New Zealand Diploma in Engineering Level 6
COMM4010 (DE4103)
TECHNICAL LITERACY
VERSION 3 LEVEL 4 CREDIT 15
ASSESSMENT: TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS
TUTOR: Janine Whitworth
STUDENT:
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
• Read this paper thoroughly.
• Provide a comprehensive report for your given topic based on the following instructions.
• It is strongly recommended to use the services of the Ako Awhina Team (LF’s) [Service is part of your compulsory student services fee!]
Technical Communications Assessment Brief_Rev 07 S1 2020
Assessment Purpose
This Assessment will demonstrate the student’s communication skills . It will assesses the student’s ability to perform research and convey technical information in an understandable and structured manner. This assessment is designed to practice your research skills and your ability to summarise and condense ideas and information gathered and state them in a clear concise and logical manner.

Instruction
This assessment is about communication skills.
The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your ability to communicate technical information in a clear and logical way.
As an engineer in industry you will often be asked to produce a report or presentation either to communicate findings generated from a specific investigation or to provide a summary / overview of a given situation or process. The purpose of this communication will be to educate or inform members of your team, other departments, senior management or even the client. Your communcation should be in a clear and logical sequence. It should state its purpose, introduce the topic or provide a backgound as to why you chose this topic.
Chose a topic that is relevent to your study. The topic must be related to engineering to allow you to communicate a deeper techical understanding of a topic (i.e. over and above general knowledge).
Your choice should be something you find interseting (e.g. a hobby) or something that could potential assist in your future studies (e.g. from a topic you will study later in the programme). You will then produce a report, which will also form the basis of a presentation which you will present to your classmates and a judging panel.
Know your audience, teach us something new….
Task One
• The Report shall be between 1,800 and 2,000 words for the main body. Excluded from the word count are e.g. (but not limited to) cover page, table of contents/figures, tables, captions, introduction and conclusion and references.
• Formatting shall be according to instructions and shall meet the criteria on the following page.
Task Two
• The presentation will be 8 minutes long.
• The presentation format shall be according to instructions provided.
• Q & A will follow presentation (not included in your presentation time).
Steps to achieve / complete this Assessment
• Think about a topic, question or a field you are interested in.
• Turn above topic/question/interest into a question. [see examples on Moodle] • How does xyz work?
• What physical principles are at work here?
• Can I predict and/or calculate what will happen next?
• Present the topic and an outline to tutor for approval and feedback by the specified date.
• Produce a draft report and presentation.
• Student will finalise the report and presenation and submit on time.

What is an Outline?
An outline should contain the following:
Report Outline:
• Title page showing topic / author / revision or status (e.g. outline)
• Section headings with text outlining what would be contained within the remainder of the section
• Sub-sections headings only
• Fully formatted to allow generation of table of contents / table of figures
Presentation Outline:
The following bullet points are geared towards PowerPoint instructions. The student may choose to go ahead without PowerPoint. This choice will not affect his mark.
• Aim for a total of max. 8 slides. [This is tutor advice, not a marking criteria!]
• First slide should be o Programme Name [NZDE], o Course name [Technical Literacy], o topic and o name (of presenter)
• Slide 2 should contain the reason you chose the topic. This is when you should convey your passion for the topic to captivate the audience.
• Last slide should always be the references used. [This slide is a must for submission but does not need to be presented during the up front assessment.]
• Aim for 5 content slides. Outline what you intend to cover per slide including a timing goal (e.g. slide 2 = 1min; slide 3 = explanation 1 = 2min; etc.)
What is a Draft?
• A draft is an almost finished assignment.
• For the draft, content is added to the outline.
• While an outline is the skeleton of the report, the draft is the completed assignment. It will need trimming (shortening), re-organizing, shifting of sections around to follow a more logical sequence and other fine tuning before it becomes the final version.
• Consider a draft to be about 75% of the way to the final version.
Report Draft:
• In a draft your word count should be higher than the target.
• More than the required number of sources have been included.
Presentation Draft:
The following bullet points are geared towards PowerPoint instructions. The student may choose to go ahead without PowerPoint. This choice will not affect his mark.
