Skip to content

This page is archived material from a previous course. Please check for updated material.

    ENPH 479 (fall 2016)

    last major update:  2016 Sept 9 – mini-poster, plus mark adjustment

     

    Jump To
    1. Course Information
    2. Guides and Documents
    3. Schedule and Lecture Notes
    4. Marking Scheme
    5. Project And Group Member Selection
    6. Project Proposal
    7. Poster Advert / Abstract
    8. Updates with your SubGroups
    9. Professionalism
      1. Weekly Reports
      2. Milestones
      3. Mid-Term Interview
      4. Logbook
      5. Overall Participation
    10. Formal Seminar Presentations
    11. Project Fair
    12. End of  Course Requirements

     

    Course Information

     

    ENPH 479 Engineering Physics Project II

    Projects designed to give students research development and design experience. Projects are provided by research faculty in Science and Engineering and from local industry.

    Credits: 4.   Pre-reqs: ENPH 459.

    David Jones, Jon Nakane, Bernhard Zender

     

    Guides and Documents

    Document Type Documents  
    Project Proposal  / Charter  
    Final Recommendation Reports  
    Project Completion Reports  

     

    Schedule and Lecture Notes

    Week#

    Date

    Topic

    Notes

    1

    Tues Sept 6

    No Class (Imagine UBC Day)

    Project Lab staff will be in the Project Lab all day to meet with students to discuss projects.

     

    2

    Mon Sept 12

    First Lecture    (general course overview)

    Prizes and Competitions for 479 

     

    3

    Mon Sept 19

    Guest Lecture – Iain Verigin –Part 1 – entrepreneurship-skills-2016-1

     

    4

    Mon Sept 26

    Proposals submitted via Connect

           Proposals submitted and approved, 1 week late,    -5%

           Proposals submitted and approved, 2 weeks late  -15%

     

    4,cont

     

    Guest Lecture – Iain Verigin – Part 2:1-intro_what_is_entrepreneurship_2016-1

    Videos – Part 1    Part 2

     

     

    5

    Mon Oct 3

     Hebb room 22  –  Sub-Group Updates #1   

     

    6

    Mon Oct 10

     No class (Thanksgiving)  

     

    7

    Mon Oct 17

     Hebb room 22  –   Sub-Group Updates #2 

     

    8

    Mon Oct 24

     Guest Lecture – Andre Marziali  (pt 1/2)

     

    9

    Mon Oct 31

     Guest Lecture – Andre Marziali  (pt 2/2)

     

    10

    Mon Nov 7

     Hebb room 22  –  Sub-Group Updates #3 

     

    11

    Mon Nov 14

     Hebb room 22  –   Sub-Group Updates #4   

     

    12

    Mon Nov 21

     Classwide Update – Even# groups 

     

    13

    Mon Nov 28

     Classwide Update – Odd# groups 

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Term 2

     

     

     

    Tues Jan 3

    First day of classes

     

     

    Mon Jan. 9   11pm 

    Submit final reports, logbook, and poster for the Project Fair

     

     

    Wed Jan 11  (tentative)

    Formal Seminar Presentations  (evening session)

     

     

    Thurs  Mar. 2nd  (tentative)

    Engineering Physics Project Fair

    		  

     

     

    Marking Scheme

      Project Proposal 10
      Poster Advert / Abstract 5 (pass/fail)
      Final Recommendation Report 60
      Formal Seminar Presentation 10
      Professionalism (Weekly Reports / Project Milestones / Logbook  /  Overall Participation) 15
      Total 100

    Penalties for late submission of proposals that are approved at later dates:

    • Submit by posted due date and gain approval – no penalty
    • Submit up to one week after posted date and gain approval – 5% penalty on final overall mark
    • Submit up to two weeks after posted date and gain approval – 15% penalty on final overall mark.

     

    Project And Group Member Selection

    Project Selection

      • For 479, project selection begins during the first week of classes, and  in general will be done on a first come-first serve basis until the second week of classes, coordinated through the Project Lab.
      • Please inform the Project Lab before contacting any project sponsor on the posted project lists.
      • If more than one student group is interested in a particular project, the sponsor may be asked to select between the different student groups.  In some instances, project work may be expanded to fit two groups.
      • You are welcome to collaborate with anyone on or off campus (e.g. other engineering departments, industries or government labs) but the Project Lab has final approval for the project topic.
      • Students interested in pursuing a self-sponsored project must demonstrate that adequate technical expertise and resources are available prior to project approval.

