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Overview

Course Prescription

Mathematical modelling using ordinary and partial differential equations, calculus of variations and statistical methods. Topics include: eigenvalues, eigenvectors, systems of equations, stability, separation of variables, wave and heat equations, Euler-Lagrange equation, Hamilton’s Principle, probability, random variables, common distributions, Poisson process, exploratory data analysis, confidence intervals, hypotheses tests, linear models including one-way and two-way ANOVA, ANCOVA and multiple regression, introduction to logistic regression.

Course Overview

ENGSCI 314 is a core course for the Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Science specialisations. It is a continuation of ENGSCI 211: Mathematical Modelling 2, and integrates many of the concepts covered there. The following topics are covered:

  • Probability
  • Data Analysis
  • Ordinary Differential Equations
  • Partial Differential Equations
The Data Analysis, Ordinary Differential Equations and Partial Differential Equations topics will be taught alongside ENGSCI 311 during the timetabled lecture times.The Probability topic will be taught separately at the same lecture times, with an additional in-person lectorial for those weeks only. The weeks when Probability will be taught and the scheduled lecture rooms will be advised on Canvas.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 4 hours of lectures and/or lectorials, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite
Restriction

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Lectures will be available as recordings. 
The course may include recorded lectorials once a week as appropriate.
Attendance on campus is required for the test and exam.
The final exam will take place in a form prescribed by University policy.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

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.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

A coursebook will be available for purchase from ubiq, the University bookshop. PDF files of the constituent parts will be available on Canvas.

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

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

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.

Other Information

The course policy for late assignments, extensions and exemptions will be published on Canvas when that is available. This policy will be strictly enforced. Please note that pressure of coursework alone or personal travel are not sufficient reasons to grant extensions or exemptions. Extensions will also not be granted for individual technological issues, or submitting incorrect files to Canvas. Please ensure that you give yourself sufficient time to check that you have submitted the correct files for each assignment.

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.


Additional Information on Academic integrity

Although the use of generative AI in helping you understand course material is permitted and encouraged, you are required to use these tools responsibly. You are required to understand (and be able to explain) everything that you submit.

Submissions that are entirely or mostly generated by Generative AI will generally score very low marks. Students who submit work mostly generated by Generative AI may be subject to interview and mark deductions may occur if you do not understand what you have submitted.

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

10% Rule applies: final mark cannot exceed exam mark by more than 10 percentage points.

A passing mark is 50% or higher, according to University policy.

The test and exam are in-person and completed on paper. Students must sit the final exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

Late Policy: Late submissions will be dealt with under the course policy published on Canvas. In short, there are no late submissions allowed for Quizzes. Late assignments will be penalised at 4% of the marks available per hour, and this is automatically applied by Canvas.

Extensions: Procedures for extensions for illness or other unexpected events will be published on Canvas. 

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

The SET Evaluations from 2024 S2 stated that students found the Practice Problems Book, quizzes, and lectorials helpful, The worked examples in the coursebook and the general course organisation was also well appreciated. For the in-person test and exam, the permitted A4 sheet was deemed to be useful. All of these will be continued in 2025.

Based on the SET evaluations from 2024 S2, the following changes are intended:

  • Content Pacing: the course team will aim to pace the course better, however this is challenging with a new team each year. It is important to the course team that the lectures are delivered well, and we will incrementally improve on this ahead of the 2025 delivery.
  • Test and Assignment Schedules: unfortunately these are difficult to change given wider limitations, but will be taken into account when setting 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.

Additional Information on Class Representatives

Students will be represented by their elected Part III specialisation 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.