Information on individual educational components (ECTS-Course descriptions) per semester

The participating students are expected to show scientific interest, as well as the impulse and the ability to work independently and to pose questions. 

A further prerequisite for the assignment of this course is the willingness to continue the project started in the summer semester over two semesters with 6 ECTS each in the winter semester. If the study is not successful enough, the continuation of the Contextual Studies in the sequestered semester is carried out outside the course "Research Project: Energy Technology".

The continuation of the research project as part of a Master's thesis is strived.

The aim is to publish the research results in the form of a publication, a research report, a conference paper, a video or similar.

Reseach Project: Energy Technology addresses SDG 7 - reliable, affordable, sustainable and contemporary energy.

Fundamentals of scientific work, introduction to research design and research planning, applied research and development methods in the field of current topic in the field of energy technologies.

General learning outcomes of research projects:

• Students produce a scientific paper by developing, independently working on and answering a research question.
• Students know the cornerstones and milestones of a research project (research question and objectives, theses, falsification, experiments, quality criteria, etc.).
• Depending on the research centre or group, students learn about different research methods - from qualitative/quantitative methods, understanding and operating programmes and production facilities to the use of specific IT tools, etc.
• Students can integrate relevant aspects of research ethics and data protection into research projects.
• Students can present research content in the context of team meetings, events or publications.
• Students know their expertise and passion for research and are aware of their next steps in deepening their research expertise, including PhD options.
• Students know elements of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Specific learning outcomes of research projects:

Students familiarise themselves with aspects of current research projects in the Energy Research Centre.

The detailed, scientific learning outcomes are agreed and documented individually with the students before the start of the course as part of the formulation of their research questions.

Students develop a scientific work in which they independently work on and answer a research question defined in the current research environment of the FHV. In the case of the Energy Research Centre, technical aspects of the “Energieautonomie 2050” are in focus. Through these projects they acquire

• an overview of research questions and current activities and fields of application in the area of microtechnology and optics
• deepened methodological knowledge, which is not standard in core curricula
• knowledge for later scientific activities (eg dissertation).

Mobilisation: Students are given leeways to pick up own questions and approaches.

Actionability: Joint planning of an appropriate approach, outline of methods and readings needed. Specification of standards and requirements concerning the work result.

Performance: Specification of general requirements of the collaboration and the mode of behaviour which are necessary for an effective performance.

Supervision by researchers at the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences is provided by coaching, instruction, participation in discussions and seminars, as well as by accompanying self-study.

Achievement of objectives specified at the beginning of the project in relationship to the students previous knowledge. Documentation of learning outcomes and project results.

Publication of the research results in the form of a presentation, a publication, a research report, a conference paper, a video or similar.

This course forms the second, concluding part of the course "Research Project: Energy Technology".

As the Energy Research Centre is active in a variety of different energy technologies, relevant literature will be given after specifying the topic of the project.

In research projects, the students deepen themselves to current research questions, which are pursued at FH Vorarlberg in the context of demanding research projects or within the framework of a documented internal competence building. Experiences and insights from the research process are recorded in a logbook.

As learners, they have the time to construct, reconstruct, or deconstruct knowledge (to uncover the limitations of ones own discipline). In the actual research process, they pursue a scientific approach ("craftsmanship quality") in research and observation / survey as well as a constructive approach to active and passive criticism in the discussion.

Supervision by researchers at the University of Applied Sciences FH Vorarlberg is provided by coaching, instruction, participation in discussions and seminars, as well as by accompanying self-study.