• Treat a Draft as a final version that is ready ahead of time so you have time for fine-tuning.
• Aim for a total of max. 7 slides. [This is tutor advise, not a marking criteria!]
• First slide should be o Programme Name [NZDE], o Course name [Technical Literacy], o topic and o name (of presenter)
• Slide 2 should contain the reason you chose the topic. This is when you should convey your passion for the topic to captivate the audience.
• Last slide should always be the references used. [This slide is a must for submission but does not need to be presented during the up front assessment.]
• Aim for 3 or 4 content slides. Outline what you intend to cover per slide including a timing goal (e.g. slide 2 = 1min; slide 3 = explanation 1 = 2min; etc.). Use e.g. Speaker Notes’ section.
Type of Report
If your topic lends itself to an investigation it should finish with a conclusion and recommendations, if it is an overview (of a process or situation) it should finish with a summary and next steps or future use (if applicable).
Any of the Engineering Fundamentals Lab Reports are examples for Investigations.
An exmaple for an overview topic could be: Processes within a concrete batching plant.
Suggestions relating to the Report topic
Below topics were chosen by students over the last few semesters. Each student received a high mark. These topics are meant as ideas only. Topics from this list may not be used by you.
• The Physics of Drifting (Theory as well as experiment) • How does an oscillating fan work?
• Automated variable length inlet runners
• Concrete Admixtures
• Piston skirts (ppt) & Piston Design in automotive combustion engine (report) • Could synchronized cars change the spin of the earth?
• GPS technology in roading
• Integrated Circuits (IC’s)
In general, stay away from broad topics such as “solar power” (or similar). If a boad topic peeks your interest, drill deeper and pick a sub-set thereof.
If in doubt, ask your tutor! We’re here to help.
Task One – Technical Report
1. Produce a Technical Report on a Technical Subject
2. The main body of the report shall be between 1,800 and 2,000 words . Excluded from word count are:
• Summary / Executive Summary
• Tables
• Captions
• Footnotes
• References
3. Formatting shall be according to instructions in this assignment sheet.
• A4 paper size
• Font style: professional please (not “Comic Sans MS”)
• Font size 12 for most font styles allows for easy reading.
• Spacing in a readable manner (e.g. 1.5 line space)
• Reasonable margins (allow sufficient margin for hole punching)
4. The Marking Schedule is attached. (Read it!) It includes a “self-Check” column which is solely for your reference and will not be part of your mark.
5. The report must be properly and professionally structured.
6. Flow of information must be well organized.
7. Avoid spelling or grammatical mistakes.
8. Acceptable formats: .doc, docx [Note: pdf is not allowed]
9. The Report shall meet the criteria stated within this document.
10. Cite at least five sources of information. Acceptable sources of information are (but not limited to):
• Journal papers
• Conference papers
• Peer Reports
• Books
• Credible websites. Note: Wikipedia and Yahoo are not considered credible websites.
11. In order to receive full marks in the respective marking criteria, you will need to include a minimum of five sources. Out of these five sources, only two may be internet websites. All sources must be properly referenced with the APA7 reference system. All sources must be properly cited within the text and matched with the reference in the Appendix.
12. Contains at least one technical sketch (drawn/created by the student).
13. It is suggested that you have the report proof-read before submission to:
• Correct the mistakes in following the instructions.
• Correct grammatical and spelling mistakes in the document.
• Ako Awhina Team (EF’s) are available to assist with this.
Task Two – Presentation
• Prepare your presentation for your classmates (technical depth required).
• The topic & the outline of your presentation must be submitted to the Tutor for approval.
• The first draft of your presentation must be submitted to the Tutor for approval.
• Your presentation should be 8 minutes long.
• Your presentation must include visual aids, e.g. PowerPoint, graphs, slides, etc. You must inform the tutor one week prior to your personal presentation date if you require extra gear (e.g. flip chart, etc.).
• The Tutor may print your presentation notes. In this case, files to be printed have to be emailed minimum 3 working day before presentation date.
