41203 Collaboration in Complex Projects
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Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): ((96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Honours Embedded Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Degree co-owned by FEIT OR 96 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree co-owned by FEIT) AND 41202 Professional Engineering Communication)
Description
The Indigenous peoples of Australia have lived sustainably in Australia for tens of thousands of years. Many of these approaches to sustainability are increasingly recognised as the application of sophisticated engineering principles that remain relevant today. Students work on a group design project with a focus on sustainability, especially in regard to Indigenous approaches to sustainability and environmental stewardship. In this subject, students develop their understanding of Indigenous knowledge.
This subject can be considered the capstone of the core, in that it asks students to practice skills they have developed as well as demonstrate graduate-level skills and understanding in teamwork and sustainability, and the progressive development of their Indigenous Professional Capability. Building on students’ introduction to engineering teamwork through collaborating on design projects in Introduction to Engineering Projects and Designing Sustainable Engineering Projects, in this subject, students are expected to apply what they have learned about collaboration to working collegially in diverse teams on a challenging project in a complex context. Students are also challenged to further develop and apply their understanding of sustainability, to advance beyond what was introduced in previous core subjects.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Incorporate considerations of Indigenous Australian culture into a design process and solution. (A.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Demonstrate an understanding of respectful communication with the diversity of Indigenous stakeholders. (A.1) |
| 3. | Report on sustainability to a professional standard in complex engineering projects. (B.1) |
| 4. | Collaborate in diverse interdisciplinary teams and with stakeholders to achieve problem solutions. (E.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Indigenous Professional Capability: FEIT graduates are culturally and historically well informed, able to co-design projects as respectful professionals when working in and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. (A.1)
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, interpret and analyse stakeholder needs and cultural perspectives, establish priorities and goals, and identify constraints, uncertainties and risks (social, ethical, cultural, legislative, environmental, economics etc.) to define the system requirements. (B.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:
- 1.5. Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
- 1.6. Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline.
- 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
- 3.6. Effective team membership and team leadership.
Teaching and learning strategies
Teaching and learning will happen in weekly tutorial sessions where students will work in groups to deliver a design solution, including low-fidelity prototypes, to a complex engineering project with a focus on the Indigenous stakeholders who have an interest in the project outcomes.
The structure of the subject will be studio-like, with the first weeks being structured activities and research ensuring all students understand the project requirements and aims. The following weeks, students will take agency in planning and executing the project, reporting back on their progress in informal weekly feedback discussions to the tutorial class.
Written assessments will include a demonstration of how students have applied appropriate respectful communication in their verbal or written submissions.
Content (topics)
The subject will cover topics such as:
- Teamwork and collaboration in professional engineering practice
- Financial consideration for sustainable solution design
- Complexity as a feature of engineering practice
- Local, international and specific sustainability reporting requirements
- Case studies of Indigenous culture and knowledge relevant to engineering (historical and contemporary)
- Appropriate terminology and protocols for communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Collaboration and Teamwork Curation
| Intent: | Demonstrate collaboration skills with diverse interdisciplinary teams and other stakeholders. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): E.1 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1000 words + curated artefacts |
Assessment task 2: Requirements Elicitation
| Intent: | Develop an understanding of stakeholder needs to inform the project. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): A.1 and B.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | 1500 words |
Assessment task 3: Solution Delivery
| Intent: | To present a design solution in a professional context. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): A.1 and B.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 45% |
| Length: | 15-minute presentation, 2000-word document supporting documentation |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.