19/09/2015imat3451 Options Day1 IMAT3451 Final Year Project 2013-2014 Options Day Briefing These slides are available at:

19/04/23 imat3451 Options Day 1

IMAT3451 Final Year Project

2013-2014Options Day Briefing

These slides are available at:http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects/


Agenda

• What is the final year project?• How do I find a project?• What is a supervisor?• What should I do now?• What other information is available?• Questions.


What is the final year project?

• Probably the most challenging -

• - but also the most enjoyable

part of your final year.


The Final Year Project -

• Is a 30-credit module -• BUT it is different from any other final

year 30-credit module• It is an INDIVIDUAL piece of work• You undertake it with the guidance of

a supervisor – • But it is YOUR project, for which YOU

are responsible!


Manage Your Time

• Every 30-credit module represents 300 hours of learning

• That is an average of 10 hours per week

• But unlike taught modules, you must manage all of that time yourself.


‘Most Enjoyable. . .’• It is your project

• You get to choose it [within certain limits], you have control over what you’re doing

• An opportunity to explore an area that interests you

• An opportunity to integrate topics you have been studying in earlier years

Early Deliverables:


Project Contract (Terms of Reference)This includes a project plan (usually in the form of a Gantt chart)

Ethics review form

Regular progress reports


Deliverables: Christmas • A literature review

• Note that you will continue to support your work with literature throughout

• A project plan• for development projects:

• a prototype, design documentation etc.

• For research projects:• Design for your original research etc.


Deliverables: Final • At the end of the year you will have

completed:• A finished product, which you will present

at a viva/demonstration/presentation• A report comprising a critical, reflective

account of the project• A series of appendices to the report


Example Projects - 1

• Well-understood problem domain - challenge is in the quality of software implementation:Multi-layer, turn-based board games (e.g. Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit)Android appA system for a charity or small businessLift Controller.


Example Projects - 2

• SOME programmes allow ‘Research’ projects:RFIT: Commercial Benefits & Privacy ConcernsEnterprise Resource Management SystemsCross-Cultural Transfer of TechnologyManaging Knowledge in the Knowledge Economy.


Warning

• ‘Research’ projects can NOT be undertaken by programmes that have British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation

• ‘Research’ projects are NOT an easy option – they can be easier to fail that a software development project!


Finding a Project- 1• You can choose from the ‘pool’ of project

proposals made by staff

• You can propose your own project which is subject to modification*

• Your placement organization might have a suitable project for you to undertake** in these cases: you will need to find a suitable

supervisor, and have the topic approved.


Warning!

• Students on some specialist programmes may NOT choose from the ‘pool’ of projects

• These include:• Forensic Computing/Computer Security• Computer Games Programming

• Your programme leader will arrange project selection with you.


Finding A Project- 2

• There will be about 50 members of staff acting as project supervisors

• Their proposals will be added to a spreadsheet available from:

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects/


Finding a Project- 3

• Browse the list of project proposals• Note that more project proposals will

be added in the period up to August/September.



• If a project title interests you, email the supervisor

• If there isn’t a specific title that interests you, but you are interested in the general area in which a member of staff is proposing – email them

• You might want a specific member of staff as your supervisor because you are interested in their area of expertise – email them.



• In other words: it is your responsibility to find a project

• Negotiate directly with the supervisor• They will confirm whether are willing

to take you on.• There is a provisional list of

supervisors available fromhttp://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects


Your Own/Placement Proposal

• From your own knowledge of staff, or from the list of proposals, find a supervisor with expertise in the proposed topic – contact them to discuss

• Or discuss with your programme leader/ final year manager/personal tutor.


Deadline For Project Choice

• You must have a project by the start of induction week (Monday 30th September) at the latest

• BUT the earlier the better – start thinking NOW and get set up with a project well before September

• The earlier you approach supervisors – the more choice of project/ supervisor you will have.


Deadline For Project Choice

• If you have not agreed a project with a supervisor by the start of term you will be allocated to a supervisor.


A Note About Supervision - 1

• Your supervisor will guide you• You will meet with them – approx. 5

hours of supervision throughout the year

• That leaves 295 hours that you work on your project on your own• It is your project!


A Note About Supervision - 2

• Supervision starts with the new academic year: in Induction Week or Week 1 of the Autumn Term

• Your 10 hours per week work on the project officially starts then, too – but there are ways in which you can prepare:


Preparation:

• To help you in September:• Read a suitable text: suggestions are

provided at the end of these slides• Revise/extend your knowledge of

technologies you expect to use in your project and the project area in general

• Your supervisor might have other, specific suggestions.


Further Information• At the url mentioned earlier:

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects


Further Information - Blackboard

• A Blackboard site for IMAT3451 will be made available from about the beginning of May

• Check your DMU email account regularly as the Blackboard site will be used to send emails to students registered on IMAT3451

• Once the Blackboard site is available, check regularly for announcements, additional information & supporting material.


Workshops:

• There will be further briefings about the project in Induction Week

• There will be workshops on topics such as time management, literature searching, report writing, critical writing, giving presentations, designing questionnaires etc.

• The library provides bookable individual tuition


IMAT3451 Final Year Project

Questions?


Useful Books - 1Weaver, Philip (2004) Success in Your Project. Pearson Education Ltd.A very useful guide for software development projects.

Dawson, Christian W. (2009) Projects in Computing and Information Systems: a student’s guide. 2nd ed. Pearson Education.Useful guide for all students, but particularly helpful for literature searching, literature reviews and presenting information.

Ricketts, Ian W. (1998) Managing Your Software Project. Springer.A useful introduction to the documentation required for developing a software project.


Useful Books - 2Britton, Carol & Doake, Jill (2005) Software System Development. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill.Describes a variety of design approaches, somewhat old-fashioned, but a useful introduction.

O’Leary, Zina (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. 2nd ed. Sage.A useful book which offers guidelines for carrying out research.

Cornford, Tony & Smithson, Steve (2006) Project Research in Information Systems. 2nd ed. Palgrave MacMillan.A useful guide to final year projects which have a strong research focus.


Additional Note on Research Projects

A research project will include:• Extensive literature search to retrieve

academic papers & a critical write-up of this• Establish the research question• Review & write-up of research methods• Empirical research design• Undertake empirical research• Analysis and critical write-up of empirical

research• Write-up of findings, conclusions &

recommendations for further work.

Documents

19/09/2015imat3451 Options Day1 IMAT3451 Final Year Project 2013-2014 Options Day Briefing These slides are available at: