PENG9610 Evidence-based engineering Course description

• Project examination in groups. The examination consists of a project report (3000-4000 words). This part of the examination counts 90% of the final grade.
• Group presentation with demo (30 minutes for each group). This part of the examination counts 10% of the final grade.

Each group may consist of up to three candidates. Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

The grade for the group presentation cannot be appealed.

Master's degree in engineering science or related fields.

All aids.

Knowledge

On successful completion of the course, the student:

• knows how to formulate decision to be made or questions to be answered so that it can be subject to evidence-based engineering
• knows about relevant sources for collection of evidence
• knows about the most common empirical methods for creating empirical evidence
• knows about theories and models for evaluation of argumentation and empirical evidenceknows about theories and models for synthesizing evidence, including that of systematic litterature reviews
• knows about theories and models for good judgment and decision-making

Skills

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• formulate decisions and questions as basis for evidence-based engineering
• collect and evaluate the quality and relevance of evidence
• design empirical studies for the purpose of creating empirical evidence
• aggregate the evaluated evidence so that it can be used to support a decision or answer a question
• design proper processes for judgment and decision-making

General competence

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• practice evidence-based engineering in work settings
• support and lead experimentation and other means of creating local evidence in work settings
• assess the need for, initiate and drive innovation in the use of evidence-based principles in engineering contexts.

The topics covered in this course aims at giving the students the necessary skills to be evidence-based and includes lectures on:

· The basics of evidence-based engineering

· Empirical methods and their use in engineering disciplines

· How to critically evaluate and give rational argumentations

· How to collect, evaluate and use practice-based experience

· How to collect, evaluate and use research-based evidence

· How to conduct empirical studies

· How to aggregate evidence

· How to design good judgment and decision-making processes

To illustrate the topics and exemplify the use of evidence-based decision processes, selected engineering topics, such as software development methods, cost estimation, project management and workplace organization, will be used as cases. The course contains mandatory deliveries, exercises and student presentations.

Practical training

The students will be exposed to practical exercises in evidence-based engineering. These exercises will be tailored to the topics that have been discussed and lectured on.

The course will consist of lectures. In conjunction with the lectures, students will complete exercises related to the lecture topic. A compulsory assignment will be given to the students, to be presented to the other students on the course.

Two internal examiners will assess the report and oral presentation. External examiner is used periodically.

The exam itself is a report written on a self-selected engineering topic.

The structure and content of the report should follow evidence-based principles and require searching for (and/or creating), evaluating and summarising practice and research-based evidence. The reports will be evaluated with respect to how well the studenta are able to use the learned skills in evidence-based eningeering.

The exam can be appealed.

All aids are permitted.

Pass or fail.

Two examiners. External examiner is used periodically.