STUDY SKILLS

In addition to technical knowledge and skills, students on UHI engineering courses are expected to develop skills that will be required in their careers as professional engineers.  These are known as “employability skills” and include:

• Problem solving and innovation:  applying technical principles to problems to find new solutions.  Using software to test your ideas.  Critical and creative thinking.  Evaluation of your solution.
• Independent learning:  being responsible for your own learning.  Finding out things for yourself and not restricting yourself to the information you have been given.  Directing your own learning.  (What is the information I need to solve a problem?  Where can I find it?)  Being able to work to a deadline.  Showing initiative.
• Team-working:  working with other people.  Cooperating, leading, joint responsibility.
• Communication skills: presenting your work to others in verbal and written forms.  Using a format that is appropriate in a given situation or context.  Recording practical work.  What to include?  What to leave out?  Using software.
• Business awareness:  understanding how businesses work.  What are the commercial and other challenges faced by a business?   

As a student, if you understand that you are learning more than just technical knowledge and skills, you will be more successful in your course.  Hopefully, also it will also give you a better start in your career.

学习技巧

要成为专业工程师，UHI工程类学生除了学习技术知识和技能之外, 还需要发展以下“就业技能“，包括:

•解决问题和创新: 应用技术原理就存在问题寻找新的解决方案。使用软件测试你的想法。批判性和创造性思维。评估你的解决方案。

•独立学习: 负责自己的学习。靠自己发现新事物，而不仅仅限制在自己已经获得的信息。指导自己的学习。(我需要什么信息去解决一个问题? 我在哪里可以找到该信息?) 能够在截止日期之前完成任务。表现主动。

•团队合作: 与他人合作。有合作的态度, 共同承担责任。

•沟通技巧: 能够以口头和书面的形式向他人展示你的工作。在一个给定的情况或上下文中使用合适的形式。记录实际工作。记录什么? 删除什么? 软件运用能力。

•商业意识: 了解企业是如何运作的。企业面临着哪些商业和其他方面的挑战?

作为一名学生, 如果你明白, 你正在学习的不仅仅是技术知识和技能, 你将会更成功。希望你的学业给你的职业生涯创造一个更好的开端。

 Some general points

1. Know your way round the UHI website (www.uhi.ac.uk).  It is the main way that the UHI communicates with students.  It has several important parts, including:

• VLE (“Virtual Learning Environment” = Blackboard).  This is where learning materials can be found.  Also, it is where coursework is submitted as an assignment.
• Office 365 Outlook Email
• UHI records.  This is where all your module results are shown.  They are available after the exam board at the end of each semester.  UHI records is also the place to find important forms such as the one for mitigating circumstances.
• Library. Many books are available electronically.
• Calendar with important dates.

2. Always use your UHI email account rather than any personal email such as QQ.  Your UHI email address uses your student id number and is something like 16001234@uhi.ac.uk.    The UHI system will often block emails that it does not recognise.  Sometimes also an email may be put in the receiver’s junk folder where it may not be seen.
3. At the beginning of each semester make sure you know what you are expected to do for each module.  Make a plan for your coursework to spread the work out and try to avoid times when you have too much to do.
4. If you have a problem ask in good time.  For example, if you are unsure about what to do for a coursework ask your HIE tutor or your UHI tutor.  Don’t rely on what another student says because she/he may not understand correctly.  You can also ask your UHI personal academic tutor (Robert Kay Robert.kay.perth@uhi.ac.uk ) about anything to do with your course.
5. File security.  Make sure you look after computer files for all your work, especially assignments.  Keep backup copies of all important files so that if you have a problem with your computer you will not lose everything.   Do not share your files with anyone.  If someone copies your work and submits it in their assignment, you may also be guilty of plagiarism.
6. Mitigating circumstances.  If a serious illness effects your performance in an exam or coursework you may be able to apply for mitigating circumstances.  If this is allowed, you will be able to do the resit as a first attempt.  If you would like to apply for mitigating circumstances, contact your personal academic tutor as soon as possible.  Mitigating circumstances will normally be allowed for reasons such as serious illness and family bereavement.  They will not be allowed for computer failure or running out of time.
7. Maths.  Show your working.  Write down the formulas used and all the steps in a calculation, not just the answer.  It should be possible for the reader to understand exactly what you have done.  This applies in exams and courseworks.  

