The unit works on both disciplinary and cross-cutting skills. In terms of disciplinary skills, at the end of the course, students will be able to (i) identify an economic/managerial issue, (ii) identify an economic/managerial research question, (iii) carry out an economic/managerial diagnosis and (iv) integrate the societal issues linked to an economic/managerial issue In terms of transversal competences, at the end of the course, the student will be able to (i) search for information (documentary research), (ii) collect secondary data, (iii) organise and represent data, (iv) analyse data, (v) work collaboratively, (vi) communicate in writing, (vii) argue and (viii) demonstrate critical thinking. It goes without saying that the level of learning outcomes is in line with the level expected in block 1 (see learning outcomes in the EU block 1 programme).
The objective of the block 1 project in management engineering (environmental and life sciences) is threefold. Firstly, it is to bring students to integrate and put into practice, within the framework of an economic and managerial diagnosis in the field of technologies and environmental and life sciences, the concepts, theories and methods discussed in several teaching units of their programme (Economic Facts and Decisions, Fundamentals of Management, Statistics, Fundamentals of Technologies and Environmental and Life Sciences, Introduction to Programming). The second objective of the course is to introduce students to project management (e.g. task allocation, agenda and deadline management, conflict management) and teamwork using collaborative tools (e.g. shared documents and agendas). Finally, the third objective is to raise students' awareness of the general issue of transition, by making them think about the societal impacts of their project.
The sector diagnosis project consists of carrying out an economic and managerial study of a particular sector of activity or market. Based on a given general theme, in connection with environmental and life sciences and technologies, it involves identifying an economic and/or managerial issue, carrying out documentary research, identifying a more specific research question (RQ) to which the study must provide an answer, collecting secondary data, organising, representing and analysing them, and carrying out a diagnosis summarising the data, organising, representing and analysing them, carrying out a diagnosis synthesising the documents, data and analyses around this RQ and making it possible to answer it and, finally, carrying out reflective work on the societal impacts linked to the problem and/or the research question as well as on the group dynamics
Projects are assessed in 7 areas, namely (1) identification of the research question, (2) data collection and quality, (3) analysis of data and various representations, (4) written communication (substantive quality - excluding data analysis), (5) written communication (form), (6) collaborative work, and (7) meeting deadlines. Each of these 7 domains is composed of a series of criteria, either A or B level. The level A criteria are success criteria for the domain (10/20) while the level B criteria are criteria for judging the level of mastery (beyond 10/20). A grid specifying the weighting of the domains, all the criteria per domain and examples of indicators is provided to students at the start of the teaching activity. In the event of failure during the first session in one or more areas (failure to achieve the minimum required in one of the A-level criteria), students are required to rework the area(s) for the second session and to provide a new report. This new report is to be worked on individually or in teams. However, area 7 (meeting deadlines) cannot be reworked in the second session. In case of failure in this area, the mark for the area is carried forward.
A set of documentary, video and other resources are available on the EU page within the WebCampus platform. These materials provide advice on, among other things, how to write a report, what is a problem, a research question, how to work in a team, how to carry out a documentary research, how to collect and organise data, how to analyse data or how to carry out a diagnosis