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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORGANISATIONAL COMPONENT
1. GENERAL PREMISE AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACH
2. LECTURER AND CONSULTING HOURS
3. REFERENCES
4. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
5. RULES OF ASSESSMENT
6. GENERAL
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3
3
4
5
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STUDY COMPONENT
1. MODULE OBJECTIVES, ARTICULATION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
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APPENDIX A. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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APPENDIX B. AN ENGINEERING EXERCISE IN OBSERVATION
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1. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT (OHS Act)
2. INFLUENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT
3. MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANISATION
4. CODE OF CONDUCT AND MISSION OF THE ORGANISATION
5. COST AWARENESS, CLIENT AWARENESS AND AFFORDABILITY
6. ISO 9000. "QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS"
7. CALIBRATION AND REDUCIBILITY OF CALIBRATION STANDARDS
8. ERGONOMIC WORKING ENVIRONMENT
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APPENDIX C. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
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IEEE CODE OF ETHICS
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ORGANISATIONAL COMPONENT
This guide serves as Part 2 of the study guide for this module and provides content that is
specific to the learning content of the module. Part 1 of the study guide is a General EECE Study
Guide available from the EECE Undergraduate ClickUP page and provides rules and policies that
are applicable to all undergraduate modules presented by the Department of Electrical,
Electronic and Computer Engineering.
If you cannot see or have access to the current-year EECE Undergraduate Students ClickUP
module, please arrange access as soon as possible by completing the form at
https://goo.gl/3KakBP. All undergraduate-related departmental policies, online resources and
communication are managed through this platform.
1. GENERAL PREMISE AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACH
According to Eng. 10 of the current regulations in the School of Engineering, it is compulsory for
students to undergo practical training at a firm or institution (hereafter referred to as
"organisation")​ of their choice, which should be acceptable to the University. Students in
Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering are expected to spend ​at least four weeks
gaining practical training during vacation periods. This vacation work may be undertaken at any
stage from the start of the first year to the end of the July vacation in the fourth academic year
of study. All students intending to graduate MUST submit a report on the practical training.
2. LECTURER AND CONSULTING HOURS
Name
Room number​ a​ nd building
Lecturers:
Prof T Hanekom
Eng. 3 Room 7-34
Secretary:
Mrs G Pritchard
Eng. 3 Room 7-19
Telephone numbers and
E-mail address
tania.hanekom@up.ac.za
012 420 2775
Gawa.pritchard@up.ac.za
Consulting hours
Only by appointment via email.
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3. REFERENCES
[1] JB McCormack, RK Morrow, HF Bare, RJ Burns and JL Rasmussen, "The Complementary Roles of
Laboratory Notebooks and Laboratory Reports," IEEE Trans. Ed., Vol. 34, pp. 133- 137, 1991.
[2] JE Mahan, D Lile, and M Palmquist, "Bringing an Emphasis on Technical Writing to a Freshman Course
in Electrical Engineering," IEEE Trans. Ed., Vol. 43, pp.36-42, 2000.
[3] DL Plung, "Add Style to Your Technical Writing," IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27,
pp. 20-24, 1984.
[4] GD Ulrich, "Write a Good Technical Report," IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27, pp.
14-19, 1984.
[5] J Knapp, "Can Engineers Write?" IEEE Trans. Professional Communication, Vol. PC-27, pp.10-13, 1984.
4. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
4.1 Deadline
Within ​two weeks of the commencement of the second semester​, the student must submit an
online report on the practical experience gained in the prescribed period. ​Proof of employment
must be submitted ​with the report, regarding each period of employment.
4.2 Format of the Report
The report must:
●
●
be completed online via the EPY423 ClickUP interface.
be thoroughly language edited.
4.3 Contents of the Report
In view of what is described in Appendixes A and B, the report should deal with the experiences
the student gained in terms of practical work, and more particularly with what he/she observed
in the working environment in terms of Appendix A and other appropriate aspects entailing
work ethics, economics, management, innovation, human relations and resources. These are all
increasingly important "soft skills" required of a practicing engineer, hence the emphasis on
these aspects.
When the report has been approved in terms of contents and competence to use the language
of his/her choice expertly, the student passes the report section of the course.
