BTEC EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN

ENGINEERING

Level 3

COURSE HANDBOOK

2017/18

  • INTRODUCTION
  • STUDY PROGRAM DETAILS
  • WEEKLY TIMETABLE
  • DETAILS OF ASSESSMENT
  • ASSESSMENT MALPRACTICE
  • APPEALS PROCEDURE
  • TUTORIAL PROGRAMME
  • ENRICHMENT CALENDAR
  • LEARNER RESPONSIBILITY
  • WORK EXPERIENCES DETAILS
  • COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
  • HEALTH & SAFETY

Course Handbook June 03

1INTRODUCTION

The BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering

Welcome to your chosen course, this handbook contains information that will help you to organise your activities and ensure that you achieve the qualification and are therefore able to follow your career plan.

Teaching Staff

The following people are associated with the Edexcel BTEC National Diploma.

Course Co-ordinator: Mike Cooke

Course Tutors: Dave Kirkness and Alex Guntripp Year 1, Mike Cooke Year 2

Subject tutors: Mr Paul Lewis, Mr. Michael Cooke, Mr David Kirkness, Mr Alex Guntripp and Mr John Smith

All of the above personnel can be contacted on 01227 811115. The course tutors can be contacted via email. Other course information is available at

at

Introduction

This course aims to give the student a practical and academic introduction to the world of engineering dealing with areas such as Mechanical and Electronic Maintenance, Electronic Circuit Construction, and Computer Aided Design.

As the Extended National Diploma is a practical work related course, you learn by completing projects and assignments based on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. As well as learning about the employment area you have chosen, you develop the skills you need to start or progress a career.

A list of units can be found in Section 2

The course consists of five core units plus twelve specialist units, which will give the student the underpinning knowledge required for further study in the subject.

All units are assessed and graded, and an overall grade for the qualification is awarded.

Employers and higher education value BTEC National Diplomas.

Students completing the course often continue studying on the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Engineering, or progress to University for a relevant degree course. Students go into careers in many engineering disciplines as technicians and there is a clear route through to incorporated and chartered status.

2STUDY PROGRAM DETAILS

Learners are funded to complete a study program. This means that the focus of study is balanced between 2 main areas:

  • The Core qualification (540 hours per academic year)
  • Work Experience (30 hours over the duration of the course)

The Core Qualification

The BTEC Extended Diploma runs for two academic years. During the year each student will receive a minimum of 504 guided learning hours divided amongst 18 subjects. Each of the 18 subjects is listed below with the appropriate amount of guided learning hours. The following are some of the subjects you will study whilst on the course.

  • Health and Safety
  • Communications
  • Engineering Project
  • Maths
  • Further Maths
  • Mechanical Principles
  • Electrical Principles
  • Engineering Design
  • Engineering Materials
  • Engineering Drawing
  • CAD
  • CAM
  • Machining Processes
  • Mechanical Measurement
  • Electrical Measurement
  • Electronic Circuits
  • Electronic Fault Finding

You can find the entire unit details linked on

Work Experience

In line with government regulations, learners will be expected to seek and undertake some form of course related work experience as a part of their study programme. You are encouraged to seek out and arrange your own work experience wherever possible. This can be evidenced via documentary means and witness statements.

Where are learner does find work experience it should be discussed with the lecturing team so that a member of staff can liaise with the provider to ensure that the experience is appropriate and enriching. 30 hours of work experience is required by the study program.

Assessment Support

The college runs a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which contains details of assignments, assessments and exams. The engineering team tend to use their own websites to disseminate information to students along with written support and video support. The main website is:

There is also a separate website for the electronics units at

Please direct any questions you have regarding this support to the lecturing team who will be delighted to help

Facebook Support

In addition to the support listed above, we also run a Facebook support group. This comprises of past students, present students and Lecturers who can give you help and advice about various aspects of the course during those times when you do not have access to college facitilities.

The Facebook group is It’s Electrifying!!You are welcome to join 

4DETAILS OF ASSESSMENT

Your tutors will set you a range of activities that will enable you to achieve the qualification. Some of these tasks are specifically designed to teach you the techniques and skills you will need to develop in order to be able to undertake the grading assessments.

The assessment will take several forms and could be any of the following methods.

  • Assignments
  • Experiments
  • Observed and checked workshop tests
  • Reports
  • Formal written tests

On the edexcel website you will find information on each of the units that you will be taking. In a further publication, you will be provided with information on each unit that will explain the content of the units and the grading criteria for each unit.

