CIVIL 788A/B : Research Project

Engineering

2024 Semester One (1243) / Semester Two (1245) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Students are required to submit a report on a topic assigned by the appropriate Head of Department.

Course Overview

Civil 788A is an advanced 15-point course designed for postgraduate students in civil and environmental engineering. Operating at NZQF Level 9, this course provides students with the opportunity to conduct independent research under the guidance of an academic supervisor.

The primary objective of this course is to enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge and practical skills to a focused research endeavor. Students will identify a specific research problem or question within the realms of Civil and Environmental Engineering, formulate a research plan, execute the necessary investigations and analyses, and ultimately produce a comprehensive written report detailing their findings and conclusions.

Throughout the research project, students will work independently, exercising critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and self-direction. However, they will receive ongoing mentorship and supervision from an assigned academic advisor, who will provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout the research process.

The research project may involve various approaches, including experimental laboratory work, computational modeling, analytical studies, or a combination of these methods. Students may also have the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners, depending on the nature and requirements of their chosen research topic.

The final assessment for Civil 788A is based solely on the student's written report, which should comprehensively document the research problem, methodology, findings, and conclusions. This report should demonstrate the student's ability to conduct rigorous research, analyze and interpret data, and effectively communicate their work in a professional and scholarly manner.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: Departmental approval required To complete this course students must enrol in CIVIL 788 A and B, or CIVIL 788

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Retrieve, assess, and evaluate existing research outcomes and technologies relevant to the field of research. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the related work, including an in-depth knowledge of the literature, the important authors, the related terminology, and the research findings (theories, models, structures, designs, principles etc.) (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.2, 4.2, 6.1 and 7.1)
  2. Classify, summarise, explain, and critique he basic findings of the literature review and identify gaps in the current knowledge. Demonstrate an ability to extract and list the key issues from the literature review in order to conclude to the required problem statements and research questions. Demonstrate the ability to synthesis an exemplary problem statement, propose research questions, and formulate research hypotheses. (Capability 1.1, 3.2, 4.2, 6.1 and 7.1)
  3. Demonstrate clearly their knowledge of the underlying theory, methods, and procedures. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the required experiments and/or simulations and how they actually relate to the research questions or hypotheses. Demonstrate an understanding of the experimental design or numerical study, giving consideration to statistical significance and quality of collected data. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1 and 7.1)
  4. Correctly use the theory and research methods and efficiently conduct the required experiments and/or simulations. Demonstrate the ability to use data to extract appropriate models, cluster data into relevant groups, extract major and minor components, perform statistical analysis, organise data into appropriate tables, graphs, and diagrams, interpret data and compare them with previously published data, address the validity or inappropriateness of the data (discussing possible limitations), critique and recommend future improvements for the experimental design and the research direction (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  5. Design, develop, evaluate, and experimentally validate appropriate solutions for the selected research questions. Demonstrate proficiency related to hardware and software co-design (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  6. Demonstrate their proficiency in engineering / technical writing by being able to generate a technical research report summarising the research findings. (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 4.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  7. Provide knowledgeable and logical explanations and export opinion in relation to the research findings. Demonstrate the ability to add, at a satisfactory level, to the existing knowledge, articulating the importance of the work, in relation to solving a larger, ‘real-world’ problem. (Capability 1.1, 3.2, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Reports 100% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Reports

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.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes:

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including meeting with supervisor(s) to receive feedback and discuss development of the research project. The meetings could be in-person or online meeting. 

Online

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including meeting with supervisor(s) to receive feedback and discuss development of the research project. The meetings will be online. 
This course runs to the University semester/quarter timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.

Learning Resources

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.

The project supervisor will provide suitable material or provide links to additional information. 

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching 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.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

All student feedback is taken seriously. 

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.

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.

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 http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework 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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

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.

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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course 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.

Published on 29/05/2024 07:27 p.m.