Improving project work on degree courses

For the past 40 years or more, projects have formed a major part of the honours degree programme in engineering and technology, especially in the final year. The weighting of the final year project can vary to be worth between 15% and 25% of the final degree classification. The project is intended to be a self-contained piece of work that has a definite starting point (the definition of the solution to solve) and a definite end point (a working and tested solution). The project should allow the Finniston principle of allowing the integration of theoretical, practical and business aspects of the course. The project should pull on knowledge and understanding of at least the first two levels of the degree course, in addition, it should require the students to go beyond this given knowledge, to allow students to demonstrate their capability of further study or research. A few students, mainly those with industrial experience and high grade students, can benefit from small lead-in project work as part of the curriculum in the earlier years of the course, but for students who do not fall into this category, such activities do not really provide the management experience needed to cope with the final year project. Allowing students to be. more guided in their execution of the final year project by working with an experienced supervisor in a master/apprentice relationship can develop students towards being able to run the projects themselves with less and less supervision. (6 pages)