     Groups Selection

      • Students are expected to form their own groups from the class; please contact the Project Lab Staff if assistance is required to find team members with compatible interests.
      • The Project Lab recommends against students working by themselves on projects; students wishing to work independently in 479 require prior approval from the Project Lab.  See the online “FAQ for 459/479” for details.
      • Each member must take on one of the roles defined in the “Guide to Project Proposals”, and the allocation of these responsibilities must be clearly described in the Project Proposal (refer to “Guide to Project Proposals” for details of the Project, Editorial, and Technical Manager roles).

     

    Project Proposal

    • In 479, there is only one round of proposal submissions.   Further revisions may be requested if the quality of the Project Proposal does not meet the minimum requirements for 479.
    • For 479, follow the “Guide to Project Proposals” listed on the course website.   Although there  is a very limited time to compile information for the report, groups are expected to make major contributions to all sections within the proposal.
    • Do note in the Work Plan that all project work should be completed by the start of the exam period, and avoid scheduling work during mid-term exam period, during the winter break, or in January.
    • The Project Charter is an optional but Highly Recommended document for your project.   It involves a brief but thorough overview of all aspects of your project, in a way that is often hard to do with the level of detail in the Project Proposal document.

     

    Poster Advert / Abstract

    • Submit a mini-poster of your project, to be used to explain your project to the rest of the class and visitors to the Project Lab. 
    • Size  2 pages, letter size, landscape format, one page on top of the other.
    • Required Info   
      • Project number
      • Project name
      • Team member names
      • At least 1 figure helping to explain the project
    • Usage
      • Shared electronically for the class to view and see the work, and used to help rank your preferred teams for the Sub-Group breakout sessions. 
      • Will be printed and kept either in the Project Lab or another public area to show the projects.

     

    Updates with your SubGroups

    Approximately 1/3 of the lecture sessions will be used for Sub-Group Updates – for these sessions, the entire class will be moved to a larger classroom (Hebb 2nd floor).    All project groups will be assigned to a SubGroups of 3 to 5 teams.  

     

    During the session, each group is to provide a brief update to the rest of the members of the subgroup, and review/submit one group summary to be shared electronically with the rest of the class.  It is expected that the Weekly Reports will provide the majority of the text and material for these submissions, but can be discussed with the group.   

     

    This is intended to address several areas:  

    • the ability to summarize ongoing work both verbally and in written form;  
    • accountability within the group for progressing with the project;
    • the ability to identify and document information that might be useful for the rest of the class

     

    Professionalism

    Several elements of the course are grouped together to form a combined Professionalism mark for the course.

     

    Weekly Reports

    One weekly report will be submitted per group by the Editorial Manager.  Weekly reports are due each week by Sunday 5pm   (formerly Mondays, but moved to Sundays to help with Monday classes). Groups may choose to submit at any point over the weekend prior to the deadline.

    Weekly Reports will be submitted through UBC Connect.

    Milestones

      • Details on milestone selection can be found in “Guide to Project Proposals”
      • Milestones will be submitted via UBC Connect.
      • Milestones can be negotiated and readjusted with the Project Lab during the term, but can be readjusted no more than one week before the original milestone date (i.e. no last-minute changes).
      • Milestones will be updated and marked as completed as part of the Weekly Reports.

    Mid-Term Interview

    Each group will have a scheduled 30 to 45min interview with the course instructors, ideally at the group’s actual work site.   These interviews will be scheduled from approximately late October through mid-November.

    This is a marked section of the course –  although students are not expected to provide any formal discussion material, they are expected to be able to answer questions on the progress of their work, any breakthroughs in the progress of the work, and problems that they have encountered with the work.

    This is an opportunity for the group to give an update in person with regards to project resources, preliminary results of quantitative testing, and desired outcomes.

    Project sponsors are not advised to be in attendance, so that groups may speak candidly about their project progress.

    Group members that miss the scheduled Interview timeslot will be given no credit for this element.

