In this key introductory module, you'll take the first steps in planning your personal development to achieve career goals such as professional engineering status. As part of the skills development, you'll take part in practical engineering activities delivered via home experiment kits and a one-day online project school. You'll work both on your own and in a small team, under the guidance of experienced tutors, exploring real-world engineering phenomena and solving problems. You'll also gain practical skills in taking measurements, analysing data, seeking and evaluating information, modelling, and making presentations. The professional practice of engineers including ethics and safety will be explored using an engineering topic.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | T176 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| 1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| Includes residential school | |
In this module, you'll have the opportunity to develop the skills to support you in attaining your chosen qualification in engineering. By focusing on a real-life engineering sector, you'll explore the professional practice of engineers including their ethics and approaches to safety.
You'll also gain invaluable practical skills: measuring; data analysis; research and information evaluation; modelling; presenting; designing; and decision making. Working both on your own and in a small online team, you'll develop these skills through home experiments and a one-day online project school. You'll define your learning needs and plan ways of meeting them with the support of experienced tutors.
To pass the module, you must take part satisfactorily in the practical engineering component. You'll have a selection of dates in June and July to choose from for attending the online project school. If you have any concerns about the practical engineering aspects of this module, contact your Student Support Team to discuss your options.
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
The module offers opportunities to develop and practise a range of key skills to support your personal and professional development that you will find useful both for studying and learning and in the workplace. In particular, you will be applying technical skills to real technological situations as you work with others, communicate your findings and monitor and evaluate your own performance.
You should complete Engineering: origins, methods, context (T192) before studying this module.
Typically, you'll also have passed or be studying Engineering: frameworks, analysis, production (T193).
You'll have access to a module website, which includes:
You'll also be provided with a home experiment pack.
You'll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Monterey or higher.
Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.
To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It's not available on Kindle.
It's also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you'll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.
Throughout your module studies, you'll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They'll help you by:
Module tutors also run online tutorials throughout the module. Where possible, recordings of online tutorials will be made available to students. While these tutorials won't be compulsory for you to complete the module, you're strongly encouraged to take part.
The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone. The Accessibility Statement below outlines what studying this module involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
Most of this module's study materials are online. Online materials are composed of pages of text with images, audio/video clips of 1-10 minutes long (all with transcripts/subtitles) and diagrams. Online materials also include links to external resources, online forums and online tutorial rooms.
This module provides individual tutor support and online tutorials. Although not compulsory, attendance at tutorials will help you consolidate your learning. Dedicated tutors will support your work on the practical engineering activities via online forums. Attendance at the online project school is compulsory.
You'll be required to work with other students while participating in the online project school, which involves working in a small online team, under the guidance of experienced tutors, carrying out practical engineering work and solving problems. You will develop these skills through interactive learning activities and this is assessed through part of the End-of-Module Assessment (EMA).
Practical work forms a required component of the module assessment and is compulsory. You'll explore real-world engineering phenomena through experiments and problem-solving activities that are important to developing your engineering study. You'll also make progress with practical skills invaluable for an engineering qualification: taking measurements, analysing data, seeking and evaluating information, modelling, making presentations, design, and decision making. Working both on your own and in a small online team, you'll develop these skills through enjoyable, interactive learning activities. You'll define your learning needs and plan ways of meeting them with the support of experienced tutors. You'll conduct your practical learning remotely, using home experiment kits and by participating in an online project school.
The study materials contain some diagrams, graphs and photographs. Reading, interpreting and producing examples of these is an important part of the study of this module and is assessed. Figure descriptions are provided for all figures.
This module has Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs), which must be submitted online via the OU electronic TMA system, interactive Computer-Marked Assignments (iCMAs) completed online, and an End-of-Module Assessment (EMA) submitted online.
You will receive feedback from your tutor on your submitted Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs). This will help you to reflect on your TMA performance. You should refer to it to help you prepare for your next assignment.
All University modules are structured according to a set timetable and you will need time-management skills to keep your studies on track. You will be supported in developing these skills. If you are concerned about the time management required at undergraduate level, please contact us before you register on the module to find out what we can do to support you.
This module uses specialist symbols that may not be covered by standard accessibility tools.
Engineering: professions, practice and skills 1 (T176) starts once a year – in January/February.
This page describes the module that will start in February 2025.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2026.
This course is expected to start for the last time in February 2027.