• The last slide(s) shall be your reference slide(s). They need to be included and submitted but do not have to be shown during your presentation.
• Your Final Presentation including your notes must be submitted in line with assessment gird on the cover page of this document.
NOTE: Marks are allocated for your Time Management.
In order for you to maximize your points for the two components of this assignment, read the marking Rubik’s carefully! (see following pages)
Page
Presentation
Criteria Inadequate / incomplete: Significant improvements required Adequate / Sufficient:
Meets standard but not more Above Average / Excellent: Goes beyond required standard – potential full marks Mark Self-
Check
Delivery: Opening Remarks
No intro about self or name only
Little if any introduction of content Intro of self beyond name
Adequate introduction of content Excellent introduction of self (1)
Excellent introduction of content (1)
Why topic was chosen Reason not stated Reason understandably provided Reason & passion related to audience
(1)
Interest created
Not clearly defined – hard to follow Able to follow Comprehensive, easy to follow – clear
(1)
Development of rapport
No or little rapport Adequate rapport Audience engagement maintained (1)
Clear/audible voice / punctuation / speed variation / pauses / dynamic range / enthusiastic Inaudible voice & lacks enthusiasm – shows lack of rehearsal An adequate delivery, could be improved • Audience engagement
maintained (1)
• Snappy, tight & well executed, clearly well-rehearsed, excellent delivery (1)
Gestures / eye contact / mannerisms / body language Inappropriate body language Appropriate body language Confident & professional body language (1)
Professionalism Sloppy & unprofessional dress standard Physical presentation adequate Presenter has made an effort to dress professionally & appropriately (1)
Use of notes Too much reliance on notes Appropriate amount of reliance on notes Little or no reliance on notes (1)
Subtotal for Delivery: / 10
Content: Relevance & Scope • Irrelevant content/disjointed
• Poor level of understanding of requirements • Mostly relevant
• Adequate coverage • Excellent relevant content & scope covers all required criteria (5)
Examples None or poor examples Examples were adequate Excellent examples (4)
Conclusion There is no conclusion Conclusion only hinted at or conclusion slide but does not contain conclusion. There is an obvious conclusion summarizing the presentation. (1)
Subtotal for Content: / 10
Technical Communications Assessment Brief_Rev 07 S1 2020
Presentation
Criteria Inadequate / incomplete:
Significant improvements required Adequate / Sufficient:
Meets standard but not more Above Average / Excellent: Goes beyond required standard – potential full marks Mark Self-
Check
Structure: logical Difficult to follow Mostly logical presentation of material Presented in a logical way (1)
Organisation Disjointed and lacks organisation An adequate amount of organisation Excellent structure & organisation
(2)
Transitions Transitions were distractive Not enough to distract from presentation Excellent clear & smooth transitions (1)
Subtotal for Structure: / 4
Visuals: Visual support Little or no visual support of presentation Sufficient visual support of presentation Excellent visual support of presentation; relevant & professionally presented (1)
Variety Lacks variety Some variety Excellent variety (0.5)
Visual impact Low visual impact Some visual impact High visual impact (0.5)
Correct Spelling and grammar issues Some spelling and grammar issues No typos / errors (1)
Concise Lack of key words or bullet points only - some long paragraphs Mostly key words or bullet points Excellent use of key words or bullet points only – no long paragraphs (1)
Subtotal for Visuals: / 4
Presentation started and finished on time Presentation went over/under time by more than 1 minute Presentation went over/under time by more than 30 seconds but less than 1 minute Presentation was on time or was no more than +/- 30 seconds over/under time (2)
Subtotal for Timing: / 2
Subtotal Presentation overall (so far):
OVERALL Mark: Presentation (Total of 30 possible Marks) Poor – Average (0 – 12 Marks) Average – Good (13 – 25 Marks) Very Good - Excellent (26 – 35 Marks)
Report
Criteria Inadequate / incomplete: Significant improvements required Adequate / Sufficient:
Meets standard but not more Above Average / Excellent: Goes beyond required standard – potential full marks Mark Self-
Check
