Interdisciplinary Group Project

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Problem-solving methods for the practical application and integration of research
• Application of the principles of responsible research and innovation

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Work as part of an inter-disciplinary team to achieve a common goal
• Conduct and apply interdisciplinary research strategies and skills
• Apply strategies for impact and outreach
• Use a variety of methods and strategies to effectively communicate the value of research in a non-technical way

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply appropriate techniques for creating abstractions, interpreting, and visualising concepts and data, as relevant for the chosen field of study
• Devise and propose a practical application to an industry-relevant challenge

The module will commence at the start of semester 2, key milestones are:

• Introduced to challenges via emailed document or briefing webinar and given time to reflect on preferences
• Group formation (using student preference and supported by CDT management team to ensure diversity of skills and experience across groups, groups will be formed by the start of semester 2)
• Initial meeting with supervisor(s) (during week 1 of semester 2, with representation from relevant industrial partner)
• Submission of risk assessments (by week 3 of semester 2)
• Interim Review via group presentations (formative feedback with supervisors, industrial partners, and peers - mid-S2)
• Submission of final research outputs: group report and presentation
• Potential for oral presentation during the industry forum to the wider CDT stakeholder community (September), depending on security considerations and project quality.

The main element will be regular meetings, preferably weekly but could be less often, as agreed by all parties between the project supervisors and the students. Initially, these meetings will be used to define the details of the projects and then to review the progress of the group. When necessary (and availability permits) the industrial partner will attend, they are required to be at the interim review mid-semester.

An initial meeting with the students and the project coordinator will help to clarify the objectives and methods of assessment of the projects.

Depending on the project and their role in the team, each student could be involved in a wide range of learning activities. The following elements will be common:

• Self-directed study: given the size of the projects, you may be responsible for several sub-tasks. This could include consulting relevant textbooks and researching papers, consulting members of academic staff for technical support, writing computer programs, and liaising with technicians, external companies or ‘clients’. As part of this process students should maintain an individual research journal, where they record and work on ideas, summarise information and results, outline future directions, etc., using text and sketches or other illustrations as appropriate. The journal could be kept either in the form of a notebook or electronically.
• Group-led work: students will have to synthesise and report on their work to the other group members to contribute to the discussions and decision making within the group. Teamwork will also include organising the project, distributing the tasks between the students (who are likely to be a mix of part-time and full-time students) and coordinating these tasks.
• Reporting: During regular meetings with the supervisors, the students will present their current work. At regular intervals, the students will submit formative Research Journal Entries summarising their work since the submission of the previous Entry. These Entries will form the basis of the next supervisory meeting. At the end of the first term a presentation describing the project plan and progress of the group will be delivered by each group to the supervisors, project coordinator or external industry sponsor.
• At the end of the semester (May)module each group will submit a report and a video. Each student will also submit an individual Research Journal Summary, consisting of a summary of their contribution to the project with reference to the Research Journal Entries submitted in the course of the year. Each group may also deliver a final presentation, during the industry forum as part of induction week depending on security considerations and the quality of the final project.
• Students will be supported by their supervisory team during the project. They should make sure that they use meetings with them effectively. It is up to them to also make good use of all resources available within the Faculty and the University.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.