Engineering

These inherent requirements apply to the following suite of engineering courses at Charles Darwin University: Diploma of Engineering, Associate Degree of Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering Science, Bachelor of Engineering Science – Master of Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering Honours and Master of Engineering.

Prospective and current students who are concerned about their capacities in relation to inherent requirements are strongly encouraged to contact the CDU Access and Inclusion team to discuss possible adjustments or alternative courses.

E: inclusion@cdu.edu.au

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and related material such as the Engineers Australia Competency Standards described in the Accreditation Management System.

There are eight domains of inherent requirements for the engineering suite of courses.

Each domain has five levels: 

1. Introduction
2. Description
3. Justification
4. Adjustments
5. Exemplars

Acting in ways consistent with the recognised values of society and avoiding activities that do harm.
In the context of inherent requirements, students undertaking a course of study may be governed by practice standards and codes of ethics.

1. Introduction
   Engineering is a profession governed by codes, guidelines and policies where engineering students are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts. 
2. Description of inherent requirement 
   Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in, ethical behaviour in practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This ensures that the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must not compromise codes and standards or result in unethical behaviour.
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with academic and non-academic misconduct policies
   • Demonstrating appropriate behaviour in lectures, tutorials, laboratories and in group settings.

The maintenance of conduct that is acceptable and appropriate, according to the recognised norms of society over a given period.

1. Introduction
   Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in academic and engineering practice settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in diverse and changing academic and engineering practice settings.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Engineering students will be exposed to demanding situations and community responsibilities and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must support stable, effective, and professional behaviour in both academic and engineering practice settings.
5. Exemplars:
   • Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
   • Coping with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals or teams in engineering practice settings.

In the context of inherent requirements, this refers to the legal requirements of professional bodies relevant to specific courses of study.

1. Introduction
   Engineering practice is mandated by specific legislation to enable the safe delivery of projects and services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with the Australian Law, professional regulations, and scope of practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to engineering practice to reduce the risk of harm, to self, the environment, and others. Compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements.
5. Exemplars:
   • Responding to the requirements for registration with Engineers Australia
   • Complying with relevant codes of practice for design, construction, and maintenance of engineering systems.

Verbal communication
Conveying messages, ideas, or feelings through speech.

1. Introduction
   Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to enable the safe delivery of projects and services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates the ability to:
   • Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
   • Provide clear instructions in the context of the situation
   • Provide timely clear feedback and reporting.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Effective communication with engineers and team members is necessary for the safe execution of projects and the delivery of services. Effective communication is necessary for building successful teams and professional relationships. Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical to professional service delivery.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy issues.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in safety briefs in the laboratory and tutorial settings as well as site visits
   • Responding appropriately to a request for assistance in the engineering practice setting.

Non-verbal communication
Communication other than speech that conveys meaning including gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, touch, eye movements, eye contact and distance from the person/s with whom you are communicating. Non-verbal cues can provide significant additional information to the person with whom you are communicating.

1. Introduction
   Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to the successful execution of various engineering tasks and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest, and non-judgmental.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
   • Ability to display consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
   • Sensitivity to individual differences.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building a rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships.
   Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries, and body movements and gestures, promotes trust in academic and professional relationships. Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships. The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for the safe and successful execution of various engineering tasks.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of, or appropriate response to, effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recognising and responding appropriately in the classroom, laboratory, and on-site visits
   • Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in an engineering practice environment.

Written communication
Communication by written symbols including electronic means, print or handwriting.

1. Introduction
   Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances
   • The capacity to use a range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to complete academic assessment requirements. 
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Construction of written text-based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice. Accurate written communication, including record keeping, is vital to provide consistent and professional projects and service delivery.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy, accessibility, transferability and portability to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and engineering practice settings.
5. Exemplars:
   • Constructing an assignment to academic standards.
   • Constructing an engineering report in a timely manner that meets professional standards.

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through one's thoughts, experience, and senses.

Knowledge and cognitive skills
Acquired skills that reflect an individual's ability to think. Cognitive skills include verbal and spatial abilities, concentration, memory, perception, reasoning, planning and organisation, flexible thinking, and problem solving.

1. Introduction
   Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and appropriate engineering services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
   • The ability to process information relevant to practice
   • The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Safe and effective delivery of project and services is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded.
5. Exemplars:
   • Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items
   • Appropriately applying knowledge of policy and procedures in engineering practice settings.

Literacy (language)
This relates to the ability to acquire, understand, and apply information in a scholarly manner.