Structure: Table of Content & Table of Figures Not created Created manually Created using appropriate MS Suite tools (4)
Logical Outline Difficult to follow Mostly logical presentation of material Presented in a logical way (6)
Organisation Disjointed and lacks organisation An adequate amount of organisation Excellent structure & organisation
(6)
Appropriate sections with headings identify content Not presented Adequately handled Given in outstanding quality (4)
Subtotal for Structure: / 20
Visuals: Visual support Little or no visual support of presentation Sufficient visual support of presentation Excellent visual support of presentation; relevant & professionally presented (3)
Captions for Figures Not included &/or poor quality Mostly adequate Excellent; MS Tools applied (2)
Variety Lacks variety Some variety Excellent variety (1)
Visual impact (re graphics) Low visual impact Some visual impact High visual impact (1)
Hand sketch Not included &/or poor quality adequate hand sketch quality Excellent hand sketch quality (1)
Visual impact
(re document overall) Low visual impact Some visual impact High visual impact (2)
Subtotal for Visuals: / 10
Report
Criteria Inadequate / incomplete:
Significant improvements required Adequate / Sufficient:
Meets standard but not more Above Average / Excellent: Goes beyond required standard – potential full marks Mark Self-
Check
Content: Content Quality Poor content quality / quantity Mainly adequate quality/quantity &/or some content irrelevant • Excellent choice of content (3)
• only relevant content (3)
Word count
(1,800 – 2,000 words for main body) Over or under specified word count by more than 100 words Over or under specified word count by less than 100 words Within word count criteria (3)
Technical vocabulary Too low for audience Somewhat adequate Relevant, clear & contributes to a relevant tone for the report (4)
Concise Report covers irrelevant side topics Reports mainly stays on track Report is concise and precise (4)
Correctness:
e.g. Spelling, punctuation, grammar; 3rd person singular; past tense Spelling and grammar issues; other issues Some spelling and grammar issues &/or minor other issues No typos, errors &/or other issues
(4)
Intended Purpose: A professional technical report Not achieved (more of a Wikipedia entry than technical report) Purpose mainly achieved Excellent & professional report (4)
Research Techniques - General:
Not achieved (more of a Wikipedia entry than technical report); research skills not conveyed Purpose mainly achieved showing basic knowledge of research techniques. Demonstrating excellent research skills/techniques (4)
Research sources:
(min. 3 different kinds) Only one kind of source given Two different kinds of sources used Three (or more) different kinds of sources used (4)
Research quality: Only mainstream google search executed/used Mainly credible sources selected Only credible sources selected (4)
Image ref’s do not count! Research quantity: (min. 5 required) Less than five sources referenced / used Five sources referenced / used More than five sources referenced / used (4)
All images references One (no) image(s) referenced. All images referenced and identified as such in bibliography. All images referenced and identified in bibliography (2)
Referencing No referencing standard used; &/or some form of referencing attempt shown incorrect referencing standard used (but all sources cited) APA6 was correctly applied throughout (2)
Subtotal for Content: / 45
Subtotal Report overall (max. 75):
Subtotal: Presentation (out of 35 Points) Subtotal: Report (out of 75 Points)
OVERALL Mark:
ASSESSMENT
(Total of 105 possible Marks) Poor – Average (0 – 50 Marks) Average – Good (51 – 90 Marks) Very Good - Excellent (91 –110 Marks) = %
Time Management Inadequate / incomplete: Significant improvements required Adequate / Sufficient:
Meets standard but not more Above Average / Excellent: Goes beyond required standard – potential full marks Mark
Milestone 1:
Topic Selection
Originally Due: 13/ 03 / 20
Extended to 20 / 03 / 20 Late &/or not according to instructions (0) or:
No submission Late but according to instructions On time and as per instructions (2)
Milestone 2:
Draft Report & Presentation
Due: 01 / 05 / 20 Late &/or not according to instructions (0) or:
No submission Late but according to instructions On time and as per instructions (6)
Milestone 3:
Final Report & Presentation
Due: 15 / 05 / 20 No submission (0) Late submission Submission on time (2)
Subtotal for Time Management: / 10