Engineering Innovation and Ethics Assignment -

Learning outcomes: On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Analyse industry practice as it relates to Indigenous Australian community engagement.

2. Apply effective teamwork skills to collaboratively plan, research, and communicate outcomes of an engineering study.

3. Comment on national engineering priorities and policies which encourage innovation.

4. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics required by the profession.

5. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of occupational health and safety procedures.

6. Discuss basic principles of industrial relations and the legal frame work.

7. Discuss environmental issues, sustainability and the role of an engineer in protection of the environment.

8. Evaluate industry practice around sustainability and environmental protection.

9. Explain the importance of intellectual property provisions for engineers.

10. Explain the nature and importance of innovation and entrepreneurship for engineers.

Text - Beer, D., & McMurrey, D. (2009). A Guide to Writing as an Engineer (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

Assignment 2 -

Preparation

Nominate an innovative company with a focus in the  field of engineering. Make a careful selection of your company to ensure that it matches your interest and it effectively illustrates innovation. Prepare a selected set of references and review them to provide a suitable knowledge base before your visit. Approach the company with a suitable background having developed a good understanding of its achievements, its sense of direction and its current activities. You will also need to prepare a set of interview questions and organise yourself to keep a record of your contacts with the company.

Try to arrange several visits to the company before the interview session(s) i.e. you should be reasonably familiar with the company profile. Annual reports and other company brochures would help. Assemble the questions you intend to use at interviews and order these in a logical sequence. Be ready to use supplementary questions.

Assignment instructions

This assignment is a group assignment on Engineering Innovations, which consists of two components: a written report and an oral presentation.  

The purpose of this assignment is to enable you to establish close contact with an engineering company; to encourage you to explore various sub-processes of innovation and to emphasise our increasing dependence on international initiatives as contributors to developments in engineering.

Prepare a written report on each on the following aspects of innovation (start each section on a new page):

Profile the recent innovative achievements of the company. (Up to 3 pages)

Explore in detail one engineering innovation credited to the company, or adopted and implemented by the company that is an innovative process or an innovative product. (Up to 3 pages)

Identify any aspects of diffusion and entrepreneurship associated with the innovation, emphasising as appropriate the international perspective. (1 page)

Explore the organisation's cross-cultural (in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) engagement policies where they exist and their possible impacts on their approach to being innovative. If the company does not have such policies, make recommendations as to what policies may be appropriate for them to consider adopting.

Show how an engineer with senior status functions as an innovator in the company environment. (1 page)

Comment on circumstances that hindered and/or facilitated innovation in the company. (1 page)

Prepare a diagrammatic model summarising the innovation process adopted by the company in relation to one engineering innovation.

Attach an executive summary of no more than one page, setting the scene, highlighting the major points from your report and offering recommendations for future innovative action you might take as an engineer employed by the company.  

Also include in your written report:

A list of references covering your background reading

Attach as appendices (1) your letter to the company seeking co-operation, (2) a brief letter of thanks to company management following the conclusion of your assignment, (3) a selection of materials describing the company (if available), and (4) the questions you prepared for your interview(s) with company engineer(s).

The ECU assignment cover sheet

The names and student numbers of all group members  and a clear indication of their contribution to the report (important note: this is a mandatory requirement and reports that do not include these contribution estimates will not receive any marks, note also that mark scaling may occur if large contribution discrepancies are indicated).

Challenges faced in producing the required information and how you have overcome them including your recommendations and lessons learnt.

Your written report should be of sufficient quality to present to company management. The emphasis is placed on the quality of the contents, not quantity. Ensure that your report is clear and concise and that it is free from typographical and grammatical errors.

As part of your postgraduate studies you are additionally required to research industry best practice in relation to innovation within organisations and provide recommendations in relation to case study used in this assignment.

ORAL PRESENTATION

You will be given 15 minutes to deliver your oral presentation in class which includes questions from the audience.  It is mandatory for each member of the team to present a separate section. It is expected that you attend your colleagues' presentations and participate in their Q&A.

Assignment 3 -

Write a 1200-word reflective evaluation investigating the history of the treatment of Indigenous Australians over the last century. How do you think this history should impact upon the ethical practice of engineering? How would this influence you in communicating with Aboriginal communities and representatives as an engineer?

This offers an opportunity for critical self-review and performance evaluation against appropriate criteria as a primary means of tracking personal development needs and achievements. This is consistent with the Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers.

Assignment 4 -

Preparation

This assignment is a group assignment on the theme of innovation for sustainability, which consists of a poster presentation and a report.  

You are required to research into your chosen innovation. It is important that you highlight aspects of particular impact and assess the relevance to engineers. You will deliver this in the form of a poster presentation and also submit an associated report. Your report and poster presentation should explore the origins of the innovation and why/how it is innovative. The impact of this innovation on the society, including any environmental impacts and/or other ethical issues created and how these have been managed. Particular attention should also be given to the theme of sustainability and how this innovation addresses this issue.

 As part of your postgraduate studies you are additionally required to research industry best practice in relation to application of the concept of sustainability within organisations and provide recommendations in relation to case study used in this assignment in your report.

POSTER PRESENTATION: You will need to prepare and present your findings on an A1 size poster, which will be placed in the classroom. Students will then move from one poster to another and read the information provided as well as ask questions from the presenter. It is mandatory for each member of the team to present a separate section. It is expected that you attend your colleagues' presentations and participate in their Q&A. To receive a mark for this component of assessment, you will also need to upload an electronic version of your poster as an item of evidence against the "2.4 f) Demonstrates commitment to sustainable engineering practices and the achievement of sustainable outcomes in all facets of engineering project work." Engineers Australia professional competency in the GradCap Workbook on your PebblePad ePortfolio and write a short statement justifying your claim against this competency.

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar