School of Engineering Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

Practical Training and Report EPY 423

Lecturer: Prof T Hanekom Last revision: 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORGANISATIONAL COMPONENT Page

1. GENERAL PREMISE AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACH ..................................... 3 2. LECTURER AND CONSULTING HOURS ................................................................ 3 3. REFERENCES............................................................................................................... 3 4. LEARNING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................ 3 5. RULES OF ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 5 6. GENERAL...................................................................................................................... 5

STUDY COMPONENT 1. MODULE OBJECTIVES, ARTICULATION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES ....... 6

APPENDIXES A. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................... 9 B. AN ENGINEERING EXERCISE IN OBSERVATION ............................... 12 C. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT ...................................................................... 17

ORGANISATIONAL COMPONENT
1. GENERAL PREMISE AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACH According to Eng. 10 of the current regulations in the School of Engineering, it is compulsory for students to undergo practical training at a firm or institution (hereafter referred to as "organisation") of their choice, which should be acceptable to the University. Students in Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering are expected to spend at least four weeks gaining practical training during vacation periods. This vacation work may be undertaken at any stage from the start of the first year to the end of the July vacation in the fourth academic year of study. All students intending to graduate MUST submit a report on the practical training. 2. LECTURER AND CONSULTING HOURS

Name Lecturers: Secretary: Prof T Hanekom Mrs H van Aswegen

Room number and building Eng. 2 Room 4-50-1 Eng. 1 Room 13-20

Telephone numbers and E-mail address 012 420 2647 tania.hanekom@up.ac.za 012 420 3757 hanlie@postino.up.ac.za

Consulting hours As per appointment via email.

3. REFERENCES [1] JB McCormack, RK Morrow, HF Bare, RJ Burns and JL Rasmussen, "The Complementary Roles of Laboratory Notebooks and Laboratory Reports," IEEE Trans. Ed., Vol. 34, pp. 133- 137, 1991. [2] JE Mahan, D Lile, and M Palmquist, "Bringing an Emphasis on Technical Writing to a Freshman Course in Electrical Engineering," IEEE Trans. Ed., Vol. 43, pp.36-42, 2000. [3] DL Plung, "Add Style to Your Technical Writing," IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27, pp. 20-24, 1984. [4] GD Ulrich, "Write a Good Technical Report," IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27, pp. 14-19, 1984. [5] J Knapp, "Can Engineers Write?" IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27, pp.10-13, 1984.

4. LEARNING ACTIVITIES In order to comply with the requirements of the study course students who have enrolled for EPY 421/422: Practical training should note the following: 4.1 Deadline 3

Within two weeks of the commencement of the second semester, the student must hand in an acceptable report as well as his/her laboratory notebook (if available and appropriate) on the practical experience gained in the prescribed period. Proof of employment must be handed in with the report, regarding each period of employment. 4.2 Format of the Report The report must: be in English or Afrikaans according to the student's choice. be typed, or printed on a printer. contain a statement to the effect that the report is the student's own work, unless it is jointly submitted, in which case refer to Question 5 in Section 4, "Frequently asked Questions." comprise at least 5 pages containing approximately 1500 - 2000 words (on a basis of 350 words (12 point) per page) and appropriate charts, diagrams, pictures, et cetera. be typed using a seriffed font style for ease of reading. This includes fonts such as CG Times, New Times Roman, Times Roman, etc. Non-seriffed fonts such as Helvetica and Arial should be avoided as they do not have the same level of readability for printed reports. (These last named fonts are, however, suitable for faxes and presentations using overhead projectors, slides and multi-media presentations.) provided with a cover with the necessary particulars (appropriate title for the report, title of course, name and number of the student, date, et cetera). follow one or other acceptable guideline for such reports [1-5]. For the convenience of the evaluators, the student must indicate which guideline is being followed. If the company at which the student completed his vacation work, requires a project report, the student may submit this along with the EPY 421/422 report. The EPY 421/422 report should then address the other issues required as per Appendix A, and omit the technical work done by the student. 4.3 Contents of the Report In view of what is described in Addenda A and B, the report should deal with the experiences the student gained in terms of practical work, and more particularly with what he/she observed in the working environment in terms of Appendix A, or any other appropriate aspects entailing work ethics, economics, management, innovation, human relations and resources. These are all increasingly important "soft skills" required of a practicing engineer, hence the emphasis on these aspects. When the report has been approved in terms of format, contents, layout and competence to use the language of his/her choice expertly, the student passes the course. 4.4 Unsuccessful Completion of the EPY 421/422 Module Evaluating the many reports submitted for EPY 421/422 is a large task shared by many members of staff. The interpretation of the requirements can differ from one person to another. The coordinator for the EPY 421/422 Module may be asked to provide a ruling if a student feels that his/her submission has been unfairly evaluated by another member of staff.

All students who are adjudged as not having complied with the requirements will be given one opportunity to rectify the matter before the end of the semester. In the unlikely event that the report is still not satisfactory, further arrangements will be made for another evaluation of the further revised report so as not to impact on the student's graduation date where possible. Such arrangements will be dependent of the coordinator for the EPY Modules own workload and commitments. 5. RULES OF ASSESSMENT This is an attendance course and a final mark of "Attendance Satisfactory" or "Attendance not satisfactory" will be granted. 6. GENERAL Plagiarism warning A statement regarding the originality of your work must be appended to ALL written work submitted for evaluation in this module. The statement can be found at http://www.ee.up.ac.za/en/undergrad/guides/index. Students are encouraged to discuss work with each other. However, each student should hand in his/her own work for assignments. Plagiarism, which also includes copying the work of another student during tests and exams and copying from the Internet, can lead to expulsion from the University. Even if another student gives you permission to use his/her assignments or other research to hand in as you own, you are not allowed to do it. It is a form of plagiarism. You are also not allowed to let anybody copy your work with the intention of passing it off as his/her own work. Speak to your lecturer if you are uncertain about what is required.

STUDY COMPONENT
1. MODULE OBJECTIVES, ARTICULATION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES 1.1 General objectives It is the intention of Practical Training EPY 421/422 that during the period of practical training the student will apply such skills as observation, interpretation and deduction, and writing of reports, which were developed during his/her formal academic training. Many companies in fact require the trainee students to write a report detailing the specific project(s) on which they worked. As far as the Department is concerned, the student must render proof of such employment, and furnish a report addressing specific issues relevant to the practical training. The current Regulations and Syllabus of the College of Engineering states the requirements for Practical Training EPY 421/422 as follows: "Four weeks of practice-orientated experience at any institution of the student's choice (preferably in electrical, electronic or computer engineering). The student must acquire experience in the working environment and more specifically work ethics, economy, punctuality, knowledge of human nature, etc. One week after the commencement of the second semester the student must report on the aspects of his/her work experience as determined by the Head of the Department." Students may not be aware of the fact that a very large percentage of their working careers will be devoted to the writing or evaluation of reports, and presentations. Throughout their academic training these matters are addressed. The requirements of the South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) call for proven skills in professional communications to be a specific outcome of tertiary education. The report submitted by the student will be evaluated and tested against this outcome. Vacation work can be a rich and rewarding life experience. This is often the first opportunity that the students have to "meet the real world" of employment, and to put into practice some of the education and training that they have had. During the course of this they will often have to deal with questions of engineering and business ethics, dispute resolution, team decisions and responsibility, and all the frustrating experiences that working with other people can bring. A very few will be able to bring specific projects to fruition, and will experience the joy that this can bring. The report, which is required, not only provides evidence of these experiences, but serves as proof that some of the outcomes required by SAQA and ECSA have been met, albeit only in part.

1.2 Critical learning outcomes "ECSA PE-61 Rev 2 Exit level outcome 9: Independent learning ability Learning outcome: Demonstrate competence to engage in independent learning through well developed learning skills. Associated Assessment Criteria: The candidate shows evidence of being an effective independent learner by the following: 1. Reflects on own learning and determines learning requirements and strategies; 2. Sources and evaluates information; 3. Accesses, comprehends and applies knowledge acquired outside formal instruction; 4. Critically challenges assumptions and embraces new thinking. Range Statement: Operate independently in complex, ill-defined contexts requiring personal responsibility and initiative, accurately self-evaluate and take responsibility for learning requirements; be aware of social and ethical implications of applying knowledge in particular contexts. Exit level outcome 10: Engineering professionalism Learning outcome: Demonstrate critical awareness of the need to act professionally and ethically and to exercise judgment and take responsibility within own limits of competence. Associated Assessment Criteria: The candidate exhibits professionalism by the following: 1. Being aware of requirements to maintain continued competence and to keep abreast of up-to-date tools and techniques; 2. Displays understanding of the system of professional development; 3. Accepts responsibility for own actions; 4. Displays judgment in decision making during problem solving and design; 5. Limits decision making to area of current competence; 6. Reason about and make judgment on ethical aspects in case study context; 7. Discerns boundaries of competence in problem solving and design. Range Statement: Evidence includes case studies typical of engineering practice situations in which the graduate is likely to participate."

