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. Students are therefore selected on the basis of an application letter and an interview.

A prerequisite for the assignment of this course is the willingness to continue the started project at the following semester in the 6 ECTS-comprehensive course "Energy Technology 2 Research Project". If the study is not successful enough, the continuation of the context study in the sequestered semester is carried out outside the module "Energy Technology 2 Research Project".

The aim is to continue the research project in the scope of the master thesis.

Due to these prerequisites, students are not entitled to claim an admission to this course.

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.

Students develop a scientific work in which they independently work on and answer a research question defined in the current research environment of the FH Vorarlberg. 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).

Mobilization: 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.

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

Public presentation, together with the other students in research projects.

This module constitutes the second cycle of the module "Research Project: Energy Technology" which has been started under the same title in the precedent summer term.

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.