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The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at .
Please consult the web for updates that may occur during the year.

ENG2002 Technology, Sustainability and Society

Semester 3, 2021 Online
Short Description: Techn Sustainability & Society
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 039999 - EnginTech not classified
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Rationale

Engineering and spatial science students need to be able to forge successful working relationships with other professions and the general public. In order to meet their professional responsibilities, engineers and spatial scientists should acquire an appreciation of how politics, culture, economics and the law affect their day-to-day work, and how their work may impact upon different sections of the community and the physical environment. They must have a broad appreciation of the technological advancements of the past 20th and current 21st century and how these have benefited, people but also appreciate the negative side including impacts on the environment. Engineers and spatial scientists must also be prepared to deal with a really important new goal now highly relevant in this current century namely, that of environmental sustainability while maintaining economic viability of society. The main rationale of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and attitudes that would help them ethically promote and defend their work within their profession and society at large.

Synopsis

Students of engineering and surveying need to understand and be convinced that through their future professional work they will relate to the rest of society. Throughout their careers they will need to strive to ensure that this relationship is meaningful and successful. Only then will they earn respect for themselves and their profession, and ensure their work will be valued and recognised. For engineers and surveyors to meet their responsibilities towards society they must be able to appreciate how politics, culture, economics and the law affect their work and how their work impacts on different sections of the community and the physical environment. They must also be prepared to deal with the issue of long-term sustainability. The goal of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and attitudes that would help them promote and defend their work within their profession and within society at large.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an appreciation of the impact of technological developments on society and the environment from historical and contemporary perspectives;
  2. Discuss the basic philosophies that underpin sustainable management practice and critique strategies for evaluating the environmental, social and economic implications of a proposal or a solution;
  3. Determine the relevance of social structure and cultural values (equity, opportunity, impact) to engineering, surveying and built environment practitioners and demonstrate a cultural awareness to enhance the practice of engaging Indigenous communities in projects;
  4. Explore the role and application of engineering, surveying and built environment applications to disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable communities to improve quality of life, support empowerment and ensure sustainable development;
  5. Identify the consequences and impacts of human endeavours on social, economic and environmental sustainability; and apply the ethical and legal constraints that govern engineering, surveying and built environment practice, including professionalism, certification and ethical practice;
  6. Discuss the role of engineers, surveyors and built environment practitioners in addressing Australian and global challenges, and identify and discuss emerging global issues, trends and responses in practice;
  7. Develop a plan on how the skills and knowledge developed in the Course will be approached and embedded in discipline-specific career goals to strive towards social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Technological Developments on Society and the Environment 15.00
2. Sustainable Engineering 30.00
3. Professional Career Ethics and the Legal Framework 20.00
4. Humanitarian Aid and Development in terms of Engineering, Built and Spatial Sciences 10.00
5. Indigenous Awareness and Culturally Sensitive Practices 10.00
6. Professional Practice 15.00

Text and Materials

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=03&subject1=ENG2002)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Students will need access to email and the Internet.

Reference Materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Dowling, D, Carew, A & Hadgraft, R 2019, Engineering your future: an Australasian guide, 4th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Qld.
Johnston, S, Gostelow, P & Jones, E 1999, Engineering and society: an Australian perspective, 2nd edn, Longman, South Melbourne.

Student Workload Expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 30.00
Directed Study 73.00
Private Study 52.00

Assessment Details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Objectives Assessed Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 150 15 22 Nov 2021 1,6
ASSIGNMENT 2 -Discussion Forum 400 40 20 Dec 2021 2,3,4 (see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 3 300 30 03 Jan 2022 2
ASSIGNMENT 4 150 15 28 Jan 2022 7

Notes
  1. Assignment 2 - Discussion Forum Posts - comprises of two parts. The due date for Part 2 will be advised through StudyDesk at the beginning of semester.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, online StudyDesk forums, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination for this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Deferred and Supplementary examinations will be held in accordance with the Assessment Procedure .

  8. University Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment Notes

  1. The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.

  2. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.

  3. In accordance with University Policy, the Examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.

  4. If electronic submission of assessments is specified for the course, students will be notified of this in the course Introductory Book and on the USQ Study Desk. All required electronic submission must be made through the Assignment Drop Box located on the USQ Study Desk for the course, unless directed otherwise by the examiner of the course. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).

  5. If the method of assessment submission is by written, typed or printed paper-based media students should (i) submit to the Faculty Office for students enrolled in the course in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail to the USQ for students enrolled in the course in the external mode. The due date for the assessment is the date by which a student must (i) submit the assessment for students enrolled in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail the assessment for students enrolled in the external mode.

  6. The Faculty will NOT normally accept submission of assessments by facsimile or email.

  7. Students who do not have regular access to postal services for the submission of paper-based assessments, or regular access to Internet services for electronic submission, or are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements prior to the submission date.

  8. Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded one of the temporary grades: IM (Incomplete - Make up), IS (Incomplete - Supplementary Examination) or ISM (Incomplete -Supplementary Examination and Make up). A temporary grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non directed personal study.

  9. Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

  10. Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.

Date printed 11 February 2022