C&ENVENG 4034 - Engineering Management IV

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2014

This course includes group decision-making, the development of the individual, and the importance of communication and interpersonal skills in the engineering environment. Students gain an understanding of work preferences and personal interactions through self-analysis, experience and reflection. In addition students are introduced to a range of business management topics including, but not limited to, contract law, competition law, ethics and change management. Assessment is through group projects, presentations and a competitive engineering proposal.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code C&ENVENG 4034
    Course Engineering Management IV
    Coordinating Unit School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Eng
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Incompatible ELEC ENG 4040
    Restrictions Available to B.Engineering students only
    Assessment may include assignments &/or exam - further details available at beginning of semester
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Michael Leonard

    Room: N232, Engineering North
    Phone: 8313 0598
    Email: michael.leonard@adelaide.edu.au
    Web: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/michael.leonard


    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Week Tuesday 11am-1pm Friday 2pm-4pm Comments
    1 Learning Styles, Course Objectives Learning Activity: Improvement Plan Online Allocation Quiz, Interview Assessment Discussed
    2 Learning Activity: Critical Analysis Learning Activity: Creativity Critical Analysis Essay, New Skill Assessment Discussed
    3 Lecture: Group Manamgent Assignment Group Time Group Assignment Discussed
    4 Group Time Group Time Improvement Plan Due (see*)
    5 Communication: Written Communication: Guest Lecture
    6 Communication: Spoken Communication: Guest Lecture Group Assignment Due (15%)
    Break Mid Semester Break Mid Semester Break
    7 Industry Perspective Lecture: GHD Design Proposal & Client Briefing Critical Analysis Essay Due (5%), Proposal Discussed
    8 Management Lecture: Personal Organisation Law Guest Lecture
    9 Activity: Proposal Mentor Meeting Activity: Team Based Learning TBL, in class (3%)
    10 Management Lecture: Personal Leadership Law Guest Lecture Personal Reflection Due (see*)
    11 Activity: Proposal Mentor Meeting Activity: Team Based Learning Proposal Assignment Due (15%), TBL in class (3%)
    12 Activity: Proposal Presentations Course Review, Juggling New Skill Demonstration (4%)
    13 Scheduled Interviews All Week Scheduled Interviews All Week Interview Assessment (10% *incl improvement plan, reflection paper)
    Exam Multiple Choice, Short Answer Exam (45%) Questions taken from any course content (incl. guest lectures)
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1. Develop an understanding of the breadth of management and legal aspects in engineering {C}
    2. Identify cognitive and affective domain strengths and weaknesses {C}
    3. Understand dynamics of interpersonal communication and judiciously apply these skills in group collaboration {C}
    4. Apply different formats to create works containing effective, clear communication {C}
    5. Demonstrate ability to collaborate within a diverse group of people {C}
    6. Evaluate and synthesize multiple information sources {C}
    7. Assess client requirements and propose coherent feasible solutions {C}
    8. Develop confidence dealing with uncertainty {A}
    9. Foster a culture of professional development through reflection and peer oriented learning {C, A}
    10. To promote the attitude of life-long-learning {A}
    {C=Congnitive Domain, Bloom's Taxonomy; A=Affective Domain, Bloom's Taxonomy}
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1, 4
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 6
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 3, 5, 7
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 3, 5, 8
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 2, 10
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 9
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 1
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbook: There is no specified textbook for this course.  However a number of example texts that are relevant are listed below. Students are encouraged to research and locate relevant sources for their assigned and chosen topics. The sources may be traditional managment books, but equally could be taken from a broader pool of texts provided relevance can be shown.

    Lecture notes: There are no formal lecture notes for this course. Lecture material will be made available on MyUni.  Additional resources/notes will also be made available on MyUni as appropriate. 

    Course Profile: This course profile is a required resource and is discussed at length during the first lecture.  It contains valuable information relating to the requirements of the course (including assessment).  It is assumed that all students have read and understood the requirements outlined in this profile.  Any changes to course requirements (including deadlines) will be communicated through MyUni announcements.
    Recommended Resources
    There are many other resources that are relevant to this course.  The following is an example of the types of material useful in this course, the list is by no means exhaustive:

