What will I learn on this module?
This module is an individual project where you have the opportunity to define your own project topic or select one provided by academic staff, and produce a significant piece of practical computing work related to the aims of your programme. To do this you will need to use and further develop skills and expertise that you have learnt elsewhere in your programme. You will become knowledgeable in your chosen topic including important concepts and literature and you will acquire new or extend existing skills or learning that are needed to carry out the project. These could be technical skills such as a new programming language, or other knowledge and skills such as experimental methods used in your chosen area and/or the use of statistical techniques to analyse your results. You will also acquire or further develop your professional skills and competencies including communication skills (both oral presentation and report writing), literature searching and review, research methods and design, data analysis, project management and personal time management.
Your project must include you undertaking practical work of some sort using computing/IT technology. This is most frequently achieved by the creation of an artefact as the focus for covering all or part of an implementation lifecycle. However, there are a number of approaches you can take. For example, you could choose to conduct a more product-focused project where the main deliverable is a product of some kind such as a piece of software, a game, a computer network, an information strategy, a hardware device with software, and the approach/design for this. Or it could be a more investigative and/or research-focused project such as a digital forensics investigation, a comparison analysis of AI algorithms, a user experience investigation, an experimental evaluation of a network protocol. Or your project could be a mix of both of these such as building a simulated network to investigate security vulnerabilities and mitigation schemes, creating a prototype to test the effectiveness of a digital technology. Projects based solely on literature review activity and/or user/market surveys are not acceptable.
How will I learn on this module?
Your project work will largely be directed by you and carried out as independent individual work. This includes self-directed learning and putting what you are learning/have learnt elsewhere into practice. You will be supported by an academic supervisor, who will provide guidance during the project and help you to monitor your progress and advise on your direction of travel and the quality of the work you are doing. You will gain valuable insights and expertise from undertaking this challenging project work and reflecting on your progress.
Briefing sessions and a series of lectures will be delivered. More topic-specific workshops/ or clinics will also be organised to provide a more interactive means of discussing these technical topics. Resources and online materials will be provided on Blackboard module site throughout the academic year.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Your supervisor is your main form of support during your project and is your first point of contact for any questions regarding the project. Supervisors publish project ideas and topics at the beginning of the academic year, or you can suggest an idea of your own. Once your project starts, you will have a weekly meeting with your project supervisor, who will give advice and feedback about your project proposal and your progress through the project. They will also provide guidance on the dissertation and viva and provide feedback on the equivalent of one draft of your final dissertation. As part of the project process another member of staff will also give feedback on your Terms of Reference. The module tutor will provide guidance about the requirements of the module.
Briefing sessions will be provided to introduce the project process and the main requirements for the module. A series of lectures will cover important topics such as literature review, research methods, data analysis, and aspects of product development. More topic-specific workshops/clinics will also be organised to provide a more interactive means of discussing these technical topics.
Resources and online materials will be provided on Blackboard module site throughout the academic year.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
In addition, students will be expected to engage with the academic and other relevant literature relating to their chosen area of study for their project.
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the skills, methods and tools for the research and/or product development.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. Plan, schedule, implement, manage, and critically evaluate an individual project, in accordance with professional and ethical guidelines.
3. Identify and critically review relevant practical and academic literature.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. Communicate the methods and results of the project through written report, documentation and oral presentation/demonstration.
5. Demonstrate independent research and professional skills and expertise through self-directed study.
How will I be assessed?
Formative assessment and feedback
You will first submit an initial project idea of your own or select an idea provided by academic staff. Once a supervisor is allocated to you, verbal feedback will be provided on the initial idea by your supervisor. After this, you will further develop your ideas and produce a Terms of Reference (TOR) document that includes plans for your independent study with the intention of providing a firm foundation for your project work. Your supervisor will provide formative feedback on your TOR draft. Your TOR will then be reviewed by your 2nd marker. Verbal and/or written feedback on your TOR will be provided. The Terms of Reference review also confirms the project reflects your programme of study and is of an appropriate type as discussed in 'What will I learn on this module" section of the module specification.
Throughout the project you should keep a project log book of your progress and notes on the work you are doing to share with your supervisor at your regular supervision meetings. The supervisor will use this information and the conversations during your meeting to provide verbal/written guidance on a regular basis. This will help you monitor your progress, direction of study and quality of work carried out as appropriate.
Summative assessment and feedback
1. Ethical approval (MLO 2) You must apply for ethics approval using the university Ethics Online system and receive feedback (from your supervisor or second marker) through the system. Ethics approval must be in place before your practical research can commence. This is a pass/fail component.
2. Practical work, report and viva (MLOs 1, 3, 4, 5).
1) You will write a report that presents evidence of the work you have done (including a critical review of literature relevant to your project and the practical work), and the results obtained. Your report will also evaluate your work and the conduct of your project, and reflect on your learning on the module, including your independent study.
2) You will submit the product/agreed deliverables and any associated assets not included in the report as the evidence of your practical work. The product/deliverables and etc will be jointly assessed alongside the main report and viva.
3) You will attend a viva after submission, where you will demonstrate & present the work you have done and answer questions on it.
Written feedback and a final set of marks will be provided based on the joint evidence provided by the dissertation, product/agreed deliverables and viva.
Pre-requisite(s)
None
Co-requisite(s)
None
Module abstract
This module is your major final year undergraduate project where you will undertake a substantial individual practical computing project related to your programme of study. This will build on the research, technical and professional skills and expertise you have gained during your studies. It also provides the opportunity for you to develop new skills and expertise related to the technical and subject elements of the project. In addition, you will acquire and/or further develop your professional skills and competencies in areas such as literature searching and review, research methods and design, data analysis and evaluation, project management and professional conduct. The project culminates in a dissertation and viva.
Course info
UCAS Code G403
Credits 40
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years full-time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Computer and Information Sciences
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses starting in 2023 are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but may include elements of online learning. We continue to monitor government and local authority guidance in relation to Covid-19 and we are ready and able to flex accordingly to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with additional restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors, potentially to a full online offer, should further restrictions be deemed necessary in future. Our online activity will be delivered through Blackboard Ultra, enabling collaboration, connection and engagement with materials and people.
Full time Courses starting in 2023 are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but may include elements of online learning. We continue to monitor government and local authority guidance in relation to Covid-19 and we are ready and able to flex accordingly to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with additional restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors, potentially to a full online offer, should further restrictions be deemed necessary in future. Our online activity will be delivered through Blackboard Ultra, enabling collaboration, connection and engagement with materials and people.
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