1.3 Cognitive level of assessment

%* 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Other skills** 20 20 20 10 5 5 20

* Estimate of the % of the total assessment, including all forms of assessment applied in this module, devoted to the various levels of cognitive thinking skills and of other skills.

**

Assessment of other skills: Work ethics Interpersonal skills Organization structures, etc

APPENDIX A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. When must I do this work? The work may be done during any of the vacation periods during the student's academic studies. (Beginning of first year or study until the beginning of the second semester of the final year.) 2. May I submit company information taken from the internet? In general the answer is NO! Students often make the mistake of cutting and pasting vast amounts of material from company documents to address specific issues such as Health and Safety. In so doing they have missed the whole point of the exercise which is for students to develop and demonstrate their observational and interpretive skills, and to render proof of these as a specific outcome of the module EPY 421/422. You may, however, use a LIMITED amount of such material by way of illustration to show how the company adheres to a specific legal requirement or practice. Such cited material must be placed in italics, or within quotation marks, and be given a suitable reference. 3. Why can I not use any format for the report? The vast majority of companies have their own report formats which you as an employee will be expected to follow. Reports are an important part of professional communications, and reflect the image of the company to its clients. Following a preferred report style is good common sense. It facilitates the process of professional communications. 4. Why must I give proof of employment? How else would the Department know that you have complied with the required period and nature of employment for the module EPY 421/422. 5. What about working in a team with a fellow student, and submitting a joint report? Team working is another important aspect of the ECSA requirements which must be tested as an outcome. There is thus no objection to the submission of a joint report. However, in such a case the report is expected to be substantially more comprehensive and the students MUST indicate who was responsible for which sections of the report. They should also beware of the bad impression, which could be created by very dissimilar writing styles. Accordingly the report should be proofread by both students, who should agree on the style and grammar to be used.

6. Why can't I just copy my friend's report? After all we both did the same work? This amounts to plagiarism of the worst kind and will NOT be tolerated under any circumstances, and could lead to disciplinary action. Students who are guilty of this practice have missed the whole point of the exercise. This is that they should demonstrate individually, or in terms of question 5 above, that they have been able to meet the outcomes for the module EPY 421/422. 7. Why should I not start each section on a new page? After all, authors frequently do this with chapters in books. Students have in the past used this ploy to "build up" page numbers. However, you are reminded of the word count requirement. Printing unnecessary pages also wastes money. It is not a necessary practice for purposes of testing the outcomes for the EPY 421/422 module to start each section on a new page. You are, however, advised to check the style requirements for the company(ies) where you will eventually work for their preference. 8. Is it necessary for me to report in detail on what I did? No, a short summary will suffice. This will give a clear indication to the evaluator of the report whether you did in fact do work of a relevant engineering nature in context of the requirements for the EPY 421/422 module. 9. Must it be work of an engineering nature? The Department is acutely aware of the fact that students' financial circumstances vary greatly. For some it is imperative for the continuation of their studies that they earn as much money as possible. In such cases the students are required to make a formal application to the Head of Undergraduate Studies in the Department in a letter for permission to do vacation work of a non-engineering nature. In the letter the student should provide sufficient details of his/her circumstances. The Department prefers that this situation should be the exception rather than the rule. The Dean is ultimately responsible for granting or refusing such permission. 10. What if I cannot find any engineering work during the vacations? See question 9. There are two further options. The School of Engineering could possibly assist by providing the names of companies which are prepared to offer such work. Keep in mind though that trying to find suitable employment can be regarded as part of the exercise. As a last desperate measure, the student could let it be known that he/she is willing to work without remuneration in order to gain the experience, and to comply with the requirements for the module EPY 421/422.

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11. Is it necessary to keep a lab notebook? You are strongly advised to continue this practice. You will find it an invaluable tool in the course of your vacation work, not only for reminding you what you were doing, providing proof to your employer of your activities, as a daily log of such activities, an a memory aid as to instrumentation, setups and circuits, but also for the preparation of formal reports, and yes, even for report for the EPY 421/422 Module.

