In Engineering Design 4A: Systems Approaches for Management, you will develop industry-relevant techniques to manage a design project over the entire system life cycle, from problem conception through to project retirement. ED4A is the fourth course in the interdisciplinary engineering design core, and is followed by Engineering Design 4B: Systems Approaches for Operations. The project selected from a pool of projects that are representative of typical final year capstone projects, allowing you to design the management process for a significant engineering project.

During the early stages of the course, you will learn project management techniques essential for delivering large-scale, complex engineering projects. This includes breaking projects into manageable parts, planning, scheduling, resourcing, controlling, accounting, balancing multiple criteria, and risk management. You will undertake guided study modules in a range of topics, including organisational structures, business planning, teamwork, professional conduct and legal and regulatory frameworks as they apply to the engineering profession. You will further develop skills in critical reflection as part of professional practice by connecting your prior experiences and learning to the topics covered in the course.

Major Project

The major project in this course will be around a real-world engineering problem. You will be part of a small team that is responsible for applying formal management techniques to improve the outcomes in an engineering design project. The project will deliver a Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) that is representative of best professional practice in Engineering Management.

Engineering Design @ ANU

At ANU, students are challenged to think of engineering design at a systems-level. Over the degree, you will learn how engineering design can be used to make a positive impact on society through five domains: design, analysis, research, professional practice and teamwork. In Engineering Design 4A, you will connect with your learning in your major and other courses, and develop skills essential to managing outcomes in a complex engineering project.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Design and implement a program of work in an open-ended engineering project
2. Select and apply appropriate management techniques to the running of an engineering project
3. Research and manage a design project within given constraints
4. Draw on the strengths of a diverse and interdisciplinary team for an external stakeholder
5. Uphold professional integrity and ethical behaviour in a management context
6. Enhance and reflect on complex engineering projects through professional engineering review cycles

Research-Led Teaching

This is an introductory class so research-led components are somewhat restricted. The Major Project topics are drawn from Application Themes that are associated with current research in the ANU School of Engineering, current researchers in these areas will act as clients/advisors for the student projects.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

N/A

Examination Material or equipment

Detailed instructions will be posted on Wattle prior to the exam.

Required Resources

N/A

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

The use of AI is encouraged for assessments A1 and A2 (the quizzes and the individual assignment) and the report component of A3 (group project). A requirement for a passing grade is that students engage with, critically evaluate and carefully edit any AI-generated materials before submission. AI is strictly not allowed for assessments A4 (final exam) and the A3 interview, which together make up 70% of the total grade.

Students who use AI for the A2 assignment will be expected to include an appendix to their submission containing a description of how AI tools were used in completing the assessment, including a summary of the user prompts and responses received. General guidelines regarding appropriate citation and use can be found on the ANU library website (https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai). Further specifications can be found in the course handbook and will be provided with each assignment description.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	L01, W01 Introduction
2	L02, W02 Project programming I
3	L03, W03 Project programming II	Quiz 1 (5%): Project planning and programming
4	L04, W04 Organisational structure, leadership and teamwork	Quiz 2 (5%): Project planning, programming and organisational structure
5	L05, W05 Risk assessment and risk management	Quiz 3 (5%): Organisational structure and risk management
6	L06, W06 Management of the systems engineering process	A2 Individual assignment (15%)
7	W07 Major Project
8	W08 Major Project
9	W09 Major Project
10	W10 Major Project
11	W11 Major Project	Major project report (milestone)
12	L12 Summary, W12 Major Project Presentation	Major Project Interview (30%)
13		Final exam (40%)

Tutorial Registration

You must enrol in one workshop (WorA/01 or WorA/02) session for this course. Sign-up for workshops will be via MyTimetable.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quizzes	15 %	*	*	1,2
Individual Assignment	15 %	27/03/2025	10/04/2025	1,2,4,5
Major Project Interview	30 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6
Final exam	40 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

N/A

Examination(s)

The course includes a final exam.

Assessment Task 1

Quizzes

Three Formative on-line Quiz through Wattle, multiple-choice/short answer each valued 5%, total of 15%.

Quiz 1: Project planning - week 3

Quiz 2: Project planning, programming and Organisational structure - week 4

Quiz 3:Organisational structure and risk management - week 5

Assessment Task 2

Individual Assignment

Report on project planning and programming, submission through turnitin, marking rubrics will be posted on Wattle together with the assignment sheet.

Assessment Task 3

Major Project Interview

Group interview based on the group report submitted in week 11 (through turnitin), detailed instructions and marking rubrics will be published on Wattle.

Assessment Task 4

Final exam

Two hour exam including a significant reflective component.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Marks and feedback will be available on Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

There will be no resubmissions of assignments in this course.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students