C&ENVENG 3222 - Research Methodologies and Project Management

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

The course introduces the project management tools and processes used to successfully execute and deliver engineering projects. These tools and processes will be applied to the development of a consolidated research plan for execution and control in the Research Project Part A and Part B courses over the next two semesters. The research plan will be based on recognised research methodologies and be prepared by small groups under the guidance of a supervising academic who is active within specified field of research. The course will cover topics including: Project management tools and processes (project plans, work breakdown structures, resource allocation, risk assessment, quality control, document control, project controls); research methodologies; literature review gap analysis. In additional the course will develop skills in the areas of verbal communication, written communication, critical analysis and teamwork.

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Course Details

Course Code	C&ENVENG 3222
Course	Research Methodologies and Project Management
Coordinating Unit	School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Eng
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Assessment	Assignments, Presentation, Literature Review, Research Plan

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Ms Bernie Foley

Research Methodologies content: Professor Holger Maier

Project Management Content: Bernadette Foley

Research Project coordination: Bree Bennett

Course Timetable

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

Activites for each timetabled session are detailed on MyUni. Students should review the MyUni timetable as the course has a mix of face-to-face and online activities.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	access, systematically search, assess, analyse, evaluate and reference relevant published works
2	identify and critically appraise current engineering developments, advanced technologies and emerging issues in a selected research area
3	identify and select appropriate research methodologies
4	explain standard project management approaches, particularly the role each PMBOK Knowledge Area and how they can be used to execute a project
5	identify and plan for project risks using defined risk assessment processes
6	develop a project management plan articulating how a given project is to be executed, including breaking down the project into manageable tasks
7	describe the role of quality management systems, tools and processes within a culture of continual improvement
8	demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively and professionally with others in the engineering profession and the community – written, oral and listening skills
9	reflect upon the fundamentals of team dynamics and demonstrate effective team membership
10	critique, review and differentiate the work of peers in an objective and constructive manner

The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer. The course is designed to develop the following Elements of Competency: 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6

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)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 3, 4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	6, 8, 9, 10
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	4, 5, 6, 7
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	8, 9, 10

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Textbook
There is no recommended text for this course. Where necessary extracts from relevant texts will be made available through MyUni.

Course materials
All required material and resources for this course will be made available through MyUni. Learning activities will include a combination of face-to-face activities, online activites and assessment tasks. Where PowerPoint slides are used for face-to-face lectures, these will also be made available on MyUni. The timing of their availability will be subject to the lecture content, the technical nature of the content and format of the lecture. However, PowerPoint slides should not be considered as a complete replicate of the lecture, as additional information not present in the slides is often given during lectures.

Recommended Resources

There are a number of resources that are relevant to this course. Where applicable, they will be referenced in the course material for further reading. They include:

Daellenbach, HG 1994, Systems and Decision Making - A Management Science Approach, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.

Dandy, GC, Walker, DJ, Daniell, TM & Warner, RF 2008, Planning and Design of Engineering Systems. Second Edition, Taylor and Francis, Abingdon, UK, ISBN 978-0-415-40552-2. This text is available online through the Barr Smith Library.

Dowling, DG, Carew, A & Hadgraft, RG 2013, Engineering your future : an Australasian guide, 2nd ed, John Wiley
& Sons Australia, Milton, Queensland.

Project Management Institute 2008, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Fourth Edition, ANSI/PMI 99-001-2008, Project Management Institute, Pennsylvania.

Online Learning

MyUni will be used for the course. Course information, lecture slides, assignments and additional resources will all be available on MyUni.

MyUni-Canvas and Lecture Recordings
This course will operate with the new MyUni Learning Management System platform, Canvas. Lecture recordings will also be available through Echo 360 on this platform, rather than through MyMedia. All face-to-face lectures will be recorded for revision and/or if attendence is not possible. However, the recordings are not intended to replace, or be a subsitute for, the face-to-face interactions. Online learning modules and resources will be used for content where an online delivery mode is considered most appropriate.

