Telematics education I: Teaching, learning and assessment at postgraduate level

In the context of recent developments in the Department of Computing, Communications Technology and Mathematics at London Metropolitan University, telematics describes the discipline resulting from the coming together of computing, communications technology, electronics, multimedia and information technology. The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to outline the research and development projects undertaken by the Telematics Research Group. Secondly, to describe our new MSc programme with its dual pathways of digital communication networks and data communications and industrial applications. Thirdly, to discuss the group's approach to teaching, learning and assessing our postgraduate students who are studying telematics-related subjects.Engineering education at modern universities in the UK has been in continuous development particularly since the late 1980s when polytechnics became universities.1-6 Telematics is associated with the electronic information storage, exchange and interpretation covering the wide areas of computing, electronics, robotics, transport, healthcare, information technology, distance and flexible learning, libraries, language translation and communications.7 However, within the context of recent expansion in the former School of Communications Technology and Mathematical Sciences, now renamed the Department of Computing, Communications Technology and Mathematics (CCTM) at London Metropolitan University, Telematics describes the discipline resulting from the coming together of computing, communications technology, multimedia, electronics and information technology.

London Metropolitan University is a newly formed university resulting from the merger of the former University of North London and London Guildhall University in August 2002.8 The Department of CCTM offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in computer networking, electronics and communications engineering, electronics, information systems development, internet application development, IT consultancy, IT usability, multimedia systems, software engineering, computer science, computing and information systems and CAD. The MSc programme in communications was launched in September 2001 with pathways in digital communication networks and data communications and industrial applications.

The Telematics Research Group at the Department of CCTM is heavily involved in industrially based telematics research projects such as development of a novel optical microphone,9,10 investigation of noise in optical communication,11,12 development of a novel high-speed sensing system for colour recognition,13,14 development of novel optical devices,15 investigation of economical image sensors,16 development of a novel electromagnetic absorbent paint,17 and investigation of a microcellular radio system.18'20 Other research projects in progress include microwaves, signal processing, optoelectronics, software engineering, information systems development, multimedia systems, statistics and pure mathematics.

The group is also active in delivering a number of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level.9 21-41 These programmes have been specifically designed for students interested in electronics or communications but also allows entry for graduates of other cognate disciplines such as computing and mathematics. This is achieved by covering bridging material in the first two weeks of the course.

Teaching, learning and assessing telematics-related subjects at Masters level

Aims and objectives

The MSc degree programme with pathways in digital communications networks and data communications and industrial applications is built on the department's undergraduate experience in telematics and also on the established relationship with Cisco Systems Inc. The department was recognised as a Cisco Local Academy and as a Cisco Regional Academy in October 1999. The MSc programmes conform to the university's strategic plan to increase postgraduate provision across the university. They also form part of the departmental development plan to build postgraduate programmes and high quality undergraduate programmes where there is a demand from both students and employers. The aims and objectives of our postgraduate programmes can be summarised as follows:

* To provide full-time students and part-time students working within the technology with knowledge of fundamentals and developments in communications systems and industrial data processing.

* To provide students with a knowledge of a variety of analytical and practical approaches for performance analysis of signals and systems in different applications.

* To produce professionally trained personnel who are immediately capable of meeting industrial standard requirements.

* To develop, in-house, practical and theoretical skills essential for professional engineers to adapt to a rapidly changing technology.