Topic outline

  • Session 1: 01.03.2024

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      Session 1 slides File PDF
    • Assignment icon
      Assignment 1: Learning Portfolio - self-assessment and goal setting

      Deadline: 07.03

      Starting a learning portfolio for yourself is helping you to keep a record on your learning. Your learning portfolio should include two main sections: self-assessment and goal setting. 

      Self-assessment:

      1. First, go through the CEFR self-assessment grid at: https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52 and place yourself in all the categories based on your self-assessment (letter-number combination). 

      2. Take a test here and write down your vocabulary size: https://my.vocabularysize.com/

      3. Answer these questions:

      (1)  What are your experiences with presenting (in any language)? How do you feel about public speaking in general? How do you feel about speaking and communicating in English?

      (2)  Concerning spoken communication skills in English, what do you think you are good at? What kinds of issues do you think you need to pay attention to in order to improve your spoken communication skills in English?

      (3)  When it comes to written communication skills, what do you think you are good at? What areas or issues do you think you would need to pay attention to?

      (4)  In your own words, describe your strengths and weaknesses in communicating in English. 

      (5) What else do you hope to learn during this course?

      Goal setting

      1. Set 3 (or more, if you like) concrete goals for yourself for this course considering the learning outcomes. 

      2.  How will you reach the goals? Make a concrete development plan for yourself. 

      You will return to this reflection at the end of the course. Write in full sentences and paragraph format (not bullet points)! 

      Your text should be max. 1 page long.



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      The problem-solution pattern: 4 moves (chart) File PDF
    • Assignment icon
      Assignment 2: Brainstorming potential topic - problems and solutions in your field of study

      Read these instructions carefully, fill in the A2 template attached below and be prepared to share your document and discuss these problems and their solutions at our next meeting.

      During this course, you will write and speak about solutions related to your own field of study.  Every field of science is constantly developing solutions to problems arising from real-life situations and needs. These solutions can be, for example, technologies, methods, devices, approaches, or strategies, which usually aim to achieve one of the following goals:

            -    to improve the efficiency of an existing technology or method
            -    to implement a more effective strategy
            -    to enhance methods to organize a process

      To get started, your first task is to do some research to find a suitable topic and contents for the compulsory written and oral assignments.

      Look for solutions that you find interesting yourself and motivating to explain in more detail to a non-expert audience (i.e. intelligent and educated but not experts in your specific field of study). You may choose some application, strategy or technology that is central to your field, or perhaps you have noticed an item of news (YLE, HS, BBC, Discovery) that is closely related to your field? Or maybe you have some expert knowledge of current developments in your field based on your experience in working life, your bachelor’s thesis or a project in which you have participated.

      For this assignment, fill in template (attached below) with the following information:

      1.    Find 2 real-life needs/problems that can be solved or alleviated using a particular solution from your own field of study.
              -   The solution may be e.g. a method, device, technology, material, or strategy.
              -   The problem can be a need to develop a new technology, or improve on an existing method or process.
      To identify such problems and solutions, browse the web for interesting solutions or current developments in your field (e.g. search with keywords, or look into your school or department home pages or Aalto University Library Information Resources ). See also examples below (table 1).

             For example:
                Problem/need 
                Metal screws are currently used for treating bone fractures. However, they have to be
                removed in a later operation, which increases costs and prolongs the recovery period.
                Proposed solution
                Such complications can be avoided by using biodegradable materials.

      2.     Briefly describe a technical solution for both of the problems that you identified.
      3.     Identify a potential client, i.e. who would most probably implement this solution
              (what public/private institution, company or individual entrepreneur?).
      4.           Copy the links to the sources of your information into the Pre-course template (item 4).

      .........................................................................................................................................................

      Table 1: Examples of topics chosen by previous student:
                    Ionic liquids in cellulose processing
                    Driver drowsiness detection
                    Microfluidic chips in neuron culture
                    Single-port manipulator system for brain tumor removal surgery
                    Microchip-integrated antennas
                    Prototyping by 3D printing
                    Nanoscale salt crystals


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Session 2: 08.03.2024