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APPENDIX B AN ENGINEERING EXERCISE IN OBSERVATION

During your practice weeks, you get an excellent opportunity to practice your observation skills. One of the most important building blocks a student should acquire at a university is his/her pursuit of being a self-determining adult, that it of being able to observe and from this to formulate a plan of action. The world is mostly dominated by tradition, dogma, prejudice, self-interest, indolence and a lack of vision. In addition to gaining technical skills in practical circumstances, there is a golden opportunity for observation. The study on working environment is a comprehensive subject. It must comprise of the following subjects and the student is expected to act proactively during his/her weeks of work - that is to investigate with intense interest the following subjects pertaining to the working environment: Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No 85 of 1993). Compliance with requirements pertaining to the influence on the environment. Management of the organisation. Code of conduct in terms of mission of the organisation. Cost-awareness, customer-awareness and affordability. Accreditation in terms of ISO 9000, "Quality Management Systems" (where applicable). Compliance with the requirements of deducibility of calibration standards. Ergonomic working environment. 1. 1.1 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT (OHS Act) In the event of an injury, accident or death where it may appear to be an infringement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, everybody who may be accountable for the relevant person and his/her work is guilty, from the chief executive officer to the supervisor. The Act differs from other acts in that an accused can be regarded as guilty of manslaughter in terms of the OHSA unless his/her innocence can be proven. A safety procedure should be maintained in every workplace where the OHSA applies. In the vertical operational management, there should be clarity at leach level on how far the responsibility for safety has been devolved to another competent person. Such devolution is not merely a shifting of responsibilities, but the maintenance of a procedure in terms of which the person in the higher position assumes accountability for the following: - is the appointed person competent to assume responsibility - is there a safety procedure in terms of which he/she should act - is his/her competence monitored from time to time (e.g. on an annual basis) - who is responsible for installation and maintenance where safety is involved.

1.2

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1.3

Health is an important aspect. Inadequate air conditioning or ventilation is sometimes blamed for discomfort, lack of oxygen or spread of disease. There are people who have complained that the monitor screen emits too much radiation, which is supposed to lead to headache and weakness of the eyes. If an employee should lodge a complaint against the employer, the court might ask e.g.: "Did the person responsible ensure that the screen complied with acceptable standards, and did he/she gather and investigate adequate information and (for instance from published reports) to be able to testify in a court of law that reasonable and adequate steps were taken to maintain occupational health and safety in the workplace?". INFLUENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT As available open space, habitat for plants and animals and natural resources decrease, care for the environment is becoming increasingly important. Industry, (whether it is manufacturing, agricultural, commercial or recreational) may have an influence on the environment as a result of: environmental pollution as a result of inadequate industrial, plant, refuse removal or sewerage facilities. air pollution as a result of air-borne particles, smoke or other gases visual pollution as a result of unsightly structures of building works (Under increasing pressure, overhead power lines are made increasingly less "visible", and profiles of power stations and substations are selected so that they are more environment friendly) audio pollution as a result of noise with pathogenic effects (high levels of noise or sound explosions) or emotional or psychological effects (transformer hum or overhead power line buzz) electromagnetic pollution as caused by overhead power lines, electric blankets or other current and voltage-carrying apparatus. fire or explosion hazard and the associated risks of intoxicating smoke or liquids (burning PVC in a building, sulphur vapours during a fire in stockpiled sulphur) disruption or destruction of the habitat. Certain materials such as PCB (a synthetic non-combustible oil), PVC (among other things, electrical insulation, dangerous when decomposed in a fire), DDT, fertiliser, asbestos, products of decomposition of SF6 (an insulating gas) and many other products that may be harmful to the worker and the environment.

2. 2.1

2.2

In your working environment, is the labour force aware of the company's obligation to take up environmental issues in a responsible manner? MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANISATION South Africa lived in a culture of working in according to overseas concepts. This resulted in management often being dominated by economists and accountants. Engineers should have long-term visions, economists and accountants normally 13

3. 3.1

have short-term visions. Are there engineers in top management, or otherwise, is the company owned and run by engineers? 3.2 In many companies abroad, engineers are involved in decision making at the highest levels. Another interesting aspect is the fact that engineers are often remunerated very well for their specialised services and that unnecessary administrative red tape are kept away from them. Could this also be seen in your company? The future is in the hands of smaller companies where the engineer is part of the entire operation, from decision making and innovation to direct involvement in the production line.

3.3

Does your company belong to this group? 4. 4.1 CODE OF CONDUCT AND MISSION OF THE ORGANISATION What is the mission of your firm or institution? Can an atmosphere be perceived in which each member of the organisation wants to live the mission? A firm or institution is often characterised by the presence or absence of loyalty. If people scoff at the organisation or are not motivated to do their best to serve the company, it often points to a lack of loyalty, which could greatly impair the company. Creating an image outside the organisation depends to a large degree on the morale and loyalty of the employees. How are telephone calls answered? Telephone instruments can be either a blessing or a shame, depending on whether they are used or abused. A telephone call should never take precedence over a personal discussion.

