Graduation Projects Quality Handbook-Version4 · 1 King Saud University College of Computer and Information Sciences Information Technology Department Graduation Projects Quality

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King Saud University College of Computer and Information Sciences

Information Technology Department

Graduation Projects Quality

Handbook and Materials

Prepared by

Maha Al-Yahya Graduation Projects Coordinator

(January 2008-September 2009)

Version 3- Updated September 2011

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Contents

1 Section 1: Background ............................................................................................. 4

1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Graduation Project Modules .............................................................................. 4

1.3 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 4

1.3.1 Project-1 (IT 496) ....................................................................................... 4

1.3.2 Project-2 (IT 497) ....................................................................................... 4

1.4 Learning Outcomes ........................................................................................... 4

1.5 Graduation Project Requirements ..................................................................... 5

1.6 Duration of the Project ...................................................................................... 5

2 Section 2: Project Stages ........................................................................................ 6

2.1 Group Formation ............................................................................................... 6

2.2 Supervisors Areas of Research ......................................................................... 6

2.3 Project Ideas ..................................................................................................... 6

2.4 Project Approval ................................................................................................ 6

2.5 Project Announcement ...................................................................................... 7

2.6 Group-Project Assignment ................................................................................ 7

2.7 Project Phases .................................................................................................. 7

2.7.1 Phase-1: Examination Committee Assignment ........................................... 7

2.7.2 Phase-2: Project Proposal .......................................................................... 7

2.7.3 Phase-3: Project Tasks .............................................................................. 8

2.7.4 Phase-4: Examination ................................................................................ 8

2.8 Project-2 Conference Day ................................................................................. 9

2.9 Project Seminars ............................................................................................... 9

3 Section 3: Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................... 10

3.1 Student ........................................................................................................... 10

3.2 Supervisor ....................................................................................................... 10

3.3 Examination Committee .................................................................................. 11

3.4 GP Coordinator ............................................................................................... 11

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3.5 GP Coordinator’s Assistant ............................................................................. 12

3.6 The Client ....................................................................................................... 12

4 Section 4: Assessment .......................................................................................... 13

4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 13

4.2 The Supervisor’s Evaluation ............................................................................ 13

4.3 The GP Coordinator’s Evaluation .................................................................... 13

4.4 The Examination Committee ........................................................................... 14

4.5 Late Submission ............................................................................................. 14

5 Section 5: Intellectual Property ............................................................................... 15

5.1 Who owns the software? ................................................................................. 15

5.2 Project Publications ......................................................................................... 15

5.3 Important Definitions ....................................................................................... 16

5.4 Authorship ....................................................................................................... 16

6 Section 6: Plagiarism.............................................................................................. 18

6.1 What is plagiarism? ......................................................................................... 18

6.2 Plagiarism in Software projects ....................................................................... 18

6.3 The Penalty ..................................................................................................... 18

6.4 Consultations .................................................................................................. 18

References .................................................................................................................... 19

Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 20

Appendices ................................................................................................................... 21

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1 Section 1: Background

1.1 Introduction

The objective of this handbook 1 is to serve as a reference for both students and

supervisors on all issues related to graduation projects from project inception up to

completion. It presents general guidelines for the completion of a graduation project in

the IT department at KSU. This guide, however, will not cover all the difficulties a student

may encounter during the project, therefore, it is extremely important that the students

keep in regular contact with their supervisors so that problems are detected and solved

as soon as possible.

1.2 Graduation Project Modules The graduation project is divided between two modules taken in two separate semesters: Project-1 (IT 496), and Project-2 (IT 497). Project-1 module covers the system analysis and design. Project-2 module continues the work started in project-1 and covers the implementation and testing of the software system.

1.3 Objectives

1.3.1 Project-1 (IT 496)

This module will provide students with a realistic software development experience that facilitates development of students’ skills in:

• Project planning and management.

• Problem investigation in a specific domain including substantial background research and review of the literature.

• Systems analysis and design.

• Interpersonal skills including teamwork and group dynamics, oral and written communication.

1.3.2 Project-2 (IT 497)

This course will provide students with realistic systems development experience that facilitates development of students’ skills in:

• Project planning and management.

• Software System Implementation

• Software System Integration

• Software Testing and debugging

• Interpersonal skills including teamwork and group dynamics, oral and written communication.

