Unit Information Form (UIF)

UIF1213

The UIF provides essential information to students, staff teams and others on a particular unit. Please
refer to the Universitys Guidance notes on Unit Information Forms before completing the details
below

SECTION 1 - Changes made to Section 1 of the UIF will require Faculty level approval. If substantial
changes to Units/Courses are required, consult with Sub Dean (Quality Enhancement) for advice
Unit Name

Undergraduate Project

Unit Code

CIS017-3

Level

FHEQ 6

Credit Value

30

Location of
Delivery

Park Square, Luton

Whether you go on to further study or into employment one of the most important
skills expected in an Honours Graduate is the ability to work autonomously. This
unit is an ideal vehicle for the development of that skill.

Summary/Overview

You will implement the project proposal developed during the research methods
and emerging technologies unit. Although you will be working independently, you
will have regular meetings with your supervisor to guide and support you. You will
apply coherently your technical, analytical, practical and managerial skills during
your project development.
The project is an important opportunity to expand your experience in an area which
is of close relevance to the course that you are studying (e.g. Computer Science,
Electronic Engineering, and Computer Games Development). Your project may be
of relevance to a future employer, and will demonstrate your interest and ability in
the chosen area. As such your project topic should be aligned with your career
aspirations.

Aims

To provide you with an opportunity to work autonomously on a sustained

piece of work.
To develop your ability to manage a project from start to finish.
To develop your ability to identify problems, analyse the requirements and
produce and evaluate solutions.
To develop your ability to work to the relevant academic and professional
standards.

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Core Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit you should be
able to:

Assessment Criteria
To achieve the learning outcome you
must demonstrate the ability to:

1.

Manage a major project.

Appropriate management of your

own time and effort
Complete a project to deadline

2.

Perform appropriate requirements gathering

and design.

3.

Demonstrate the ability to work creatively on

a project of close relevance to your course
of study and of importance to an employer.
Critically evaluate your design using suitable
methods and techniques.

Clear articulation of the

requirements for a project
Development of the design for an
artefact using appropriate
conventions
Effective implementation of a
solution to requirements

4.

5.

Communicate the context, objectives and

outcomes of a substantial piece of work.

6.

Produce a formal report describing the

issues uncovered during the work and the
potential for future development.

Use appropriate simulation and / or

experimental methods to analyse
and validate your design
Complete a reflective summary of
progress
Critically review your work, draw
conclusions and propose
improvements.
Make a poster to summarize your
project.
Give an oral presentation of your
project
Answer questions on your project
Produce a final report to an
appropriate standard.

SECTION 2 - Any changes made to Section 2 of the UIF will normally require Faculty level approval
Period of delivery

Year long

Pre-requisites/Restrictions
Activity

Student Activity
(10 notional learning hours = 1 credit)

Approach to Learning

Lectures
Seminars/tutorials
Lab/Field work
Assessment
Self-directed study
Group work
Other (specify)
Total

Notional Learning Hours

2
8
10
280

300

Although there will be an initial briefing lecture, you will be

working independently under the guidance of a supervisor during
this unit. It is your responsibility to manage your project. You will
be expected to arrange meetings, to keep your supervisor up to
date with your progress and to take the initiative.

Skills Development
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Communication
To help with the development of this you will
-

Write a report to summarise your project

Act upon feedback from a supervisor to improve the quality
of your report
Answer questions on your project during a viva
Present your project using a poster.

Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:-

Be required to assess your own information requirements

and to identify sources to fulfil them.

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:-

Conduct a critical literature review on your chosen topic

Analyse and synthesise data gathered for your work
Identify and apply appropriate methods of evaluation to
judge the merit of the solution you produce for a defined
problem.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:-

Be required to solve the problems that crop upoccur during

the execution of your project.

There are regular opportunities to get helpful formative feedback

during the meetings with your supervisor. You will be expected
to provide draft reports and work in progress for your supervisor
to review and comment upon, typically via an online blog or
ePorfolio. It is your responsibility to provide material for review in
sufficient time before any deadline.

Assessment Strategy

Assessment 1: The reflective report covers a summary of your

progress to date including the design and planning work that
you have done. This assessment provides you with an early
feedback on your design and progress so far.
Assessment 2: You will write a final report to summarize the
activity in the project and your conclusions and present your
work to a supervisor and second marker during a viva session.
You will need to analyse and validate your design using
appropriate hardware/software methods. During this activity you
will answer questions on your work.

No

Assessment
Method*

Description of Assessment
Method

Weight
%

Learning Outcomes
Assessed
5
1 2 3 4
6

1
2

RE
DI, PR, OR

Reflective report
Final Report and Viva

20
80

Submission
week
(assignments) or
length (exam)
17
25/26

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AR
CB
CS
DI
EX
GR
IT
LR

*The following codes for assessment methods apply:artefact

PC
Practical
computer-based
PF
Performance
case study
PL
placement
dissertation or project
PO
Portfolio
exam
PR
Presentation
group report
RE
individual report
in-unit test
OR
Oral
literature review
OT
Other

SECTION 3 - Once initial approval of the unit has been given, the Unit Co-ordinator may make
changes to this section, following appropriate consultation
Outline Teaching Schedule
There will be briefing lectures, after which you will work independently under the guidance of a supervisor.
Student directed work includes
- Confirm project title and scope of project
- Confirm nature of physical or conceptual artefact
- Confirm appropriate project methodology
- Devise/confirm project plan
- Complete contextual review
- Identify requirements for artefact as appropriate
- Define artefact specification as appropriate
- Perform appropriate design activity on artefact
- Execute development of physical/conceptual artefact
- Perform appropriate analysis, evaluation and testing
- Document the artefact and the project activity in a final report
- Present the project in a viva and using a poster
Recommended Resources
Essential
Christian Dawson, Projects in Computing and Information Systems: A Students Guide, 2
Wesley, 2009, ISBN 9780273721314

nd

Ed, Addison

Background
Kathleen McMillan and Jonathan Weyers, How to Write Dissertations & research Projects, Prentice Hall,
2007, ISBN 9780273713586
Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger, Product Design and Development,
RD

Wallace Gerhard Pahl, Wolfgang Beitz, Ken, Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach, 3
ISBN-10: 1846283183 | ISBN-13: 978-1846283185

Edition

plus as notified by the supervisor

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SECTION 4 Administrative Information

Faculty

CATS

Field

Undergraduate Computer Science and Technology

Department/School/Division

Computer Science and Technology

Unit Co-ordinator

Sean Pollonais

Version Number

07/2012

Body approving this version

FTQSC

Date of University approval of this

version (dd/mm/yyyy)

Shared Units Indicate below all courses which include this Unit in their diet
BEng (Hons) Computer Systems Engineering
BEng (Hons) Telecommunications and Network Engineering
BEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering
BSc (Hons) Computer Animation
BSc (Hons) Computer Games
BSc (Hons) Business Information Systems
BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
BSc (Hons) Computer Science
BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Software Engineering
BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Robotics
BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
BSc (Hons) Computer Security and Forensics
BSc (Hons) Computing and Mathematics
BSc (Hons) Information Systems
BSc (Hons) Software Engineering
Extended Degree Computing

Form completed by:

Name: Tahmina Ajmal / Marc Conrad..

th

Date: 26 June 2012

Authorisation on behalf of the Faculty Teaching Quality and Standards Committee (FTQSC)

Chair:

Date: ...

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Unit Updates
Date
(dd/mm/yyyy)
June 2012

Nature of Update

FTQSC Minute Ref:

Explicit inclusion of (Engineering) Analysis in view of

envisaged IET accreditation.

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