常规注意事项

1、知道怎么使用UHI网站(www.uhi.ac.uk)。这是UHI与学生沟通的主要方式。它有几个重要的部分,包括:

•VLE (“虚拟学习环境”=黑板)。在这里可以找到学习材料，提交课程作业。

•office 365 Outlook电子邮件

•UHI记录。在此能查到所有学习模块的考核结果。考试后每学期的结束可以查成绩。UHI记录中还能找到各种政策文件, 如减轻处罚情节的申请。

•图书馆。有许多电子版书籍。

•日历与重要的日期。

2、必须使用你的UHI电子邮件帐户, 而不是任何个人邮箱，如QQ。UHI电子邮件地址使用你的学生证号码, 类似16001234 @uhi.ac.uk。UHI系统往往会block识别不了的电子邮箱。非UHI邮箱发来的邮件有时会被UHI邮箱当做垃圾邮件放置在垃圾邮箱里，导致接收者看不到。

3、每学期初确保你充分了解每个模块的学习内容和任务。制定学习和完成作业的计划，避免在同一时间段内大量作业堆积而无法完成。

 4、有问题及时问。举例来说, 如果你不确定如果写某门课程的作业，那么及时请教你的中国或英国任课老师。不要依赖另一个学生说的内容, 因为她/他可能无法正确理解。你也可以问问你的个人学术导师(罗伯特·凯Robert.kay.perth@uhi.a.uk)任何有关你课程的问题。

5、文件安全。确保你保存好电脑文件, 特别是作业。所有重要文件都要备份副本, 这样如果你电脑出问题,你不至于会失去所有记录。不与任何人分享你的文件。如果有人复制你的作业并提交, 你也可能被认定为剽窃。

6、减轻处罚的情节。如果一个严重的疾病影响你在考试中的表现或者听课，你可以申请减轻处罚。如过申请批准, 你可以重考, 但作为第一次考试，不是补考。如果你想申请减 轻处罚, 要尽快联系你的个人学术导师。减轻处罚的申请被批准通常因为以下的原因, 如严重的疾病和家庭失去了亲人。因电脑故障或时间不够用是无法申请的。

7、数学。写下所使用的公式和计算步骤, 而不是只有答案。使读者通过卷面阅读能准确地理解你所做的一切。这适用于考试和课程。

 

Coursework

Examinations are good at testing students’ knowledge and understanding of engineering principles.  They may also be used to test students’ analytical skills.  However, many of the employability skills mentioned previously cannot be tested in an exam.  Coursework is used to develop and assess these skills.

Some hints for success at coursework:

1. Make sure you know exactly what you are expected to do.  If something is not clear, ask your tutor for help.  If you ask another student she/he may not have understood the tasks properly and may give you poor advice.
2. Normally, you are given at least 2 weeks to complete a coursework.  Do not wait until a day or two before the deadline before you start.  If you meet any problems it will be too late to deal with them.
3. When doing coursework you are expected to go beyond what you have learned in class or the topics included in the module learning materials.  Try to show wide reading and “critical thinking” in your work.
4. Most courseworks are quite long and complex.  It is often a good idea to make a plan of what you are going to do and when you are going to do it.  This will help you to make sure you have completed everything.  It will also help you to keep to the deadline.
5. Most courseworks are submitted through a Turnitin assignment on the VLE.  If you complete your work in good time you will be able to check for plagiarism and make any necessary changes before the deadline.
6. Be careful when using translation software.  Translating from a Chinese language into English is very difficult (even for a computer!) and often the results from translation programs make no sense at all.  It is much better to develop your own technical vocabulary and not rely on translation programs.
7. Don’t forget to cite and reference your work correctly.  See the UHI website for guidance on this.  Do not include course notes or other materials in your list of references.  These have not been published.  Many websites cannot be trusted (for example www.wikipedia.com) and should not be included in your references either.

作业

考试可以测试学生对工程原理和知识理解程度。也可以用来测试学生的分析能力。然而, 许多的就业技能（前面提到的）不能用考试进行测试。作业是用来开发和评估这些技能的。

如何完成作业:

1、确保你清楚的知道老师要求你做什么。如果有什么不清楚, 向你导师寻求帮助。如果你问另一个学生，她/他可能没有正确理解任务, 可能给你错误的建议。

2、通常情况下, 老师至少给你两周时间完成一个作业。不要等到截止日期前一两天才开始写作业。因为你遇到一些问题，而你没有时间及时处理这些问题。

3、做作业时老师的期望是你要不局限于课堂上所学的知识或模块学习材料中包含的知识。好的作业要展示你的阅读面很广泛，而且你有批判性思维。

 4、大多数作业都是相当漫长而复杂的。制定一个计划，你要做什么和什么时候你会去做。这将帮助你确保在deadline之前完成作业。

5、大多数课程都是提交通过Turnitin这个软件在VLE上提交的。如果你完成作业早，你有时间重复提交检查剽窃，并在deadline之前对作业进行修改。

 6、使用翻译软件时要小心。从中文翻译成英语是非常困难的(即使是电脑!), 用翻译软件完成的结果经常完全看不懂。更好的发展自己的技术词汇, 而不是依靠翻译软件。

7、不要忘记正确引用和列举参考文献。看UHI网站指导。你的引用不能来源于课程笔记或其他材料等没有出版的资料。很多网站不能信任(例如www.wikipedia.com), 里面的内容不能引用。

Report writing

A common coursework task is to write a report on lab work, software tasks or a technical investigation.  Reports take different forms, so make sure you understand exactly what is expected.  Ask your tutor in good time if you need guidance.

