To give students experience of working in an interdisciplinary group on an original physical science-based or physical science-related problem. To give students an opportunity to display the high quality of their work. To give students an opportunity to organise an interdisciplinary approach to a problem. To give students an opportunity to display qualities such as initiative and ingenuity. To improve student’s ability to keep daily records of the work in hand and its outcomes. To give students experience of report writing, displaying high standards of composition and production. To give an opportunity for students to display communication skills

(LO1) Experience of participation in planning all aspects of an interdisciplinary group activity. Improved collaboration and communication skills and initiative in carrying out investigations to test a hypothesis

(LO2) Experience researching literature and other sources of relevant information; Encountered research-led material

(LO3) Develop ability to organise and manage time; and skills in keeping a log book, recording progress of the project

(LO4) Develop skills in report writing, and the clear and accurate communication of scientific information. Critically analyse an experiment or an investigation and set them in context.

(LO5) Prepare and deliver a poster presentation and then defend the results of an investigation

(LO6) Find, learn, and synthesise appropriate scientific knowledge for the project.

(S1) Problem solving/ critical thinking/ creativity analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions.

(S2) Self-management readiness to accept responsibility (i.e. leadership), flexibility, resilience, self-starting, initiative, integrity, willingness to take risks, appropriate assertiveness, time management, readiness to improve own performance based on feedback/reflective learning

There is no fixed content for this module. Students are members of an interdisciplinary group that works on a project specified by an external sponsor or University academic. The group will hold weekly one hour meetings with an academic supervisor and submit minutes of the weekly meetings. Each student will keep a log book showing the work done on and the progress of the project and a reflective log recording their contribution to the project. At the end of the project each student will summarise their reflective log in a two-page account of their contribution to the project. Details of the project aims will be decided in discussions between the group and the project sponsor.
The group will produce a draft report at the end of week eight which will not be assessed but which will provide a focus for the academic supervisor to provide guidance on a final report to be submitted at the end of the module. The group will produce a poster on the project at the end of the module to be assessed by academics.

By participating in a team project with either an industrial or academic focus the students will learn the importance of communication, cooperation and reliability. They will also have an opportunity to develop imaginative solutions to problems and to test them out on a real problem.
The problem is specified by the client, who may be an external sponsor or a University academic. The team of students will then discuss their approach to solving the problem and decide who is going to tackle the various aspects of the problem. The group meets regularly (weekly) with the academic supervisor, who offers advice and may suggest approaches to tackling the problem.
At the end of the project the group writes a group report, which is assessed by the academic supervisor and a second supervisor after discussion with the project sponsor. An individual's contribution to the project is assessed by the academic supervisor and second supervisor. The team presents a poster which is asses sed by academics.