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Unit outline_

CIVL9310: Humanitarian Engineering

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Humanitarian Engineering is the application of Engineering design and organisation to improve quality of life, in circumstances where severe conditions of life are preventing the community from achieving those outcomes themselves. It can be anything from large scale infrastructure which benefits provinces to small scale innovations which benefit single families. It can be regarded as developmental aid or as disaster relief. In this unit students will study the world humanitarian sphere and its major and minor players. Students will be expected to critically analyse many of the notions which underpin humanitarian aid by use of various case studies and with reference to scholarly research. The subject will include both historical and contemporary study of engineering application in developmental aid delivered through governments, organisations and individuals. Various humanitarian theories will be studied and applied to specific cases, as well as methods of measuring success. This unit will be first offered in 2017. As well as being a requirement for the Humanitarian major, it is also available to all Civil students as a 3rd year Civil elective and to students from other disciplines as a free elective.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Civil Engineering
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Jacqueline Thomas, jacqueline.thomas@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam Final exam
30% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
Participation Tutorial participation
10% Multiple weeks n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2
Presentation Individual presentation on SDGs
10% Week 03 3 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
Assignment Interview report
15% Week 03 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
Assignment group assignment Disaster planning refugee camp model
10% Week 10 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Disaster planning refugee camp report
10% Week 10 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Decentralized technologies report
15% Week 12 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Individual presentation: Individually present on a chosen sustainable development goal, its importance and the role of engineers. The individual performance will be marked by grading by peers.
  • Tutorial participation: Preparation, engagement and participation in the tutorial will be assessedeach week over the semester.
  • Interview report: Individually, students will conduct a structured interview with a person who has lived in a developing country. That can either be from birth or during work. The interview will draw out the positives and negatives as well as the role of engineering and IT in development.
  • Disaster planning refugee camp report: In assigned intra-discipline engineering groups of three people, the team is to use the Sphere Handbook standards to design a refugee camp for a given scenario. The team will present their design in the as a joint report.
  • Disaster planning refugee camp model: In the same teams, students will use the Sphere Handbook standards to design a refugee camp for a given scenario. The team will then use a model to present their design in the tutorials as a presentation.
  • Decentralised technologies report: Individually students will research decentralized technologies and select a technology that will beneficial to remote communities. Students will then present their chosen technology during the tutorials as well as handing in a brief report.
  • Final exam: During exams students will sit a closed book exam which will assess the knowledge of the concepts that were taught (including guest seminar content). The questions will be mix of multiple choice, short and long answer.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. explain the professional roles and ethical considerations of engineers working in the context of humanitarian engineering (developing countries, disasters and remote areas)
  • LO2. work in a small team with different engineering disciplines to solve an engineering challenge
  • LO3. use analytical and evaluation skills to present the theoretical and practical considerations for project success and failure in humanitarian engineering.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Information will be diseminated in the first lecture.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.