This course offering provides advanced students with the knowledge and skills necessary to proceed in research for process development and differentiating in remuneration. It will also introduce the method of process optimization. This project is assisted by an on-line course over the Internet.

The module will be offered in options for German or English. Project work completed in the English language will be worth 6 credits.

It is implicit, that students should be able to:

• Organize themselves and solve problems as a project team.
• Acquire necessary technical skills in a limited time frame without lecture or seminar preparation.
• Utilize modern media for obtaining information and communication.
• Analyze a technical problem in develoment or optimization and select applicable tools for research techniques. In addition, the following points are especially considered:
  - Selection of suitable process timing
  - Selection of cycles, section (work cycle), reading points.
  - Recognizing important variables and their scientific implications.
  - Scientific preparation of specimens and optimizing record documentation and data screens.
  - Ability to organize and responsibly carry out the research experiment
  - Examination, analysis and critical inquiry of experimental results
  - Extraction of a solution to a problem based on experimental results, documentation and -
  presentation thereof.

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The results learned will be compiled as a solution reached by the group. Every participant draws responsiblity for partial results. In the oral presentation the results will be substantiated and defended by the project participants and subsequently set forth in a report in the project documentation. The delivery of a conclusive project documentation, containing the results of the discussion of the oral presentation and giving recognition to the contributions of individual participants, is demonstrable proof of the achievement of the goals of this study. The result will not be differentiated according to grades in the course.

Pre-requisites for successful participation are knowledge in:

• Forest operations (current working techniques)
• Practical business issues (internship)
• Ergonomics and work safety
• Biometrics and statistics, incl. Basic regression analysis
• Computer knowledge in:
  · Word processing
  · Spreadsheet calculation
  · Internet and E-Mail (incl. Attachements and Mail-management)
  · Basic skills in Scanning and Production (i.e. graphic design)
  · Basic knowledge of Chat rooms
• Time management
• Presentation method
• Basic skills in project management

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Auxiliary materials:

The following helpful materials will be available over the Internet:

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Procedure:

• Introductory presentation of course contents and procedure.
• Formation of project groups (2-4 students per group)
• Down loading of the Reader, collection of examples, literature references and schedule from the Internet.
• Independently acquiring necessary field-related knowledge in self-organized student project groups with the material and schedule on hand.
• Evaluation of study progress through exercises, in accordance with the schedule, which will be made available over the Internet. These will be corrected after comletion i.e. furnished with sample solutions and sent back to the project group with comments.
• Clarification of questions, which may arise over Email or in the newsgroup on the Internet
• Independent preparation and completion of research for a solution of a concrete business problem within the project group.
• Herein the task is to select an appropriate research study technique and to bring the conception incl. detailed procedural planning to discussion (Seminar).
• After the conception is defined, the research study will be independently conducted, statistically evaluated and documented.
• Suggestions as to problem solving will be compiled and presented together with the evaluation of the study (Seminar)
• The knowledge that has been acquired and implemented throughout the project, as well as the consistent actualization of integral technical knowledge applied to solve problems posed by the task of optimization and development, will be substantially depicted.