1.4 Learning Outcomes In concordance with ABET requirements for IT programs, graduates from the IT

department will possess computing skills as well as engineering skills as follows:

1 It will be available online, once an official website is dedicated for the graduation projects.

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a. An ability to apply knowledge of computing and mathematics appropriate to the

discipline;

b. An ability to analyze a problem, and identify and define the computing

requirements appropriate to its solution;

c. An ability to design, implement and evaluate a computer-based system, process,

component, or program to meet desired needs;

d. An ability to function effectively on teams to accomplish a common goal;

e. An understanding of professional, ethical, legal, security, and social issues and

responsibilities;

f. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;

g. An ability to analyze the local and global impact of computing on individuals,

organizations and society;

h. Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, continuing professional

development;

i. An ability to use current techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computing

practices.

j. An ability to use and apply current technical concepts and practices in the core

information technologies;

k. An ability to identify and analyze user needs and take them into account in the

selection, creation, evaluation and administration of computer-based systems;

l. An ability to effectively integrate IT-based solutions into the user environment;

m. An understanding of best practices and standards and their application;

n. An ability to assist in the creation of an effective project plan.

1.5 Graduation Project Requirements Graduation projects can either be Research oriented or Application oriented. Research

oriented projects often focus on evaluating a hypothesis, developing a novel algorithm,

or evaluating and comparing a new technology. Students taking on these projects will

gain important research skills, and will learn new concepts. Application oriented projects

focus on developing a system for a client. The client might be a real client, or a virtual

client. A virtual client means that the system is intended as a prototype system. We

strongly recommend that supervisors and students seek real clients for the graduation

projects. This makes the project a more realistic experience, which in turn enables

students to acquire necessary skills, as outlined by the course objectives.

However, in both cases the developed software must involve a substantial amount of

computing, and should be of practical and problem solving nature.

1.6 Duration of the Project The Graduation Project modules spans over two semesters, project-1 lasts

approximately 13 weeks, including preparation week, for group formation and project-

group assignments. Project-2 lasts approximately 15 weeks; it starts immediately from

the first week of the semester. Seminars for project-1 and project-2 are scheduled at the

beginning of the semester, and students are required to attend these seminars.

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2 Section 2: Project Stages

2.1 Group Formation This process should take place before the semester begins. Students should inquire

about group size for the graduation projects prior to the semester they are required to

register project-1. Students are responsible for grouping themselves into groups of the

specified size. Once they formulate a group, they should designate a Group leader,

who is responsible for contacting the GP Coordinator’s Assistant, and filling all

necessary forms.

2.2 Supervisors Areas of Research It is advisable that students, who wish to propose an idea and undertake their own idea

for the software development project, should consult the list of research interests of

available staff. This will provide a higher chance of accepting a student-initiated

proposal. Appendix A shows a list of department staff and their corresponding fields of

research.

2.3 Project Ideas Ideas for projects can either be proposed by a supervisor or a group of students. If

students would like to propose a project idea, a project idea proposal form, as shown

in Appendix B should be submitted prior to the term which they are required to register

for project-1. Supervisors may propose their ideas by filling a project-description form,

as shown in Appendix C. Project descriptions should be sent to the GP coordinator prior

to the beginning of the term.

All student-initiated proposals and supervisor project descriptions should be submitted to

the GP Coordinator’s Assistant by the first day of the new semester.

2.4 Project Approval As soon as the GP Coordinator’s Assistant receives proposals (from students or

supervisors), she should send a copy of the proposals to all GP Committee members.

The GP Coordinator should organize a GP committee meeting during the first week of

the semester to discuss project idea proposals and descriptions. The main objective of

this meeting is to examine submitted proposals, and evaluate their adequacy for the

requirements of the graduation projects. This includes evaluating scope, feasibility,

depth and breadth of knowledge and skills required, and whether a similar project has

been done in the past, etc. Another objective is to assign student proposed projects to

interested supervisors, if there are any.

Anyone who is interested in supervising a certain student-proposed project should notify

the GP Coordinator during the meeting. If more than one supervisor would like to

supervise the project, the choice is given to the students, to select their preference.

Students’ choice is the assigned supervisor for the project.

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After the meeting, the GP Coordinator fills section 2 of the project idea proposal forms,

and project description forms. A copy of the forms is kept in the GP Coordinator’s

records, and a copy is sent to the designated parties (students and supervisors).

2.5 Project Announcement Once proposals are approved by the GP committee, they are announced to students

(excluding proposals submitted by students and are assigned to a specific supervisor).

This usually takes place by the beginning of week 2. All projects are listed with their

descriptions and supervisors. Students have a chance to discuss with the supervisors

the projects proposed. This enables them to make a decision when preparing the

projects preference list.

2.6 Group-Project Assignment The general strategy in our department for group-project assignment is by group

average GPA. Students first submit their projects preference list, and all details of the

group members including cumulative GPA, by the end of week-2. An average is

computed for each group excluding the highest and lowest GPA. Once this is computed,

they are sorted, and the group with highest GPA gets assigned their first choice in

projects preference list, the next highest gets their first choice if it is different from group-

1, otherwise they get their second choice, and so on.

The result of the assignment process is announced by the beginning week 3, and all

groups should immediately contact their supervisors and start working on the project.

2.7 Project Phases

2.7.1 Phase-1: Examination Committee Assignment

Once projects are assigned, the process of assigning committee members to examine

each project is performed. Examination committee assignments are usually based on

research interests of faculty.

