MECH ENG 1103 - Introduction to Mechatronic Engineering

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2017

This course is made up of two modules that teach fundamental skills that Engineering students require. Introduction to your Discipline and Introduction to Programming for Engineers. Introduction to your Discipline presents an overview of the activities undertaken as a professional in your discipline, providing context for your Engineering studies. Introduction to Programming for Engineers teaches students the importance of computer programming in solving Engineering problems. Students will learn how to analyse computing problems, develop algorithms to describe solutions to these problems, and software implementations in the MATLAB and C or Fortran programming environments.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MECH ENG 1103
    Course Introduction to Mechatronic Engineering
    Coordinating Unit School of Mechanical Engineering
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 6 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Incompatible COMP SCI 1201
    Assumed Knowledge SACE Stage 2 Maths Studies
    Restrictions Not suitable for BCompSc, BCompGr or BEng(Software Engineering) students
    Course Description This course is made up of two modules that teach fundamental skills that Engineering students require. Introduction to your Discipline and Introduction to Programming for Engineers. Introduction to your Discipline presents an overview of the activities undertaken as a professional in your discipline, providing context for your Engineering studies. Introduction to Programming for Engineers teaches students the importance of computer programming in solving Engineering problems. Students will learn how to analyse computing problems, develop algorithms to describe solutions to these problems, and software implementations in the MATLAB and C or Fortran programming environments.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr John Codrington

    Coordinator for the Introduction to your Discipline module: Dr John Codrington (john.codrington@adelaide.edu.au)
    Coordinator for the Introduction to Programming for Engineers module: Dr Cheryl Pope (cheryl.pope@adelaide.edu.au)

    Lecturers for Introduction to your Discipline module:
    Various (See MyUni)

    Lecturers for the Introduction to Programming for Engineers module:
    Ali Shemshadi (ali.shemshadi@adelaide.edu.au)

    Any questions related to the specific lecture or assignment content should be addressed firstly to the lecturer in question. All course
    coordination or other questions should be directed to the appropriate Course Coordinator.
    Course Timetable

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

    The two modules in your course will be taught in parallel throughout the semester. You can find a schedule of the topics, and the tutorial and practical exercises on Canvas (MyUni).
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

     
    1 Have a strong understanding of what an Engineer is and what skills and knowledge are required to be an Engineer;
    2 Be able to problem solve and design solutions to programming problems;
    3 Be able to efficiently translate solutions into computer programs;
    4 Understand the programming constructs of the C and MATLAB programming languages;
    5 Be able to apply their knowledge of programming and problem solving to the development of C and MATLAB programs;
    6 Have an appreciation of modern computing technology, and the place that programming has within the Engineering domain;
    7 Understand the need to undertake lifelong learning;
    8 Be able to think about framing and solving unstructured problems; and
    9 Understand problem-solving principles.

     
    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: 1.2   1.5   1.6   3.1   3.2   3.3   3.5   

    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, 3, 4, 6-8
    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
    1-3, 5, 7, 8
    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
    1
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-9
    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
    1, 2, 7, 8, 9
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources

    The required text-book for Introduction to Programming for Engineers module is: Matlab: A Practical Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving Fourth Edition by Stormy Attaway, publisher: Elsevier,  ISBN 9780128045251

    The textbook Problem solving with C++, by Walter Savitch is recommended for the C part.

    Recommended Resources

    Students are expected to attend lectures, collaborative sessions and also their supervised practical sessions. These practical sessions will be crucial to developing your understanding of the course material, and will provide access to additional assistance from practical supervisors.

    Online Learning

    Introduction to your Discipline:
    Copies of lecture notes, lecture recordings and additional resources will be provided online through the MyUni system. Students are expected to check the MyUni website frequently for announcements and new resources.

    Introduction to Programming for Engineers:
    Copies of lecture notes, lecture recordings and additional resources will be provided online through the MyUni system. Any example programs demonstrated in lectures will be made available online after the lecture. Discussion forums will also be made available on the course website. Students should enrol in the course as soon as possibleand are expected to check the MyUni website frequently for announcements and new resources.

  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course will be taught through a combination of lectures, collaborative sessions and supervised practical sessions.

    Each lecture session will contain a mixture of:
    • Explanations, to introduce new concepts;
    • Demonstrations, to see the concept in action;
    • Brief exploration, worksheets or quizzes, where you can check your understanding.
    Introduction to Programming for Engineers practical sessions:

    Many programming examples will be worked in small groups during the collaborative workshop sessions. You can talk with your group members, and to a lab supervisor to experiment and see how things work. Attendance and participation at these sessions is recorded and assessed. 