Each assessment that you are given has to go through the following quality procedure in order to comply with the requirements of the awarding body Edexcel.

Each assignment is written to provide evidence for each of the grading criteria in the syllabus. Each assignment is internally verified to ensure that correct completion will provide the necessary evidence for the stated outcomes.

In the normal course of events, some assignments are verified by Edexcel to ensure correct assessment procedures are strictly applied.

As you complete each unit your tutor will tell you what grade you have achieved- Pass, Merit or Distinction. When you have completed 18 units (normally after two years of study), you will receive three overall grades for your qualification- again Pass Merit or Distinction. These are the grades that will be shown on your certificate and that you should give when you apply for higher education or employment.

To calculate your overall grades a points system is used, the details of which can be found in the qualification specification and this video:

E-Tracker

To ensure that all students are regularly updated with respect to the course all of your achievement will be recorded on e-tracker. The e-tracker will also contain details of your assessment deadlines for each unit and the target grades given for each learner along with action plans to help ensure that every learner is stretched and challenged to achieve the best grades possible. E-tracker log in is completed using your normal college details

Assessment Malpractice

Occasionally we will have to deal with assessment malpractice which typically takes the form of plagiarism (copying someone else’s work). Where plagiarism is identified the relevant learner/s will be identified and interviewed. This will be noted on the e-tracker, subsequent incidents will lead to a disciplinary procedure, which may mean that certification cannot be claimed, or that the learner is excluded from the college.

Assessment malpractice by the student might be:

  • Attempting to or actually carrying out any malpractice activity not permitted by the examination board.
  • Plagiarism by copying and passing off, as the pupils own, the whole or part of another person’s work, including artwork, images, words, computer generated work (including Internet sources), thoughts, inventions and/or discoveries whether published or not, with or without the originator’s permission and without appropriately acknowledging the source
  • Collusion by working collaboratively with other pupils to produce work that is subsequently submitted as individual pupil`s work. Pupils should not be discouraged from teamwork, as this is an essential key skill for many sectors and subject areas, but the use of minutes, allocating tasks, agreeing outcomes, etc. are an essential part of team work and this must be made clear to the pupils
  • Impersonation by pretending to be someone else in order to produce the work for another or arranging for another to take one’s place in an assessment or examination or test
  • Fabrication of results and/or evidence
  • Failing to abide by the instructions or advice given by a member of staff, a supervisor and an invigilator in relation to the assessment/examination/test rules, regulations and security.
  • Misuse of assessment or examination material
  • Introduction and/or use of unauthorised material contra to the requirements of supervised assessment/examination/test conditions, for example: notes, study guides, personal organisers, calculators, dictionaries (when prohibited), personal stereos, mobile phones or other similar electronic devices
  • Obtaining, receiving, exchanging or passing on information which could be assessment/examination/test related (or attempt to) by means of talking or written papers/notes during supervised assessment/examination/test conditions
  • Behaving in such a way as to undermine the integrity of the assessment or examination or test
  • The alteration of any results document, including certificates
  • Cheating to gain an unfair advantage.

Assessment malpractice (staff)

Staff may also be guilty of assessment malpractice, the following list gives some examples:-

Failing to keep any examination board mark schemes secure

  • Alteration of any examination board mark schemes
  • Alteration of examination boards assessment and grading criteria
  • Assisting pupils in the production of work for assessment, where the support has the potential to influence the outcomes of assessment, for example where the assistance involves centre staff producing work for the learner
  • Producing falsified witness statements, for example for evidence the learner has not generated
  • Allowing evidence, which is known by the staff member not to be the learner’s own, to be included in a learner’s assignment/task/portfolio/ coursework
  • Facilitating and allowing impersonation

Appeals Procedure

Full details of the appeals procedure can be found in your learner journey, on solarnexus.co.uk, and will be recorded on e-tracker.

There are two major reasons why you might want to appeal your grade.

  • An administrative error has been made by the assessor
  • The assessment was unfair because it was not carried out in line with the marking/grading criteria

You have the right to appeal any grade given to you be a lecturer. Ideally, the appeal should be made as soon as possible after feedback has been given. Your first course of action is to discuss the given grade with your tutor.We find that in the vast majority of cases this will solve the problem.

