Engineering in action
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| End-of-course assessment | Residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
This residential-school course offers essential practical experience for students continuing in technology. It adopts the theme of the engineer as a provider of solutions to the technological needs of society and concentrates on the production, analysis, and modelling of engineered components and systems. By its end, you will have a deeper understanding of the interactions between design, manufacture and service performance, usually by optimisation of materials properties. This should be instructive in guiding your further study areas. Where feasible, computer-based techniques are included to support the modelling, design, and selection processes. Early registration is recommended if you have a preferred date.
Course content
This one-week residential school course will help you develop a range of practical and intellectual skills relevant to the world of engineering. Four day-long ‘laboratory’ activities and a group project are coupled with an optional evening programme focusing on both this course and your future studies.
The activities – these will evolve over the lifetime of the course:
- designing, optimising, constructing and testing a load-bearing beam using a combination of skin and core materials
- investigating the short- and long-term deterioration of materials and how these affect the design and construction of engineering systems
- designing, constructing and testing a spring-powered vehicle and optimising its performance for acceleration and terminal velocity on a purpose-built test track
- designing, assembling and testing an electromechanical system and optimising its performance for a range of speed and torque combinations
- investigating how a small product has been made and the ways in which its design affects what can be done with it at the end of its functional life; then, using information from the internet and other sources, redesigning part of the product to improve its end-of-life performance and finishing with a short presentation of your recommendations.
By the end of the course you should be able to:
- explain the relationship between materials, dimensions and loading parameters in a statically determinate structure
- apply models of certain short- and long-term failure mechanisms in engineering materials to predict the performance of components made from a range of materials
- relate the dynamic behaviour of a self-propelled vehicle to the design of its propulsion system
- explain the relationships between voltage and current, rotational speed and torque in an electromechanical system.
- criticise the quality and reliability of data obtained from given experiments in terms of their usefulness in a stated context
- prepare a written report and give a short oral presentation to a given audience about an activity or process.
See our Residential Schools website for more information.
Vocational relevance
The course is particularly relevant to those working or planning to work in the world of structural and manufacturing engineering.
Entry
TXR220 is a Level 2 course and you need a good knowledge of the subject area, obtained either from Level 1 study with the OU or from equivalent work at another university. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service. The course has been designed to complement other Level 2 courses in Technology and Engineering: mechanics, materials, design (T207) is particularly relevant.
A short preparatory booklet is provided that outlines the engineering principles being explored in each activity. To gain the most benefit from the preparatory period and the residential school you should already have the following knowledge and skills:
- familiarity with the concepts of mass, force, velocity, acceleration, stress, strain, modulus, voltage, current, resistance, work, atoms, electrons and ions
- ability to rearrange simple algebraic equations
- understanding of the purpose of differentiation and integration.
Outside the UK
Preparatory work for this course can be done outside the UK. However, it is essential that travel to a UK-based site for the short residential period is possible.
Qualifications
This course can be used to fulfil the residential-school requirements of our:
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (B24)
- BSc (Honours) Technology (B20)
- BSc (Honours) Physical Science (B27)
- BSc (Honours) Secondary Education in Physics (B56)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it can help to weight your degree towards a BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Every effort has been made to optimise access at the site of the residential activity. In addition, the practical work is carried out in small teams, allowing work to be shared according to aptitude and ability. The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. After you have registered you will receive detailed information about the residential school site and the facilities available to help with the academic programme. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Preparatory booklet and CD-ROM; Residential School Handbook and other printed materials; Assignment Books; one weeks board, accommodation and tuition at the residential school.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you can use an Apple Mac or Linux computer if you can run Windows using Boot Camp or similar.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
Before the residential school you will have access to an online forum for the course where you can discuss your preparation for the school with other students and get help from the course team. Specialist tutors will guide you through the activities at the residential site, assist with optional evening tutorial sessions and help you prepare for the final course assignment. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must submit your end-of-course assessment (ECA) on paper.
The computer-marked assignment (CMA) before the residential school, will help you gauge how well prepared you are. The ECA, completed after the school, will involve writing about different aspects of the various residential school activities and writing a summary of achievements with respect to the learning outcomes of the course. You will also be assessed on your satisfactory participation in the residential school activities.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May 2010 and May 2011. We expect it to be available at the same time once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Engineering and Technology.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
After studying in isolation, (apart from the odd tutorial), attending the residential week is a great opportunity to meet fellow ...
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Excellent week's craic. Highly recommended. Accommodation is very, very basic. Food quality and choice OK, but not brilliant. But the ...
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