MINING 7101 - Mine Management

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2021

Management of production, inventory, services, contracts, finance, sales and marketing, personnel, public relations; mining law; health, safety and risk management; environmental management; introduction to system engineering.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MINING 7101
    Course Mine Management
    Coordinating Unit School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Eng
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Course Description Management of production, inventory, services, contracts, finance, sales and marketing, personnel, public relations; mining law; health, safety and risk management; environmental management; introduction to system engineering.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Noune Melkoumian

    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator
    Professor Peter Dowd
    peter.dowd@adelaide.edu
    N146 (08) 8313 4543
    School of Civil, Environmental, and Mining
    Engineering, Engineering North, N136

    Lecturers
    Professor Peter Dowd peter.dowd@adelaide.edu.au
    Jonathon Trewartha trewartha.j@gmail.com>
    Andrew Robertson Andrew.Robertson2@bhpbilliton.com
    Nicole Edkins Nicole.Edkins@gmail.com



    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

     
    1 Recognise and appreciate the holistic nature of the mine management process
    2 Identify the key stakeholders in a mining project and their respective needs.
    3 Demonstrate an awareness of management theory and processes.
    4 Recognise the factors that motivate people’s behaviour in the mine working environment.
    5 Apply the principal performance measures used in mine management.
    6 Demonstrate an awareness of mining law (safety, mining leases etc).
    7 Recognise and appraise the factors contributing to safety & risk management issues in specific mining-related processes.
    8 Investigate the causes and consequences of mining-related serious incidents and propose risk management strategies.
    9 Demonstrate an awareness of contractor management (vs owner-operated).
    10 Assess and understatd the economic conditions in which the mining industry operates.

     
    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:

    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)
    1-10
    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
    1-10
    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
    1-10
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-10
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1-10
    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
    1-10
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Runge, I. Mining Strategy SME
    Maxwell, P. & Guj, P. (eds) Australian Mineral Economics; A Survey of Important Issues, AusIMM 2006.
    International Mine Management Conf Proceedings 2006 AusIMM
    Hunt, M. Mining Law
    Recommended Resources
    Other material that should be referred to in conjunction with this Course Outline include:

    Mine management simulation game jointly developed by MEA and Proudfoot Consulting
    Assignments.
    Online Learning
    All Resources for this Course are available on MyUni, the online learning system for the University
    of Adelaide (https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/) These include:
    • Course Profile
    • Projects/Assignments
    • PowerPoint Presentations
    • Sample quiz questions with model answers
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    • face to face lecturing and associated activities – e.g., annual reports;
    • case studies – e.g., processes of management;
    • guest lecturers; this is a special feature of this Course, as most lecturers are former
    Mine Managers
    • Web for lecture materials, powerpoints, stock market resources
    • Simulation game for mine operations management
    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.
    · Lectures = 3 hours per week;
    · Tutorials/labs = 1 hour per week
    · Group Work = 2 hours per week
    · Self Study = 4 hours per week
    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

    Specific Course Requirements
    The University of Adelaide is a member of Mining Education Australia and offers the common 3rd and 4th year mining engineering curriculum offered by MEA participating universities (The University of Adelaide, The University of Queensland, The University of New South Wales and The Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University of Technology). This course is run simultaneously at the four MEA universities in
    which there is a total enrolment of over 200 students.

