Change in program for postgraduate courses in welding engineering

Pieter Pistorius. 2015-04-13

Summary
The current suite of four honours courses in welding engineering will be presented in 2015 for the
fifth time. Previously, a specific course was presented in one week, followed by an examination
about one month later. This arrangement has several shortcomings. For 2015, the first two courses
(Welding Processes and Welding Metallurgy) will be presented in the same weeks. While the
arrangement has some practical complexities, significantly more teaching opportunities will be
created, and it is anticipated that the standard of teaching and learning will be raised.
Previous years
From 2011 to 2014, the four courses in welding engineering (Welding Processes, Welding
Metallurgy, Design of Welded Structures and Fabrication Engineering) were essentially programmed
in a similar fashion:

The lectures were presented in one block, Monday to Friday, about 08h00 to 16h30.
One assignment was issued. The marks for this assignment constituted the semester mark.
Feedback on the assignment was, at best, via e-mail or ClickUP.
An examination was set on for a date about one month after the weeks lectures.

This arrangement had a number of obvious disadvantages, such as that the semester mark was
based on one assignment, no opportunity existed for feedback on the assignment in the class, and
the examination was the first time that the students knowledge was tested.
Arrangement in 2015 for Welding Processes NPW700 and Welding Metallurgy NSW700
The dates as noted in the postgraduate procedure will not be changed; these dates were published
in January 2015, and it is appreciated that many students, particularly part-time students, have
made arrangements around these dates. However, the program within these previously published
dates has changed, as set out in the table below.
It is recognised that the new arrangement will cause some inconvenience to the minority of students
that has enrolled for only Welding Processes or only Welding Metallurgy. All students will enjoy the
advantages of the new structure, including proper discussion of assignments and the semester tests,
the fact that the semester mark will be built up from more than just an assignment, and the
additional semester test.
Please take note of the plan set out below (Table 1, below). If you are enrolled for only one course,
please adjust your planning accordingly.

Table 1: Program for Welding Processes NPW700 and Welding Metallurgy NSW700 in 2015.
Week
16

Day
Fr

Date
17 April

20

Mo

11 May

Module
NPW700
NSW700
NPW700

Tu

12 May

NPW700

We

13 May

NPW700

21

Th
Fr
Fr

14 May
15 May
22 May

22

Fr

29 May

25

Fr

19 June

31

Mo

27 July

NSW700
NSW700
NPW700
NSW700
NPW700
NSW700
NPW700
NSW700
NPW700

Tu

28 July

NPW700

We

29 July

NSW700

Th
Fr
We

30 July
31 July
26 Aug

NSW700
NSW700
NPW700
NSW700

35

Actions
Deadline for study material on ClickUP
Overview of course (PP)
Welding processes (PP)
Guest lecturer
Welding processes (PP)
Guest lecturer
Welding processes (PP)
Guest lecturer
Basic physical metallurgy (PP)
Welding metallurgy (RL)
Deadline for submission of assignments
(via ClickUP)
Deadline for feedback on assignments
(via ClickUP)
08h00 semester test
14h00 semester test
Class discussion: assignment and test
Welding processes (PP)
Guest lecturer
Welding processes (PP)
Guess lecturer
Class discussion: assignment and test
Welding metallurgy (PP)
Welding metallurgy (PP)
Welding metallurgy (PP)
08h00 examination
14h00 examination

Final remarks

Based on the experience with Welding Processes and Welding Metallurgy, the program may
be changed in a similar fashion for Design of Welded Structures and Fabrication Engineering;
this decision will be made before end July 2015.
Please note that, for registration as an IWE or an IWT, the IIW specifies a minimum class
attendance of at least 90% for all the courses.
A separate e-mail was sent out regarding the practical training at the SAIW. If you have not
received such a message, please contact Prof Pieter Pistorius (pieter.pistorius@up.ac.za)