This course satisfies the compulsory project requirement of the BEng (Hons). It gives you an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have already acquired in your Level 3 engineering studies, by completing an individual project. You’ll choose the theme from a selection of broad project headings: solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, materials failure, electronic materials, engineering small worlds, environmental monitoring, radio frequency engineering, managing complexity, and innovation and design. You’ll develop the project topic, execute it and then write it up. A tutor will advise and guide you, but you’ll be expected to produce your work independently, without close supervision.

You will have studied one of the pre-requisite courses before starting T450. Additional Level 3 courses are being considered as prerequisites for this course. To check the latest list, email engineering@open.ac.uk or visit http://engineering.open.ac.uk

About 80 per cent of your study time will be spent on developing your project, and about 20 per cent on learning how to carry out a project in general. Understanding how projects develop and being able to explain how your project developed are two key skills that are central to the course and to its learning outcomes. The choice of project area is left up to you, but it clearly makes sense to pick the one whose subject matter is covered by whichever of the compulsory prerequisite Level 3 courses that you have previously studied.

The assignments have been structured to guide you through the execution of the project. As you are expected to develop a self-reflective approach, you will be required to keep a project log throughout the course and to use it for an assessed critical review of your work. You will need a computer with internet access, so that you can communicate with your tutor and use online library sources.

The course provides you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate the following learning outcomes.

Knowledge and understanding:

• a familiarity with principles and conventions of project management and execution

• an understanding of and ability to apply the relevant principles (e.g. from the related Level 3 course) within the context of the body of knowledge appropriate to an honours degree level project

• the ability to integrate engineering knowledge across traditional boundaries.

Cognitive skills:

• to identify and refine objectives and content for your project within the constraints of a given broad project topic

• to gather, analyse, evaluate and use relevant material to complete the project

• to appraise the project results and draw well-grounded conclusions based on the evidence assembled.

Key skills:

• to organise yourself and your work appropriately

• to produce a written report of 4000-5000 words on your specialist topic

• to develop a self-awareness of the skills and activities needed to carry out a project by listing, describing, and practically demonstrating them.

Practical and/or professional skills:

• the course is specifically designed to equip you with the project-related skills which will contribute to your formation and development as a professional engineer.