1. Introduction
   Competent literacy skills, in English, are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of engineering projects and services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The ability to accurately acquire information and accurately convey appropriate, effective messages
   • The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information
   • The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure the safe and effective delivery of engineering projects and services. The ability to read, decode, interpret, and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for the safe and effective delivery of engineering projects and services.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments to address literacy issues must enable demonstration of a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.
5. Exemplars:
   • Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively in an engineering practice setting
   • Paraphrasing, summarising, and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments
   • Producing accurate, concise, and clear documentation which meets technical requirements.

Numeracy
This relates to the ability to understand and work with numbers.

1. Introduction
   Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for the safe and effective delivery of engineering projects and services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student interprets and correctly applies data, measurements and numerical criteria.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Competent application of numeracy skills is essential in engineering to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of projects and services.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable demonstration of a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Performing accurate calculations that represent an engineering system
   • Demonstrate accurate interpretation of engineering system response data.

Actively listening to someone express their thoughts, feelings or experiences and showing understanding by consciously responding through skills such as paraphrasing, summarising or mirroring.

1. Introduction
   Engineering practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for reflectivity to consider the effect of one's own perspectives, actions, values and behaviours on all interpersonal interactions.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The ability to accurately reflect on their professional performance
   • The ability to accept and respond constructively to feedback about their professional practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Studying in learning environments involving teamwork requires a well-developed understanding of oneself to appropriately engage with others. Participating in work integrated learning environments requires a well-developed understanding of oneself and the ability to effectively manage one's reactions to various situations that may arise.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must not compromise the student's ability to demonstrate an acceptable minimum level of capacity in this area. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Identifying when a learning activity is outside one's scope or expertise or when one's practice may be negatively affected by personal experience and/or reactions.

Personal skills are required to interact appropriately with others with the aim of building and maintaining healthy, productive relationships. Skills include empathy, trustworthiness, patience, active listening, approachability, and reliability.

1. Introduction
   Engineering requires the ability to make and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of individuals, groups and communities.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   • The ability to establish and maintain rapport with peers, academic staff, and work-integrated learning supervisors
   • Ability to engage and relate appropriately to others in individual and group tasks
   • The ability to work effectively, sensitively, and confidentially with a diverse range of people and in a diverse range of contexts.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Highly developed relational skills contribute to effective relationships in academic and learning environments.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must not compromise the student's ability to demonstrate an acceptable level of effective relational skills. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in a respectful manner in academic discussions
   • Collaborating, modifying, and reflecting on one’s own interactions and behaviour in academic settings.

The way a person recognises external stimuli - through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

1. Introduction
   Adequate visual acuity is required to undertake safe and effective engineering practices.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to undertake the required range of tasks.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, through the performance of relevant tasks and assessments whilst maintaining consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others. Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective engineering practice.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide safe engineering services. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Accurately using instrumentation for measurements
   • Observing and detecting subtle changes in responses to engineering systems using instrumentation.

Gross motor skills
The use of large muscle groups that coordinate body movements for activities such as walking, lifting, pushing, pulling, and maintaining balance.

1. Introduction
   Use of appropriate gross motor skills is required in engineering practice to complete various tasks.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates the ability to complete gross motor tasks to function within the scope of practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to complete various engineering tasks. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide safe engineering services. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Repair of engineering systems
   • Transporting field equipment during data collection phase of engineering projects.

Fine motor skills
The ability to undertake precise coordinated movements of the hands for activities such as writing and manipulating small objects.

1. Introduction
   Engineering is a profession that requires manual dexterity and the ability to utilise fine motor skills is fundamental in providing adequate engineering services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to complete various engineering tasks.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to complete various engineering tasks. Tasks that include fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide safe engineering services. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Manipulating instruments in tests and measurements
   • Using knobs and dials in equipment used for field data collection.

The ability to undertake a task/s over a pre-determined length of time. This could include physical performance such as standing for a length of time, or cognitive (mental) performance such as concentrating for a particular length of time.

1. Introduction
   Engineering practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time
   • The ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on an activity until it is completed appropriately 
   • The ability to independently carry out assessments within a constrained period of time and meet deadlines
   • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated engineering practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and appropriate engineering services.
   Engineering practice requires practitioners to be able to independently solve a problem, which often requires mathematical calculations, within a short and constrained period of time.
4. Adjustments
   With particular reference to the quality and timeframes expected of an engineering professional within the engineering profession, adjustments must ensure that assessment tasks are completed in a manner that does not compromise the academic integrity of the assessment.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in tutorials, lectures, and laboratories throughout the day
   • Providing consistent engineering practices over a negotiated time frame
   • Participating in tests, exams, and quizzes
   • Adhering to deadlines of assessment items.