After successful completion of the course, students are able to

• name all important modules of a typical finite element programs and explain their functionality
• develop a feasible concept for the implementation for a particular module
• implement this module in a given framework
• critically evaluate and test the implementation
• explain the reason for the chosen solution strategy
• document their work in a technical report

Additionally, student should improve their ability to

• work in teams in an efficient and organised manner
• critically review the work of others
• give constructive feedback

Based on the courses “Fundamentals of the Finite Element method” and “Finite Element Methods for multi-physics 1” the computer implementation of a finite element solver is explained based on an example in Python. Students then work in teams to develop a concept for the implementation of a new module (e.g. new element types, new partial differential equation, etc.) into the given software framework. The implementation is then carried out and tested based on a validation concept (e.g. a set of suitable test-cases) developed by the students. Finally, the work will be presented and documented.

This is a team-learning course: After a recapitulation of the necessary fundamentals and the introduction of used tools (lectures) the students collaborate within small teams to complete a project in the subject area of the course. The project progress is presented and discussed with all course participants in 3 workshops during the semester. Weekly question and answers sessions are offered to provide additional regular feedback.

The course is graded based on a small introduction test, the presentations and discussions during the workshops and the final project report.

The course is aimed at students with good basic knowledge of the FE method who wish to specialise in this field (e.g. diploma thesis).