2.7.2 Phase-2: Project Proposal

By the beginning of week 5, project groups should submit a detailed project proposal,

which includes a project plan,see the accompanying proposal preparation guide and

template for writing the project proposal. The GP coordinator should organize a project

approval meeting, usually by mid-week 5. The objective of this meeting is reassurance of

the suitability of the project plan for a two semester graduation project. The parties

involved in the evaluation of each proposal are the examination committee and the

project supervisor. If the proposal is seen inadequate by the examination committee, the

students are asked to update the proposal and communicate with the committee until it

is approved. A project approval form, as shown in Appendix D should be signed by the

examination committee, the supervisor, and the GP Coordinator. The original is stored in

the GP Coordinator’s records, a copy is sent to the supervisor. By the end of week 5, all

projects should be approved.

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2.7.3 Phase-3: Project Tasks

Project-1 students will start on executing project tasks in accordance with the project

plan by week 5. Project-2 students will start on executing project tasks in accordance

with the project plan by week 1. Upon the completion of the project tasks, the group

should prepare a project report. Writing guide for project-1 and project-2 reports can be

found in the accompanying Project-1 Guide, and Project-2 Guide respectively.

2.7.4 Phase-4: Examination

By the end of the semester (practical exams week- for project-1, final exams week 3-

for project-2), all projects groups are required to undergo an oral presentation of their

project and an examination. The GP coordinator should be notified of any constraints in

time or date by students, supervisors, and examination committee at least one month

prior the examination week. Any constraints provided after this period cannot be

guaranteed. Once the schedule is finalized, it is extremely difficult to modify it except in

exceptional cases approved by the head of department.

2.7.4.1 Report Submission

Project groups are required to submit their final reports2:

• Project-1: during academic week # 15.

• Project-2: Saturday (One week prior exams week 3)

2.7.4.2 Software Installation (applicable to project-2)

Examiners may wish to test the software system prior to the actual examination date;

therefore groups are required to install their software systems on our computers in the IT

labs. Web based systems should be accessible online. For systems which require

special equipment such as mobile applications, the project group should either arrange

an appointment with the examination committee members to test their systems, or they

may reserve a time slot where the group provides facilitates for the examination

committee to come and test the system.

2.7.4.3 Presentation

The GP coordinator should announce dates and times of the examination schedule for project-1 and project-2 groups at least 1 week prior to the examination.

The Capstone project presentation is very important because the acquired experience is

intended to serve as the practical application of your IT program and as the culmination

of your studies in IT. In addition, communication and presentation skills are among the

top priorities of any employer. Here are the general guidelines and requirements:

1. A visual presentation is required using PowerPoint or Website and should

contain slides with multimedia. The final presentation should highlight the basic

content including the project goal, activities and results.

2 These dates are approximate and may vary each semester, please consult your GP coordinator

for accurate dates

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• Project Title and team names.

• Presentation outline

• Introduction, motivation, and objectives

• Description of proposed project requirements

• Description of proposed project design

• Conclusion and future work that could be done on the project.

2. The final presentation should address the following questions:

• Did the final project achieve the intended results or not and if not why?

• What difficulties arose during the course of the project and how did you

resolve them?

3. General guidelines for final presentation

• Please do not read from the screen.

• Be sufficiently familiar with your presentation to speak fluidly

• Provide an introduction that grabs the attention of the audience

• Do not block your audience’s view of the screen.

• Test your presentation early in the process to ensure its legibility.

• Make certain that your voice is audible from the back of the room.

• Look in the eyes of the audience as you make your presentation. Be

relaxed, smile and speak naturally.

• Make sure that the project advisor has final presentation files at least a

day in advance.

• Practice the complete presentation, with the audiovisuals, more than

once.

Please arrive in sufficient time to copy your presentation to the computer and test it before the session begins.

2.8 Project-2 Conference Day

By the end of the semester, an open conference is organized for students to showcase their projects (poster sessions). Invitations are sent to local and national academic institutions as well as industry. This event may be integrated with career day.

2.9 Project Seminars During the semester, a number of graduation projects seminars will be held. It is

important that students attend these seminars. These will usually cover important

information about the graduation project process, and are an opportunity for students to

raise any issues and have discussions with regards to their own project, or the process

in general. Guest speakers from industry or academia may also be invited to present

seminars on latest development in technology, or important aspects of software

development.

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3 Section 3: Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 Student Students are responsible for the following:

1. Thoroughly reviewing the Graduation Projects Handbook 2. Undertaking software development with guidance, in a manner which develops

their own intellectual independence. 3. Complying with any professional, ethical issues associated with the project 4. Planning and completing the graduation project within the expected time period 5. Devoting sufficient time to the course; 6. Be committed to the project; 7. Agreeing with the supervisor on a regular schedule of meetings; (1 hour per

week) 8. Providing evidence of the progress being made, including submission of any

required reports. This is done by submitting the progress form shown in Appendix E prior to any meeting with the supervisor.

9. Attending all course seminars, and be responsible for anything mentioned. 10. Regularly reviewing the course blog (website) for announcements and

downloads 11. Taking the initiative in raising with your supervisor any problems or difficulties

with the project, the client, or any of the team members 12. Informing the coordinator if you have any problems with the supervision process 13. Becoming familiar with and abiding by University, and Department regulations 14. Developing a project and submitting it to the supervisor 15. Completing all requirements of the project 16. Meeting all established deadlines 17. Completing and documenting all research and required written work in the proper

format. 18. Using principles of research and writing that avoid plagiarism. 19. Meeting, as scheduled and necessary, with the project supervisor 20. Installing the developed software on computers in the department labs or online. 21. Presenting a demo of the software orally before the project examination

committee.

3.2 Supervisor Supervisors are responsible for the following:

1. Assisting the students in understanding the requirements of the Graduation Project.

2. Providing regular feedback on project progress. Feedback can be oral or in written form

3. Assessing the progress of each student in the group. 4. Providing guidance and advice on project issues. 5. The supervisor should be aware of the roles and responsibilities of each member

of the project team from the beginning. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that all students are doing their part of the work, if some are not doing the required tasks, it should be reflected upon their year work marks.

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6. Reviewing the project proposal and making sure it adheres to the department standards.

7. Supervising and advising students throughout the process, and evaluating project progress.

8. Keeping a record of the teams’ progress and individual grade (hard copy+ soft copy see Appendix E)

9. Notifying the coordinator if there are any problems with the group, with a single student, with the client, with regards to change of scope, team problems, or individual cases.

10. Providing expertise or referring the student to others for expertise in the project knowledge area.

11. Attending the group’s oral presentation of the project to the project examination committee.

12. Submitting the year-work evaluation sheet to the GP coordinator.

By the end of the semester, each supervisor should compile a folder (soft/hard) with the project name, containing the following:

• Student final document (reference/ user)

• Student final presentation

• Sample of her feedback on student work during the semester

• Supervisors Evaluation Form (Form to be sent by GP Coordinator)

• Supervisors Examiners Form (Form to be sent by GP Coordinator)

• For project 2, the complete source code.

3.3 Examination Committee The project examination committee is responsible for:

1. Reviewing the student graduation project deliverables submitted by the project group prior to the presentation (proposal, final documentation).

2. Attending and evaluating the presentation of the examined project. 3. Providing comments and recommendations to the project group. 4. Asking appropriate questions based on the group's preparation in relation to the

written report, the software, and the oral presentation. 5. Submitting the final evaluation of the presentation to the GP coordinator

3.4 GP Coordinator The role of the GP coordinator lies in the general administration of projects to ensure the smooth running of the graduation projects process. Her activities include:

1. Ensuring that the project process conforms to the prescribed standards and the guidelines approved by the department.

2. Manages and administers all project stages described in Section 2 of this handbook.

3. Communicate requests and complaints issued by supervisors, students, or examination committee members to the GP committee.

4. Inform supervisors, and students of rules and regulations

5. Provide students and supervisors with advice and guidance.

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6. Administration of the final results.

3.5 GP Coordinator’s Assistant The GP Coordinator’s assistant main role is to:

1. Assist the coordinator in the management and administration of graduation

projects

2. Maintain the GP blog (website) and upload necessary forms for students and

supervisors.

3. Act as the primary editor for this handbook and updates it as required.

4. Analyze and process all forms submitted by groups, supervisors, and

examination committee members, and provide data for the GP coordinator.

5. Keeps records of students’ attendance to seminars.

6. Keeps a record of all forms submitted the GP Coordinator.

7. Inform the coordinator of any comments posted on the blog (website) by

students.

8. Provide front-line response to students’ emails, and requests.

9. Provide front-line response to supervisors and examination committee members

emails and requests.

10. Provide office hours for support and advice for project-1 and project-2 students (1

hour per week for each module)

11. Carry out specific tasks delegated by the GP coordinator.

3.6 The Client They are the people for whom the project is being undertaken. They may be external

clients, from outside KSU, or internal clients from within KSU. Their role includes:

1. Signing a written agreement, to cooperate with the students for the duration of

the project life cycle.

2. Cooperating with the project group during the Requirements gathering phase of

the project, and the testing of the final system.

When clients are involved in a project, it is important that any agreement between

project supervisor/students and client should be formally written and agreed upon

between both parties. The proposal may act as the contract which is signed by both

parties. It should also state that the project spans over two semesters and they (client)

are willing to fully cooperate during this period. It might be necessary to state how many

meetings (hours) are expected from the client for eliciting requirements, reviewing basic

functions, and evaluating the system. The form should be signed by the department

head, and the client. This is to eliminate the possibility of the client not fully co-operating

or even withdrawing from the project at a later stage. If the client breeches this contract,

a committee will be formed to look into the matter and advise an appropriate resolution.

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4 Section 4: Assessment

4.1 Introduction Assessment for the graduation project is based on three main elements:

• The supervisor computes the year work score (55 -58 points) based on:

o Attending weekly meetings.

o Participation and discussion in weekly meetings with the supervisor.

o Quality of periodic submitted work to the supervisor.

• The GP Coordinator’s assistant computes (2-5 points) based on:

o Attending GP Seminars.

• The examination Committee computes the final exam (40 points) based on

o Final documentation

o Final presentation

The sections below describe each item in detail.

4.2 The Supervisor’s Evaluation Attending weekly meeting with the supervisor counts for (10%) and participating in

discussions during the meeting counts for (10%). The supervisor will also evaluate the

quality of periodically submitted work, which counts for (10%). The supervisor will

monitor and assess project milestones and deliverables which count for (15%). Example

milestones include project background, literature review, analysis, design, etc. Example

deliverables include project proposal, and the project final documentation. Overall

evaluation of the group interactions and teamwork counts for (10-13%). The overall

assessment includes:

• Teamwork

o Consistently worked together as a well-coordinated team; divided work

among team members; team members pulled their own share.

• Communication/ leadership

o Project leader was assigned; effectiveness of her role was clearly evident

by the level of communication and coordination with each other and with

the supervisor.

• Software Development Skills

o Management, Planning, Requirements Analysis, and Software Design.

A sample supervisor evaluation form is shown in Appendix G.

4.3 The GP Coordinator’s Evaluation Attending seminars is compulsory and they count for (2-5%) of the score.

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4.4 The Examination Committee Details for project-1 and project-2 final evaluation can be found in Appendix F. Each

committee member evaluates the project individually, and an average of all examiners is

computed to reach the final assigned score.

4.5 Late Submission Late submission of project reports for examination will result in deduction of 2% points

for each day.

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5 Section 5: Intellectual Property

5.1 Who owns the software? The software and all associated documentation developed during IT 496 and IT 497 is

property of KSU. Students are not allowed to market the software systems they develop

for the graduation project until they consult with KSU IPTL (Intellectual Property and

Technology Transfer) unit.

Who owns patents at KSU?[1]

“KSU owns all the patents generated from technologies developed by KSU constituents

or technologies developed by non-KSU individuals who choose to use the services of

the Intellectual Property Program at KSU. However, to preserve the inventor’s moral and

financial privileges, the patent will be issued with his/her name as the inventor and KSU

as the assignee (owner). “

Under what conditions does KSU own a technology that I invented? [1]

“KSU owns a technology if any of the following conditions applies:

• The technology was developed in the normal course of work or study of a

KSU constituent

• The technology was developed under a KSU grant or contract

• Extensive use of KSU facilities and resources was made “

“KSU constituents include any individuals or entities affiliated with KSU [1]

• Faculty members, Visiting scholars

• Teaching assistants, Research assistants

• Laboratory or workshop technicians

• Students (both undergraduate and graduate)

• Part-time researchers

• Research chairs

• Staff working at any of KSU’s programs, centers, or laboratories “

For more information visit:

• http://iptl-ksu.org/newsite/

• http://iptl.ksu.edu.sa/

Or visit KSU IP office located in our Campus.

5.2 Project Publications Project publications include any work related or as a result of the graduation project and

published in a:

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• National conference, symposium, or journal

• International conference, symposium, or journal

• Local, national, or international competitions

All publications resulting from the project should be affiliated with:

The Information Technology Department College of Computer and Information sciences King Saud University Graduation projects usually fall into two categories, projects in which the idea was proposed by the supervisor, and projects in which the idea was proposed by the students. Publications are either written by the project supervisor, or by one or more students.

5.3 Important Definitions

• First/Lead author:

o First name to appear in list of authors

• Second author

o Second, third, etc name to appear in the list of authors

• Acknowledgement

o A statement acknowledging someone who was part of the project team,

this may include domain experts, or clients. Names should be explicitly

mentioned.

5.4 Authorship There a number of possible scenarios for publication authorship described below;

Publication is written solely by the supervisor

• Supervisor’s idea

o Supervisor as first author.

o Project team acknowledged.

• Student’s idea


o Students as second authors

Publication is written solely by the students



o Contributing students as second authors

o Rest of the group acknowledged.


o Contributing students as first authors

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o Supervisor and rest of the group should be acknowledged.

Publication is written by cooperation between supervisor and students



o Contributing students as second authors



o Contributing students as first author

o Supervisor (if she agrees) in author list, after students


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6 Section 6: Plagiarism

6.1 What is plagiarism? WordNet defines plagiarism as “a piece of writing that has been copied from someone

else and is presented as being your own work.” [2].

Failure to observe these guidelines will lead to a charge of academic dishonesty.

6.2 Plagiarism in Software projects Plagiarism in software projects means using someone else's source code without proper

citation and attribution. Note that it is permissible to include software (source code or

executable binaries) developed by other authors. However, such inclusion is subject to

the following conditions:

• In the implementation section of your documentation, you should explicitly

describe code that is not your own, and provide appropriate reference.

• The extent of the “extracted” code is specified in the source code listings.

• The extracted code should constitute a minor part of the overall project

implementation. You should consult with your supervisor on the amount and

extent of code you use in the implementation of your system.

6.3 The Penalty You should check the rules and regulations of the university with regards to this matter

(3). In the event of any suspicions of plagiarism is detected, a committee will be formed

to look into details of the act, and decide on an appropriate punishment. Usually this

involves receiving an “F” grade for the project. In certain circumstances, it might include

an “F” grade for all courses taken during the semester. In some extreme cases, the

student may be disqualified from obtaining the B.Sc degree.

For more information on plagiarism, please visit: http://www.plagiarism.org/

6.4 Consultations Some students are having consultations with expert programmers, here are some

general rules you must follow:

• Before resorting to external consultants, you should seek help from your

supervisor, or Teaching Assistants in our department.

• Any consultation should be reported to your supervisor.

• You should mention who you consulted, when, and why.

• You should also provide a copy of the conversation/ correspondence to your

supervisor.

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References (1) IPTL 2008. An Inventor’s Guide to Patents, Licensing, and Technology

Transfer. [Online] http://iptl-ksu.org/newsite/IPP_Inventor_Guide.pdf Last

Accessed Feb 2010.

(2) WordNet 3.0 [online] http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Last Accessed

Feb 2010.

(3) KSU Rules and Regulations [online]

http://www.ksu.edu.sa/sites/KSUArabic/aboutUs/regulations/students.pdf Last

Accessed Feb 2010.

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Glossary

Project Supervisor

A faculty member who advises and oversees the students as they plan and complete the

Graduation Project, ensuring that the group meets deadlines, develops all the necessary

components, and is thoroughly prepared for presentation.

Graduation Projects Coordinator

A faculty member assigned by the head of department to act as the coordinator for the

management and administration of all graduation project activities.

Graduation Projects Committee

Includes all supervisors involved in project-1 or project-2 . It also includes examination

committee members who do not supervise projects.

Project Examination Committee

A designated group of faculty members assigned to a specific project. Their role is to

evaluate the project proposal, the submitted final report, and the final presentation by the

project group.

Group Leader

A student chosen within a project group to act as the head of the group. The student is

the main contact with the GP coordinator, and the supervisor, and is responsible for

coordinating the group’s efforts, as well as arranging meetings with the supervisor.

Student-Initiated Proposal

Student-initiated proposals are proposals for graduation projects where the idea is

suggested by the students.

Project-Description

A description of the project idea proposed by a supervisor. Its main objective is to

provide the GP committee with sufficient detail to decide on the suitability of the idea for

a graduation project.

Projects Preference List

A list of projects proposed in a given semester, arranged by a certain group in order of

preference, most preferred comes first, and least preferred comes last.

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Appendices

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Appendix A: IT Department Staff & Research Interests

Staff Member Research Interests

Dr. Nadia Al-Ghremil Graphics, Animation, Motion Editing, Algorithms

Dr. Lilac Al-Safdi Semantic Web, Business Intelligence

Dr. Gihan Nageeb Artificial Intelligence and Genetics Algorithms

Dr, Feryal Hajj Hassan Image Processing and Pattern Recognition

Dr. Afshan Jaffari Speech Synthesis, Recognition and Natural Language Program (Arabic)

Dr. Shurug Al-Khalifa Databases in general, especially native XML Databases

Dr. Hend Al-Khalifa

Web Technologies (Semantic Web/Web 2.0), Technology Enhanced Learning (E-Learning, Adaptive Hypermedia), Computers with people with special needs, Arabic Language and Computers

Dr. Rabia Jafari Image processing, Facial feature extraction

Dr. Lamia Ketari Security, Semantics of Programming Languages and Java Virtual Machine Acceleration Techniques

Dr. Maha Al-Yahya Knowledge Representation, Ontologies, Semantic Web, E-Learning, Natural Language Processing

Dr. Areej Al-Wabil HCI, Assistive Technology, eye tracking, Affective computing

Dr. Nawal Al-Shebel HCI

Dr. Sahar Bayomi

Dr. Ghada Alhudhud

Dr. Nezha Tawati

Dr. Christina Santini Bio-inspired computing

Dr. Hala Mokhtar Wireless sensor networks

Dr. Aisa Sevkli Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Fatiha Bousbahi eLearning and intelligent tutoring systems

Dr. Henda Chorfi: Adaptive e-learning

23

Appendix B: Project Idea Proposal Form

Project Idea Proposal Form

Section 1: (To be filled by the student)

Date:

Project Title:

Project Research/Application Domain

Description of the Problem:

The Proposed Solution:

Project Scope:

Skills Required:

Team Members:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 2: (To be filled by the GP Coordinator)

Date Received:

Status:

• Approved

o Assigned Supervisor:______________________

• Approved if the following comments are considered

o _________________________

o _________________________

o _________________________

• Rejected, and reasons for rejection

o _________________________

o _________________________

GP Coordinator

(Signature/Date)

24

Appendix C: Project Description Form

Project Description Form

Section 1: (To be filled by the supervisor)

Date:

Project Title:

Project Research/Application Domain

Description of the Problem:

The Proposed Solution:

Project Scope:

Skills Required:

Supervisor:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 2: (To be filled by the GP Coordinator)

Date Received:

Status:

• Approved

• Approved if the following comments are considered

o _________________________

o _________________________

o _________________________

• Rejected, and reasons for rejection

o _________________________

o _________________________

GP Coordinator

(Signature/Date)

25

Appendix D: Project Approval Form

Project Approval Form

Date: ___________

Project Title: ___________________________________________

Supervisor: ____________________________________________

Project Summary:

Proposal Reference No:

Team Members:

The above graduation project has been approved by the following

committee:

Member-1 Member-2 Member-3

(Signature) (Signature) (Signature)

Supervisor GP Coordinator

(Signature) (Signature)

26

Appendix E: Progress Form

GRADUATION PROJECT PROGRESS FORM

You should submit this form to your supervisor prior to any meeting. This will enable her to prepare for the meeting with you.

Student Name: _____________________________________________________

Project Topic: ______________________________________________________

• What have you accomplished since our last meeting?

• Are you keeping up with the timeline that you established at the beginning of the project.

• Bring to the meeting any pieces that you have developed since your last meeting.

• What problems or questions arose? How did you solve them? What can I help you accomplish?

• What will you do next?

Supervisor's notes/comments:

________________________ _______________________ __________

Student's Signature Supervisor’s Signature Date

27

Appendix F: Final Examination Evaluation Forms3

3 These forms have been designed by previous Graduation Projects Coordinators

King Saud University College of Computer and Information Sciences Department of Information Technology

PROJECT-1 (IT 496) EXAMINATOR EVALUATION FORM

28

Grading Scale: Excellent = 5 pts Very Good = 4 pts Good = 3 pts Average = 2 pts Poor = 1 pt

Project Title ___________________________________________________________ Project #: ________________________

Supervisor Name: ______________________________________________________ Team #: ________________________

Examinator Name ______________________________________________________ Committee Number: ________________

PRESENTATION ASSESSEMENT

Criteria/Indicator S.O

CONTENT Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Clear presentation of the project (f)

Complete presentation as indicated in the guideline (e)

Appropriate organization of the slides (f)

Use of appropriate and accurate vocabulary (f)

Provide correct information (e)

Quality of the slides in terms of spelling and grammar (e)

COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

Speak with appropriate volume, tone, and articulation (f)

Evidence of speech practice (use of appropriate language) (f)

Use body language to enhance presentation (f)

Maintain eye contact with audience (f)

Show enthusiasm and confidence (f)

OTHERS

Professional slides (e)

Allocated presentation time respected (e)

Accurate and effective answers to questions (f)

Team interaction (d)

Correct Attitude towards the committee (e)

OVERALL SCORE / 20



29


DOCUMENT ASSESSEMENT

Criteria/Indicator S.O Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Completeness (refer to check list) (e)

Clear, ordered organization of chapters, sections, etc. (e)

Correctness of the content (e)

Quality of the language (spelling & grammar, typos free) (e) Correct table of contents, paging and referencing, proper paper acknowledgement of other works (e)

OVERALL SCORE / 20

FINAL

GRADE /40



30


Documentation Completeness Checklist

□ Title Page □ Declaration □ Abstract (Arabic & English) □ Table of contents □ List of figures □ List of tables □ Introduction □ Background □ Literature review □ Problem definition □ Objectives □ Functional Specs □ Conclusion

� Future Work □ References □ Appendix

� Project Plan

□ System Analysis and Design � If Structured o Context level DFD o Level-0 DFD o Subsequent levels DFDs o Structured English\Decision Tables\Decision Trees\Flowcharts for all non-decomposed processes o ER Diagram if needed o DB Schema & Dictionary if needed

□ System Analysis and Design � If Object-oriented

o Use-case Diagram o Use-cases’ descriptions o Conceptual Model o Use-cases’ System o Sequence Diagrams o Use-cases’ Contracts o Collaboration Diagrams o Class Diagram o ER Diagram if needed o DB Schema & Dictionary if Needed

