1. Foundation Degree IT Project
Module Introduction

2. Objectives Describe the overall aim of the project
Identify module learning outcomes
Describe the project process
Define the project stages and briefly describe them
Milestones 1 - 4
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Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

3. What is the project about?
It unifies everything you have covered throughout the modules on the foundation degree programme
Think of it as a portfolio of evidence to show to an employer
This evidence is encapsulated by the activities of the project and it’s documentation
It’s essence is the development of an information system
It is student led
Tutors provide
Administrative/academic guidance
Specialist support
Assessment
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

4. Learning objectives
1) Demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge obtained through independent research
Enquiry
Knowledge & Understanding
2) Select, justify and use an appropriate analysis and design method to provide a solution to a practical: problem
Analysis &
Learning
3) Develop the techniques of producing a program of work, structured written reports and oral presentation of ideas.
Communication
4) Provide a solution to a practical problem by producing an artefact using appropriate technology and apply a variety of testing methods.
Application &
Problem Solving
5) Demonstrate the ability to analyse and evaluate the work undertaken
Reflection
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

5. Assessment Four milestones
Milestone 1 Project Proposal
Report worth 10%, 1000 words
Milestone 2 Research, Analysis and Design
Report worth 40%, 4000 words
Milestone 3 Implementation and Testing
Report worth 20%, 2000 words
Milestone 4 Presentation/Demonstration
System worth 30%, completed within 2 weeks of MS3 hand-in
Normal university module assessment rules apply
Each milestone is assessed independently of each other
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

6. Supervision Your allocated project supervisor is responsible for
Guiding you through the project process
Keeping in regular contact with you, either through face-to-face meetings, or other forms of communication
Marking your work and providing feedback
Class time will be used for face-to-face tutorials on a one-to-one basis
The supervisor and students are expected to keep in regular contact via electronic means outside of class
All tutors on the teaching team will be available to assist students with topic specific questions
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

7. What kind of project you can do
Your project must be professionally conducted and be at a higher level of computing/IT
The project must be workplace based
You cannot base it on a personal, or family environment
It is your responsibility to find a project
You must be capable of completing the project
Your proposal must be approved by your supervisor
It must be an individuals own project, or it must identify the individuals part in a larger project
It must be an ‘original’ work
i.e. a project cannot be based upon a project run in the previous year by another student
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

8. Non-triviality The project requires aims and objectives
Students need to identify what the aims and objectives are and they should be measurable
e.g. mean time between failures may be critical and can be tested/measured
Allowing a client to say ‘user friendly’ - what does this mean?
You need to clarify how aims and objectives are to be measured
Students should be able to measure the success of the project by these
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

9. Project procedure Milestone 1 – Proposal (1000 words)
Students identify a project topic
Students identify the aim and objectives
Milestone 2 - Research and Analysis (4000 words)
Students research information system methodologies, and development technologies
Students collect data and analyse it based on chosen methodology
Students develop a set of requirements for the project to fulfil
Students design a system that will fulfil the requirements
Milestone 3 - Implementation and Testing (2000 words)
Students implement the system they have designed and test it
Milestone 4 - Demonstration/Presentation
Students present their project and demonstrate the system
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

10. Report style Reports written in formal style, in third person form
Grammar and spelling are vital
Sources of information should be referenced using Harvard/APA
Times New Roman/Calibiri font style, size 12
1.5 or double line spaced
Appendices should contain information that would disrupt the flow of the report
Be aware of the consequences of plagiarism!
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Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

11. Project ideas VBA applications Networking Staff training resources
To automate processes
Networking
Deploying or re-designing a network
Staff training resources
Developing electronic resources for staff development
Database applications
Automated spreadsheets using VBA
Any project idea will be considered, but this does not mean it will be accepted
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

12. Project woes
Sometimes students struggle to come up with a project idea
If this happens think about basing your project around a module you have studied on your course
Alternatively, if your supervisor/team don’t give you any good ideas for a project then you could develop a project independently and present it as a “proof of concept”
This still has to be work related!
It is not advisable to base a project around a technology that has not been covered in one of the modules on your award
It is not unheard of for a project to be cancelled by your supervisor/employer half way through
Think about disaster recovery and contingency plans
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

13. Tips
Choose a project that you know you can complete with the skills and technology you currently have
Use specialist support
Your supervisor will not be an expert in all fields!
Check your project is
Work related
Non-trivial i.e. no pre-defined solution
READ the project handbook, especially the marking schemes for each milestone!
Know where the marks are
Keep in contact at all times
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

14. Summary
The project brings together a lot of what you have studied on your FD program
It must be work related and non-trivial
It is assessed with four milestones throughout the academic year
Your project supervisor is your first port of call for help and advice
Communication between yourself and your supervisor is essential to get a good grade
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Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

15. Your first task... Submit to your supervisor an idea for your project
This should be a single side of A4, word processed, and consist of several paragraphs identifying
The project background
The problem (if there is one)
The genre the project falls into
i.e. Networking, VBA, application development etc.
This should be sent to
Complete this BEFORE your first project session in September
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018

16. End!
Richard Hancock
14/11/2018