IMAT3451 Final Year Project 2011-2012 Options Day Briefing These slides are available at: http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects/ 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day

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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 2

What is the final year project? Probably the most challenging - - but also the most enjoyable part of your final year. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 3

Don’t take my word for it! :- ‘The project was the most interesting, challenging and enjoyable module of this academic year.’ 2008-2009 final year student 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 4

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! 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 5

Your Project It is your responsibility You will encounter problems You will have to work more independently than ever before You will encounter problems Which you must solve You will have to manage your time effectively. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 6

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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 7

If I would have ... advice to other students, it would be to make more use of their time ... and to become more organised, plan and manage their project ... in order to achieve to the best of their abilities. Managing the project independently is a useful lesson for future careers. 2008-2009 final year students 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 8

‘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 Builds confidence / independence Great sense of satisfaction from the work achieved Great ‘plus’ point for potential employer. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 9

Deliverables At the end of the year you will have completed: A finished product, which you will demonstrate Or for ‘Research’ projects, present A ‘Project Summary & Critical Review’ comprising a critical, reflective account of the project process More information will be provided at the start of the new academic year. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 10

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) Maze Wars Traffic Simulator Lift Controller. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 11

Example Projects - 2 Exploring the problem domain and determining requirements is part of the challenge: Sports Centre Information System Carpet Store Fitting Scheduling System Livery Yard Administration System Online Tutorial for the Web. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 12

Example Projects - 3 SOME programmes allow ‘Research’ projects: RFIT: Commercial Benefits & Privacy Concerns Enterprise Resource Management Systems Cross-Cultural Transfer of Technology Managing Knowledge in the Knowledge Economy. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 13

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! 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 14

How Do I Find 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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 15

Warning! Students on some specialist programmes may NOT choose from the ‘pool’ of projects These include: Forensic Computing Computer Games Programming Your programme leader will arrange project selection with you. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 16

How Do I Find 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/ 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 17

How Do I Find a Project? - 3 Browse the list of project proposals Note that more project proposals will be added in the period up to August/September. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 18

How Do I Find a Project? - 4 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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 19

How Do I Find a Project? - 5 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 from http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 20

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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 21

Deadline For Project Choice You must have a project by the start of induction week (Monday 26th 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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 22

Deadline For Project Choice If you have not agreed a project with a supervisor by Monday 26th September you will be allocated to a supervisor. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 23

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! 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 24

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 starts then, too – but there are ways in which you can prepare: 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 25

What should I do now? 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 Your supervisor might have other, specific suggestions. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 26

Further Information At the url mentioned earlier: http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/projects you will find links to: these slides Project Handbook for 2010-2011 the lists of project supervisors & project proposals Your supervisor will eventually be your main source of information / advice Also your visiting tutor, personal tutor, year manager & programme leader where appropriate. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 27

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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 28

Further Information – Briefings There will be further briefings about the project: In Induction Week In Weeks 1 & 2 of the Autumn Term For Research Projects, weeks 3-5 of the Autumn Term In the first week of the Spring Term Towards the end of the Spring Term. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 29

  The final year project is a great part of the course ... it is the hardest but most rewarding part of the final year. 2008-2009 final year student 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 30

IMAT3451 Final Year Project Questions? 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day

Useful Books - 1 Weaver, 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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 32

Useful Books - 2 Britton, 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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 33

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. 20/04/2019 imat3451 Options Day 34