If you remain unsatisfied,the Lead Internal Verifier will then hear your appeal. You must instigate a formal assessment appeal (found in your learner journey). This action can eventually to a hearing by an Appeals panel whose decision will be final

6TUTORIAL PROGRAMME & PROGRESSION AUDIT

During your course, you will be given tutorial support both as an individual and as a group. During the first few weeks of the program, you will complete an Individual learning plan, which will form the basis of your first one to one tutorial with your personal tutor. You will have further one to one tutorials as the course progresses, both with your course tutor and with your subject tutors so that you can be given feedback on your performance.

Your tutors are also available on an informal basis if you have any problems that you would like to discuss. The content of all tutorials is confidential and you will be shown any notes that have been written that will go on your file. You will have the opportunity to sign the tutorial records or to ask that no notes are kept if the content is of a sensitive nature.

Group tutorials will also take place and can be used as a forum for airing any subject that involves course. They will also cover things such as careers, health education and citizenship.

All of the above themes will be included in the tutorial program. Periodically a guest speaker will be invited to speak to the students on any of the subjects listed above.

Every student will receive one individual tutorial as a minimum each term. During this tutorial you will be able to

  • review your progress to date
  • review your attendance and punctuality
  • agree what academic/vocational targets you have to reach before the next tutorial
  • agree your targets for key skills
  • agree the actions you have to take to reach these targets
  • discuss whether you are enjoying the course
  • discuss any issues which are preventing you achieving as well as you could
  • discuss the progression you will make after you have completed the course

PROGRESSION AUDIT

A progression audit will be conducted with each learner on a 6 weekly basis. The focus of the progression audit is the overall study program and will include a review of attainment in maths and English, and update on work experience and a review of progression on to employment, university, apprenticeship or onto another course within the college.

The details of all tutorial and progression audits are recorded on e-tracker so that learners can access them at any time. E-tracker can be found on the VLE.

8LEARNER ENTITLEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY

Any student at CanterburyCollege is entitled to be informed about what to expect from their course and the college and in return s/he must be fully aware of what is expected of them.

Students studying on a BTEC First Diploma will find the work challenging and rewarding. In order to get the very best out of the course the students should aim to meet the following standards.

  • Have all the required equipment for each session, boots and overalls, writing and drawing implements, a calculator and geometry set.
  • Be punctual for each session
  • Aim for 100% attendance whilst on the course
  • Notify your course tutor in the case of any absence
  • Meet any deadlines set by your subject tutors in respect of assignment work and homework
  • Do not take food and drink into class
  • Switch of all mobile phones and mp3 players whilst in class
  • Personal conduct should be of a high standard when taking part in the workshop sessions

10COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

The main communication channel is through telephoning the course tutor on 01227811115. The course tutor can also be contacted via email. The college switchboards number is 01227 811111

More information is available in the college diary. The Engineering section also runs a notice-board where details of career opportunities, enrichment days and job fairs will be posted.

11HEALTH & SAFETY

The College has a duty in law to ensure that you are safe but you also have a legal responsibility to abide by the College Health and Safety regulations. The Health and Safety Policy of the College requires that students:

  • take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts and omissions
  • familiarise themselves with and observe College rules
  • work in accordance with any instruction and training that they may have received
  • co-operate with College authorities to enable those authorities to carry out their obligations in respect of health and safety
  • on discovering a dangerous situation, report it without delay to a member of staff
  • provide personal protective equipment specified for any course of study and use when appropriate or necessary, or as directed by staff.

Students from both Canterbury and Sheppey Campuses have safety representatives on the College Health and Safety Committee, nominated through the SU.

Fire Alarms:

Regular fire drills take place during the year.

A continuous ringing alarm bell will sound in a building if there is a Fire alert effecting that building.

When the fire alarm rings continuously in a building you are in, you should leave the building immediately using the nearest exit (i.e. not stopping first to collect personal belongings/bags etc) and assemble in the UCCA (formerly KIAD) car park at the top of the Campus [near the Children’s Centre] .

You must not evacuate from one building and re-enter another one, even if the fire alarm is not ringing in that building; you must assemble at the assembly point where Tutors will take a register.

If you hear the alarm ringing in another building, but the alarm in your building is not ringing, then do not evacuate.

A loud ‘hooter’ will sound when it is safe to re-enter the buildings.

At all times during evacuation, follow the instructions of staff who will be easily identified as they will be wearing high-visibility jackets (yellow for most staff – and red for the Duty Officer who is in overall charge of any evacuations).