Innovation and Creativity in Engineering: Module Learning Outcomes and Assignment Requirements

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In this module students will explore how successful innovations emerge and how designers, technologists, managers and end-users create and apply new ideas and inventions. Students will look at how these are translated into marketable products or processes and how they can combine commercial and competitive advantage with ensuring a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable future. Students will work individually on a project that makes use of the ideas and methods taught in the course.

On successful completion of this module, student should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate and apply appropriate innovation and creativity tools and techniques to solve a technical problem to achieve a sustainable future.

2. Reflect objectively on your own career aspirations and potential professional development for the next 10 years to produce a suitable output for dissemination.

As part of your continuing professional development you will assess how ethical engineering concepts and your responsibility of as an individual engineer is part of your future career as an engineer striving for a sustainable future for the planet. You will also consider how this interaction with the responsibilities of governments, industrial companies and nongovernmental institutions. You will plot your career path using an appropriate technique such as trajectory diagram and produce an enhanced CV for external use.

A list of possible examples of suitable areas which could be used for your solving of technical problems is shown below. These are not exhaustive and you are encouraged to explore novel ways of achieving the learning outcomes;

- Apply creative methodologies for the solution of a design problem that affects the function of a component and undertake a suitable study to overcome this,

- Undertake a study of your engineering industry and look at a specific problem in design, manufacture, construction or infrastructure.

- Solve a process problem which has affected the manufacture of a project, the supply of a service or a maintenance activity. You will undertake a structured reflection on your work to solve a particular technical problem and locating the demonstrable outcomes in an academic context.

This assignment covers the following learning outcomes:

LO1. Critically evaluate and apply appropriate innovation and creativity tools and techniques to solve a technical problem to achieve a sustainable future.

LO2. Reflect objectively on your own career aspirations and potential professional development for the next 10 years to produce a suitable output for dissemination.

Research a range of potential tools and approaches that have the potential to provide solutions to the identified “challenge”. This should be set out as a critical review considering the suitability and appropriateness of the range of tools available to you if they were applied to your problem area. Don’t just describe the tools you are expected to research and critically evaluate their suitability for your purposes.

· Plan and carry out research on a successful engineered product You will need to:

· choose a suitable product

· plan how to undertake the research

· research what made the product successful.

Your evidence must include:

· a research plan

· details of information sources

· an explanation of why the product has been successful

· Investigate the product in terms of its innovation and new technology at the time of its development.

You will need to:

· analyse the products design and the technology that produced it

· identify how this product has led to other innovative designs

· evaluate how this product exploited new and emerging technologies

· Describe what is entrepreneurship.

· analysis of the products design and technology

· research of what is entrepreneurship