Higher National Diploma in Engineering

Assessment Brief
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 34 - Research Project Unit code: J/615/1502

Academic Year 2019 - 2020

Unit Assessor PHAM BACH DUONG

Assignment Title Research, design and implementation of a technical solution for

resolving customer’s realistic problem

Issue Date 11 May 2020

Submission Date 30 June 2020

Formative Date: Summative Date:

IV Name & Date Nguyen Thoi Date: 08/5/2020

Formative Feedback

Assessor Signature: Date:

Summative Feedback
Resubmission Feedback:

GRADE (Please tick ) Referral Pass Merit Distinction

First Attempt

Rework

Assessor Signature: Date:

Assessor Signature: Date:

(Resubmission)
Student Declaration
I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the consequences of
plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of malpractice.
Student signature: Date:

For Internal Verifier only

Internal Verifier’s Comments:

IV Signature Date:

* Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once internal and external
moderation has taken place and grades decisions have been agreed at the assessment board.

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Scenario
You are a member of the research and development team based within a design company providing
technical solutions based on customer requests. You and your team need to approach the
customers for collecting their needs and propose possible solution with workable prototype to
illustrate the idea.
Your research needs to focus on how new technologies, production processes and materials can be
utilised and integrated into the design process and how these potential developments would impact
on resolving customers’ needs.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Conduct the preliminary stages involved in the creation of an engineering research project

Assignment Brief and Guidance

1. Your first task is to produce an initial project proposal identifying the resource requirements
and estimation of time required to complete the project (P1).
2. Your next task is to identify your key project objectives, what it is you are setting out to
achieve and how you intend to achieve them, the resulting goals and rationale (P2).
3. Identify and justify your selection of the essential elements of the project specification and
undertake a SWOT analysis and feasibility study to determine any potential risks associated
with the project (M1).
4. Finally you need to produce a comprehensive project proposal, based upon your initial
research, which justifies the rationale for your research (D1).
Submission Format (PROPOSAL)

The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise,
formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be supported with research
and referenced using the Harvard or IEEE referencing system. Provide a bibliography using the
Harvard referencing system.
The recommended word limit is 2,000–2,500 words, you will not be penaltised for exceeding the
total word limit.

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LO2 Examine the analytical techniques used to work on all stages of the project and strategies
required to overcome the challenges involved in a research project.
Assignment Brief and Guidance
5. Your first task is to determine possible sources of data to be collected, methods to collect
data and conduct Data analysis and interpreting findings for reviewing relevant literature
(P3).
6. Your next task is to examine appropriate research methods and your selected approaches
including project management and key milestones to conduct primary (your main
obbjectives) and secondary (your sub objectives) research. (P4).
7. Analyse the strategies used to overcome the challenges may involved in the literature review
stage. Identify and justify your selection of research methods to support your approach (M2).
8. Discuss merits, limitations/risks and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis
(M3)
9. Finally you need to critical analyse the used sources of data and conducted analysis and
strategies to overcome the challenges occurred (D2).
Submission Format (LITERATURE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS)
The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise,
formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be supported with research
and referenced using the Harvard or IEEE referencing system. Provide a bibliography using the
Harvard referencing system.
The recommended word limit is 3,000–3,500 words, you will not be penaltised for exceeding the
total word limit.

LO3 Reflect on the impact the research experience could have in enhancing personal or group
performance within an engineering context.
Assignment Brief and Guidance
10. Your first task is to reflect on the effectiveness and the impact the experience has had upon
enhancing your group performance (P5).
11. Your next task is to evaluate the benefits from the findings of the research conducted (M4).
12. Finally you need to critically evaluate how the research experience enhances personal or
group performance within an engineering context (D3).
Submission Format (DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTS)
The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise,
formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be supported with research
and referenced using the Harvard or IEEE referencing system. Provide a bibliography using the
Harvard referencing system.

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The recommended word limit is 3,000–3,500 words, you will not be penaltised for exceeding the
total word limit.

LO4 Explore the communication approach used for the preparation and presentation of the
research project’s outcomes
Assignment Brief and Guidance
13. Your first task is to complete a report package including following items (P6)
a. A formal research project report with full citation using IEEE/Havard referencing
system.
b. A Google Drive Folder contain all project relevant folders with a clear description note.
c. An A1 poster to explain an overview of the project stages.
d. A demo video clip with verbal explaination and subtitle of the project and prototype
operation.
e. A 10-15 minutes presentation using PowerPoint or equivalent software to communicate
your project.
14. Your next task is to write to your customer an email in within 200 words to briefly describe
your team’s solution to resolve the customer’s problem and introduce to the report package
(P7).
15. Evaluate how the communication approach meets research project outcomes and objectives
(M5).
16. Finally you need to critically reflect how the audience for whom the research was conducted
influenced the communication approach used for the preparation and presentation of the
research project’s outcomes (D4)
Submission Format
The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise,
formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be supported with research
and referenced using the Harvard or IEEE referencing system. Provide a bibliography using the
Harvard referencing system.
The recommended word limit is 5,000–5,500 words, you will not be penaltised for exceeding the
total word limit.

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Essential Resources:

IT equipment, data/software/simulation/presentation packages for production of Gantt charts,

presentation and technical report. Physical resources dependent on the nature and scope of the
individual project.

Indicative Reading for learners:

Due to the nature of the unit, students should refer to the reading lists of other units in the
programme which relate to the specific aspect they are investigating. However, the following
references may be of general use.
Textbooks
LEONG, E.C., LEE-HSIA, C.H. and WEE ONG, K.K. (2015) Guide to Research Projects for Engineering
Students: Planning, Writing and Presenting. Apple Academic Press Inc.
OBERLENDER, G.D. (2014) Project Management for Engineering and Construction. 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill
Education.
Electronic
Association for Project Management: https://www.apm.org.uk

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Conduct the preliminary stages involved in the creation of an D1 Produce a comprehensive
engineering research project project proposal that evaluates
P1 Produce a research project M1 Analyse the project specification and justifies the rationale for the
proposal that clearly defines a and identify any project risks. research.
research question or hypothesis.
P2 Discuss the key project
objectives, the resulting goals
and rationale.
LO2 Examine the analytical techniques used to work on all stages of D2 Critically analyse literature
the project and strategies required to overcome the challenges sources utilised, data analysis
involved in a research project conducted and strategies to deal
P3 Conduct a literature review of M2 Analyse the strategies used to with challenges.
published material, either in overcome the challenges involved in the
hard-copy or electronically, that literature review stage.
is relevant to your research

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project. M3 Discuss merits, limitations and
P4 Examine appropriate pitfalls of approaches to data collection
research methods and and analysis.
approaches to primary and
secondary research.
LO3 Reflect on the impact the research experience could have in D3 Critically evaluate how the
enhancing personal or group performance within an engineering research experience enhances
context personal or group performance
P5 Reflect on the effectiveness M4 Evaluate the benefits from the within an engineering context.
and the impact the experience findings of the research conducted.
has had upon enhancing
personal or group performance.
LO4 Explore the communications approach used for the preparation D4 Critically reflect how the
and presentation of the research project’s outcomes audience for whom the research
P6 Explore the different types of M5 Evaluate how the communication was conducted influenced the
communications approaches approach meets research project communication approach used
that can be used to present the outcomes and objectives. for the preparation and
research outcomes. presentation of the research
P7 Communicate research project’s outcomes.
outcomes in an appropriate
manner for the intended
audience

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