4.4 Unsuccessful Completion of the EPY 423 Module
All students who have not complied with the requirements will be given two opportunities to
rectify the matter before 15 January in the year subsequent to the year of registration for the
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module. After this deadline a student will have to repeat the module if he/she has not yet
complied with the pass requirements.
5. RULES OF ASSESSMENT
This is an attendance course and a final mark of "997 Attendance Satisfactory" or "996
Attendance not satisfactory" will be granted.
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The following requirements have to be met to pass EPY 423.
●
A student needs to complete 20 eight-hour work days (or 160 hours in total) and
provide proof thereof as part of the report in the format described on the EPY423
ClickUP module.
●
A student must submit a well-written fill-in report through the ClickUP interface by 15
January of the year subsequent to enrolment for EPY423.
●
A student must attend ​four industry presentations during the specific year of enrolment
to comply with the pass requirements. Roll call will be taken at each presentation. Note
that since there will be more than four lectures, a student has to attend a minimum of
four lectures. ​There will be no exceptions on this requirement, so plan accordingly.
6. GENERAL
Plagiarism warning
A statement regarding the originality of your work must be appended to ALL written work
submitted for evaluation in this module. The statement is included in the online report form.
Students are encouraged to discuss work with each other. However, each student should hand
in his/her ​own ​work for assignments. Plagiarism, which also includes copying the work of
another student during tests and exams and copying from the Internet, can lead to expulsion
from the University. ​Even if another student gives you permission to use his/her assignments or
other research to hand in as you own, you are not allowed to do so. It is a form of plagiarism.
You are also not allowed to let anybody copy your work with the intention of passing it off as
his/her own work. S​ peak to your lecturer if you are uncertain about what is required.
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STUDY COMPONENT
1.
MODULE OBJECTIVES,
OUTCOMES
ARTICULATION
AND
LEARNING
1.1 General objectives
It is the intention of Practical Training and Report EPY 423 that during the period of practical
training the student will apply such skills as observation, interpretation and deduction, and
writing of reports, which were developed during his/her formal academic training. Many
companies, in fact, require the trainee students to write a report detailing the specific project(s)
on which they worked.
As far as the Department is concerned, the student must render proof of such employment, and
furnish a report addressing specific issues relevant to the practical training. The current
Regulations and Syllabus of the College of Engineering states the requirements for Practical
Training EPY 423 as follows:
"Four weeks of practice-orientated experience at any institution of the student's choice
(preferably in electrical, electronic or computer engineering). The student must acquire
experience in the working environment and more specifically work ethics, economy, punctuality,
knowledge of human nature, etc. One week after the commencement of the second semester the
student must report on the aspects of his/her work experience as determined by the Head of the
Department."
Students may not be aware of the fact that a very large percentage of their working careers will
be devoted to the writing or evaluation of reports, and presentations. Throughout their
academic training these matters are addressed. The requirements of the South Africa
Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) call for
proven skills in professional communications to be a specific outcome of tertiary education. The
report submitted by the student will be evaluated and tested against this outcome.
Vacation work can be a rich and rewarding life experience. This is often the first opportunity that
the students have to "meet the real world" of employment, and to put into practice some of the
education and training that they have had. During the course of this they will often have to deal
with questions of engineering and business ethics, dispute resolution, team decisions and
responsibility, and all the frustrating experiences that working with other people can bring. A
very few will be able to bring specific projects to fruition, and will experience the joy that this
can bring.
The report, which is required, not only provides evidence of these experiences, but serves as
proof that some of the outcomes required by SAQA and ECSA have been met, albeit only in part.
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APPENDIX A.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. When must I do this work?
The work may be done during any of the vacation periods during the student's academic studies.
(Beginning of first year of study until the beginning of the second semester of the final year.)
2. May I submit company information taken from the internet?
In general the answer is NO! Students often make the mistake of cutting and pasting vast
amounts of material from company documents to address specific issues such as Health and
Safety. In so doing they have missed the whole point of the exercise which is for students to
develop and demonstrate their observational and interpretive skills, and to render proof of
these as a specific outcome of the module EPY 423. You may, however, use a LIMITED amount of
such material by way of illustration to show how the company adheres to a specific legal
requirement or practice. Such cited material must be placed in italics, or within quotation marks,
and be given a suitable reference. References may be included as a footnote in the relevant
section of the ClickUP report.
