1. FYP Preparations
Week 1

2. Your Lecturer – Sanjiv Udash

3. Module Aims
To prepare students for researching, producing and defending/supporting their final year project

4. Learning Outcomes (1)
On successful completion of this module students will
Be able to develop, manage and deliver a project specification and an interim report
Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of ethical issues underpinning academic research

5. Learning Outcomes (2)
On successful completion of this module students will
Have the necessary attributes in close reading, analysis, critical thinking and debate, finding and using secondary sources, presenting written work correctly, giving oral presentations
Be able to demonstrate the ability to research, plan and structure reports and presentations in an effective manner

6. FYP Assessment 100% coursework Project specification
due at the start of the semester and submitted to RTE
Project Interim Report (20%)
due in week and submitted to RTE
Project Final Report (40%)
due in week and submitted to RTE
Continous Assesment(40%)

7. University Assessment Regulations
Assessment is capped at 40%:
with late submission (up to 10 working days) without accepted mitigation
On reassessment
Note: reassessment will only be allowed if a student attempted the final assessment component of the module

8. Weekly Tasks
Students will be provided with individual or group tasks/case studies to be completed and ready to be discussed during the next class

9. London Met Learning

10. Access Passwords

11. FTP Server
Username:
student
Password:
islington55

12. What is a project? Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
“A temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique
product, service or result.”
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

13. Characteristics of projects (1)
Projects have a purpose
have clearly-defined aims
produce clearly-defined results
Projects are realistic
objectives must be achievable
(taking into account requirements and resources available)
Projects are limited in time
have a beginning and an end

14. Characteristics of projects (2)
Projects are complex
involve various planning and implementation skills
involve various stakeholders
Projects are unique
stem from new ideas
provide a specific response to a need in a specific context
projects have distinct, identifiable stages

15. What is a Final Year Project?
The final year project is a major work that students are required to undertake in order to complete their degree
This will be the largest piece of work (report and implementation) that students are expected to produce as undergraduates

16. Why do a Project? The project provides the opportunity to
Bring together the academic knowledge and skills acquired in previous study
Explore an idea, problem or area of study that is of special interest
Gain an insight into the complexity of a real-life problem
Develop new skills
Demonstrate independent learning and self-management

17. Final Year Project Types
Computing is a extremely diverse field
Some projects could be highly technical
(with requirements capture, design and implementation)
Some require more academic content
(outcome of critical evaluation, analyses and literature surveys)
(Dawson C W, 2005, Projects in Computing and Information Systems :
A student’s Guide, Addison Wesley)

18. Final Year Project Types
Research-based
Development
Evaluation
Industry-based
Problem solving

19. Research-based Projects
Thorough investigation of a particular area
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
Acknowledging suitable areas for further development and investigations
Reflective = “backward looking”

20. Development Projects Development of: Requires:
Software and/or hardware systems, process models, algorithms, theories, designs
Requires:
Requirement documentation, designs, analyses, documented test results, user manuals
Critical evaluation of the product and the development process is expected

21. Industry-based Projects
Involve solving a problem in an organisation
Must not be forced into the direction only of interest to the company
Should not involve day-to-day routine tasks
Should allow what it is necessary for suitable academic work
Should involve identification and solution of a specific problem

22. Problem solving Projects
Can involve:
Development of a new technique to solve a problem
Improving the efficiency of existing approaches
Evaluation of different approaches in different situations
Application an existing problem-solving technique to a new area (requires some evaluation)

23. Evaluation Projects
Involve some form of evaluation as the main focus of the project. e.g. evaluation of:
Several approaches to a particular problem
Two or more programming languages
Different user interfaces
May include case studies to evaluate the main issue

24. Choosing Your Project Topic/Area
Your project module requirements
Academic objectives
Scope restrictions
Assessment criteria
Deliverables
Essential activities

25. Choosing Your Project Topic/Area
Your personal needs:
What parts of your course have really interested you?
What type of academic activity you enjoy most?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What skills do potential employers regard as important?
What new skill would you like to acquire?
Do you have personal constraints?
You can make use of the PDP to be clearer about your personal needs.

