Module: Fundamentals of Professional Development

Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Fundamentals of Professional Development
Module Code	EM105
School	School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: Anne Morrissey Semester 2: Anne Morrissey Autumn: Anne Morrissey
Module Teachers	Anne Morrissey
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

None
Array

Description

The module is designed to develop initial student knowledge, awareness, skills and competencies in a broad range of areas of professional practice, including: professional ethics, effective learning, professional communication, career planning and development, health and safety, universal design, product safety, sustainability, and working in a team environment.

Learning Outcomes

1. Reflect critically on learning experiences and career planning and development, identifying more and less effective learning approaches, and be able to identify DCU regulations and policies relevant to the learning environment.
2. Use accurate vocabulary in discussing issues of professional ethics. Describe the main aspects of the Institution of Engineers code of ethics.
3. Identify and summarise aspects of Irish and EU legislation affecting engineering practice, including personnel health and safety, universal design, and product safety.
4. Identify the role and interaction between engineering products and systems and environmental impacts, especially energy use and climate change.
5. Discuss non-engineering factors that may determine the success or otherwise of new technologies/systems/products, and the non-engineering factors that may be important in product design and development
6. Communicate a balanced review of complex and/or controversial ideas; demonstrate appropriate academic and professional standards of written communication, including spelling, grammar, structure, citation and presentation.
7. Work effectively and professionally in a team environment.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	14	Presentation of core module topics
Seminars	10	Guest seminar sessions
Assignment Completion	6	Careers portfolio
Assignment Completion	15	Learning journal reflections
Independent Study	10	Critical reflection on guest seminars
Group work	45	Engineering research report
Independent Study	25	Background reading and research on module topics including exam preparation
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Overview
Introduction to the module: learning outcomes and activities

Learning journal
Briefings and feedback for the reflections on the learning experience. Provided online.

Career development
Students will be helped to identify their career skills and to become aware of key skills sought by employers. Students will be shown how to adopt a developmental approach to career choices. They will be informed about resources on careers information and encouraged in a self help approach. Students will develop their ability to apply for an appropriate summer internship, including the preparation of a professional CV.

Team based engineering research project
Students will be organised into teams and required to complete an engineering research report. This will involve first selecting and agreeing some engineering problem, technology, product or service of interest to the team. Then this topic must be researched, with careful attention to critical evaluation and comparison of different sources. The topic must then be communicated in a professional engineering research report, demonstrating appropriate academic and professional standards of written communication, including spelling, grammar, structure, citation and presentation.

Guest seminar sessions
There will be a series of seminar sessions with invited guest speakers addressing core modules topics. The detailed speakers and topics may vary from year to year, but will typically include: health and safety, equality, universal design, and product safety, sustainability, energy, climate change, ethical practice, and the organisaton and regulation of the engineering profession.

Lectures
The weekly lectures are used to provide guidance for the team project and learning journals, feedback for the team project, and additional information on writing skills, ethics, universal design, health & safety, sustainability, engineering standards, as well as basic relevant information on psychology and economics

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	70%	Examination Weight	30%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Reflective journal	Written reflections on learning approaches and experiences	15%	Sem 2 End
Report(s)	Career development portfolio	10%	Week 23
Group assignment	Engineering research report	45%	Week 29

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Other Resources

55938, website, 0, EM105 Loop Page: Information,guides and links related to writing skills, professional presentation, ethics, health & safety, universal design, sustainabiity, the psychology of learning, etc.,

Programme or List of Programmes

BMED	B.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering
CAM	B.Eng. Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
CE	Common Entry into Engineering
ECE	BEng Electronic & Computer Engineering
ME	B.Eng. in Mechatronic Engineering
SSE	BEng in Mechanical & Sustainability Eng

Date of Last Revision

01-JUN-11

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