ELEC ENG 7078A - Masters Project (Electrical) Part A

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2021

Masters Project (Electrical) Part B must follow Masters Project (Electrical) Part A in the immediately following semester. In the two-semester M.Eng Research Project, students undertake an AQF9 research project and demonstrate deep discipline understanding in their field of study. Students work directly under the supervision of world-leading research academics, with potential for industry collaboration. These courses strengthen and apply the project management and research skills of the students with a focus on engineering communication and the integration of advanced technical methodologies.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ELEC ENG 7078A
    Course Masters Project (Electrical) Part A
    Coordinating Unit School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Contact 300 hours project work and research skill development
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Incompatible ELEC ENG 7076A/B, ELEC ENG 7077A/B
    Assumed Knowledge ELEC ENG 7057 or equivalent: experience in professional & academic communication & analytical thinking
    Course Description Masters Project (Electrical) Part B must follow Masters Project (Electrical) Part A in the immediately following semester. In the two-semester M.Eng Research Project, students undertake an AQF9 research project and demonstrate deep discipline understanding in their field of study. Students work directly under the supervision of world-leading research academics, with potential for industry collaboration. These courses strengthen and apply the project management and research skills of the students with a focus on engineering communication and the integration of advanced technical methodologies.
    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
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

     
    1 Independently locate sources of information that will assist with the understanding of a technical problem that has not previously been encountered.
    2 Critically evaluate the validity, coverage and gaps in such sources of information.
    3 Develop a statement of a research question or hypothesis, identifying an issue of which there is incomplete understanding.
    4 Design and execute an investigation, experiment or theoretical study to answer the research question.
    5 Present the background and findings of the research investigation in a thesis, in a seminar and at poster exhibitions.
    6 Apply an advanced level of technical understanding in multiple areas of technical specialisation to devise solutions to complex technical problems.
    7 Work cooperatively and flexibly as a member of a team, contributing to team leadership as the situation requires.
    8 Demonstrate the ability to communicate, in writing and verbally, advanced technical concepts to both technically informed and technically uninformed audiences.
    9 Apply project management techniques to devise and synthesise engineering solutions to complex, open ended problems.

     
    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: 1.1   1.2   1.3   1.4   1.5   1.6   2.1   2.2   2.3   2.4   3.1   3.2   3.3   3.4   3.5   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)
    3,4,6
    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
    1-5
    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
    7-9
    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, 6, 7
    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
    7-8
    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
    5, 7
  • 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

    Groups of students will undertake a project under the guidance of an academic supervisor and co-supervisor. Groups can expect to meet regularly with their supervisors. Between meetings groups are expected to make independent progress with their project.

    The table below summarises expectations on project students and their supervisors.

      What supervisors can expect from students What students can expect from supervisors
    Meetings Regular, punctual attendance at project meetings. A regular group meeting with the supervisor and co-supervisor at least once a week.
    Contribution Consistent effort throughout the year totalling around 600 hours work. Prompt advice and guidance on general and technical project issues.
    Assessment Timely submission of assessed items satisfying the requirements in the course profile. Marks posted on MyUni within 2 weeks of submission and verbal feedback to justify marks and explain how they might be improved.
    Conduct As befitting professional engineers.
    Workload

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

    The final-year project is an important element of an undergraduate engineering education. It represents a substantial body of work and it is expected that students will spend 600 hours per year on their project. Note that if this effort is confined to the 12-week teaching semesters, then it amounts to over 25 hours work per week.

    Learning Activities Summary
    Activity Semester Week
    Project briefing A 1
    Literature search training A 2
    Proposal seminar A 5
    Research methods workshop A 2-12
    Project work A/B 1-12
    Project exhibition B 12
    Final seminar B 13
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    The Project provides the platform to challenge each group of two to eight students to work together to produce a novel engineering project.  The project supervisors will be able to mentor the students and monitor their progress through the two semesters.
  • 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
    Part A - Project Plan 7.5 Individual Formative Semester A Week 3 1. 8.
    Part A - Interim Paper 20 Individual Formative Semester A
    Week 12
    Min 50% 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8.
    Part A - Interim seminar 7.5 Group Formative Semester A Week 13 5. 8.
    Part A - Mid project performance 5 Individual Formative Semester A
    Week 12
    1. 4. 7. 9.
    Part B - Final Paper 45 Individual Summative Semester B
    Week 12
    Min 50% 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8.
    Part B - Final seminar 10 Group Summative Semester B
    Week 13
    5. 6. 8.
    Part B - Final project performance 5 Group Summative Semester B
    Week 13
    1. 4. 7. 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.
     
    This course has a hurdle requirement. Meeting the specified hurdle criteria is a requirement for passing the course.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Each student must:
    • attend at least 4 final seminars other than their own on the seminar day.
    • complete project closeout by week 13, semester B.
    • all other administrative requirements as announced during the semester.
    Each infringement will incur a 4% penalty in the final project mark.
    Assessment Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission

    All project reports must be submitted in pdf form using MyUni. Clear instructions will be provided explaining how to submit assignments using MyUni and how to verify that an assignment has been successfully submitted. Extensions will not be granted for reports that miss the deadline because they were not correctly submitted.

    Students can expect the marks from assessment components to be available on MyUni within two weeks from the submission deadline.

    Assessors will use rubrics to determine marks for the assessed components. Copies of the rubric will be sent to project supervisors so they can provide feedback to their project groups. Students are encouraged to seek feedback from their supervisors.

    Academic Honesty Policy

    The policy applies to all students, and students are advised to be familiar with the policy.  The policy is found in the link: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230.  Software (TURNITIN) may be used to verify the originality of reports.

    Deadlines

    Deadlines are an integral part of an engineer's professional life, and the discipline of getting workfinished on time is an essential one to acquire.

    The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering’s policy on Homework Submissions (https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/policies/homework-assignment-policy.pdf) will apply to the Proposal Seminar and Project Exhibition. Under this policy, students missing an assessment deadline will receive a 0 mark for that component, unless the student provides documentary evidence of an unavoidable reason for the delay (e.g. a medical certificate) which is approved by the Head of School. If the delay is approved, the student will be assigned a mark for the component according to the School’s policy on Supplementary Exercises for Continuous Assessment Components (https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/policies/continuous-assessment-exercises.pdf).

    The Thesis and drafts will be subject to the School’s policy on Assignment Submissions (https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/policies/homework-assignment-policy.pdf). The marks for reports submitted after the deadline will be reduced by 20% of the final report mark per day (24 hours) or part thereof. Exceptions may be made, with approval of the Course Coordinator, if an application for an extension is made (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303/) before the deadline.

    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 (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 advisor. If the equipment is available in the School, groups should contact the laboratory manager for access permission. He will require permission from the advisor 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.