    The supervised practical sessions will, except where explicitly stated by the lecturer, require students to individually prepare solutions to practical exercises. The supervisors can help you when you get "stuck", and will assess your work and assign a mark. The purpose of these practical sessions is for students to apply the examples and concepts discussed in lectures and collaborative sessions.
    Workload

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

    Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. In addition to the schedule contact hours, students are expected to spend 3-5 additional hours per week in preparation of assignment work, and reviewing and understanding the course topics.

    Introduction to your Discipline:
    There is one 1hr class each week for this module. There is one assessment task that runs over the whole semester.

    Introduction to Programming for Engineers:

    There is an average of 3 one-hour lecture sessions each fortnight, (see the MyUni page of the course for the schedule), a two-hour workshop each week, and  (from week 2) a two-hour supervised practical session each week.

    Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. In addition to the  schedule contact hours, students are expected to spend 3-5 additional  hours per week in preparation of assignment work, and reviewing and understanding the course topics.

    Note that programming is like any skill --- if you want to get better, you need to practice. Long-term data confirms that this skill needs to be learned over several weeks.

    Learning Activities Summary
    A schedule of the topics that will be covered in each lecture, a list of workshop topics, and the practical exercises can all be found on MyUni for both modules.

    Introduction to Programming for Engineers:

    The practical examinations are intended to assess the student’s knowledge in practical application of the concepts taught in lectures, specifically in designing and developing programming solutions. The practical examinations are summative assessment.

    Assignments and Practical exercises are both formative and summative and extend the work done in the collaborative sessions. Assignments are used to help assess whether the required graduate attributes are being developed.  Written feedback will be provided for some of the assessment work.

    The examinations are summative assessment and are intended to assess the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course material.



    Specific Course Requirements

    Not applicable.

  • 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
    Assessment Task Weighting (%) Individual/ Group Formative/ Summative
    Due (week)*
    Hurdle criteria Learning outcomes
    Programming Practice 24 Individual Summative
    Practical Exams 20 Individual Summative
    Final Exam 50 Individual Summative
    Reflective Case Study 6 Individual Summative Week 11 1. 7. 8. 9.
    Total 100
    * The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.
     
    This assessment breakdown complies with the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.
     
    Assessment Related Requirements
    The written examination is a minimum performance hurdle.

    This means that to pass the course, students are required to obtain:
    • At least 40% of the available marks for the final exam.
    • At least 50% overall mark.
    If a student does not achieve 40% in the final written exam component, their overall mark will be capped at 44% (F).
    Assessment Detail
    Introduction to Programming for Engineers:

    In workshops you are expected to attend and actively participate and contribute for each session. There are 12 workshops worth 0.5% each up to a capped total of 5% (this means you must participate in at least 10 of the 12 workshops to get your maximum workshop mark). 

    Start working on each practical exercise as early as possible, as they can take more that one 2-hour session to complete. Due to the very tight schedule for this course you must be present in the lab, and get your work marked by a lab supervisor in the week your work is due. To enable work to be marked off you must have your work ready to demonstrate and explain. If you are not able to start your  demonstration immediately the demonstrators are instructed to move on  and come back after marking others. You will recieve some-on-the-spot  feedback. Where warranted,  general feedback on each exercise will be provided in lectures. 

    Practical exams are carried out under exam conditions. These sessions will either be on paper or on the computer (details to be announced in advance of each exam). The exams will run for one hour with the remaining hour of the practical session dedicated to administration and marking.

    Mapping of Assessment to ICT Core Body of Knowlege (CBOK)*
    *CBOK categories are explained in section 4 of "The-ICT-Profession-Body-of-Knowledge"; numbers assigned correspond to the Bloom taxonomy (see page 26 of the same document).

    Assessment Abstraction Design Programming Communication
    Practicals 3 3 or 4 3 3
    Practical Exams 3 3
    Assignments 3 3 3 3
    Final Exam 2 2 to 4 2 to 5 3


    Introduction to your Discipline:

    The assessment for the Introduction to your Discipline module will consist of an expositional essay including a case study and reflective discussion of what it takes to be a professional engineer.

    Submission

    Introduction to Programming for Engineers

    Practical exercises will be submitted electronically to Moodle and will be assessed by a tutor during the supervised practical sessions. 

    Note every time you submit some work (either on paper, or electronically via the web), you are implicitly saying to the University "The work I have just submitted was (substantially) done by me". The core of this statement is "I didn't copy it" --- neither from another student, nor from any other person, nor from the web.


    Introduction to your Discipline

    Submission of the expositional essay will be hardcopy via the submission boxes on level 2 of Engineering South.

    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.

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