Btec National Diploma In

BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN

ENGINEERING

COURSE HANDBOOK

2012/13

1INTRODUCTION

2DETAILS OF COURSE

3WEEKLY TIMETABLE

4DETAILS OF ASSESSMENT

5ASSESSMENT CALENDAR

6TUTORIAL PROGRAMME

7ENRICHMENT CALENDAR

8LEARNER RESPONSIBILITY

9WORK EXPERIENCES DETAILS

10COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

11HEALTH & SAFETY

Course Handbook June 03

1INTRODUCTION

The BTEC National Diploma in Operations & Maintenance Engineering

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

Teaching Staff

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

Course Co-ordinator: TBA

Course Tutor: TBA

Subject tutors: Mr Paul Lewis, Mr. Michael Cooke, Mr David Kirkness, Mr Paul Mulder

All of the above personnel can be contacted on 01227 811115. The course tutor can be contacted via email . Further course information can also be obtained 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, Pneumatics & Hydraulics and Computer Aided Design.

As the National Diploma is a practical work related course, you learn by completing projects and assignments that are 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 taken are assessed and graded and an overall grade for the qualification is awarded.

BTEC National Diplomas are valued by employers and higher education.

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.

2DETAILS OF COURSE

The BTEC National 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 all of the unit details linked on

Whilst studying for the qualification you will also complete a functional skills course at level 2 & 3 in areas such as numeracy, literacy and ICT. This is a separate qualification that is awarded once you have taken an exam and it has been assessed internally by the college staff.

Functional Skills

What are Functional Skills?

Functional skills are the skills that you need in order to operate confidently and successfully in school, college, university, work, training, and life in general.

The functional skills you will study at the college are:

Literacy
Numeracy
Information and Communication Technology

Why should I do Functional Skills?

There are three main reasons why you will find it helpful to do key skills.

The first reason is that they will help you develop the skills that you need to get good grades in the qualifications for which you are studying now, whether they are GCSEs, AS or A levels, NVQs, technical certificates or any other qualification.

The second reason is the value they will have when you apply for a job or for university.

The third reason is their value when you are at work, in training, or studying for a degree.

But I've already got GCSEs in English and Maths. What's different about key skills?

The difference is in how you use them. What you learned in GCSE English, Maths and maybe ICT may have helped with your other subjects, and with your life in general, but that wasn't their main purpose. The point of functional skills is that you apply them in your other studies and in your work, to get results. You use key skills with a purpose – to get things done. GCSEs give you the underpinning techniques; key skills show you how to use th

4DETAILS OF ASSESSMENT

Your tutors will set you a range of activities that will enable you to achieve the qualification. Some of these tasks will be 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.

When a tutor writes and assignment or test it will be written to provide evidence for each of the grading criteria in the syllabus. Once the assignment is written it is then 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.

6TUTORIAL PROGRAMME

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.

Further to the above the College runs a scheme called “Every Child Matters” The aim of the scheme is to promote 5 fundamental themes.

Being healthy
Staying safe
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well being

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

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

9WORK EXPERIENCE DETAIL

The aim of work experience is to provide the learner with some valuable hands on experience that backs up and reinforces much of the underpinning knowledge taught on the Diploma. Because engineering is a very broad based subject, work experience can be very useful in identifying types of work that students display an aptitude for and can lay the foundations for a successful future.

You will be notified of work experience opportunities as part of the tutorial program which aims to emphasize the career opportunities available in the industry. You will also be strongly encouraged to develop links with local employers whilst on the course, and in appropriate cases organize your own work experience placement.

Typically work experience should not last longer than two weeks. Whilst on a work experience program you would be expected to conduct yourself in a manner expected of a student studying on an engineering course. Your tutor will assess the type of work experience you are undertaking and arrange assignments and the gathering of suitable evidence aligned with the syllabus outcomes. You will be required to obtain witness statements that back up any practical work/evidence you are claiming.

10COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

The main communication channel is through telephoning the course tutor on 01227811115. The course tutor can also be contacted on

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.

From this year onwards all of your course details will be posted on what is called the VLE which stands for Virtual Learning Environment. You will be given details on how to join the VLE as part of the induction program. The VLE itself will contain all the course material such as assignments, handouts and other various learning resources. It will also contain a forum and a chatroom where students can post with any questions they may have regarding course content whilst also allowing for the sharing of ideas and experiences.

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 Childrens’ 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 a register will be taken by Tutors.

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).

Evacuation: (for reasons other than Fire)

If the Alarm Bell rings intermittently, this is a signal a need to evacuate a building, although the building will not be on Fire.

In this case, the evacuation is slightly less urgent than for Fire, so, in this case, you should take a little time to collect your bags and belongings and take them with you.

Once again, the assembly point is in the UCCA (formerly KIAD) car park at the top of the Campus [near the Childrens’ Centre].

First Aid:

Any accident or incident which occurs within the College (including its grounds) which results in an injury should be reported to the lecturer in charge.

The First Aider on duty is contacted via Reception (extn 1330).

If necessary, the lecturer can summon a First Aider and/or may involve the Duty Officer if the incident is serious enough to merit this.

There is a welfare room situated in Block 4, room G03.

If, as a result of any accident sustained at College, a student is absent from College for more than 3 days, they must report it to their lecturer so that a report on this can be given to the College's Health and Safety Adviser (Estates Department).

Smoking:

The College Campus is a no smoking environment, including the grounds, pedestrian footways, College Vehicles and roadways.

Smoking on Campus is a serious breach of College rules and will result in disciplinary action against any Student who is found doing so.

Security:

All students must have their Student Identity Card with them at all times when attending College – i.e. on Campus, or outside visits, or other college business (e.g. field trips, or work experience).

Students may be asked to produce the Card at any time by any member of staff. This is done to protect all of our Students and staff by excluding those not authorized to be on the Campus.

If you are not carrying your card when on Campus when asked for it, you may be asked to leave the premises; this would impact on your attendance record, which may in turn affect any payment of Maintenance Support Grants to you.

Your Student i.d also acts as your library card and you will also need it for entry to exams.

If you lose your Student Card, you will need to complete an Application for Identity Card Renewal Form which is available from the Student Services Centre and you will need to obtain your tutor’s signature on the form.

There is also an admin fee of £5 which is payable.