Purpose
By preparing this professional self-assessment report, students will document and evaluate their
learning in this course and begin to prepare themselves for the next stage in their professional growth.
They will accomplish this by reflecting on – and responding to – the following questions:
1. How have I satisfied the learning objectives in this course and contributed to team and course
outcomes? Cite each learning objective and refer to examples throughout the term. The course
learning objectives were listed on the course syllabus distributed the first week of class (see the
course web site).
- Write well-organized technical reports for the application note and technical presentations.
- Write a team proposal for a major design project and obtain approval from sponsor.
- Comprehend appropriate content and style of oral presentations during team presentations.
- Calculate the principal design criteria and constraints for an electrical or computer engineering
design project—e.g., cost, size, power, environmental factors, reliability, safety, maintainability, and
reusability; during solar system component selection.
- Describe and understand the overall engineering design process—e.g., project justification,
identification of constraints, establishment of design criteria, establishment of timetables,
identification/scheduling of critical path, the partitioning of work, project monitoring, and project
evaluation as project manager.
- Describe, understand, and apply key tools used in the overall electrical and computer engineering
design process;
- Understand the benefits and potential problems of teaming, describe qualities and processes of
effective teams, and describe the role of teamwork in system design;
- Acquire and understand information contained in contemporary technical literature—e.g., trade
journals, magazines, books, conference proceedings, and supplier literature—about hardware
components, software, design tools, third-party suppliers, etc.
- Browse the web to acquire information about electrical and computer engineering, software, design
tools, third-party suppliers, while doing background research.
2. What have I learned about the design process from my work on the design project. Restate your
portion of the overall project as define in your team's design proposal, which was developed
and completed in week 6 of the semester. Describe your work during the semester on your
TECHNICAL portion of the design project. In your write-up discuss your work in terms of the
overall engineering design process – e.g., project justification, identification of constraints,
establishment of design criteria, establishment of timetables, the partitioning of work, project
monitoring, and project evaluation. Also discuss your work in terms of design iterations that
occurred during the semester.
I have learned a lot about the design process as I have been responsible for choosing the
components for the solar system. Meeting design criteria while minimizing cost and staying
withing IEEE safety codes.
3.What technical communications have I done this semester? List the reports and presentations you
have helped prepare. Also indicate those presentations for which you were a speaker.
I have been in technical communication with Lenovo as a weekly teleconference as well as calling
Africa. I have called distributors in Africa three times to expedite the slow process of getting parts
sourced to Tanzania. Bellow are the presentations I have been involved in as listed in syllabus:
- talk three times in an oral presentation before the class.
- write 2 papers individually (application note and professional self-assessment).
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participate in preparing 3 oral presentations during the semester.
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be involved in a team.
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participate in writing 6 team reports during the semester.
4.What is the impact of this course on my career objectives and professional goals?
Furthermore convinces me to go to grad school as dealing with corporate people has been very
frustrating.
5. What are my primary strengths and weaknesses?
My strengths include good leadership, public speaking, cross-cultural communication as well as
strong fundamental electrical engineering concepts. My weaknesses include a lack of patience
for ignorance and stupidity as well as being productive before 10am.
6. Where would I like to be professionally five years after graduation?
Working for a small company where my broad range of engineering concepts is valued.
Corporations too often have individuals who are strictly specializing in one specific area. Small
companies often have a small group of very intelligent cross-disciplinary people that have many
responsibilities, not just “I only do analog” or “I'm just the digital guy, don't know anything
about analog”.
7. What lifelong-learning steps must I plan to undertake in order to achieve this five-year
professional goal?
I will be involved with research at the University of Waterloo for the next few years and hopefully
continue on to doctorate study at the university of British Columbia.