4.2

5.

COST AWARENESS, CLIENT AWARENESS AND AFFORDABILITY Cost awareness, client awareness and affordability are three mutually dependent variables. The service or product should fall within reach of the buyer. However, it is psychologically wrong to think that the poorer person will be content with a product of lower quality. Cost awareness is not only a matter of working harder, but rather of working smarter.

6. 6.1

ISO 9000. "QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS" In order to promote trade both nationally and internationally, rules were formulated. These are published by ISO, the International Standards Organisation, in the ISO 9000 series. Requirements for a quality management system are graded and set out in terms of type and need of the industry. If a firm or institution has been accredited in terms of ISO 9000, the organisation undertakes to introduce and maintain quality management according to accepted 14

6.2

manuals. The South African Bureau of Standards is the national regulator of the ISO 9000 series. Mutual accreditation with other countries has already ensured that the exportation of certain products is exempt from certain restrictions. 6.3 ISO 9000 starts with the mission of the organisation. This determines how the organisation operates and how the quality of the product or service is controlled at each step of the design, purchase, inspection of incoming material, issue to the production line and quality control on the production line to the final product inspection, packaging and dispatch. Complaints should be dealt with in a responsible manner. In small operations, ISO 9000 is as applicable as in large operations. However, compliance with certain requirements may be deemed to be in operation, based on mutual understanding, which is not possible in large operations. Even such understanding should be defined in compliance with the requirements of ISO 9000. To ensure continuity in the organisation, a manual should cover the management of maintenance. Is this centrally organised? For instance, is the uninterrupted power supply of a sufficient format to ensure continuity in emergencies? Batteries are notorious for failing to be in working order during emergencies because maintenance staff have failed to check the condition of the batteries in good time. The filing of documents grows in scope as the organisation grows. Innovation is required to create a manageable filing system. The question as to what is central and what should be filed per person or per group is often raised. Central filing might enable unauthorised people to gain access to confidential documents, individual filing might create chaos when information has to be found in a personal system. Confidentiality and protection against theft, espionage and wilful disruption of operational interests should always be borne in mind. CALIBRATION AND REDUCIBILITY OF CALIBRATION STANDARDS Many people are inclined to accept measurements without ensuring that proper calibration procedures are maintained. Sometimes computer programs err with catastrophic consequences so that a fault is noticed only much later, if ever. Does the organisation have a standing procedure for calibration? Calibration is not merely a comparison with another apparatus. There should be a calibration policy to render calibrations reducible to national or international standards. Has the organisation been accredited by the National Calibration Services (NCS)? For compliance with the applicable requirements for Quality Management in terms of ISO 9000, reducibility of calibration is a prerequisite. Many organisations are proud of being accredited by the NCS and they like to display the NCS Certificate for everybody to see.

6.4

6.5

6.6

7. 7.1

7.2

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8 8.1

ERGONOMIC WORKING ENVIRONMENT Is your working environment fitted in such a manner that movements are comfortable by correct placement of hardware that has to be served or read? Colour, layout of equipment, posture when working are all part of ergonomics. Is attention also afforded to ergonomics in the design to assist clients in doing things better with less effort? Are sharp corners avoided, are sharp protrusions on which a person could bump depressed or placed out of the way of limbs? Is the selection of hues and surface textures acceptable and durable?

8.2

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APPENDIX C PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

As a student, you are representing the University of Pretoria. As a future engineer, you are expected to assume a professional attitude in respect of your relationship with your employer, his organisation and his clients. 1. You are expected to submit unconditionally to the rules and instructions of the organisation where you are working. Any information about the organisation should be regarded as confidential, irrespective of the manner in which the information was gathered, unless it was published as information for use in the public domain. You are expected not to insult the employer and his organisation by your conduct. It is unprofessional conduct to walk about and smoke, chew, eat or drink during your work time unless the opportunity is given for these activities. The smoking habit is annoying and unpleasant to other people who are not smokers and who would like to breath unpolluted air. The smoking habit is increasingly being regarded as unprofessional in the working environment. It may be regarded as a hidden weakness, which a person should seriously try to conquer.

2.

3.

IEEE CODE OF ETHICS To show just how important the question of ethical conduct is, the IEEE's Code of Ethics for its members is cited below. We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree: 1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment; 2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist; 3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data; 4. to reject bribery in all its forms; 5. to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential 6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others 7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others; 8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin; 17

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action; 10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.

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