1. IMAT3451 Final Year Project
Options Day Briefing
These slides are available at:
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2. 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.
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3. What is the final year project?
Probably the most challenging -
- but also the most enjoyable
part of your final year.
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4. Don’t take my word for it! :-
‘The project was the most interesting, challenging and enjoyable module of this academic year.’
final year student
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5. 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!
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6. 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.
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7. 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.
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8. 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.
final year students
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9. ‘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.
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10. 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.
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11. 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.
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12. 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.
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13. 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.
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14. 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!
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15. 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.
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16. 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.
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17. 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:
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18. 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.
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19. How Do I Find a Project? - 4
If a project title interests you, 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 – them
You might want a specific member of staff as your supervisor because you are interested in their area of expertise – them.
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20. 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
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21. 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.
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22. 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.
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23. 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.
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24. 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!
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25. 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:
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26. 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.
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27. Further Information At the url mentioned earlier:
you will find links to:
these slides
Project Handbook for
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.
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28. Further Information - Blackboard
A Blackboard site for IMAT3451 will be made available from about the beginning of May
Check your DMU account regularly as the Blackboard site will be used to send s to students registered on IMAT3451
Once the Blackboard site is available, check regularly for announcements, additional information & supporting material.
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29. 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.
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30. The final year project is a great part of the course ... it is the hardest but most rewarding part of the final year.
final year student
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31. IMAT3451 Final Year Project
Questions?
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32. 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.
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33. 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.
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34. 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.
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