3. Why can I not use any format for the report?
The vast majority of companies have their own report formats which you as an employee will be
expected to follow. Reports are an important part of professional communications, and reflect
the image of the company to its clients. Following a preferred report style is good common
sense. It facilitates the process of professional communications.
4. Why must I give proof of employment?
How else would the Department know that you have complied with the required period and
nature of employment for the module EPY 423?
5. What about working in a team with a fellow student, and submitting a joint report?
Team working is another important aspect of the ECSA requirements which must be tested as an
outcome. However, since the required report is at this stage not a very comprehensive
document, individual reports are required even if a student worked in a team.
6. Why can't I just copy my friend's report? After all we both did the same work?
This amounts to plagiarism of the worst kind and will NOT be tolerated under any
circumstances, and could lead to disciplinary action. Students who are guilty of this practice
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have missed the whole point of the exercise. This is that they should demonstrate individually,
or in terms of question 5 above, that they have been able to meet the outcomes for the module
EPY​ 423.
7. Is it necessary for me to report in detail on what I did?
No, a short summary will suffice. This will give a clear indication to the evaluator of the report
whether you did in fact do work of a relevant engineering nature in context of the requirements
for the EPY 423 module.
8. Must it be work of an engineering nature?
Preferably. As the Community Service Office stated to arrange vacation work as a courtesy to
students who struggle to find work, it is preferable that vacation work be of a technical nature.
However, if a student cannot find technical work, he/she can apply to use another vacation work
period for the purposes of EPY423.
9. What if I cannot find any engineering work during the vacations?
See FAQ 8. There are two further options. The School of Engineering could possibly assist by
providing the names of companies which are prepared to offer such work. Keep in mind though
that trying to find suitable employment can be regarded as part of the exercise. As a last
desperate measure, the student could let it be known that he/she is willing to work without
remuneration in order to gain the experience, and to comply with the requirements for the
module EPY 423.
10. Is it necessary to keep a lab notebook?
You are strongly advised to continue this practice. You will find it an invaluable tool in the course
of your vacation work, not only for reminding you what you were doing, providing proof to your
employer of your activities, as a daily log of such activities, and a memory aid as to
instrumentation, setups and circuits, but also for the preparation of formal reports, and yes,
even for report for the EPY 423 Module. Note the electronic labbook guidelines on the
Undergraduate EECE ClickUP module. An electronic labbook such as Microsoft OneNote can be a
very handy alternative to a paper notebook.
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APPENDIX B
AN ENGINEERING EXERCISE IN
OBSERVATION
During your practice weeks, you get an excellent opportunity to practice your observation skills.
The study on working environment is a comprehensive subject. It must comprise of the
following subjects and the student is expected to act proactively during his/her weeks of work
- that is to investigate with intense interest the following subjects pertaining to the working
environment:
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●
●
●
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Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No 85 of 1993).
Compliance with requirements pertaining to the influence on the environment.
Management of the organisation.
Code of conduct in terms of mission of the organisation.
Cost-awareness, customer-awareness and affordability.
Accreditation in terms of ISO 9000, "Quality Management Systems" (where applicable).
Compliance with the requirements of deducibility of calibration standards.
Ergonomic working environment.
1.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT (OHS Act)
1.1
In the event of an injury, accident or death where it may appear to be an infringement
of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, everybody who may be accountable for the
relevant person and his/her work is guilty, from the chief executive officer to the
supervisor. The Act differs from other acts in that an accused can be regarded as guilty
of manslaughter in terms of the OHSA unless his/her innocence can be proven.
1.2
A safety procedure should be maintained in every workplace where the OHSA applies. In
the vertical operational management, there should be clarity at leach level on how far
the responsibility for safety has been devolved to another competent person. Such
devolution is not merely a shifting of responsibilities, but the maintenance of a
procedure in terms of which the person in the higher position assumes accountability
for the following:
- is the appointed person competent to assume responsibility
- is there a safety procedure in terms of which he/she should act
- is his/her competence monitored from time to time (e.g. on an annual basis)
- who is responsible for installation and maintenance where safety is involved.