26. What next?
Break
Developing a Project Specification Document
Samples

27. Developing a Project Specification Document
Part 2:
Developing a Project Specification Document

28. Developing a Project Proposal
Identifying and selecting a project
The role of the project supervisor
The project proposal
Literature search and review

29. Sources of Project Ideas
Brainstorming
Workplace
Personal contacts
The Internet
Background reading
Lecturers
Clients or local businesses
Past projects

30. How to find an area? You could Follow up a previous project
Follow up a topic from your current year
e.g. system development methodologies for mobile devices
Specialise in a year 3 topic
e.g. Formal Methods; Network security management
Exploit your other strengths
e.g. Mobile devices and community gardening
Improve your CV
e.g. Mobile devices and Financial Services 30

31. What Types of Projects? You could Replace or extend an existing system
Move a system to a new platform or operating system
Make an old system more efficient
Create a new system to provide a better service

32. How to Select a Potential Project?
Brainstorm an initial list of potential topics
Research into the topics and narrow down your list to what is feasible
Spot a gap in the research
This can be indicated by your lecturers
or your own reading
Test your ideas

33. Test Your Potential Projects/Ideas (1)
Does the topic really interest you?
Do you have the necessary skills, facilities and tools readily to hand?
Do you have the finance available to purchase materials or tools, if needed?
Do you have the time and the facilities to acquire missing skills?
Are all team members committed to this topic? (if a group project)

34. Test Your Potential Projects/Ideas (2)
Is your idea original and not just a near duplicate of a past project?
Is your project to a level that exceeds previous coursework?
Does the project enable you to explore, develop and demonstrate skills and knowledge relevant to your course?
Is your project consistent with your career goals?

35. The role of the supervisor (1)
The role of your supervisor is to guide you
He/she agrees your project proposal
You meet him/her regularly to discuss the progress of your work
He/she signs your logbook (meeting log)
He/she is your first marker
He/she arranges your Interim presentation and the final Viva

36. The role of the supervisor (2)
Your supervisor
Does NOT provide additional teaching
Can only advise you on your work

37. The Project Specification Doc.
The project specification is a document agreed and signed by the supervisor and the student
It includes information about the project
Project Details
Introduction to the project
Aims of the project
Deliverables of the project
Suggested Starting Point
Estimated Costing and Resource Required
Bibliography/References
Project Plan

38. 1. Project Details Project Title Student’s Name
First Supervisor name and signature
Second Supervisor name and signature
Date Approved

39. 2. Introduction to the project
Description of the
Topic
Advancements
Examples in other contexts (maybe other countries)
The problem domain
Your project as a solution
what is the project to achieve?
why is it worthwhile?
For Computing/Networking students, it is important to produce working system as one of the main project deliverables

40. 3. Aims of the project
Brief description of what your project is intending to do and achieve

41. 4. Deliverables of the project
List of objectives and the likely deliverable which would meet that objective.
Objectives could relate to the research, analysis, design, implementation and testing
Each objective should be given a deliverable, e.g. bibliography, design documents, target code, packaged demonstration system
In your final report a critical appraisal of the project is needed, and you should refer back to the objectives
Objectives should be SMART

42. 5. Suggested Starting Point
An overview of where do you actually lie during the start of the project
List the definite tasks you will start off with
Try to avoid alternative tasks

43. 6. Estimated Costing and Resources
Students are responsible for ensuring that the necessary resources needed for projects are available or requested
State your need of:
data sources
letter of agreement regarding obligations of employers or clients
access to domain specialists
installing special software on your machine
Please note: The College will not normally provide or pay for special facilities

44. 7. Bibliography/references
Avoid plagiarism: it is important to show where you have used someone else’s words or ideas
Referencing is required when you
Quote another person words
Summarise or paraphrase ideas, opinions or information of another writer
Use diagrams, tables, figures and statistics from another source
Using references shows your awareness of the subject area and the key concepts

45. 8. Project Plan Plan for the main tasks of your project
Indicate 3 – 4 substantial tasks that you will undertake in the first semester of your project:
in-depth literature review
feasibility study
analysis
design
prototype
These tasks will be evaluated at the Interim assessment

46. References
Dawson C W (2005), Projects in Computing and Information Systems A student’s Guide, Addison Wesley
London Metropolitan University, Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) Web Site Student Guide ,
Skills4study About personal development planning (PDP) available online: accessed 05/02/2012

47. What to do till next time
Look into the samples that are provided in fserver
Do the activity