UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Module Specification Sheet (MSS)

Module Title: Professional skills Module code: MECH 1011Y Year: 2015 / 2016

Level 1 Semester 1 & 2 Module Type:

Pre-requisite module (PR): Nil Core

Resource Person(s): B.S.Toolsy UoM Credit ECSA Weekly notional

Name B.S.Toolsy Y. Seechurn 3 Credit hrs: 5
Office Room 4.6, Level II, Engineering 16
Engineering Tower Tower
Email b.toolsy@uom.ac.mu y.seechurn@uom.ac.mu
Tel 4037979
Prog Coord 1: Mechanical (Energy) Prog Coord 2: Mechanical (Industrial)
Office: Office:
Email: Email:
Tel: Tel:
Academic activities Lecture Tutorial Practical Assignment(s) Others
1 2 3 4 5
Weekly Load 1 1 6 8 10 10 8
Multiplier, M 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Classification of Mathematics Basic Sciences Engineering Design & Complementary
Knowledge areas (MS) (BS) Sciences (ES) Synthesis Studies (CS)
(DS)
% 100%
Actual 16
ECSA
credit
Problem Application knowledge Investigations, Engineerin Professional Impact of Individual, team Independen Engineering
ECSA solving of Engineering experiments g methods, & technical engineeri and t Professionalis
Exit Level scientific design and and data skills, tools communicati ng multidisciplinar learning m
and synthesis analysis and IT on activity y work ability
Outcomes engineering
(marked Knowledge
with an D D

‘x’ if
assessed)
Assessment details: Coursework details Examination details
Type No % Section:Nil
Exam: Nil Test(s) 2 5% + 25% No. of questions to be answered: Nil
Coursework: 100 % Practical(s) Multiple Choice Questions: Nil
Assignment(s) 5 20 % + 15 % + 15% Compulsory Questions (if any): Nil
+ 10% + 10%
Others Paper Duration: Nil

Prepared by Verified by
Name Mr B. S. Toolsy / Mr Y. Seechurn

Signature

Date

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 Module Details
1. Aims

The main aims of this module are:

 enable the student to understand the principles of professional communication (academic,

technical, marketing, business and working in an organisation)
 develop the oral (presentation) and writing (both technical and no-technical) skills
 enable the students to appreciate the importance of professional ethics in engineering

2. Outline Syllabus

 Communication Skills and Work Ethics

o The Writing Process; Writing of Synopsis & Project proposals; Preparation of a
Feasibility study; Letters and Memorandums; Technical & Laboratory Reports;
Résumés (Critical Thinking & Synthesis of Technical Articles); Project Progress
Reports; Final Year Project Report; Oral Presentations; non-verbal communication;
modes of speech delivery and presentation aids: speeches, perception and listening
skills, Referencing, plagiarism & ethics in written and oral communication; Teamwork
concept and effective communication in meetings; work ethics; engineering attitudes
(dedication, persistence and assertiveness); time management.
 Application of IT
o Introduction to Computer hardware; Operating Systems & File Management;
Introduction to System analysis; Introduction to Microsoft Office package (Word,
Excel and PowerPoint); Data collection and handling in Engineering; Data
manipulation in a spreadsheet; Application in engineering computation:
trigonometrical calculations, logical functions, statistical calculations; Introductory
programming techniques; Presentation of Tables, Charts, Histograms in reports;
Introduction to networking and data communication: file sharing, internet; use of
computers for data acquisition and control: drivers and basic configuration of external
devices.

3. Module Learning Outcomes

Having studied this module, the students should be able to:

 explain the importance of professional communication and ethics in engineering

 deliver an informal presentation in English and French
 deliver a formal technical (persuasive) presentation with visual aids
 prepare a powerpoint presentation on a topic which he/she has a significant level of mastery
 write a technical report based on information gathered through observation and/or experimental
work
 synthesize information from different sources, and produce a coherent report
 critically review the views from different authors on a specific issue and relate same to
actual/own work (literature review)
 write a proper concise (English and French) job application letter, to send a query and/or request
for assistance letter
 deliver a persuasive marketing presentation on an engineering product / service

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4. Module Map

Semester 1

Tasks/practicals/assignment/ Knowledge Areas

Period Total
Lecture Main Topics
(weeks) Hr(s) Basic Engineering Design & Complementary
reading material(s) Mathematics
Science Science Synthesis Studies

1-2 4 Introduction about importance of  Exercise on understanding the

communication: basic principles of
communication
 Harold Lasswell's model  Role play on communication
 Shannon’s model issues √
 Berlo’s model
 Noise factors, aspects & style of
communication
 Importance of communication for
an engineer and the different modes
of communication.
3-4 4 Oral presentations:  Exercise on individual oral
presentation
 
Importance, Audience, aim &
objective, content, time frame
Feedback on presentations √
 Body language, voice aspects,
language style, personal appearance
 Appropriateness of contents
5-6 4 Presentation with powerpoint slides and  Labwork on development of
designing slides powerpoint slides
 Exercise on individual √
powerpoint presentation
 Feedback on presentations

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 7-8 4 Assignment 1: presentation with
powerpoint slides

9 - 10 4 Introduction to technical writing and Lab work on:

writing correspondences:
 writing letters
 Introduction and conclusion  writing resume, introduction √
 Job application, request letter and and conclusion
memos;  writing skills
 peer review
11 - 12 4 Introduction to written reports: use of  Labwork on the use of
Microsoft Word: Microsoft Word
 Students are provided with
 Preparation of laboratory reports some work to prepare simple √
(format, aim & objective, reports during self-study
methodology, experimental results,
 Exercise on writing literature
representation of results, analysis &
discussion, conclusion, references) reviews
13 - 14 4 Report Writing: Use of spreadsheet for  Labwork on the use of
data processing and graphical display Microsoft Excel
 Students are provided with
sample of data; they have to
perform calculations, develop
scatter/line diagrams and √
generate correlation
coefficient (including
formatting of the graphs -
scaling, legends, titles, etc.
 Feedback on labwork
15 2 Class test  Principles of communication √
 Writing of letter

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  Writing a resume on a
literature review previously
conducted

Semester 2

Tasks/practicals/assignment/ Knowledge Areas

Period Total
Lecture Main Topics
(weeks) Hr(s) Basic Engineering Design & Complementary
reading material(s) Mathematics
Science Science Synthesis Studies

16 - 17 2 Introduction to concepts for Group exercise on the different

brainstorming / critical debating / techniques of brainstorming
constructing knowledge.
Group exercise on teamwork √
Understanding the basics of effective
teams

18 - 19 4 Presentation: Formal Technical Labwork on the presentation of

Persuasive brainstorming findings in graphical
format
 Use of IT tools (powerpoint, visio, √
CAD software, etc.) Self-study exercise on the
utilisation of IT tools in mechanical
engineering

20 - 21 4 Designing posters for formal, technical Lab work and self-study practice
and persuasive presentations on designing posters
√
Feedback on exercise

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22 - 23 4 Ethics for engineers;:
 Ethics in engineering, code of ethics
(CRPE, IMEC, etc), legal
obligations and societal roles of
engineers
 Societal dimensions of technology
24 - 25 4 Ethics in technical writing:
 Referencing & Plagiarism
 Use of Harvard system, use of
internet for online search on
specific themes, and preparing a list
of references thereon.
 Use of Internet source for
synthesizing information
26 2 Class Test
27 - 28 4 Writing proposals:
 Writing a project synopsis & project
proposal
Exercise on defining ethical
responsibilities of engineering
students and engineers at work
This topic will be supported with √
seminars on societal roles of
engineers, responsibility, framing
moral problems, social dimensions
of technology and trust
Individual exercise on developing a
resume on a research theme with
proper application of referencing
and peer review √
Feedback on exercise
Ethics and professionalism
Analysis of the ethical obligations √
and issues of an engineering
situation
Lab work and self-study practice
on writing proposals
√
Feedback on exercise
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29 - 30 4 Marketing of an engineering product Group exercise on development a
marketing presentation for an
engineering product √
Feedback on exercise

