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  • Elective assignments, periods II and III

    • Choose 2 assignments (Periods II, III)

      Based on the self assesment done in the beginning of the course, choose two out of seven assignments to complete during the periods II and III. 

      List of the elective assigments:
      1. Academic writing assignment
      2.       Ethics in Technology
      3. Getting things done workshop
      4. Learning skills online workshop
      5. Radical creativity workshop
      6. Reading assignment: The superstudent - how to optimise your learning and memory with science
      7. Time Management

      The goal of this part of the course is to develop your academic skills in the areas you have chosen from these assignments.

      The duration of each assignment is one period. Some assignments are available in both Periods II and III (with identical content). Workload of each elective assignment is 0.5 ECTS points which is 13-14 hours of work.

      Bachelor's degree from Aalto ELEC: assignments Reading assignment: The Superstudent, Learning skills workshop and Time management may be familiar to you already from your BSC courses. DO NOT choose these assignments unless you want to continue practising these skills.

    • 1. Academic writing assignment
      Period II, III

      This assignment can be selected if you have already chosen to complete one of these assignments in (preferably) Period 1: Ethics in technology, Learning skills, Superstudent OR are prepared to find your own topic (from your field) on which to write an academic-style. Please read the detailed instructions of what either of these options would mean.

      This assignment is to practise your formal, specifically academic, writing skills in English. It is an opportunity for you to receive feedback on your writing skills from an English teacher for whatever your own personal motivation might be.

      The outcomes are:

      - to possess better awareness of your personal writing profile in writing more academic/ research-based text,
      - to harness suggestions and support for further development of your skills.

      See detailed description of the assignment here.


    • 2. Ethics in Technology

      Period: II, III

      This part consists of reading material, short assignment submission and commentaries.

      "If it’s true that all human activity is morally charged, then also the design, manufacturing and sales of technical devices are always morally charged. A device has been developed to bring something good for both its producer and its user. These “goods” and the ways they are pursued can be morally evaluated." (Topi Heikkerö, Tekniikan etiikka 2009).


      Success in complex and holistic engineering practices requires more than problem-solving abilities and technical competencies. The ever-growing amount and versatility of emerging technologies call for ethical awareness and competence for ethical considerations from professional engineers. If a company is contemplating questions about what they do, how they do it and how it will affect the surrounding society and people, it’s evident that ethical considerations are present.

      This assignment will provide you with theoretical background and practical tools for ethical analysis.

      The assignment and the instructions are available below this textbox. Deadline of the first part of the assignment is on 26.1.2024 and 9.2.2024 for the second part.

    • 3. Getting things done workshop

      Period: II

      This part consists of reading material, two short assignment submissions and a contact session (attendance to the contact session is mandatory part of this assignment).

      Description

      Do you find yourself putting of your assignments? Or is it typical for you to start doing what you should do just before deadlines? Do you procrastinate? This part is suitable for all students who want to develop their skills to ‘get things done on time’.

      Teacher of the workshop is study psychologist Mikko Inkinen.

      Instructions

      First, you read about procrastination and describe briefly your delaying behavior as a student (3 hours). Then we meet in the contact session and learn from each other the skills to get things done (3 hours). Finally, you write an essay on what you have learned and how you get along with your delaying behavior (3 hours).

      BSc degree from Aalto ELEC: similar contents might have been part of your studies in the bachelor's programme. Do not choose this assignment unless you want to recap the content.


      Schedule 

      • Submission of preassignment, deadline Friday 3.11.2023 at 23.59.
      • Workshop on Monday 13.11.2023 at 16.00-17.45 in Lecture hall TU1, Maarintie 8. Participating the workshop is mandatory part of the assignment. If you already know you cannot participate, consider choosing some other assignment.
      • Submission of final assignment, deadline Friday 24.11.2023 at 23.59.

      Further instructions for the preassignment and the final assignment below this texbox.

    • 4. Learning skills online workshop
      Period: II, III

      This part consists of reading material, practical exercise and assignment submissions.

      Description
      Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult to rote memorize details by heart? On the other hand, sometimes learning feels rather pleasant when details, which you did not understand before, fall into place. This workshop deals with understanding how learning and studying routines may be improved. Also, we try to develop learning routines that would make learning deeper, more meaningful and long-lasting. A number of practical tips will be included.

      Disclaimer: You do not learn any magic tricks here because there are not such available. But you can become a better learner if you are curious to do so. If you are not interested in developing your learning skills, do not select this assigment.

      Workshop consists of preassignment and familiarization with material, and planning of a learning experiment (4 hours), and execution and reflection of the experiment (4 hours).

      Passing criteria: all tasks returned are written with constructive and narrative manner and they feature the learning outcomes of the workshop.

      Teacher of the workshop is university lecturer Jari Holopainen.

      BSc degree from Aalto ELEC: similar contents might have been part of your studies in the bachelor's programme. Do not choose this assignment unless you want to recap the content.

      Instructions, period III

      Weeks 1-2, preassignment

      You can find the instructions of the preassigment below this text box.
      Deadline for the preassigment is 26.1.2024 at 23.59.


