ELEC ENG 7076A - Masters Project (SIP) Part A

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2014

Masters Project (SIP) Part 2 must follow Masters Project (SIP) Part 1 in the immediately following semester. The two-semester masters project aims to give students experience in solving advanced engineering problems and the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the course. Through the project students will gain experience in project planning, in teamwork and in communication with management and support staff. The project will also develop skills in design, verification and research.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ELEC ENG 7076A
    Course Masters Project (SIP) Part A
    Coordinating Unit School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Contact 2 hours per week plus approx 600 hrs project work
    Incompatible ELEC ENG 7077A/B, ELEC ENG 7078A/B
    Assumed Knowledge ELEC ENG 7057 or equivalent: experience in professional & academic communication & analytical thinking
    Course Description Masters Project (SIP) Part 2 must follow Masters Project (SIP) Part 1 in the immediately following semester. The two-semester masters project aims to give students experience in solving advanced engineering problems and the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the course. Through the project students will gain experience in project planning, in teamwork and in communication with management and support staff. The project will also develop skills in design, verification and research.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Hong Gunn Chew

    Email: HongGunn.Chew@adelaide.edu.au
    Office: Ingkarni Wardli 3.52
    Phone: 8313 1641
    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 deepen their knowledge and understanding of at least one field of technology
    2 develop and improve research skills through investigation of open-ended problems, devising solutions and developing and testing of hypotheses as necessary
    3 enhance practical skills through coding and/or construction and testing
    4 utilise and enhance project management skills (including planning, risk management, time management, delegation, and development of test plans)
    5 enhance communication skills, both written (including report writing, specifications and critical review) and oral (including seminar presentation, negotiation and verbal reports).
    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. 1,3,4,5
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 2,4
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1,2,3,4
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 4,5
    A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 1,3
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 2
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 4,5
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 1,5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Students should purchase an exercise book to use as a project workbook.
    Recommended Resources
    Guidelines and resources to assist with undertaking a project are provided in the Project Resources folder on the course MyUni site.
    Online Learning
    Extensive use will be made of the MyUni web site for this course (http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au). All announcements will be posted on MyUni and emailed to all students and supervisors. Project resources will be available for downloading. The gradebook will be used to communicate continuous assessment marks. A discussion board will be available for project-related discussion. Group tools will be available for communication to and within project groups.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    No information currently available.

    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • 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 Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

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

    NOG (No Grade Associated)
    Grade Description
    CN Continuing

    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.

    Project allocation

    Two weeks before the start of semester, students will be given an opportunity to specify their 5 preferred projects in order of preference. Allocation of students to projects will take this preference into account; however no promises can be made and some students may be allocated to projects for which they have not expressed a preference. Project allocations will be completed on the Monday prior to the start of semester and students will be informed of their project, group and supervisor via MyUni.

    Industry Sponsored Projects

    Industry sponsored final year projects can be of great benefit to students, the industry sponsor and the academic supervisors. Students are encouraged to talk to their employers and contacts about sponsoring a project. Students who successfully initiate a project in this way will be given the option of taking a place on that project.

    Before an industry sponsored project can go ahead, some agreements must be signed to protect the interests of the University and the sponsor:

    1. An agreement between the sponsor and the University
    2. A student project participation agreement between the students and the University.

    The School also charges a small sponsorship fee of $500 (+GST) at the outset of the project and $2000 (+GST) at its successful conclusion. Costs of production of substantial items and test equipment must also be met by the sponsor. However, equipment already available in the School can generally be used for the project free of charge.

    There are several reasons for these fees and why we think that they are of benefit to industry as well as our students. They include the following:

    • Sponsor gets a large share of the IP developed.
    • Sponsor gets regular meetings, short reports and a final report.
    • Academic staff time is provided at no charge.
    • Student time is provided at no charge.
    • University facilities and equipment are provided at no charge.
    • Sponsor gets early access to good potential employees.
    • Agreement to pay the relatively small fee indicates a certain commitment from the sponsor that the project is important to them and is worth doing.

    Provision of Resources

    Budget

    Each project group will be allocated an equipment purchase budget and a technical support budget.

    Purchase of equipment

    Supervisors have been provided with a budget equivalent to $500 per student. In a groups’ planning for the project they must develop a costed proposal for approval by the supervisor. If the proposed costs exceed the School budget allocation, then the supervisor may approve additional funds from other sources. Note that the project budget may not be used for printing expenses.

    The storeman can provide commonly needed electronic components. If a special purchase is required, groups will need permission from their supervisor. Requests for a special order are submitted using the component request form on the store website.The Store website, http://store.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au, can be accessed from computers within the University network only.

    Technical support

    Each group will be given a technical support budget that allows access to the technical support staff for specialised training and advice.  Each group has 40 hours, plus 10 additional hours for each student, for each semester.  Unused budget in Semester A cannot be carried over to Semester B.  Initial contact should be made with the Workshop Supervisor to organise work requirements.

    Printing

    Under some circumstances the final year project budget can be used on large printing jobs.To use your project budget for printing:

    1. check you have funds available
    2. send your supervisor an email stating: what you would like to print; why it is necessary; the number of pages; b&w or colour; cost ($0.01 per page for b&w, $0.10 per page for colour)
    3. if your supervisor agrees the printing is necessary, ask them to forward your email request to Stephen Guest (cc it to you) and provide a statement that they approve the expense
    4. Stephen Guest will reply with an email explaining how to print your file in EM418

    Equipment

    Students have access to a pool of general purpose test equipment kept in the store. This equipment must be booked through the storeman (N226, http://store.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/). Certain equipment in heavy demand may only be booked for short periods of time. Supervisors may also allocate specialized equipment for which groups will not need to make a booking.

    Computing: General purpose computing equipment is available in the school computing laboratory EM211. This equipment normally has specialized software packages such as compilers, PCB CAD and simulation tools. For general purpose computing students should use the CATS. Students have a free printing quota sufficient for the project reports. The project budget cannot be used to increase the printing quota.

    Workshop support: Workshop staff

    Accommodation and PCs: Groups may request a bench or table in one of the laboratories for their project. They may also request a dedicated PC with specialized packages installed such as compilers for DSPs, FPGA tools, etc. Requests are made by the form at http://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/students/undergraduate/infrastructure-request.html.

    Other Resources: Groups should discuss other special needs with their supervisor. If the equipment is available in the School, groups should contact the laboratory manager for access permission. He will require permission from the supervisor and the nominal "owner" of the equipment.

  • 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.