Study Programmes 2015-2016
TECH0003-4  
Innovative technology projects
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in business engineering (120 ECTS)4
Lecturer :
Pierre Deneye
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
- 1. Course Objective: The objective of the course is to allow the students to take part in an innovative project and make it come alive. The experience will help the students perceive in a different light their roles as members of a multidisciplinary project team. Designing and building the machine will improve the students' technical and scientific skills through the resolution of real life problems. Moreover, students will notice the evolution of their skill sets and improve their self-confidence.

The course is part of the HEC-ULg initiative, which aims to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation management skills. It establishes a strong link between higher education and professional experience and develops thus very useful skills to add to the student's resume.

- 2. Content: depending on the chosen machines. (non exhaustive)

1. Automation
2. Electronics et electrical engineering, industrial sensors, etc.
3. Mechanics.
4. Industrial computing.
Learning outcomes of the course :
C4 Critical analysis of the suggested ways to attain the machine's purpose (the design should match an actual need, if possible)
P5 Managing the innovative project: from the concept to the implementation
Intended Learning Outcomes addressed by the courses :
  • Being capable of professional team work
  • Creative conception of solutions
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
- General Physics (PHYS0122-1), Electronics et electrical engineering (TECH0005-1) and General Chemistry.
- Experimentation in Physics and Chemistry (TECH0004-1)
- Industrial technology: theory and practice (TECH0004-1)
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
1. Methodology: work in teams (as chosen by the lecturer) A5 Integrated project: design of an innovative machine
  • Defining the machine's functions.
  • The lecturer approves the following aspects of the proposal: project's feasibility, integration of the course's topics (see the scientific and IT content), project's usefulness in relation to the defined needs, innovative character of the proposal.
  • Search for human and technical resources (sponsors, experts, etc.)
  • Experimentation, lab research (with tutors' assistance, technical progress report meetings, etc.)
  • Coordination meetings: Weekly project management meetings with tutors: Organisational aspects, task division, team management issues, scheduling, etc.
A4 Project presentation A4 Two reports 2. General Schedule: The course takes place in Q2 Project presentation : last week of the course 3. Work schedule A5 Project: design of an innovative machine 60 h (5 h/week with 2 h with a tutor) A4 Technical follow-up meetings 12 h (1 h/week) A5 Coordination meeting 6 h (1 h/fortnight) A4 Project presentation and preparation 8 h A4 Report writing 10 h
Recommended or required readings :
No course-specific materials. Recommended materials will depend on the chosen subjects.
Assessment methods and criteria :
1. Assessment tools, criteria and relative weight:
E4 Two reports:
Intermediate report (10% of the final mark) Criteria: Consistency between the progress report and actual progress.
Final report (30% of the final mark)
a. Team section Criteria:
  • Technical proposal meeting the defined objective
  • Clear diagrams, description of the device and of its components (sufficiently precise to build the machine)
  • Critical analysis of the proposal's limitations and exploration of alternatives
b. Individual section: personal development
  • Description of acquired technical know-how
  • Description of acquired organisational skills (consistent with coordination meetings' results)
  • Critical assessment of the educational setup
E4 Continual assessment of the effort (individual) (60% of the final mark) Assessment based on the observations of the tutoring staff during various meetings Criteria:
  • Amount of work, tenacity
  • Scientific attitude: ability to ask questions, to search for (and find) resources and solutions...
  • Understanding of one's mission within the global project.
E4 Oral examination (which can provide a bonus or a penalty of up to two units) Criteria:
  • Global understanding the machine's functions (all aspects)
  • Ability to refer to the used content and materials.
Relative weighting of individual assessment : 80%
2. Assessment schedule: Intermediate report: Module 2 assessment week (January). Final report : To be handed in during the module 3 assessment week. Oral examination: module 3 assessment week.
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
pierre.deneye@ulg.ac.be
Prof. Pierre Deneye, build. N1
14, rue Louvrex
4000 Liège