that puts engineering first and mathematics second without lowering standards.

Project Co-ordinator: Ifiok Otung, Department of Electronics, University of Glamorgan

Group projects in a virtual environment: A study of group dynamics and the effectiveness of self and peer assessment.
This report is a result of the 'Self and peer assessment of group projects in a virtual environment' Mini-Project, which aimed to understand how new technologies can be effectively implemented to maximise the learning outcomes of students whilst ensuring that assessment of performance is fair and easy. The report presented the findings of a study completed with 2nd year chemical engineering students who were arranged into small groups based on their character types and given tasks to perform in a newly developed virtual reality environment.

Project Co-ordinator : Edward Lester, School of Chemical Environmental and Mining, The University of Nottingham

Enhancing Transferable Skills Development in Group Projects through use of Training Exercises.
The Mini-Project investigated an enhanced approach to the development of transferable skills within student group projects. The aim of the manual is to provide practical guidance for lecturers developing and running coupled projects. It includes case studies on team, meeting and negotiation skills.

Project Co-ordinator : Colin Smith, Civil and Structural Engineering, The University of Sheffield

Systematic Learning Guidance for Engineering Students
The project was concerned with the development of a systematic and responsive means to help engineering students adapt quickly to the university learning environment, develop effective study habits and engage fully in PDP. Together with data on entry qualifications, attendance and end of year examination performance, the data collected show that entry qualifications plus attendance records give a rough prediction of success in summative assessment, but that students’ own analysis of their progress is inconsistent and unreliable. A set of Intended Learning Outcomes for learning is presented. Details are also provided of a continuation project intended to extend the support given to students, permanently embed the processes involved within the department and improve retention.

Project Co-ordinator : Warren Houghton, School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Exeter

A project to produce an analogue robot kit for Key Stage 3 students
This case study is a result of the 'A prototype robot design project to promote electronics in schools' Mini-Project. The idea behind this project is to enthuse students about electronic engineering by asking them to produce a product, which is of practical use, but requires in-depth electronic skills and knowledge. The results show that the project provides factors which can motivate students towards deep learning and these can be implemented in other engineering projects.

Project Co-ordinator: Sherri Johnstone, School of Engineering, University of Durham

The Evaluation of a Zero Tolerance Assessment Safety for Incorporating Risk Assessment into Undergraduate Construction Related Courses
This project analysed the results of three years experience of applying a zero tolerance assessment strategy to undergraduate construction courses. The Case study describes how coursework submissions are assessed by pass / fail criteria, with a pass requirement being set at a high level. Students who do not achieve this level are given further opportunities to resubmit the work for a reduced mark. The coursework grade awarded is based on the reciprocal of the number of opportunities the student has taken to achieve the pass criteria. The Report suggests that the strategy can be applied to all engineering courses and has been particularly useful in integrating Health & Safety attitudes into a conventional engineering syllabus.

Project Co-ordinator: John Reynolds, Civil Engineering, University of Portsmouth

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'Hands On', A Guide for Creating and Using Engineering Digital Video Content to Innovate Teaching and Learning
Hands On is an interactive website designed by the Engineering Education Centre at Loughborough University on using digital video and audio for teaching. The site has been designed with the beginner in mind but includes links to more advanced sites. The site has three main parts: Quick introduction, generic steps and real world examples.

Project Co-ordinator: Geoff Hodgson, Civil Engineering, Loughborough University

The Development of a Web-Delivered Physics Diagnostic Instrument for detecting Misconceptions of Physics Principles

The report describes how a question bank of over 180 questions, referred to as the Engineering Diagnostic Database (EDD) was developed and tested using Questionmark Perception. Web-based pilots with 6th form students and paper based tests issued to first year engineering degree students have provided the indications of the topics with which students experience difficulty. The results are expected to be valuable to all who have an interest in engineering formation.

Project Co-ordinator: Norrie Edward, School of Engineering, The Robert Gordon University

Working as Part of a Balanced Team
This project considered the effects of defining groups by using a systematic and rational method that identifies balanced teams as defined by the Belbin technique. The results of this project were disseminated to all members of staff within the School of Engineering, the University and the Industrial Advisory Board via routine meetings and seminars.

Project Co-ordinator: Dr Daphne O'Doherty, Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University

Challenging the Role of Mathematics in Engineering Education
This project aimed to explore the idea that since most engineering graduates no longer use classical mathematical skills, engineering teachers could substantially rethink the whole approach to their subject in order to eliminate the need for much of classical mathematics, without damage to the quality of the 'engineering' element of students educational experience or to their final performance as professional engineers.

Project Co-ordinator: Professor Jack W Ponton, Chemical Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

To Enhance Final Year Students' Group Working Skills
This project aimed to evaluate the thinking preferences of final year undergraduate students who were about to embark on a group activity. A newly developed psychometric tool known as 'thinking styles' was used to provide each student with a personal profile. The students received individual feedback on their thinking preferences as well as the insight into how others think and how to interact with people with different thinking preferences, prior to them participating in a group exercise. The results of this project and the potential of this thinking styles approach have been submitted for publication as a journal paper and we look forward to provide further details as soon as they are available.

Project Co-ordinator: Dr Alison Halstead, School of Engineering, Coventry University

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