      Weeks 3-4, reflection part

      Use about four (4) hours of time for this part. Write with full sentences and constructive & narrative manner, - i.e. no bullet points.  

      Reflect and write down about your learning experiment. Explain, how it worked out. Did you get any benefit of it and how? Derive and tell improved ways for learning based on your test.

      Return your writing by 9.2.2024 at 23.59, submission box for the reflection assignment is below this text box.

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    • 5. Radical creativity workshop

      Exploring new perspectives: towards radical ideas

      Period: II

      This part consists of a reading and reflection pre-assignment, framing workshop, home assignment preparing you for workshop II, and an ideation workshop.

      Description
      You will be introduced to the need for radically creative thinking and problem solving in today’s complex world. Through reading, benchmarking your own field and two live workshops sessions students will explore the reframing of challenges and the potential of creating new solutions. Industry cases are benchmarked and discussed to position the need for radical thinking, creativity, and innovations within students’ own study context. After this you will have understanding on creative thinking, and basic tools used for creating novel solutions to newly framed issues.

      Instructions
      Teaching takes place in period II, 23.10.-22.11.2023

      Completing the pre-assignment 23.10-31.10.
      Submit the assignment by 31.10. at 23.59

      Workshop 1: 1.11. at 9-12, notice that we start at 9AM sharp (Location: Puumiehenkuja 5, building K3, room Backstage)

      Completing the pre-session assignment
      Submit the assignment by 21.11. at 23.59


      Workshop 2: 22.11. at 9-12, notice that we start at 9AM sharp (Location: Puumiehenkuja 5, building K3,  room Garage)

      The two assignments are used in class. Pre-session 1 reading and pre-session 2 assignment to source and reflect on the radicality of a current solutions from a relevant field. This is a pass/fail module. Completing the assignments and participating the workshops is a mandatory part of the assignment for passing the module. If you already know you cannot participate, consider choosing another assignment.

    • 6. Reading assignment: The superstudent - how to optimise your learning and memory with science

      Period: II, III

      This part includes reading material, practical exercise and assignment submission.

      Description
      The theme of this part is learning. The reading material is the book "Superstudent" (Valkonen, 2016), which       deals with learning in understandable and practical manner, using scientifically proven results.

      This part will provide you with theoretical background to observe your learning and the factors that motivate you to learn. It also introduces practical tips for more effective learning.

      BSc degree from Aalto ELEC: similar contents might have been part of your studies in the bachelor's programme. Do not choose this assignment unless you want to recap the content.

      Instructions period III
      Weeks 1 and 2 (15.-26.1.2024)

      1. Read the book "Superstudent".
      http://www.tommivalkonen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Superstudent-1.pdf

      2. After each chapter take some time to consider what you have read. You can use the following questions:
          -Did you learn something new?
          -Did your perception of the matter presented in the chapter change, and if it did, how?

      3. Make short notes of each chapter.

      When you are ready, mark the first part completed below this text box "I have read the book and made notes of each chapter".

      Weeks 3 and 4 (29.1.-9.2.2024)

      1. Choose one practice or technique that Valkonen is introducing in the book, and try it in practice at least once.

      2. Make short notes:
           -What did you try?
           -How did you succeed?
           -Are you going to continue with the practice you tried?

      3. Write a reflective text and submit it by Friday 9.2.2024 at 23.59. Further instructions concerning the text are in the assignment box below.

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    • 7. Time management

      Period: II, III

      This part includes reading material, practical exercise and assignment submission.

      Description

      This set of exercises is suitable for students who need to focus on improving their time management skills. This self-study material and its assignments focus on two common problems: having too much to do and having trouble getting things done.

      Self-study material offers opportunities to:
      - look at your time use as a self-management skill
      - learn to make schedules and stay on them
      - learn new skills on the area of time management and review what you already know.

      BSc degree from Aalto ELEC: similar contents might have been part of your studies in the bachelor's programme. Do not choose this assignment unless you want to recap the content.

      Weeks 1 and 2 (15.-26.1.2024)

      Materials: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/view.php?id=23146

      1. Go through the parts 1: ABC of time management, and 2: Well planned is half done, in the self-study material page, and prepare the weekly plan concerning the week 3. Spread the go-through of the sections over a period of several days so you have enough time to read the theory part and do the exercises carefully. This way they are most beneficial to you.

      2. When you are ready, mark the first part completed below the text box "I have read the materials in sections 1 and 2, done the exercises and prepared the weekly plan for week 3" (at the latest by the end of the week 2).


      Weeks 3 and 4       (29.1.-9.2.2024)

      1. During the week 3 follow the plan and observe how your plan works in practice.

      2. During week 4 go through part 3: Evaluate the schedule! in the material. Make notes and evaluate, how your plan worked. Also draft a plan for next week considering the findings you have done during the week 3. Take a look at the part Extra: More tips on making schedules in the future.

      3. Write a short text and submit it by Friday 9.2.2024 to the submission box below. Further instructions concerning the text are also in the submission box below.
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