Task Summary

For this module you are required to produce:

• A project proposal (submitted via ARMS for approval)

• A project portfolio (consisting of a report and a relevant artefact) of 9000 words (or equivalent)

Assignment Instructions

For this task, you must produce a project report on a Computing topic of your choice. The report should document the design, implementation and evaluation of a relevant artefact that you will develop (note: this is not a research report but a practical project).

The module will be delivered via workshops that focus on project concepts, theories, and processes plus individual support from your designated supervisor, who will develop a schedule with you and will agree milestones and objectives. This is intended to motivate you and ensure that you can monitor your own progress. Within this structure the emphasis is on applying knowledge in practical tasks and ensuring that you receive ongoing feedback.

You will be expected to attend all scheduled workshops.

Phase 1: Project Proposal

The proposal does not carry any assessment weighting, but the contents of this will be the basis for your final project report.

Your initial proposal must be approved (via ARMS) by your supervisor and module lead before you can proceed with your project. As part of the proposal, you must consider the Arden ethical guidelines and ensure that your project is compliant. Once your project has been approved, you can proceed with Phase 2 of the project.

Note: you will not be able to submit your final project report to the portal without having completed this phase. In the event of not gaining initial approval, you will be required to redesign and resubmit your plan based on feedback from your supervisor.

Phase 2: The Project

The project report with a final deliverable due at the end of the module. This accounts for 100% of the total mark.

Project Selection & Supervision

You will first need to identify and select a suitable project. You should check that your project idea meets the following criteria:

• It can be completed within the appropriate time frame.

• Access to any specific hardware/software/specialist resources has been considered.

• It is sufficiently challenging (but not impossible to complete in the given time frame).

• Is original in nature (e.g., not just reusing existing assessment submissions from previous modules or existing student work).

• It satisfies the ethical requirements as set out by the university.

• It is of a practical nature (i.e., not just an extended literature review).

Project Supervision

Once you have registered and submitted an appropriate working title through the Arden Ethics Portal (https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/), and your initial idea has been approved, you will be allocated to a project supervisor who will provide you with support throughout the duration of your project.

This will include:

• Monitoring and ensuring your progress towards your objectives.

• Providing academic and technical guidance and answering general project queries.

• Encouraging you to keep appropriate records of actions/progress, such as reference sources, designs, and contact logs.

• Providing guided feedback on your project elements (proposal and final draft).

A successful project requires significant thought and preparation. This is not a ‘taught’ module where we are delivering and assessing a fixed body of knowledge. This is an individual activity that is directed by you to progress and be responsible for, with some advice from your supervisor acting in the capacity of a guide and facilitator.

Your supervisor will provide you with feedback as to the project’s viability and discuss with you any amendments that need to be made before you can proceed. For this to happen, you should ensure that you have contacted your supervisor within the FIRST week of being allocated (your Module Leader will email you to confirm your supervisor).

Your supervisor will discuss specific details of how the working relationship will be implemented in practice. This is an ideal time to raise any concerns about the development of your initial proposal and how the project will proceed.

Project Structure

1. Proposal (submitted via ARMS)

The project proposal should address the following points before your project can be approved:

• Overview/Rationale – an overview of your project and the reason for undertaking this e.g., is it attempting to solve a problem? Is it aimed at a particular set of users?

• Aim – the aim is a statement of intent that should state what you plan to achieve with the project overall (but not how you will do it).

• Project Objectives – the objectives define how you are going to achieve your aim. Objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourced and Time-limited (SMART). Information on developing SMART objectives can be found on iLearn.

• Potential Solutions – provide an overview of your proposed solution(s) and project artefact.

• Risk Assessment – you should document any potential issues that could arise with your project and appropriate measures that you can implement to mitigate any risks.

• Project Methodologies – Identify suitable development methodologies for your project.

• Project Plan – propose a draft plan of activities for the project. All necessary project tasks should be identified along with a realistic timescale.

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2. Main Project Report (submitted via iLearn assessment portal)

The project report should include the following sections:

• Abstract – a one-page summary of the entire project.

• Introduction – covers the background to the project, details the chosen topic, discusses rationale, relevance to the field of computing plus the aim and objectives.

• Requirements Gathering – This should analyze and document the functional, non-functional, and security requirements for your artifact. The requirements should be fully and appropriately documented, actionable, measurable, and testable.

• Proposed Solution– a design for your artefact. Designs should be annotated with explanations where appropriate. The design should cover your artifact from all perspectives including usability and accessibility.

• Implementation – provide a detailed account of the implementation of the project (including any code samples or outputs where appropriate) and use of software tools to develop your artifact.

  You should also discuss any problems you have had to overcome during the implementation. Critically reflect on how your chosen development methodology has impacted on the artefact and how the design and development of your artefact has been influenced by supporting literature and subsequent testing where appropriate.

• Testing – provide a detailed and comprehensive test plan covering a full range of appropriate tests for your artefact. This could include unit and functional testing (e.g., testing against your functional and non-functional requirements).

  Provide test data and an analysis of the results. You should highlight how the testing process identifies problems and the resolutions in place to overcome these. You can also make suitable recommendations for improvements to the artefact based on test results.

• Conclusion – a discussion of the outcomes of your project. This should highlight where the project has met/failed in its objectives. You can also suggest recommendations for further development and areas of possible investigation in future.

• Reflection – this should be an account of what you have achieved during the project, including lessons that were learned, any mistakes and anything you would do differently in future projects.

• References & Appendices – Include references for all articles that you have used during your project. The appendices section should be used for supporting material unsuitable for the main body of the report (e.g., large datasets or sections of code).

Formative Feedback

To ensure you are on the right track throughout the writing and development process you will share chapters with your supervisor allowing for formative feedback opportunities, which will help the final submission to take shape (one review per chapter, plus one overall review of the final draft).

You will also have opportunities to discuss your progress in developing your artefact. You should ensure that you fully engage with the opportunities provided for feedback and communicate regularly with your supervisor, providing chapters for review on a regular basis.

Learning outcomes (LO)

By completing this assessment, you will have shown and be assessed on all five of the learning outcomes:

1. Evaluate a computing-related problem and select an appropriate approach to resolve that problem.

2. Demonstrate expertise in the computing subject area that showcases your technical, transferable and project management skills and the ability to undertake a computing-related project from initial concept to design, implementation, and evaluation.

3. Demonstrate your ability to undertake advanced research in the Computing subject area.

4. Critically evaluate the completed work and the methods that were employed.

Graduate attributes

Reflective Practitioner: Undertake critical analysis and reach reasoned and evidenced decisions, contribute problem-solving skills to find and innovate in solutions.

You will be graded based on how well you meet these learning outcomes. Your marker will use a rubric to grade your work, which you can view on the “Assessment” tab on iLearn.