The challenges of the 21st century require more than just theoretical knowledge in order to solve them. Design, professional and technical skills are sorely needed to help communities tackle big problems in crucial areas such as energy, infrastructure and security, as well as health and sustainability.

The aim of the Engineering Challenges module is to introduce you to real-world project-based working as well as some of the techniques and skills that you will need both in the rest of your degree and beyond. The module is split into two design projects, known as Challenges. Each Challenge is designed to address part of the design process and provide you with opportunities to integrate knowledge and skills developed in other modules such as experimental methods, modelling and prototyping as well as developing and improving skills such as creative thinking, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, designing, effective team working, self-directed learning, technical writing, and communication.

Challenge 1, the first design project, is a department-based individual project on a topic relevant to the research conducted within the department of your chosen degree programme. The aim here is to introduce you to your department and give you a sense of the wider context and application beyond the classroom. You will also start to learn skills like information gathering, giving and receiving feedback and presenting your work. Challenge 2, the second design project, is interdisciplinary, with departments paired up or grouped together to work on aspects of one large project where you will also start to think about the social impact of your engineering solutions, whilst designing it to technically work. In this hands-on and active module, you will learn to apply teamwork and communication skills as well as basic project management tools/practices. 

This Engineering Challenges module is part of the Engineering faculty’s cross-faculty teaching framework called the Integrated Engineering Programme (IEP) and is designed to be integrated with the ENGF0002 DPS and ENGF0003 MMAI modules taught in parallel during the same term. This means that material and skills will be referenced and referred to across the three modules.  

Intended Learning Outcomes 

Throughout this module you’ll gain a better understanding of your discipline and its context within the wider world, the design process and the interaction between society and engineering. You will start developing your skills and abilities in information gathering, engineering design, communication, creative and critical problem solving, decision making and teamwork in groups that are multi-disciplinary in addition to those that only comprise colleagues from your chosen discipline. 