Course Title: Humanitarian Experiential Learning Project

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Humanitarian Experiential Learning Project

Credit Points: 12.00

Flexible Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFlex18 (ZZZZ)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFx2019 (ZZZZ),

UGRDFx2019 (XXX3),

UGRDFx2019 (All)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFlex21 (ZZZZ)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFlex22 (ZZZZ),

UGRDFlex22 (ZZZ1)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFlex23 (XXXX),

UGRDFlex23 (ZZZZ)

OENG1164

City Campus

Undergraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

UGRDFlex24 (ZZZZ)

Course Coordinator: Dr Nick Brown

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3024

Course Coordinator Email: nick.brown@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

This course involves an experiential learning intensive with a development organisation working in humanitarian contexts. Enrolment into this course is contingent on a student being accepted onto an approved experiential learning intensive. A list of approved experiential learning intensives and step-by-step enrolment instructions can be found in the Course Guide Part B.

After enrolment students will need to register via Mobi (RMIT’s Global Experience Office platform – www.outbound.rmit.edu.au). This course also involves working in real contexts alongside industry collaborators which is a form of Work Integrated Learning (WIL). As such, all students will be required to sign a WIL agreement (details in the Course Guide Part B).

Capabilities: Whilst this course is open to students of all year groups, enrolling students should be comfortable with fundamental engineering and professional practice such as engineering design, critical thinking, referencing, and communication. As a general guideline the completion of at least 8 courses (or equivalent experience) prior to enrolment is suggested.


Course Description

This course provides a unique opportunity for you to develop and practice advanced engineering skills, tools and principles, whilst participating in an immersive collaboration with a development organisation working in humanitarian contexts. You will be equipped to understand the use of engineering to solve pressing global development challenges. Through instruction and the immersive collaboration, you will learn how to apply human-centred design principles, develop solutions that are appropriate for clients and communities in humanitarian contexts, and communicate them effectively. During the course your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real humanitarian context, and you will reflect on how the skills and tools learnt can be applied in your own engineering discipline.

This course includes a work integrated learning experience in which your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/ or community is integral to your experience. 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for all Engineering degree programs:

1.5 Knowledge of contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary engineering practice in the specific discipline.
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability.
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.
3.4 Professional use and management of information.
3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct

For more information on the program learning outcomes for your program, please see the program guide.  


On completion of this course you will be able to:

  1. Articulate the roles and responsibilities of professional engineers in humanitarian contexts,
  2. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the tools, principles, and practices of Humanitarian Engineering,
  3. Express how your engineering discipline skills and knowledge can be applied in a humanitarian context and acknowledge the relevance of Humanitarian Engineering skills to your own engineering program,
  4. Identify differences between cultures and adapt professional communication strategies accordingly.


Overview of Learning Activities

The primary learning activity will involve taking part in a Humanitarian Experiential Learning Intensive on campus, online, or overseas. The Humanitarian Experiential Learning Intensive is complemented by online or face-to-face workshops.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course. The learning resources for this course include:

  • Workshop and course materials as provided online via myRMIT Studies.
  • Lists of relevant reference texts, Library resources and freely accessible Internet sites will be provided.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal


Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements. 

Assessment consists of range of individual assessments to demonstrate your learning and provide feedback on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes.

Assessment tasks

Assessment Task 1:  Individual discovery
Weighting 15%
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2 & 3

Assessment Task 2: Individual research report
Weighting 30%
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2 & 4

Assessment Task 3: Individual (within a team) design solution
Weighting 30%
This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 3 & 4

Assessment Task 4: Individual reflection
Weighting 25%
This assessment task supports CLO  1, 3 & 4

You will receive verbal and/or written feedback from your lecturer, delivery-coordinator and/or peers on your assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.