Module syllabus

Mathematics

Basics

These are expected skills when you start at NMITE, but we are always happy to help you catch up with these or any other skills needed.

• Number Basics: Negatives, Decimals, Fractions, Percentages, Indices and Powers, Units of Measurement, Primes, Factors and Multiples, BODMAS/BIDMAS/PEMDAS
• Geometry Basics: Triangle Geometry, Circle Geometry, Regular Polygon Geometry, Trigonometry Basics and Radians
• Algebra Basics: Functions, Equations and Expressions, Transposing Equations, Expanding and Factorising, Linear Equations, Quadratics and Polynomials, Simultaneous Linear Equations, Graph Transformations
• Simple Graphs: X-Y graphs, the Cartesian Coordinate System and Charts and Diagrams (Visual Aids)

Number Systems

• Simple Number Systems: Logarithms and Exponentials, Euler's Number, Vectors and Scalars, Matrices, Binary Numbers, Imaginary and Complex Numbers
• Advanced Number Systems: Euler's Form of Complex Numbers, Vector Products, Matrix Determinants and Inverse Matrices, Hyperbolics
• Units: Standard Form and Scientific Notation, Prefixes, Order of Magnitude and Scale

Statistics

• Data Analysis: Location and Spread (Averages and Variance), Range, Quartiles and Box Plots linear regression to come...
• Probability: Basic Probability, Random Variables, The Binomial Distribution and the Normal Distribution

Further Applications

• Visualisation Methods: Polar Coordinates, Cylindrical Coordinates, Spherical Coordinates Charts, Advanced Graph Plotting to come...
• More Applications: Trigonometric Identities, Ideas of Mathematical Modelling
• More Advanced Algebra: Partial Fractions (useful for integration and transforms) and advanced polynomials to come...

Basic Calculus

• Calculus Basics: Introduction to Differentiation and Integration, Fundamental Ideas of Calculus, Differentiation/Integration Techniques
• Further Calculus: Partial Differentiation, Implicit Differentiation, Simple Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Engineering Applications of Calculus, Solving Ordinary Differential Equations
• Series approximations: Taylor's and Maclaurin's 

Engineering Science 

The following are areas of science that underpin many of the engineering thinking. We also include here any maths topics that are specific to certain areas of engineering:

• Basics of Engineering Science: including Newton's Laws, equations of motion (aka SUVAT equations), circular motion, to come...
• Logic for electronics: including Karnaugh Maps, to come...
• Engineering Applications of Calculus: Fourier Series, Fourier Transforms and Laplace Transforms, the Wave Equation 
• Applications to Construction Management, Finance/Business and Engineering Science to come...

Communications

Fundamentals 

These are expected skills when you start at NMITE, but we are always happy to help you catch up with these or any other skills needed.

• Basic Writing: SpaG, Structuring Written Work, Simple Referencing, and Plagiarism
• Reading and Observation: Value of Reading, Effective Reading

Argumentation

• NB. The following are part of liberal studies and supported by Prof Sarah Hitt (sarah.hitt@nmite.ac.uk)
• Higher Order Concerns (HOCs): making an argument/ reasoning, using evidence, rhetoric, styles.
• Advanced Interpretation.

Oral & Aural

• Working as a Team: What a Team is, Managing Teams and Team Dynamics, Negotiation and Conflict
• Meetings and Dialogue: Debating, 1:1 Meetings, Team Meetings
• Presentations and Public Speaking: Structuring a Presentation, Scripting and Delivering a Presentation, Presentation Visual Aids

Contexts

• Writing for Different Audiences: Essays, Reports, Letters, Memos and Blog Posts, (for referencing using Harvard, see Study&Professional Skills below).
• Reflective Writing: Reflective Essay Writing
• Academic Writing: Literature Reviews
• External communications: marketing, promotional, journalistic, outreach to come...

Visual Information 

• Design of Communication Documents: Slides, Documents, Posters
• Technical Visual Aids: Diagrams, Graphs, Infographics, Technical Plans and Engineering Drawings

Communicating Online

• Online Etiquette: Online Meetings, Social Media, Emails
• Online Safety: Privacy and Confidentiality, GDPR to come...

Digital & IT

Everyday ICT

These are expected skills when you start at NMITE, but we are always happy to help you catch up with these or any other skills needed.

• ICT Basics: Organising Files, Basic Computer Jargon
• MS Word: Word Basics, Text Styles in Word, Writing Equations in Word, Referencing in Word 
• MS Office: Excel, PowerPoint
• Basic Internet Tools: Digital Calendars, Emails
• Using GenAI or GAITs, e.g. ChatGPT - to come.

Coding & Programming

• Programming: Pythons Basics, MATLAB Basics 
• Programming Approaches: Specifications and Design Approaches, Limitations of Computing to come...
• Advanced Tools/Apps: Geogebra LaTex, MS Project, MS Visio, Mathematica and other visualisation/graphing tools to come...
• Business Applications: Databases, CRM Software to come...

Eng&Tech Software

• Specialist Eng/Tech Tools: Circuit Wizard (Circuit Design), SolidWorks (CAD), Altair (FEA), 3D printing, simulation packages (ANSYS) to come...
• Business and Industrial Applications: 3D Modelling/Assembly, CAM and CAE, Big Data, Analytics to come...
• Digital Worlds: UIX, game design, StormWorks, digital twins/identities, VR, AR to come...

Internet & Future tools

• Professional Internet Use: Internet, privacy, Cybersecurity, GDPR and Regulations to come...
• Modern Digital Applications: AI and Machine Learning, Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, issues of GAITs, to come...

Study & Professional Skills

You and Others

• Working in a Team: What a Team is, Managing Teams and Team Dynamics, Negotiation and Conflict, Collaboration and collusion: includes the NMITE Team Operating Agreement and Team Actions & Feedback Log templates, plus the Peer Feedback Matrix.
• You and others: Self-confidence, prejudices and biases, and to come: managing difficult people, etc.
• Feedback: Learning from Feedback and Providing Feedback

Planning and Organisation

• Planning your Life: Organisation, Time Management and Dealing with Procrastination
• Planning your Work: Debate Preparation, Design Preparation, Reflective Practice  Including Debate, Thinking about design, Reflective Practice, and to come: expectations, practical information and all assessment types 

Research Skills

• Sourcing and Referencing: Finding Sources, Referencing and Citing using Harvard Referencing and other standards.
• Notetaking: Notetaking During Presentations/Talks, Notetaking for Assignments, Notetaking Methods
• INFORMATION SPACE: Sources including Technical Papers and Journals, Useful Engineering Terminology, Handbooks - this includes links to some freely available literature online. 

Being a Professional Engineer

• Career Development: Engineering Behaviours, Chartership, Your Portfolio, Reflective Practice and Reflective Writing
• Thinking Like an Engineer: Six Engineering Habits of Mind, Liberal Studies/Arts and other useful general thinking/analysis skills

The World Beyond

• Systemic Contexts: Society, Politics, Culture, Global Concerns (e.g. UN SDGs)
• Extra Reading: Articles on Engineering in a Global Context - please do suggest any articles you find that seem to fit here.

Preparing for after NMITE: Careers

• Securing a Job: CVs, applications, interviews, planning, etc. also professional life-long learning/CPD