1.3
Health is an important aspect. Inadequate air conditioning or ventilation is sometimes
blamed for discomfort, lack of oxygen or spread of disease. There are people who have
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complained that the monitor screen emits too much radiation, which is supposed to
lead to headache and weakness of the eyes. If an employee should lodge a complaint
against the employer, the court might ask e.g.: "Did the person responsible ensure that
the screen complied with acceptable standards, and did he/she gather and investigate
adequate information and (for instance from published reports) to be able to testify in a
court of law that reasonable and adequate steps were taken to maintain occupational
health and safety in the workplace?".
2.
INFLUENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT
2.1
As available open space, habitat for plants and animals and natural resources decrease,
care for the environment is becoming increasingly important. Industry, (whether it is
manufacturing, agricultural, commercial or recreational) may have an influence on the
environment as a result of:
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−
−
−
−
−
−
environmental pollution as a result of inadequate industrial, plant, refuse
removal or sewerage facilities.
air pollution as a result of air-borne particles, smoke or other gases
visual pollution as a result of unsightly structures of building works (Under
increasing pressure, overhead power lines are made increasingly less "​visible"​ ,
and profiles of power stations and substations are selected so that they are
more environment friendly)
audio pollution as a result of noise with pathogenic effects (high levels of noise
or sound explosions) or emotional or psychological effects (transformer hum or
overhead power line buzz)
electromagnetic pollution as caused by overhead power lines, electric blankets
or other current and voltage-carrying apparatus.
fire or explosion hazard and the associated risks of intoxicating smoke or liquids
(burning PVC in a building, sulphur vapours during a fire in stockpiled sulphur)
disruption or destruction of the habitat. Certain materials such as PCB (a
synthetic non-combustible oil), PVC (among other things, electrical insulation,
dangerous when decomposed in a fire), DDT, fertiliser, asbestos, products of
decomposition of SF6 (an insulating gas) and many other products that may be
harmful to the worker and the environment.
2.2
In your working environment, is the labour force aware of the company's obligation to
take up environmental issues in a responsible manner?
3.
MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANISATION
3.1
South Africa lived in a culture of working in according to overseas concepts. This
resulted in management often being dominated by economists and accountants.
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Engineers should have long-term visions, economists and accountants normally have
short-term visions. Are there engineers in top management, or otherwise, is the
company owned and run by engineers?
3.2
In many companies abroad, engineers are involved in decision making at the highest
levels. Another interesting aspect is the fact that engineers are often remunerated very
well for their specialised services and that unnecessary administrative red tape are kept
away from them. Could this also be seen in your company?
3.3
The future is in the hands of smaller companies where the engineer is part of the entire
operation, from decision making and innovation to direct involvement in the production
line.
Does your company belong to this group?
4.
CODE OF CONDUCT AND MISSION OF THE ORGANISATION
4.1
What is the mission of your firm or institution? Can an atmosphere be perceived in
which each member of the organisation wants to live the mission? A firm or institution
is often characterised by the presence or absence of loyalty. If people scoff at the
organisation or are not motivated to do their best to serve the company, it often points
to a lack of loyalty, which could greatly impair the company.
4.2
Creating an image outside the organisation depends to a large degree on the morale
and loyalty of the employees. How are telephone calls answered? Telephone
instruments can be either a blessing or a shame, depending on whether they are used or
abused. A telephone call should never take precedence over a personal discussion.
5.
COST AWARENESS, CLIENT AWARENESS AND
AFFORDABILITY
Cost awareness, client awareness and affordability are three mutually dependent variables. The
service or product should fall within reach of the buyer. However, it is psychologically wrong to
think that the poorer person will be content with a product of lower quality. Cost awareness is
not only a matter of working harder, but rather of working smarter.
6.
ISO 9000. "QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS"
6.1
In order to promote trade both nationally and internationally, rules were formulated.
These are published by ISO, the International Standards Organisation, in the ISO 9000
series. Requirements for a quality management system are graded and set out in terms
of type and need of the industry.