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.

MyUni Discussion Board
The discussion board will be used and forums will be created for assignments. The discussion board will also be used as a consultation channel for contact with teaching staff. Questions for teaching staff of a general nature relating to the course or assignment requirements are 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.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course consists of a set of integrated learning activities designed to provide students with the opportunity to achieve the course learning outcomes, in a supportive and relevant context. The course has been designed for active participation by students. Activities within this course are detailed in this course outline and include face-to-face lectures, online learning modules, in-class quizzes, a literature review, short talks and a project plan.

The majority of these activities are designed to be participative and directed at peer oriented or problem based learning. An allocated research project is central to all activities within the course. It is undertaken in groups, under the supervision of an academic supervisor. This course will set the scene for the continuation of the research project over the subsequent two semesters.

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. Consequently, the total workload for this course is 12 hours per week (144 hours in total) for an average student to achieve a Credit.

Activity	Contact Hours	Private Study Hours	Total
Lectures/online modules	20	10	30
Active Participation (5%)	NA	12	12
MS Project Task (5%)	1	7	8
Literature Review (30%)	NA	42	42
Project Plan (25%)	NA	25	25
Short Talks (15%)	5	10	15
In-class quizzes (20%)	2	10	12
TOTAL			144

Learning Activities Summary

Further information on the learning activities is provided on MyUni.

Small Group Discovery Experience

The research project conducted as part of this course is structured as a Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE).

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

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

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Weighting	Individual/Group	Due	Feedback	Learning Outcome
Active Participation	5%	Individual	Varies throughout semester	NA	1,7,8,9,10
MS Project	5%	Individual	Fri, Wk 5	2 weeks after	1,4,6,8
Literature Review	30%	Group	Tues, Wk 11	2 weeks after	1,2,3,8,9
Project Plan	25%	Group	Mon, Wk 13	End of course	3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Short Talk	15%	Individual	Wks 9-12	2 weeks after	8,10
In-class quizzes	20%	Individual	Wks 8 and 12	1 week after	1,2,4,5,7,9,10

This course has a registered exemption to Procedure 1 a. i. of the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, due to the groupwork component. Peer assessment of group members will be used to inform individual variations to groupwork marks.

Assessment Related Requirements

Groupwork
This course includes a group research project as part of a Small Group Discovery Experience. It will be undertaken in groups of 4, which will be chosen at the start of the semester. The active participation component of this course requires peer assessment of group members and confirmation of the individual contributions made to the project. Further detail of the peer assessment will be available on MyUni. To maintain the integrity of the assessment there is a requirement that all students equally contribute to each groupwork component of the course. Where there is evidence that a group member misrepresents their contribution, or the contribution of other group members, the Academic Honesty Policy may be applied.

Additional in-class quiz
A Replacement/Additional in-class quiz will be scheduled for the second week of the exam period. The date of this quiz will be confirmed after the exam timetable is released, to avoid clashes. The quiz will contain content from the entire course and will be a suitable replacement for both Quiz 1 and Quiz 2.

Students who are eligible for modified arrangements through the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy will be able to use the additional quiz as a replacement quiz and the mark obtained will be used in the calculation of the final course
result. To be eligible, a formal application (including satisfactory evidence) will be required as detailed in the linked policy.

Students who are not available for quizzes, and do not meet the eligibility requirements for modified arrangements (e.g. holidays, family committments, weddings, work etc.), will be able to sit the additional quiz but their result will be capped at 50% for the quiz that was not attended. To be eligible for this option students are required to seek approval from the Course Coordinator at least one week prior to each Quiz.

Assessment Detail

Full details of each assessment task will be provided through MyUni.

Submission

All submissions for the course will be electronic, through MyUni.

The deadline for all submissions will be 5 pm on the nominated day. A penalty of 10% per 24 hours will apply for late submissions.

Students eligible for special consideration (e.g. elite athletes) are requested to advise the course coordinator as early as possible where alternate arrangements will be required.

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
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator