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CAES9544 Technical English for Mechanical Engineering

Coordinator: Simon BOYNTON

Course Description:

This 6-credit English-in-the-Discipline course will introduce ME and BEng(EngSc) Materials Engineering students to professional and technical communication in the context of technical project report writing and oral presentation. The course will provide an intensive English environment and engage students in activities which help them prepare for the completion of the assessments required by their capstone experience courses. Assessment is wholly by coursework. Co-requisites: MECH4429 Integrated capstone experience (for BEng in Mechanical Engineering students) MECH4429 Integrated capstone experience OR MECH3427 Design and manufacture (for BEng(EngSc) Materials Engineering students)

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  • Present elements of technical information including lexical, visual and grammatical realization
  • Make convincing justifications and claims based on real-life disciplinary sources
  • Evaluate solutions to engineering problems and options available
  • Write a structured, coherent, grammatically accurate and professional technical report for ME professionals and related personnel
  • Deliver a structured, coherent, grammatically accurate and professional presentation for ME professionals and related personnel

Strategies:

  • A genre approach to written work is employed emphasizing on acquiring the discipline specific genre through consciousness raising, analysis, and application
  • Student’s written work is closely related to their own discipline project
  • Video recording of oral presentations is conducted to add a critical element of tension and to facilitate performance improvements through self-reflection
  • Compulsory attendance of rehearsals is required in order to gain feedback from the teacher and peers for improvement before the assessments
  • Assigned readings and tasks are set for out-of-class and independent learning

Assessment Methods:

(with breakdown of percentage weighting of the various methods)

  • Project reports (60%%)
  • Oral Presentations (30%%)
  • Independent learning work (10%%)