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Team engineering

Due to the current uncertainty around large gatherings and changing Government guidance, we will host the two residential schools as virtual residential schools.

Team engineering aims to develop the essential professional engineering skill of working with others. There are two schools: you’ll work as part of a small project team, formed at the first school. Projects offered will tackle contemporary issues requiring a broad range of engineering knowledge and skills, exchange of ideas, use of creativity, design inputs and analysis within a cooperative environment. You’ll work together in a team to produce a ‘solution’, meeting regularly online and using a shared virtual workspace, under guidance from your tutor. Your team’s results will be presented and assessed at the second school and through submission of a written report.

Vocational relevance

This module will be the culmination of work towards your Master of Engineering (M04) or Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering (E22) – and complete the academic base under UK-SPEC for professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer.

Qualifications

T885 is a compulsory module in our:

This module can also count towards M03, which is no longer available to new students.

Module

Module code
T885
Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
30
Study level
Across the UK, there are two parallel frameworks for higher education qualifications, the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (FHEQ) and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). These define a hierarchy of levels and describe the achievement expected at each level. The information provided shows how OU postgraduate modules correspond to these frameworks.
OU Postgraduate
SCQF 11
FHEQ 7
Study method
Distance learning
Find out more in Why the OU?
Module cost
See Module registration
Entry requirements

Find out more about entry requirements.

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Module details Entry requirements Module registration Study materials

What you will study

Due to the current uncertainty around large gatherings and changing Government guidance, we will host the two residential schools as virtual residential schools.

This module provides an opportunity for you to explore an engineering problem in depth, working as part of a small team. Your team will choose its problem from a number of options, each with a particular engineering focus but all involving a broad range of engineering knowledge and skills – from design through structural and control engineering to sustainability. A central aspect will be the contribution of your engineering practice within the team and the need apply skills such as analytical design and engineering analysis.

You will attend two virtual schools that run over three days, from Friday to Sunday. At the first one, which takes place at the very start of the module, you will learn about functioning effectively as a team and get to know each other by confronting a variety of practical and intellectual challenges. You will join with fellow students to form a team of four or five. Your team will select their project from those on offer and refine the project by developing an appropriate aim and SMART objectives.

After the first weekend, and working at a distance from the other team members, you will individually and jointly pursue agreed lines of enquiry on your engineering project. Your progress through the project is recorded in your team wiki, in online video conference records of team meetings and in team and individual reports, submitted as tutor-marked assignments.

All the teams will report back at the second school some 20 weeks later. This will give you a chance to engage in discussions with other students and staff members before developing a plan for your final project report, which is your end-of-module assessment (EMA). This is submitted several weeks later.

This is not a content-focused module. Instead, you and your team will be responsible for gathering together the information you need to pursue your project. You will be supplied with a project brief and with background material about group working and project management. You will have access to a full range of information resources through the internet and online or conventional libraries. You will keep in touch with your tutor and work collaboratively with your fellow team members through frequent, regular online meetings and your team wiki.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Throughout your module studies, you’ll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They’ll help you by:

  • Marking your assignments (TMAs) and providing detailed feedback for you to improve.
  • Guiding you to additional learning resources.
  • Providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content.
  • Facilitating online discussions between your fellow students, in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Assessment

The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system.

Two of the assignments will be joint submissions from your team, and two are personal accounts of your achievements and your contribution to the work of your team. The end-of-module assessment, which must be submitted online, also consists of a group and individual project reports together with an assessed presentation and poster from the second virtual school.

Professional recognition

This is a compulsory module of the Master of Engineering (M04) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering (E22) and provides the opportunity to develop and demonstrate engineering practice and essential group-working skills required for graduates working to recognition as Chartered Engineers.

Residential School

Due to the current uncertainty around large gatherings and changing Government guidance, we will host the two residential schools as virtual residential schools.

We will hold the first virtual school 15–17 January 2021, and the second school 4–6 June 2021.
You’ll spend a significant amount of time online:

  • Day 1: from 17:00
  • Day 2: 09:00–21:00
  • Day 3: 09:00–14:00

To balance the workload of school 2, we’ll host short preparatory sessions in the evening 1–2 weeks beforehand. Dates for these will be on the module website.

You’ll need a webcam and a headset (or microphone and speakers) to participate fully.

To pass the module, you must take part satisfactorily in the first school. A key part of the module assessment takes place at the second school so it is vital that you plan to attend, although not doing so will not automatically lead to you failing the module.

Course work includes

4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
Embedded residential school

Future availability

Team engineering (T885) starts twice a year – in January and September.

This page describes the module that will start in September 2021 and January 2022.

We expect it to continue until at least January 2024.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

    Entry requirements

    You must be studying towards one of the following qualifications:

    • Master of Engineering (MEng) (M03/M04)
    • MSc in Engineering (F46)
    • Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering (E22)

    You cannot study this module on its own or as part of any other qualification.

    To begin T885, you must have passed 90 credits of postgraduate-level study towards your qualification. You may register on T885 while still studying the last 30 of the 90 credits. However, we’ll cancel your registration if you have not passed the 90 credits before T885 starts.

    Once you’ve reserved a place, we’ll check you meet these entry requirements. We’ll contact you if we need to discuss anything. You can’t start T885 until you fully meet these entry requirements. If you don’t meet these entry requirements, we must cancel your reservation/registration.

    If you’re unclear whether you meet the entry requirements, talk to an adviser.

    Register

    Start End Fee Register
    10 Sep 2021 Jun 2022 Not yet available

    Registration closes 12/08/21 (places subject to availability)

    Register
    21 Jan 2022 Oct 2022 Not yet available

    Registration closes 16/12/21 (places subject to availability)

    Register
    This module is expected to start for the last time in September 2024.

    Future availability

    Team engineering (T885) starts twice a year – in January and September.

    This page describes the module that will start in September 2021 and January 2022.

    We expect it to continue until at least January 2024.

    Additional costs

    Study costs

    There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

    Ways to pay for this module

    We know there’s a lot to think about when choosing to study, not least how much it’s going to cost and how you can pay.

    That’s why we keep our fees as low as possible and offer a range of flexible payment and funding options, including a postgraduate loan, if you study this module as part of an eligible qualification. To find out more, see Fees and funding.

    Study materials

    What's included

    You'll have access to a module website, which includes:

    • a week-by-week study planner
    • course-specific module materials
    • assignment details and submission section
    • access to online team rooms.

    You will need

    • A webcam and a headset (or microphone and speakers) to participate fully in the virtual residential schools.

    Computing requirements

    A computing device with a browser and broadband internet access is required for this module. Any modern browser will be suitable for most computer activities. Functionality may be limited on mobile devices.

    You’ll have to buy any specialised software if you choose a project that needs it. For this reason, you will need to be able to install and run additional software on a device that meets the requirements below.

    A desktop or laptop computer with either an up-to-date version of Windows or macOS.

    The screen of the device must have a resolution of at least 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 pixels vertically.

    To join in the spoken conversation in our online rooms we recommend a headset (headphones or earphones with an integrated microphone).

    Our Skills for OU study website has further information including computing skills for study, computer security, acquiring a computer and Microsoft software offers for students.

    If you have a disability

    Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.

    If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Visit our Disability support website to find more about what we offer.