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Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Exploring Enabling Technologies & Solutions - Sustainable Tech
Module Code GC2EN (ITS) / IDE1005 (Banner)
Faculty FEC/FHSS School L&G/Electronic Engineering
Module Co-ordinatorShirley Coyle
Module TeachersPaul O'Keeffe
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 10
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
None
Description

The purpose of this ASC is to address a current local sustainability challenge, e.g. within DCU campus or local community. This challenge will be assessed from different sustainability perspectives and students will create a feasible innovative technology based solution to address the sustainability challenge

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify, anticipate and assess the possible positive and negative implications of applying technological solutions to a variety of global challenges.
2. Develop the transdisciplinary skills to build sustainable technological prototypes to address global challenges.
3. Develop communication and interpersonal skills and industry connections to leverage existing prototypes into proposed solutions.
4. Develop collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork skills to pull ideas and expertise into identifying and building technological solutions for a changing world.
5. Identify the appropriate and emerging technological solutions available to specific global challenges; develop, evaluate, test and re-engineer prototypes.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Workshop24Weekly workshop sessions with the ASC coordinators
Total Workload: 24

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

Sensors and Internet of Things
Internet of Things (IoT) is enabling a connected world of billions of devices that are capable of sensing real world information. With the growing popularity of IoT and advancements in related sensing technologies, it is now possible to deploy a variety of sensors in our surroundings. These sensors are capable of observing contextual information and then transmit the collected information over the internet. The collected information is then analysed to convert it into actionable knowledge which can be used for actuation, to implement adaptation or change. IoT systems are designed to sense, collect, analyse and react using realtime data collected from various sensors. In this FLO, students will learn about the Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies. The students will understand how IoT systems are designed and deployed for real-world use-cases and how IoT solutions can be implemented to address global challenges.

Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Systems Designs
An entrepreneurial mindset and an understanding of innovation are key to driving team performance. This FLO will introduce students to fundamental concepts in entrepreneurship and innovation and provide them with the requisite skills to identify and conceptualise solutions to problems, evaluate opportunities, and design teams to tackle and solve problems. Students will study the nature of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial behaviours, entrepreneurial economics, and the entrepreneurial mindset. The concept of systematic innovation will be introduced and students will learn how to evaluate opportunities and introduce and exploit change. An introduction to systems design will equip the students with the ability to analyse complex systems and provide them with a framework for understanding the relationships between system elements, the nature of dynamic forces acting on these elements and the interactions between these forces. The students will learn to look at systems in a holistic manner and extend the definition of a system beyond the technical to include sustainability, economic factors, legislation, humanactors and attitudes. The students will apply this systems-thinking approach to the design and analysis of real world problems, exploring contexts, connections, perspectives, and boundaries relating to system scope, scale and opportunities for optimisation. By appreciating that complex systems constantly evolve and adapt the student will be encouraged to think about organisational and team design oriented towards continuous, social learning and adaptive management. Elements of design thinking will be incorporated into the course with an emphasis on human-centre system innovation and system design, requirements capture, and solution development.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentAssignment: Identify, anticipate and assess the possible positive and negative implications of a system related to water use or crop harvesting etc.(LO1)10%n/a
Laboratory PortfolioPrototyping : Students will build an automated plant watering system This will include laboratory checkpoints.20%n/a
AssignmentProduct lifecycle: write a maintenance timeline for the system including end of life decommissioning10%n/a
AssignmentIoT sensors for indoor monitoring, group project5%n/a
AssignmentAssignment to tackle challenging problems in complex scenario case study10%n/a
Completion of online activityIoT online learning course5%n/a
AssignmentSensors and IoT assignment40%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories:
Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module.
Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

    Other Resources

    None

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