    Logbook

    • Students will provide their own suitable Logbooks for the course.  Previously we have suggested using these bound notebooks from Staples.
    • Electronic Logbooks can be submitted as a replacement or in addition to the standard paper logbooks.   All details listed below also apply to electronic versions.  Please submit the Electronic Logbook  as a PDF document at the end of the course.
    • Each member of the group is expected to maintain their own logbook to record technical and other relevant information regarding the project.    For most teams, one member of the team (typically the Editorial Manager) is responsible for maintaining a Primary Logbook for the project group.  The Primary Logbook must be regarded as the main record for meetings and progress for the entire group throughout the term.     The contribution to the Professionalism mark will take this division of responsibilities into consideration.
    • All logbooks will be collected at the end of the term, reviewed by the Project Lab, and stored for a minimum 5 years by the lab, or returned to the student and Project Sponsor on request.
    • All documents should be attached (stapled or taped) to the pages of the logbook.
    • Date each entry.
    • In many institutions, supervisors will periodically review and sign the log book at in-person meeting.  Discuss with your respective Project Sponsors.
    • The logbook should contain records of:
      1. meetings minutes from group meetings, discussions with sponsor and other technical people
      2. notable email messages and telephone calls
      3. items ordered or borrowed
      4. weekly objectives (“to-do” list)
      5. sketches of components or test systems
      6. calculations
      7. results of literature search
      8. questions or unsolved problems
      9. observations and recommendations, as they occur.

     

    Overall Participation

    The Professionalism mark may be adjusted to reflect overall contributions by individual team members to the project based on feedback given during weekly reports, team self-evaluation surveys, and information provided by

    Project Sponsors.

    Formal Seminar Presentations

    The Formal Seminar is normally held on a weekday evening soon after the Final Report submissions (2nd week of January).   This evening session allows all student groups to provide a 10-12 minute oral presentation based on their project work.  Engphys undergrads, sponsors, and other supporters are invited to the event.   All students in 479 are required to present at the event and are evaluated on their presentations. 

    Presentation schedule 2015 

    Read about previous Formal Seminar events here:  Formal Seminar 2014,   Formal Seminar 2013

     

     

    Project Fair

    The Project Fair is normally held on a weekday evening in the first week of March, and is the annual event for showcasing work done by 479 students in a poster session, presentations by award-winning student groups, and invited speakers on a selected topic.     All students in 479 are expected to attend the session.

    Students will prepare and submit a poster for the Project Fair, and are encouraged to bring along physical items, videos, and other elements to demonstrate their project to the attendees.

    Read about previous Project Fair events here:  Project Fair 2012,   Project Fair 2011

    End of  Course Requirements


    Final Report Submission

    • For submission at the end of the project (almost always on the Monday of the  2nd week of classes, 2nd term)
    • Use the online guide to final reports:   Guide to Final Recommendation Reports s
    • Include any supporting material you have (additional software, data files, etc) that should be archived as well in a .rar or .zip file uploaded to the site.  Larger files to be archived can be delivered to the Project Lab in person, but please do submit the actual final reports and posters must be submitted by WebVista.

     

    Project Fair Poster

    • Updated Format:
      • Set your page size to be 26″ x 40″  (this fits on our coloured mounting boards)
      • Submit both a PDF and the original file to Connect. 
      • All posters will be submitted in bulk to the printer.  Because of the pricing, they will attempt to print out all posters at the same time with no proofs.
      • If there are any corrections or revisions necessary, students will have to find other means to update or print out their posters, possibly using our old 8.5×11 print format.
      • The posters will be printed on poster paper, then mounted to our boards.   I will attempt to get one poster printed earlier to show you what one looks like, hopefully by the end of next week.
      • Here are some guides for large-format printing which I think are useful (not provided by this vendor, but should be useful here, too:
    • Older Format:
      • Use PowerPoint or another file format that can still be edited if necessary.  PDF is not recommended.
      • 1 title page   Banner-format (use 8.5″ x 24″)
      • 7 or 8 content pages   Standard 8.5 x 11 format.
      • Your poster will be mounted on one of 4 primary colours (red, blue, yellow, green)
      • Try to minimize background colours, we only have so much printer toner.
      • See posters from previous years in the Project Lab for ideas on appropriate layouts.

     

    Logbooks

    • Please drop off your logbooks in the Project Lab.

     

    Project Completion Report

    • This is meant as a way to provide final closure to your project – where equipment is to be transferred, what items will be held by the team, and what responsibilities are to be done by the group after the project conclusion.
    • Use the online guide to Project Completion Reports:   Project Lab Guides for 459/479
    • Although this document is not marked, you must complete a Project Completion Report and return to the Project Lab prior to your final mark being released in late Feb / early March.  Failure to do so will likely result in your mark for the course being withheld.

     

    Cleanup

    • Clean up your areas in the Project Lab, and return your empty storage bins to the lab, as 459 students will be moving into the lab early in Term 2.  Please notify the lab if you cannot get your project transfer and cleanup fully completed by the START OF THE 3RD WEEK OF CLASSES IN JAN.
    • Your material may be placed in storage if you do not notify us in advance of your plan.