    Another on-line tool used in this course is SPARKPLUS (Self & Peer Assessment Resource Kit). Students will use SPARK to assess each of their Team Member’s contribution to selected assignments. For assignment groups, 4- 5 students will be allocated to a team. Team members are expected to work together to achieve the objectives of the projects. SPARK will allow the course coordinator to monitor how your team is functioning and provide help as required. SPARK factors calculated by the system based on information you input, will be used to calculate the individual mark for the project. Please refer to Section 9 for more details on the use of SPARK.
  • 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
    Quiz 1: Law, safety and risk 10 Individual Summative Week 4 1. 2. 4. 6. 7. 8.
    Assignment 1: Law, safety and risk 15 Group Summative Week 4 1. 2. 4. 6. 7. 8.
    Quiz 2: Tactical Management 1 10 Individual Summative Week 8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
    Assignment : Tactical Management 1 15 Group Summative Week 8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
    Quiz 3: Strategic Minerals Management 10 Individual Summative Week 11 1. 2. 3. 5. 10.
    Assignment 3: Strategic Minerals Management 15 Individual Summative Week 11 1. 2. 3. 5. 10.
    Quiz 4: Tactical Management 2 10 Individual Summative Week 13 1. 2. 4. 9.
    Assignment 4: Tactical Management 2 15 Group Summative Week 13 1. 2. 4. 9.
    Total 100
    * The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.
     
    This assessment breakdown is registered as an exemption to the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy. The exemption is related to the Procedures clause(s): 1. c.   
     
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Group performance is a key component of the assessment for this course, and will apply to
    students’ contribution to group assignments (1, 2 & 4). The sole measure of performance of team
    work is by peer review and self reflection. Teams which are having problems with unproductive or
    non-cooperative members are encouraged to seek the intervention of the course coordinator as
    early as possible. Do not leave these problems to the last minute. SPARKPLUS will be used as the
    peer and self assessment tool. The PEER REVIEW is required for all group assessments.
    SPARKPLUS is an online tool that will be used to collect Self and Peer Assessment data. These
    data will be used to provide feedback to, and receive feedback from, your group members
    regarding contributions to the project.

    Based on a series of answers from each group member SPARKPLUS automatically produces two
    weighting factors. The SPA or Self and Peer Assessment factor is a measure of how the group
    overall viewed the contribution of each member of the group. This factor will be used to adjust the
    group mark for the project into an individual mark.

    Individual mark = Group mark x Individual’s SPA

    For example; a student who receives an SPA factor of 0.9 for their project contributions, reflecting a
    lower than average team contribution as perceived by a combination of themselves and their peers,
    would receive an individual mark of 72% if their group project mark was 80%. The second factor
    calculated is the SAPA factor. This is the ratio of a student’s own self assessment rating compared
    to the average rating of their contribution by their peers. It provides students with feedback about
    how the rest of the group perceives their contribution. For example, a SAPA factor greater than 1
    means that a student has rated their own performance higher than they were rated by
    their peers. Conversely, a SAPA factor less than 1 means that a student has rated their own
    performance lower than they were rated by their peers.

    Important: Students who do not complete and submit the required peer review tasks on time
    using SPARKPLUS will lose 20% of the group’s assessment mark and their peer review mark
    will be calculated based on the other group members’ submission. For example; if the group mark is
    70% a student who does not submit a peer review will receive a mark of 56% which will then be
    adjusted by the SPA factor given to the student by their peers. Both factors for each student will be
    released to all group members. The idea of using SPARKPLUS is not only to make group work
    fairer and provide feedback on your performance but to encourage the development of your
    professional skills. These skills include giving and receiving both positive and negative feedback,
    conflict resolution, collaboration, the ability to assess both your work and the work of your peers and
    developing your professional judgment. If you successfully achieve these learning outcomes your
    group experience should be productive. Teams that contain students who do not adequately
    participate in group activities and/or develop their teamwork skills typically have friction between
    group members.

    Objections: The initial SPA and SAPA factors will be preliminary and only become official after any
    protests are considered. Any students believing their SPARKPLUS assessments were unfair may
    lodge an objection. Any objection to your self and peer assessment ratings must be made in writing
    to the lecturer in charge of the project. Each objection must be a maximum of 500 words (12 point
    Times New Roman font) clearly outlining why you believe your rating is unfair. Your protest will be
    discussed with the other members of your group. Objections must be lodged within 3 days from the
    date that the SPARKPLUS assessments are released. An objection usually indicates that at least
    one member of a group has not achieved the teamwork learning objectives. Marks are only
    awarded for successfully achieving learning outcomes. The lodgement of an objection will be
    considered as a request for reassessment of the entire group. Hence if a student lodges an
    objection the marks for the entire group will be reassessed and released after the objection has
    been considered. In considering any objection the log books and or meeting minutes for a group will
    be reviewed.

    Students must put up a bond of 5% of the assessment result to lodge an objection. If the objection
    is found to be unwarranted then the student who lodged the objection will lose the 5% bond. If the
    objection is found to be warranted the saboteur or saboteurs will lose 5% and the groups SPA’s will
    be altered accordingly. The course coordinator reserves the right to have the final say in application
    of the SPA factors.
    Assessment Detail
    1. “Disaster” Case Study
    Type: Group verbal presentation plus reports ( teams of 4 students)
    Learning Objectives: 1, 3, 7
    Dates: verbal presentation weeks 4 or 5 report Week 6
    Weighting: 7.5 % verbal; 7.5% report
    Duration: verbal 18 minutes or less; report 2500 words or less
    Format: PowerPoint slide presentations + technical report as per MEA Guide
    Areas covered: description & analysis of a mining accident or incident; scenario / events
    leading up to incident; repercussions; how the incident could have been
    avoided (use risk analysis or other tools to help your analysis and
    synthesis )
    Criteria & marking: Verbal presentations; structure, delivery & impact, content , teamwork,
    questions and general awareness on topic.
    Visual aids quality (7.5%)
    Report: introduction & objectives, content & quality, conclusion, report
    standard including grammar & referencing (7.5%).

    2. Semester – long Assignment – Share Market Game (ASX)
    Type: short report + diary, charts ( individual assignments )
    Learning Objectives: 5, 7
    Date: introduced week 1, due week 11 (shareholder)
    Weighting: 15 %
    Duration; From week 1 to Oct. 10th when you must terminate your investments.
    Format: report with answers and graphs as appropriate
    Areas covered: following market news on the media, mine valuation, mineral demand b&
    supply
    Criteria & marking: Shareholder Value Management; value created vs rest of class (5%),
    investment rationale (5%), supporting documentation (5%)

    3. Industrial Relations role-play game
    Type: role-play presentation in class Groups of 7 - 8
    Learning Objectives: 1,2 3 and possibly 7, 8
    Date: Introduced week 8, presentations week 8, report week 11
    Duration: Script prepared over two weeks, presentations of about 20 minutes
    Weighting: 15 %
    Format: role-play presentations, plus script
    Areas covered: Industrial relations, stakeholders, holistic nature of mining


    4. MEA/Proudfoot mine operations management simulation
    Type: MegaMine simulation game – 2 x 1 hour ( to be advised – groups of 3-4)
    Learning Objectives: 5, 6, 7
    Date: weeks 12 & 13
    Weighting: 15 %
    Format: game spreadsheets and notes
    Areas covered: Production, maintenance, inventory, environmental, safety, contractors,
    union negotiations, community concerns
    Criteria & marking: to be advised

    5. Quizzes
    Type: closed book
    Learning Objectives: all
    Date: weeks 5, 8, 11, and 13
    Weighting: 10 % each
    Format: as designed by individual lecturers and advised in class
    Areas covered: Laws, OH & S, Risk, major incidents and human factors; mineral supply,
    demand, markets, value chain; management fundamentals, industrial
    relations, production & contractor management, asset, inventory, and
    procurement management
    Criteria & marking: emphasis on both lecture slides and class examples & discussion
    Submission
    You will be required to submit a hard copy with the appropriate University submission form attached, and to
    retain an electronic copy, made available to the lecturer on request, for each assignment. Reports should be
    submitted to the School office via the assignment drop-in box. The School office is located in the Engineering
    North Building, room N136.

    The lecturer will make every effort to return your reports and projects within three weeks of submission.

    Late submissions will in most cases receive a zero mark. A late submission will only be allowed when a
    deferred deadline has been approved by the course coordinator prior to due date because of medical or
    extenuating circumstances. This will require documented evidence, e.g. Medical Certificate.
    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.

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