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Overview

Course Prescription

Students are required to submit a report on independent investigation carried out on a topic assigned by the Head of Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. The work shall be supervised by a member of staff.

Course Overview

The Part 4 (Final Year) research projects provide an opportunity for students to work largely on their own initiative but under supervision, on a topic approved by their Department. Work takes place over a complete academic year, requiring students to enrol in both 700A and 700B versions of the paper. Students will work in pairs under the direction and continuing guidance of a supervisory team. The research project requires independent thought and action. The project can also be seen within a professional context where our students, as engineers, investigate a specific and open problem in some depth, to produce both a solution informed by sound analysis and practice. It is expected that students will need to draw upon a good level of theoretical knowledge and the skills they have acquired so far in the degree. In some areas they will need to extend their knowledge and expertise. Some projects focus primarily on laboratory work and can involve substantial liaison with local industry, while others may be more analytical or computational in nature. Work on the project commences at the start of Semester 1 and continues until the end of Semester 2, with the expectation that students will spend on average about 8 hours per week on their project throughout this period. It is important that all projects start at the same time so that no student group gains an advantage. For the same reasons, projects that develop from work experience, or that have a lead-in requirement, are to be avoided. The research will start with the preparation of the research objectives and scope of the project and a literature review to identify what has been done previously and look at alternative approaches to the problem. This will lead into the detailed work on a solution, which may require some or all of: i) the design of equipment to carry out specific tasks, ii) to investigate phenomena or the behaviour of complex systems iii) computer analysis, modelling, and/or simulation of the engineering systems, It is important that there is a research component to the project so that the students can develop their research skills. The outcome of the project is an independent written project report that includes a literature review, a description of the research and its findings, and a statement of research contribution. Further supporting technical material is provided as a compendium.

Workload Expectations

Prior to the commencement of the research work students should complete a checklist that has a number of tasks, such as research lab induction and ethics approval (if needed). Students are expected to spend at least 8 hours a week on their project throughout the academic year and they are expected to keep a log-book. The academics should ensure that the workload for the project fits within this time frame. The first project component will focus on the objectives, project scope, and literature review and it should give an idea as to whether the project goals are achievable in the available time.

The mid-year technical report will also give the opportunity to the supervisors to provide meaningful and constructive feedback on the preliminary results and the technical work prior to the submission of the final report. The work within the project scope should be appropriately divided. In cases where it is not possible to assign separate roles, students will do the work jointly but must prepare individual reports in the form of a research paper.  

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite
Restriction

Additional Advice on Prerequisites

To complete this course students must enrol in CHEMMAT 751 A and B

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Health and Safety

Health & Safety induction, Lab authorisation, following standard operation procedures (SOPs) Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345678

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Students were generally satisfied with the course structure and approach, suggesting a few improvements during the 2023 SET evaluation.

Positive aspects of the learning experience from the course in 2023 focused on three major areas:

  1. Students appreciated the structured approach to the course, highlighting the usefulness of frequent workshops and milestone submissions for managing their year-long projects, as well as the openness and effectiveness of the coordinators and supervisors in addressing questions.
  2. The poster day was particularly well-received and is recommended for inclusion in future iterations of the course.
  3. The individual research projects were engaging and provided valuable insights into more advanced R&D work.

Suggestions for course improvements in 2023 centered on two areas:

  1. A unified course homepage for Semesters 1 and 2 was suggested to organize instructions and assignments better.
  2. More frequent feedback from supervisors and a more distributed marking scheme for milestone submissions were also recommended.

Planned improvements for the coming year (2024):

  • The 751 coordinator team will ensure that project supervisors provide prompt feedback on milestone submissions and clarify to students how these submissions are considered in their project assessments.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.