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 5. Essay(s)/Assignment(s)/Practical(s)

Title Maximum Marks Last Submission Date

A1- presentation (individual) + powerpoint slides 10 + 10 26 September 2014

A2 – Individual Laboratory (Experiment) report 15 14 November 2014

A3 - Poster on Research + presentation (group) 10 + 5 13 March 2015

A4- Project proposal (group) 10 25 April 2015

A5 – Marketing of an engineering idea (group) 10 9 May 2015

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Penalties for late submission:

 Minus 0.5 marks for each late day

 Note that there will be penalty marks for non-submission of unmarked exercise.

6. Recommended books/journals/websites
o University of Mauritius, Communication Skills Manual: http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/CSE1010e/
o Stellenbosch University Language Centre, Professional Communication : A Guide for Engineering
Students, 2011
o Charles E. Harris, Michael S. Prichard and Michael J. Rabins, Engineering Ethics: Concepts and
cases, Fourth Edition – International Student Edition, Wadsworth, 2009

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7. * Specific Developmental Outcomes

ELO Targeted Developmental Outcome How is outcome assessed? What is satisfactory performance?

The students will develop This outcome is entirely evaluated through To pass this developmental outcome, the
ELO 10:
different communication skills, coursework on the different communication students need to have 40% in the total marks
Professional
and technical in terms of presentation approaches commonly used by engineers and the first for all their coursework.
communication without powerpoint, test.
presentation with powerpoint, The students are able to prepare and deliver
Learning
writing technical reports / During the test, the students will be evaluated on confidently formal presentations.
outcome: their writing skills and their ability to summarise
Demonstrate proposals, designing posters to The students are able to write structured and
competence to explain technical information technical information.
properly formatted practical reports, with
communicate and marketing of engineering
effectively, both The assignments will evaluate: (1) the presentation proper introduction, relevant literature
orally and in ideas / solutions. skills with the utilisation of powerpoint as a tool (2) review, graphical data analysis, findings,
writing, the capability to develop a properly formatted discussions, conclusion and Harvard Style
with They learn to improve their
body language during laboratory / technical report with havard referencing referencing, in a reader-friendly manner.
engineering
presentation, writing skills, (3) the capability to prepare a project proposal (4)
audiences and The students are able to persuade their
the community utilization of graphical the capability to prepare poster presentation and (5)
audiences on their work with proposals and
at large. communication and the capability to market an engineering idea.
posters.
persuasiveness in
communication.

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ELO Targeted Developmental Outcome How is outcome assessed? What is satisfactory performance?

10. Engineering The students will understand the concept of This outcome is evaluated through To pass this outcome, the students need to
Professionalism ethics and professionalism and its fundamental the second test, which accounts for have 40% in the second test.
Learning outcome: relevance in engineering work. 25% of the total marks for the
module. The students will be The students are able to show the
Demonstrate critical
awareness of the They will also learn the importance of assessed on their understanding of importance of ethics and professionalism for
need to act responsibility, legal compliance, abidance to the proper implementation of an
professionally and ethics and professionalism and its
ethically and
professional code of ethics and trust. integration in engineering work. engineering work and identify ethical
to exercise judgment obligations / issues in engineering situations.
and take They will also learn to recognize ethical
responsibility within obligations and issues in engineering situations.
own limits of
competence.

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 7. Additional Information

Health & Safety Issues

1. Students have to strictly abide by the general health & safety issues prevailing on the university campus.

2. Students are reminded that they have to be very conversant with the specific health and safety
precautionary measures for each laboratory.

3. Students have to maintain their respective health and safety gears in good condition at all times.

4. For further information on health and safety regulations in force at the University of Mauritius, please visit
the following webpage:
http://mysites.uom.ac.mu/uomintranet/safetyNhealth/safetyAndHealthmanual_students.pdf

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