The acquisition of knowledge requires students to engage in independent study beyond the face-to-face teaching sessions. In this context, the use of one of the textbooks recommended by the teaching staff (or equivalent bibliographic material), together with students' own notes, provides valuable support for achieving the intended learning outcomes of this course.

The course is organized around the following learning activities:

Lectures:

The teaching staff will cover the core contents of the syllabus, which students are expected to complement through independent study, and will address students' questions. During the final classes of the semester, 15 minutes will be reserved for students to complete the course evaluation survey.

Classroom problem-solving sessions:

Students are expected to prepare the assigned problem sets before class. These problems will be discussed during the sessions with the instructor. In addition, students will carry out group work that must be submitted at the end of each classroom session.

Laboratory sessions:

Two laboratory practical sessions will be conducted, during which students will apply some of the concepts covered in the lectures.

Tutorials:

At specific points during the course, and according to students' learning needs, the teaching staff will offer one tutorial session.

Use of Artificial Intelligence:

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support purposes and only with the instructor's prior authorization. Failure to disclose the use of AI in any assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or full reduction of the grade for the activity, or more severe disciplinary measures in serious cases.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

The achievement of the course learning outcomes will be assessed through three types of assessment activities, each contributing a specific percentage to the final grade and subject to specific requirements.

1. Mid-term examinations:

Two written mid-term examinations will be held during the semester, covering the theory and problem-solving content taught up to that point. Each mid-term examination contributes 35% to the final grade. A minimum score of 4.0 out of 10 must be obtained in each examination for the grades to be averaged with the remaining assessment components.

2. Coursework activities:

Throughout the semester, individual or group problem-solving activities will be carried out during lectures or classroom problem-solving sessions. These activities will be assessed, and their average grade will account for 15% of the final course grade. No minimum grade is required for this assessment component.

3. Laboratory sessions:

Before each laboratory session, students will complete a pre-laboratory assignment (pre-lab) to assess their preparation for the practical work. After each laboratory session, carried out in pairs, each group must complete a short-answer questionnaire on the practical work before leaving the laboratory. The pre-laboratory assignment, the laboratory questionnaire and the student's performance during the laboratory sessions will be used to determine the laboratory grade. A minimum score of 4.0 out of 10 is required for the laboratory grade to be included in the final course grade. The laboratory component accounts for 15% of the final grade. Attendance at all laboratory sessions is compulsory in order to pass the course.

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

Final Grade = Mid-term Examinations × 0.70 + Coursework × 0.15 + Laboratory × 0.15

The course will be considered passed when the final grade is 5.0 out of 10 or higher.

It is important to note that the course will be failed, regardless of the overall final grade, if any of the following conditions apply: a score below 4.0 in either mid-term examination, a laboratory grade below 4.0 out of 10, or an unjustified absence from a laboratory session.

Students may sit a resit examination at the end of the semester. To be eligible, students must have previously completed assessment activities representing at least 65% of the total course grade. Students whose completed assessment activities account for less than 65% of the final grade will receive the grade "Not Assessed".

The resit examination may cover only those assessment components for which the minimum grade requirements have not been met (first and/or second mid-term examination and/or laboratory component), or the entire course content if none of the assessment components has been passed. The resit grade will replace the corresponding grade in the calculation of the final course grade. The resit examination will consist of a written test divided into two sections corresponding to the two mid-term examinations. A minimum score of 4.0 out of 10 must be obtained in each section that is retaken.

Single Assessment

The single assessment consists of a comprehensive final examination covering the entire theoretical syllabus of the course. The examination will include multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions and numerical problems. The grade obtained in this examination will account for 85% of the final course grade.

Assessment of the laboratory practical activities and the classroom practical activities (PAUL) will follow the same procedures and criteria as those established for continuous assessment. The corresponding grade will account for the remaining 15% of the final course grade.

Irregularities during assessment activity

Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic misconduct, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that activity being graded as 0. If the course syllabus stipulates that obtaining a minimum mark in this assessment is an essential requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who incurs any of these irregularities