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6.2
If a firm or institution has been accredited in terms of ISO 9000, the organisation
undertakes to introduce and maintain quality management according to accepted
manuals. The South African Bureau of Standards is the national regulator of the ISO
9000 series. Mutual accreditation with other countries has already ensured that the
exportation of certain products is exempt from certain restrictions.
6.3
ISO 9000 starts with the mission of the organisation. This determines how the
organisation operates and how the quality of the product or service is controlled at each
step of the design, purchase, inspection of incoming material, issue to the production
line and quality control on the production line to the final product inspection, packaging
and dispatch. Complaints should be dealt with in a responsible manner.
6.4
In small operations, ISO 9000 is as applicable as in large operations. However,
compliance with certain requirements may be deemed to be in operation, based on
mutual understanding, which is not possible in large operations. Even such
understanding should be defined in compliance with the requirements of ISO 9000.
6.5
To ensure continuity in the organisation, a manual should cover the management of
maintenance. Is this centrally organised? For instance, is the uninterrupted power
supply of a sufficient format to ensure continuity in emergencies? Batteries are
notorious for failing to be in working order during emergencies because maintenance
staff have failed to check the condition of the batteries in good time.
6.6
The filing of documents grows in scope as the organisation grows. Innovation is required
to create a manageable filing system. The question as to what is central and what should
be filed per person or per group is often raised. Central filing might enable unauthorised
people to gain access to confidential documents, individual filing might create chaos
when information has to be found in a personal system. Confidentiality and protection
against theft, espionage and wilful disruption of operational interests should always be
borne in mind.
7.
CALIBRATION AND REDUCIBILITY OF CALIBRATION
STANDARDS
7.1
Many people are inclined to accept measurements without ensuring that proper
calibration procedures are maintained. Sometimes computer programs err with
catastrophic consequences so that a fault is noticed only much later, if ever. Does the
organisation have a standing procedure for calibration? Calibration is not merely a
comparison with another apparatus. There should be a calibration policy to render
calibrations reducible to national or international standards.
7.2
Has the organisation been accredited by the National Calibration Services (NCS)? For
compliance with the applicable requirements for Quality Management in terms of ISO
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9000, reducibility of calibration is a prerequisite. Many organisations are proud of being
accredited by the NCS and they like to display the NCS Certificate for everybody to see.
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ERGONOMIC WORKING ENVIRONMENT
8.1
Is your working environment fitted in such a manner that movements are comfortable
by correct placement of hardware that has to be served or read? Colour, layout of
equipment, posture when working are all part of ergonomics.
8.2
Is attention also afforded to ergonomics in the design to assist clients in doing things
better with less effort? Are sharp corners avoided, are sharp protrusions on which a
person could bump depressed or placed out of the way of limbs? Is the selection of hues
and surface textures acceptable and durable?
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APPENDIX C
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
As a student, you are representing the University of Pretoria. As a future engineer, you are
expected to assume a professional attitude in respect of your relationship with your employer,
his organisation and his clients.
1.
You are expected to submit unconditionally to the rules and instructions of the organisation
where you are working.
2.
Any information about the organisation should be regarded as confidential, irrespective of
the manner in which the information was gathered, unless it was published as information
for use in the public domain.
3.
You are expected not to insult the employer and his organisation by your conduct. It is
unprofessional conduct to walk about and smoke, chew, eat or drink during your work time
unless the opportunity is given for these activities. The smoking habit is annoying and
unpleasant to other people who are not smokers and who would like to breath unpolluted
air. The smoking habit is increasingly being regarded as unprofessional in the working
environment. It may be regarded as a hidden weakness, which a person should seriously try
to conquer.
IEEE CODE OF ETHICS
To show just how important the question of ethical conduct is, the IEEE's Code of Ethics for its
members is cited below.
We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting
the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting personal obligation to our profession,
its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical
and professional conduct and agree:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health
and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or
the environment;
to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to
affected parties when they do exist;
to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on the available data;
to reject bribery in all its forms;
to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential
to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for
others
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7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct
errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;
8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age,
or national origin;
9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious
action;
10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them
in following this code of ethics.
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