    Adair, J. Effective Leadership, Pan, revised edition 1988
    Adair, J. Effective Teambuilding, Pan edition 1987.
    Black, Octavius and Bailey, Sebastian “The Mind Gym”, Time Warner, 2005. (www.themindgym.com)
    Bolton, R, People Skills, Touchstone Book, Simon and Schuster NY, 1979
    Covey, S.R. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster NY, 1989
    Dandy, G.C., Walker, D.J., Daniell, T.M. and Warner, R.F. Planning and Design of Engineering Systems (2nd Edition), Taylor and Francis, Oxfordshire, UK, 2007
    DeBono, Edward I am Right You are Wrong  Penguin Books, 1991.
    Edwards, J., Butler, J., Hill, B., and Russell, S People Rules for Rocket Scientists, Samford Research Assoc Pty Ltd, 1997
    Gelb M.J., Buzan, Tony Lessons from the art of Juggling, Aurum Press 1995.
    Goleman D Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1998
    Goleman D Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1995
    Hanna Paul You can do it, Penguin Books Australia, 1997.
    Heider, J. The Tao of Leadership, Bantam Ed, 1988
    Johnson, D.W. and F.P. Johnson Joining together: Group Theory and Group Skills 7th ed, 2001
    Keirsey, D. and M. Bates Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament types, Gnosology Books, Del Mar, CA 1984. (also on a web site)
    Mc Shane Steven and Travaglione Tony Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim McGraw Hill 2003.
    Messing Bob The Tao of Management An Age old Study for New Age Mangers, Dragon Books, 1992
    Quilliam, Susan. Body Language, Carlton Books Ltd, 1995
    Samson Danny, Daft, Richard Management Pacfic Rim Edition 2003.
    Templar Richard The rules of Management, Prentice Hall Business, 2005.
    Woodcock, M. and Francis D. The Unblocked Manager: A Practical Guide to Self Development, Gower 1982.

    Online Learning
    Course information, lecture slides, assignments and additional resources will all be available on MyUni. Given the nature of many of the lecture activities, slides are made available only after the lecture.

    MyUni Announcements:  The announcement section will be used to notify students of important information with critical announcements (changes to deadlines etc) also emailed to students. It is assumed, and expected, that students take note of these announcements.

    MyMedia:  Lectures will typically be recorded throughout the course. The lecturer will advise when and how the recorded lectures will be released.  However, MyMedia recordings are made for revision purposes and are not considered as a replacement for attendance at lectures. Guest lectures are generally not recorded.

    Discussion Board: The discussion board will be used and forums will be set up for assignments.  The discussion board will also be used as a consultation tool for contact with the lecturers.  Questions for the lecturer of a general nature relating to the course or assignment requirements should be posted on MyUni.  This allows the responses to be viewed by other students with similar questions and ensures that all students are given the same information.

    Electronic Submission:  Assessment tasks will typically be submitted (and returned) electronically.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course consists of a set of integrated learning activities designed to provide the student with the opportunity to achieve the course learning objectives in a supportive and motivating context. 

    Each session has been divided into discrete blocks which allow a mix of lecture and student interaction.  Students will work in groups to have the opportunity to interact with others and learn from different perspectives.

    The course is structured such that the students are given the opportunity to learn course content through personal reflection, experience of the lecturers, guest lecturers, and their peers.  The learning from peers will occur throughout group activities but also through the group management assignment.  The group management assignment and team based learning (TBL) sessions have been developed as student and peer – orientated learning activities.  This is consistent with the workplace, where the majority of skills are developed through working with peers.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements. Note that University guidelines suggest that the average (full-time) student should spend 48 hours per week to achieve a Credit. For a three unit course this equates to 144 hours for an average student to achieve a Credit.


    Activity Contact Hours Private Study Hours Total
    Lectures 20 10 (0.5-1.0 review per lecture) 30
    Critical Analysis Essay (5%) - 9 9
    Learning a New Skill (4%) - 10 10
    Interview (10%)
    Development Plan - 3 3
    Interview Preparpation/Review - 3 3
    Reflection - 12 12
    Group Management Assignment (15%)
    Preparation 4 (group meetings) 10 (per person in group) 14
    Review of other groups - 20 20
    TBL sessions (6%) 4 - 4
    Proposal assignment (15%)  
    Preparation 4 (group meetings) 10 (per person in group) 14
    Client meetings 1 - 1
    Presentations 1 - 1
    Exam (45%) 3 20 23
    TOTALS 37 107 144
    Learning Activities Summary
    The structured learning activities consist of face-to-face lectures, guest lectures, topical discussion, mentor meetings, an interview and opportunities for students to work on assignments in their groups.
    Specific Course Requirements
    The course has been designed as an interactive course and students are expected to attend and participate in the structured sessions.

    Guest Lectures are compulsory and all students are expected to attend. Students who are unable to attend these sessions are required to make alternate arrangements with the lecturer. All material
    presented is assessable. Details of guest lectures will be provided in advance.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    No information currently available.

    Assessment Related Requirements
    In order to pass this course, students must obtain at least 40% in the primary exam.  If this requirement is not met (but the student still obtains a calculated grade of 50% or more for the course) a grade of ‘Results Pending (RP)’ will be recorded and an academic supplementary exam offered.

    Students offered a supplementary exam on academic grounds will be required to pass the supplementary exam to pass the course, and can only receive a maximum grade of 50% in accordance with University policies (see Section 8).
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment details and assessment criteria for each assignment is provided on MyUni.
    Submission
    Submission details for specific assignments are provided with the assessment details on MyUni.  It is expected that all submissions are of a professional nature, have been self checked and are free of spelling and grammatical errors.  A standard 10% per day late penalty will apply (unless specified otherwise on the applicable assessment requirements)
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.