 

Here is a typical report format:

 

 

Title page	Title, UHI student id number, date
Summary	Summarises the whole project.  Someone reading this should be able to understand the main points of the project, including your conclusion.
Contents	With page numbers and section/chapter numbers
Introduction	Sets the scene.  Background information.  Significance of report?  What are you planning to do? Why?
(Main body chapters)	Evidence, data, discussions, diagrams, programs etc.
Conclusion	What did you find out?  Recommendations?   Were the aim and objectives achieved?
References	Use Harvard system.  See UHI website for guidance.
Appendices	Data sheets, web pages, additional data.

报告的撰写

老师们经常会布置写报告，如实验室报告,软件任务报告或技术调查报告。报告采取不同的形式, 所以确保你理解老师要你写的报告的要求。及时向你的导师寻求指导。

这是一个典型的报告格式:

 

标题页	标题、UHI学号、日期
摘要	总结整个项目。阅读者应该能够通过摘要部分理解项目的要点, 包括你的结论。
内容	页面号码、章节
简介	设置场景。背景信息，报告的意义，报告包含的内容和你为什么做报告。
主要章节	证据、数据、讨论、图表、程序等。
结论	你发现了什么，有何推荐，是否完成了预期目标。
引用	使用哈弗格式，参考UHI网站指导。
附件	数据表、web页面、额外的数据。

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is “presenting the work of another person as your own”.  
• It is regarded as academic misconduct.  
• There are UHI regulations that state what will happen when plagiarism occurs.  These range from being given a mark of zero for the work, to having to re-enrol on the module to expulsion from the university.  
• Plagiarism may be accidental or deliberate.  
• It is the responsibility of a student to ensure her/his work is not plagiarised.  
• It is the responsibility of the university to ensure that students’ qualifications are not devalued by plagiarism.

 

How plagiarism is detected:

Tutors use several methods to detect plagiarism.  An experienced tutor may notice similarities between two reports and will investigate further.  Changes in the quality of language or writing style often indicate plagiarism.  Students sometimes make basic mistakes such as changing the name on a plagiarised report but not the student id number.

For a systematic and fair approach to plagiarism the UHI, like many other universities, uses a website called Turnitin.com.  Students’ work is checked against a huge database of internet sources, journals, e-books and other students’ reports.  Similarities are highlighted in the text and the original source is identified.  A report is generated with a % index stated for each similarity, with the total similarity also shown.  

The % similarity does not necessarily indicate plagiarism because some similarities are unavoidable.  For example, there may be no suitable alternative to technical terms such as “high voltage alternating current” or “turbulent flow over an aircraft wing”.  Students’ reports may all have similar section headings.  A student may put information such as a journal article or a manufacturer’s technical specifications in a report appendix.  None of this is plagiarism.  

A tutor applies professional judgement to the information provided by Turnitin to assess whether or not plagiarism has occurred. There is no specific % similarity index that is used as a threshold for to indicate plagiarism, either for each individual source or for the total.  Individual % similarities of more than a few % are often cause for concern, however.  

Turnitin allows students to see similarity reports a short time after submission of their work.  Usually Turnitin is set up to allow students to make any number of submissions before the assignment due date.  This allows a student to check her/his work for plagiarism and make any necessary changes before the deadline.  If in doubt, the student may ask a tutor for advice.

Examples of how plagiarism can occur:

1. Copying text from a book or website (“source”) and placing this text in your coursework is plagiarism.  It is not enough to simply include the source as a reference at the end of your work.  It is also not enough to replace a few words in the text with other words of similar meaning.
2. Students sometimes share their work and show what they have done to their friends.  They may ask students from a previous year to see their coursework.  If one student copies any of another’s work plagiarism has occurred and both students are guilty of academic misconduct.
3. Sometimes practical work such as laboratory experiments is carried out in groups of 2 or 3 students.  Each student will have identical results and data in their reports.  This is not plagiarism.  However, if students submit very similar reports then each will be guilty of plagiarism.  
4. In some coursework students are asked to solve problems by writing programs in MATLAB, Arduino etc.  Software procedures and syntax mean that students’ programs for the same task may be very similar, even when students have worked entirely on their own.  This is not plagiarism.  However, in most cases students will have to choose their own variable names and write their own comments in a program.  It is very unlikely that two students will use identical variables and comments, and where this happens it indicates plagiarism.   

