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Module Specifications

Archived Version 2015 - 2016

Module Title Fundamentals of Professional Development
Module Code EM105
School School of Electronic Engineering

Online Module Resources

Module Co-ordinatorProf Barry McMullinOffice NumberL116
Module Co-ordinatorProf Barry McMullinOffice NumberL116
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
Description

The module is designed to develop initial student knowledge, 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, equality, 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 approaches in professional education, and be able to identify and summarise 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, equality, 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. Write technical reports, communicating 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 in both electronic and hardcopy forms.
6. Work effectively and professionally in a team environment.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture14Presentation of core module topics
Seminars10Guest seminar sessions
Assignment Completion6Careers portfolio
Assignment Completion20Learning journal reflections
Independent Study20Critical reflection on guest seminars
Group work40Engineering research report
Independent Study15Background reading and research on module topics
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. Use of moodle.

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, values, motivational factors 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 source and apply for appropriate job/summer internship and graduate program opportunities, including the preparation of a professional Cover Letter and 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, 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 in both electronic and hardcopy forms.

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.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment70% Examination Weight30%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Reassessment Requirement
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
Unavailable
Indicative Reading List

    Other Resources

    389, Document, DCU Registry, 0, DCU Marks & Standards, http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/marks_and_standards.pdf, 390, website, DCU Registry, 0, Examinations Office, http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/, 391, website, DCU Careers Service, 0, Career management skills, http://www.dcu.ie/students/careers/CMS/, 392, Document, Engineers Ireland, 0, Code of Ethics, http://www.engineersireland.ie/about-us/governance/code-of-ethics-and-bye-laws/, 393, Document, Stephen H. Unger, 1999, Some Recent Engineering Ethics Cases That Have Come to the IEEE, National Academy of Engineering (US): Online Ethics Center, http://www.onlineethics.org/CMS/profpractice/ppcases/ungercases.aspx, 394, website, 0, Health & Safety Authority (Ireland), http://www.hsa.ie/, 395, website, 0, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), http://www.sei.ie/, 396, blog, 0, Real Climate, http://www.realclimate.org/, 397, blog, 0, World Changing, http://www.worldchanging.com/, 398, website, 0, National Disability Authority (Ireland), http://www.nda.ie/, 399, website, 0, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD), http://www.universaldesign.ie/, 400, website, University of Melbourne, 0, Guide to IEEE Citation and Referencing Style, http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/cite/ieee/,
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