Reflection-existing competencies
Part-1
1. Reflect on and self-assess your current achievements of Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Professional Competencies. Choose two competencies from each of sections 1, 2 and 3, and write a reflective assessment of how you rate yourself against these competencies.
So choose 2 competencies from each table and write a reflective and thoughtful description of how you rate yourself on these competencies.
You will need to write a brief description of each claimed competency, explaining the circumstances and situation, your roles, and how the experience leads you to believe you achieved a certain level of competency in what you are claiming. You will need to describe how you intend raising your competency throughout the MEngSci programme.
? Read and reflect on readings 'Qualities of a USQ graduate', and write a short summary of how you do, or do not yet, satisfy these qualities.
? You will need to have studied the EWB site and information, and to have made an initial project selection. Base this selection on your own perceived strengths. You should then be identifying (by discussions with colleagues and via study desk) those other team skills that will be required for successful project completion, and initiating team structuring activities with others.
2. List your skills and knowledge about projects from the past. (Written description for inclusion in portfolio.)
3. Start drafting a learning study plan for inclusion in your portfolio. This may take the form of a Gantt Chart, showing intended activities and activity sequences, finishing at PPT1, 2 and 3 due dates. Describe each activity.
4. Reflect on professional engineering and study in Australia, and how your study plan (From 3) will instil skills and abilities required by EA and USQ.
From the weekly schedule - week 2:
5. Reflect on the EWB projects. Which interests you and do you wish to participate in?
6. Teamwork skills (communication: what skills are required to work effectively in a team?) Consider your role in the EWB team. What secondary roles could you fulfil?
Consider those other roles you require in the team to succeed.
7. Problems and appropriate solution techniques. Read the Engineering method readings. Consider socio/cultural aspects, and record these for your portfolio.
Read the problem solving cycle resource, and consider how this may help in your EWB project.
Try to follow the Engineering methods and Problem Solving Cycle steps in all you do.
You will be recording alternative solutions to your project in Portfolio Parts 2 and 3.
8. Make Posts to the forum to help set up a team. You will be trying to self-select 2 or 3 others to form an effective team.
From the weekly schedule - week 3:
9. Discuss the importance of Life Long Learning, and Continuous Professional Development (EA requirements) How do these activities enhance your professionalism and career?
10. Research and discuss a major engineering project within Australia. How does this project differ from your selected EWB project? Document these differences.
From the weekly schedule - week 4:
11. You will consider those communications that would occur if this were a real project. The Client - Consultant relationship and communications sequence is extremely important. The team should have defined a stakeholder list, and the required flow of communication between these parties and the team. You will be creating an ongoing sequence of communications that will form the majority of your portfolios.
Each of you must adopt 'Two Hats". You will each write a letter of invitation outlining the work requiring to be done on your project. This would be a Client or Clients (consultants) Representative function. You will then don a second hat, and respond to a team members letter of Invitation. In this exercise you should be demonstrating an appreciation of location, population and consequential demand for your project. You cannot specify a power supply project without knowing the demand, and demand into the future, for example. So start looking at Council Tenders, and Letters of Invitation in the weekend Australian Newspaper, amongst other sources, to establish content and format.
All written communications, and how you develop your project, including demand, should be discussed in your team forums on study desk. (If I cannot see it then it did not happen!)
12. Draft letter of invitation from your client, and your response (To a team members LOI) should be complete by this point. It is important that both documents contain sufficient technical and information on the scope of the project to be meaningful. Avoid the temptation to generalise.
Part 2
1. Critique both the Letter of Invitation and Letter of Response from PPT1. (With the benefit of hind sight how could these letters have been improved to better support EWB objectives, and your individual learning outcomes?)
2. Having selected your EWB Project you will have been carrying out research into the Project area and alternative solutions. Detail your findings from this research, perhaps relating these findings to EWB Objectives such as:
? Aligns with EWB Goals and Values.
? Project (Draft Alternatives) are innovative, low cost, small scale, affordable, and appropriate.
? Draft designs take into account Culture, local norms and religion.
? Draft designs are sustainable, use local materials, skills, and community knowledge.
? Draft designs should be durable, consider the Natural Environment, including disaster mitigation, climate change and sustainable land management.
From the weekly schedule - week 6:
3. Explain how you are using both the Engineering Method and the Problem Solving Cycle to develop project alternatives and outcomes.
4. Describe and explain your researched information and findings on:
? social sustainability
? economic sustainability
? environmental sustainability.
From the weekly schedule - week 7:
5. Describe and explain how your project alternatives recognises Culture in Engineering design.
From the weekly schedule - week 8:
6. You will detail your developed alternative designs and viable solutions.
7. You will describe your considerations and methodology for selecting the most appropriate solution to your project.
8. Produce a detailed programme of works for your PPT3 - Final Project Design and Documentation.
Part-3
? Engineers Without Boarders - The Projects:
You will demonstrate (via written communications and records) your application of the Engineering Method and Problem Solving Cycle.
These activities, problems and solutions, should be reflected on and documented for your portfolio.
1. Comprehensively describe the optimum solution you have chosen for your project.
Include the location, lay-out, demand/supply balance, financial considerations, and give a detailed specification and quantification for materials and labour required.
You will present final reflective evaluations on:
? social sustainability
? economic sustainability
? environmental sustainability.
You can consider this item to be 'The final project presentation' to the Client.
2. The future of engineering.
Document and discuss three main themes that you consider vital to engineers when considering the future of engineering, and your place in that future.
3. Explain how this course and the EWB project have contributed to your professionalism as an engineer.
4. Describe the main learning outcomes that this course and the EWB project have generated for you over the semester. Have any of these learning outcomes been a surprise to you?