Here are some examples of Turnitin reports:

Avoiding plagiarism:

1. If you wish to use the idea s or information from a source, you must write the text in your own words.  This shows that you understand the ideas you are describing.  Correctly cite and reference the source.  Advice on using the Harvard referencing system is available on the UHI website.
2. Students often learn very well when they study together, and discussing coursework is fine.  However, you should never show another student your coursework or share files. The security of your files is your responsibility, and if someone copies your work you may be penalised for plagiarism.     
3. For practical work students may share results and data within their group, but every student should write their report on their own.  Discussions for the introduction, method, conclusion and evaluation will all be different.
4. Don’t share MATLAB, Simulink, Arduino or any other programs with anyone else.

剽窃

•剽窃是把别人的工作成果当成自己的来展示。

•它被认为是学术不端行为。

•UHI规定学术剽窃行为发生时的处理方法。根据剽窃行为的严重性，可能该门课程记零分，也可能要重新注册该门课，甚至从大学开除。

•剽窃可能是意外的或故意的。

• 确保自己的学术成果不来自剽窃，是学生本人的责任。

•确保学生学位不是靠剽窃而来，是学校的责任。

剽窃检测:

教师使用几种方法来检测剽窃。一个有经验的导师可能会注意到相似的两份报告, 并将进一步调查。语言能力提升或写作风格忽变通常表明剽窃。学生有时会犯基本的错误, 例如改变名字抄袭报告但没有改学生号。

像许多其他大学一样, UHI使用一个名为Turnitin.com的网站，更系统更公平的检测剽窃行为。该网站拥有一个巨大的数据库包括网络资源,、期刊、电子书和其他学生的报告。学生的报告提交后，相似之处会用被找出并显示，原始源文本也会显示。系统会生成一个单段相似率报告，还会产生一个通篇相似率报告。

有重复率并不一定表明剽窃因为有些相似之处是不可避免的。例如,可能没有合适的替代技术术语如“高压交流电”或“湍流在飞机翼”。学生的报告可能都有类似的部分标题。学生可以把一篇论文或一份制造商的技术详解列进报告的附表中，这些都不是剽窃。

一位教师会用专业判断力判定Turnitin提供的相似处是否属于剽窃。没有一个特定的重复率性指数, 作为标准来判断是否剽窃。单段或者通篇都无法仅通过重复率来判断是否剽窃。但是，重复率越高也意味着剽窃的可能性越大。

提交作业以后，Turnitin可以让学生看到重复率报道。通常Turnitin设置让学生在作业的提交日期前不限次数的提交作业。这方便让一个学生来自检自己作业的重复率，并且可以在deadline之前做任何改变。如果有疑问, 学生可向老师寻求建议。

剽窃是如何发生的例子:

1、复制文本（从一本书或网站(“源”)）, 将这个文本放置在你的作业里是剽窃。仅仅在作业参考资料里加上出处，是不够的。仅仅替换原句中的几个词，来作为自己的作业成果也是不行的。

2、学生有时分享把他们所做的作业展示给他们的朋友。他们可能会向上一届学生借作业。如果一个学生抄袭另一个学生的作业，那么这个行为被视为剽窃。这两个学生都视为剽窃行为，学术不端行为。

3、有时实验等实际工作进行时2或3个学生是一组的。每组学生将会有相同的结果和数据。这不是剽窃。然而, 如果学生提交非常相似的报告，那么每个学生都会视为剽窃。

4、 某些课程要求学生解决问题，通过在MATLAB和Arduino软件里编程等。软件程序和语法意味着学生即使完全独立完成工作，学生对同一任务的程序也可能极其相似，这不是剽窃。然而, 在大多数情况下,学生必须选择自己的变量名和在程序编写自己的评论。两个学生使用相同的变量和做出一样的评论是不太可能的, 如果发生，则剽窃的可能性很大。

这里有一些例子Turnitin报告:

避免剽窃:

1、如果你想使用一个现成的想法或其他信息,那你必须用你自己的话来表达。这表明你理解了该观点。正确的引用和列举参考文献。如何使用哈佛参照系统请参考UHI网站。

2、学生一起学习和讨论课程很好。但是, 不要向另一个学生展示你的作业或共享你的作业。对自己文件安全负责是个人的责任, 如果有人复制你的工作你也可能受剽窃作品的惩罚。

3、操作性的学习，学生可以共享结果和数据, 但每个学生应该自己写报告。作业的简介、研究方法、结论和测评都是不同的。

4、不与其他人分享MATLAB，Simulink, Arduino等程序。