DATE ______________________

Examinator’s Signature : ______________



31


Project Title ________________________________________________________________ Project #: ____________________________

Supervisor Name: ___________________________________________________________ Team #: ____________________________

Examinator Name ___________________________________________________________ Committee Number: ____________________

PRESENTATION/DEMO ASSESSEMENT


CONTENT Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Clear presentation of the project (f)

Complete presentation as indicated in the guideline (e)

Appropriate organization of the slides (f)

Use of appropriate and accurate vocabulary (f)

Provide correct information (e)

Quality of the slides in terms of spelling and grammar (e)

COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

Speak with appropriate volume, tone, and articulation (f)

Evidence of speech practice (use of appropriate language) (f)

Use body language to enhance presentation (f)

Maintain eye contact with audience (f)

Show enthusiasm and confidence (f)

TOOL DEMONSTRATION

Clear Demonstration of the system (f)

System implementation meets functional and non-functional requirements (c)

System implementation confirms to system design (c)

System integration (l)

Use of appropriate tools (i)

System validation (j)

Bugs Free (c)

Professional interfaces (l)



32


PRESENTATION/DEMO ASSESSEMENT


OTHERS Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Professional slides (e)

Allocated presentation time respected (e)

Accurate and effective answers to questions (f)

Team interaction (d)

Correct Attitude towards the committee (e)

Expose to new concepts, technologies, etc (n)

OVERALL SCORE / 20

DOCUMENT ASSESSEMENT

Criteria/Indicator S.O Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Completeness (refer to check list) (e)

Clear, ordered organization of chapters, sections, etc. (e)

Correctness of the content (e)

Quality of the language (spelling & grammar, typos free) (e) Correct table of contents, paging and referencing, proper paper acknowledgement of other works (e)

OVERALL SCORE / 20

FINAL

GRADE /40



33


Documentation Completeness Checklist

Reference Manual □ Title Page □ Declaration □ Abstract (Arabic & English) □ Acknowledgment □ Table of contents □ List of figures □ List of tables □ Introduction □ Literature review □ Problem definition □ Objectives □ Functional and Non-Functional Requirements □ System Analysis □ System Design □ Implementation □ System Integration □ Used tools □ Testing □ Conclusion

o Local and Global Impact o Problems Encountered o Future Work

□ References o Project Plan

User Manual □ Title Page □ Table of contents □ List of figures □ List of tables □ System requirements □ Installation □ How to use the product

Date:_____________________________

Examinator’s Signature: _______________

34

G

Appendix G: Supervisor Evaluation Forms


Project-1 (IT-496) SUPERVISOR EVALUATION FORM

Rating Scale for Weekly Evaluation: Exceeds Expectations = 3 pts Satisfactory = 2 pts Below Expectation = 1 pts Not Submitted, or Plagiarism Detected = 0 pt

Project Title ________________________________________________________________ Project # : _______________________

Supervisor Name: ___________________________________________________________ Group # : ________________________

Student-1 Student-2 Student-3 Student-4 Student-5

ID

Student Name

Attendance 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5

Week-1 Work required Done 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1

Quality of Work

Engages in Discussion 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5

Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance

Week-2 Work required Done

Quality of Work

Engages in Discussion

Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Year Work/40





ID

Student Name

Criteria/Indicator S.O Professional behavior towards colleagues and advisor. (e)

Problem solving skills (k)

System analysis and design skills (k)

Team work (d)

Quality of Submitted Report (d)

Year Work/20 (At the end of the semester)


ID

Student Name

Year Work/40

Year Work/20

Total Supervisor Grade/ 60

Rating Scale

Excellent 2

Very Good 1.5

Satisfactory 1

Poor 0.5

Unacceptable 0

Date: ________________________-

Supervisor’s Signature:____________________


PROJECT-2 (IT-497) SUPERVISOR EVALUATION FORM


Project Title ________________________________________________________________ Project # : _______________________

Supervisor Name: ___________________________________________________________ Group # : ________________________


ID

Student Name

Attendance 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5

Week-1 Work required Done 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1

Quality of Work

Engages in Discussion 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5 0 / 0.5

Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4





ID

Student Name

Attendance


Quality of Work


Total Mark/ 4


ID

Student Name

Year Work/40





ID

Student Name


Professional behavior towards colleagues and advisor (e)

Ethical, social, and legal ramifications of the student's actions (e)

Software development skills (c)

Team work (d)

Quality of submitted documentation (e)

Overall contribution to the project (d)

Year Work/20 (At the end of the semester)


ID

Student Name

Year Work/40

Year Work/20

Rating Scale

Excellent 2

Very Good 1.5

Satisfactory 1

Poor 0.5

Unacceptable 0

Date: __________________________________

Supervisor’s Signature: ____________________




Documents

Graduation Projects Quality Handbook-Version4 · 1 King Saud University College of Computer and Information Sciences Information Technology Department Graduation Projects Quality