The second semester is devoted to small group projects selected from suggested areas. The small group project work is then continued into the second and final years of the course. Second Year-Industrial Placement Project Local SMEs are approached to provide a problem within the remit of the course. The students select their preferred project and teams. Weekly written report sent to industrialist, with an oral report midway through the project.
Assessment involves viva with the industrialist and academics.
In the final year the loosely co-ordinated group is a means to continue to make students aware of team working. It is difficult to reconcile the need for final year students to complete individual or paired projects with the benefits which can be obtained through continuation of small group project work. A successful compromise is the loosely co-ordinated group . Students who are working on similar projects get together on a regular basis, with their academic supervisor, to provide a structured forum for discussion and mutual support. The feedback forms indicated a high level of satisfaction with the workshop.