The University of Surrey encourages the development of modules within degree courses that are related to the world of work, encouraging the students to develop professional skills during their university course.
In 2009 we want to encourage adaptation of, and innovation in, the curriculum around the ideas of ‘work integrated’ and ‘experiential’ learning.

Business-people would be invaluable partners in this endeavour.

Would you be interested in participating in work-based projects? Email c.dowding@surrey.ac.uk

Some examples of current enquiry-based projects:

• Each year an ‘Enterprise Academy’ is formed, during which students are encouraged to share their experience and understanding of what “being enterprising” means, while developing some useful creative-thinking skills. In small groups, students use these skills to imagine and plan two forms of enterprise per group – one profit making and one with a social action remit. We are actively looking for businesses who would like to work with the student teams.
• The transistor is at the heart of virtually every modern day electronic device from the laptop computer to the mobile phone. The Electronic Engineering Department has a project that introduces an enquiry-based learning approach into transistor operation and design. They will learn both as individuals and as part of a team how their choice of design controls performance.
• The Management School is developing a short intensive work experience/professional practice module for postgraduate students in the Management School. This will offer the opportunity for most postgraduate students, irrespective of background, to gain some experience of the professional workplace.
• The Political Studies department has developed modules based around negotiations, which allow them to understand the pressures and constraints that such negotiations impose on reaching an agreement.
• In the Department of Engineering a project is raising the profile of collaborative enquiry-based learning while engaging students in the process of learning the foundations of Digital Signal Processing. In addition, it attempts to steer the existing student culture towards enquiry, self-learning and peer learning.
• The Electronic Engineering Department has a project that replaces traditional scripted laboratory and professional skills workshops with student-led enquiry-based learning processes. It is anticipated that the development of professional skills for design work, feeding into a revised laboratory programme, should lead to enhanced independence and confidence associated with problem solving and laboratory work.
• The English Department has a project to develop and support students as creative thinkers and independent enquirers.