T The Language Centre

P LANGUAGE FOR SCIENCE: ENGINEERING

ND-EPS/ENG-S ELU3013

ASSESSED SEMINAR: DEEPWATER HORIZON - Monday 21st August

The assessed seminar will take place on Monday 21st August between 9am and
1pm.
The seminar will constitute 25% of your total course grade.
It will be based on the topic of engineers, ethics and responsibility, more specifically,
their practical applications based on an analysis of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
explosion.

Purpose & Rationale

You will be following the normal process of studying at university, which is to broaden your
knowledge of a subject through reading and listening to lectures or other materials before
sharing your opinions on the topic with other students.
The purpose of the seminar is to investigate the reasons behind the Deepwater Horizon
disaster and to discuss these from both practical and ethical perspectives, referring to ideas
and issues from the ethics module of the programme. You will have the opportunity to
demonstrate:
that you can link and apply ethical principles to practice, and evaluate their
practicality and effectiveness in the light of a real world example.
That you are able to speak and interact effectively in English on an engineering
related topic.

Procedure
You will be in groups of between 5 and 7 and each seminar will last about 30 minutes.
You will be told your group and time on the morning of the seminar.
You will receive the specific questions and a reading list for the seminar discussion in
advance so that you have time to prepare.

Following a classroom session to introduce the topic, based on TV documentary, you will be
given some questions and some texts to read in advance to prepare for the seminar. These
will be aimed at finding out what your opinion is of some of the issues raised in the lesson
and to allow you to make connections between theory and practical examples. You should
also undertake your own research and actively look for other sources which can add to your
knowledge of the seminar topic. However, remember to consider the reliability of these
It is important to prepare thoroughly and have a good background knowledge of the subject.
However, think carefully about how you use any materials you bring to the seminar. You will
not do well if you read too much from texts or notes, or rehearse pre-prepared speeches.

Remember a seminar is not a test of your knowledge of the subject but of your ability to
communicate your ideas orally, put forward arguments with good supporting evidence and
be able to discuss and negotiate opinion.
Its also important to remember that there are not necessarily any right answers.
T The Language Centre
P LANGUAGE FOR SCIENCE: ENGINEERING
ND-EPS/ENG-S ELU3013

Preparation
The starting point is the BBC Panorama programme. You may also find useful ideas from
the sources below.
Remember you do not need to read and understand everything in every article. Read for
purpose and focus only on information you feel is relevant to the questions and which you
think will help you to discuss the issues they contain.

You are also encouraged to research independently and find relevant/useful information
from alternative sources. Ensure you make a note of references from which you take facts,
figures or specific information. You will need to cite the source if using this information in the
seminar.

Assessment
Study the assessment criteria so that you are fully aware of how you will be assessed.
Full details can be found on the VLE

Reading list

https://www.nae.edu/19582/Bridge/62556/62568.aspx

https://www.engc.org.uk/EngCDocuments/Internet/Website/Statement%20of%20Ethical%20
Principles.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/05/bp-deepwater-horizon-spill-report-
failures-risks

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079586/

http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/deepwater-horizon-prosecution/

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/05/spil-m14.html

http://www.ingenia.org.uk/Content/ingenia/issues/issue13/Uff.pdf

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&
ved=0ahUKEwibtsmk65LVAhXFtBoKHXW8DvYQFggzMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnsc.nas
a.gov%2FSFCS%2FSystemFailureCaseStudyFile%2FDownload%2F574&usg=AFQjCNF76
791uYUaVO9nquJr0B3_kpfo1A