Outline

Overview

The pace of technological change has never been greater. Tomorrow's professional engineer needs to master the core skills of their specialisation, and be able to recognise and eventually master future technologies likely to have a profound impact throughout their working lives and across the 'future of work' more broadly. These technologies are variously known as disruptive, emerging and exponential technologies; defined as those for which performance doubles whilst cost halves in any given period (c.f. Moore's law), providing opportunities to solve global problems in ways that were not previously believed possible. This unit of study will introduce students to a broad suite of these exponential and emerging technologies, through a series of keynote lectures (delivered by subject matter experts from across the University and professional practice) as well enable students to experience them first-hand through practical, laboratory and field work engagements. Each year a global scale theme (e.g. energy, poverty, food production, health) will be chosen to consider each of the technologies studied as tools to address the theme, building from week to week as the course progresses.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Minimum 24 credit points of 3000 level units
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Andrew Harris, andrew.harris@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Andrew Harris, andrew.harris@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Major project 1 Written project submission	20%	Week 06	20 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major project 2 Written project submission	30%	Week 09	20 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major project 3 Written project submission	50%	Week 13	50 pages
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

What types of assessments are going to be used in this unit of study?

Students will be assessed upon their performance in a series of written assignments and class discussions. For assignments they will usually work in small groups to solve problems, documenting their work in technical reports and at oral presentation sessions.

How much weighting will each assessment have on the student’s final grade?

Written and verbal assignments – 100%

Laboratory sessions – 0%

Keynote lecture and tutorial sessions – 0%

How will the assessment methods build on the graduate attributes students developed in their previous UoS?

The graduate attributes stressed here emphasise that conceptual knowledge be integrated, that students learn how to simultaneously work both independently and in small groups, that they learn how to face novel (often uncertain) situations, and that they take responsibility for the results and recommendations they produce. The diversity of the assessments (and the weightings chosen) will strongly encourage the development of these graduate attributes.

What is the assessment schedule?

Refer to to UoS outloine.

How should students expect to receive feedback in this UoS?

Students will receive written and verbal feedback on their performance in the assignments, as well as upon their participation in class and group exercises. In particular, this feedback will enable students to distinguish their ongoing performance in the unit of study from their peers during group work exercises.

How will students give feedback on unit of study teaching, learning and other student concerns.

There will be a continuous teaching/learning evaluation that will allow students to voice their concerns during the semester. Students will be encouraged to share their learning approaches with staff and the rest of the student body.

What is the duration of the final exam?

There will be no final exam.

In most cases we expect students to work in teams to explore the underlying issues, but prepare an individual report for assessment. In addition, with each assessment item, students will be required to complete a peer and self-assessment, during which they quantitatively and qualitatively rated their own contribution and the contributions of their peers during the project.

A satisfactory peer- and self-assessment includes the following sections:

a short paragraph documenting what contribution(s) the student has made to the project;
a mark (out of 100) for the students’ technical achieve- ments;
a mark (out of 100) for each of the other students’, non-technical contributions (e.g. attendance at group meetings, overall preparedness, initiative, team spirit, etc);
short paragraphs documenting the contributions of the other group members to the project;
a mark (out of 100) for the technical achievements of every other member of the group;
a mark (out of 100) for the other, non-technical contributions of every other member of the group;
the students’ signature and date at the bottom of the document.

The numerical scores from these assessments are then factored into the final project mark.

Assessment criteria

Refer to the assessment table in the unit outline

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.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to exponential technologies (technologies that double in power, processing speed or impact every year, while their cost halves). Emerging science and technology frontiers (in CBE and more broadly) Technology development drivers, trends and adoption models (6D’s, Gartner hype cycle, et al.)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Digital ecosystems (Information visualisation, AR, VR, digital twins )	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 03	Digital fabrication, additive manufacturing (3D & 4D printing)	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 04	Major project 1	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 05	Robotics, automation and the ‘future of work’	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 06	Major project 2	Workshop (6 hr)
Week 07	Human and artificial intelligence	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 08	Major project 3	Workshop (6 hr)
Week 09	Augmented humans	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	Major project 3 continued	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 11	Future of food	Workshop (6 hr)
Week 12	Major project 3 continued	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Major project 3 continued	Workshop (3 hr)

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

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. An appreciation of the underlying principles of exponential engineering and the future of work.
LO2. The ability to apply these technologies to new and novel situations
LO3. The ability to critically analyse global scale problems and solve them in new ways, using an exponential technologies toolkit, building upon the core curriculum in CBE
LO4. The development of an integrated suite of problem-solving skills needed to successfully handle novel (and previously unseen) engineering situations.
LO5. An ability to independently research new areas and be critical of what is found
LO6. An ability to cope with experimental data, change and uncertainty through critical thinking
LO7. Interpersonal, group and teamwork skills including the ability to communicate clearly and concisely
LO8. Professionalism in terms of taking responsibility for the results of their calculations and recommendations
LO9. Lifetime or self-directed learning skills including the ability to critically assess one’s own performance in a constructive fashion

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
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 1.1. Developing underpinning capabilities in mathematics, physical, life and information sciences and engineering sciences, as appropriate to the designated field of practice. 1.2. Tackling technically challenging problems from first principles. 3.3. Creativity and innovation. 4.1. Advanced level skills in the structured solution of complex and often ill defined problems. 4.2. Ability to use a systems approach to complex problems, and to design and operational performance.
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 1.1. Developing underpinning capabilities in mathematics, physical, life and information sciences and engineering sciences, as appropriate to the designated field of practice. 1.2. Tackling technically challenging problems from first principles. 2.2. Application of enabling skills and knowledge to problem solution in these technical domains. 3.3. Creativity and innovation.
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 2. IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL COMPETENCE 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 4. ENGINEERING APPLICATION EXPERIENCE 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 2. IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL COMPETENCE 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 4. ENGINEERING APPLICATION EXPERIENCE 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 2. IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL COMPETENCE 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 4. ENGINEERING APPLICATION EXPERIENCE 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 2. IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL COMPETENCE 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 4. ENGINEERING APPLICATION EXPERIENCE 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT 2. IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL COMPETENCE 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 4. ENGINEERING APPLICATION EXPERIENCE 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 5. PRACTICAL AND ‘HANDS-ON’ EXPERIENCE

Responding to student feedback

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

Unit is being offered for the first time in 2021

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ENGG5206: Exponential and Emerging Technologies

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect