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On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Select, apply and justify appropriate techniques to solve a complex problem that meets a combination of societal, user, business and customer needs as appropriate
Contextualise project work, aligning it with academic literature or with other solutions, as well as with relevant professional codes of practice, research ethics and integrity
Produce a practical, substantial, complex piece of work within a specified timescale based on an agreed specification using project management techniques
Communicate the process and product / findings of the work in an appropriate format, articulating the legal, social, ethical and professional issues surrounding an extended project
Reflect on and evaluate the value of the work achieved and critically reflect on the ethical and moral issues and process of completing a significant project.
The project module will involve research, ethics and integrity, independent study and the production of a substantial report, which will be based on the investigation of a problem and the development of a solution in the form of an artefact. This project will be the culmination of the student's study and will draw substantially on the material and skills developed during the programme. The project must be relevant to the student’s programme.
Postgraduate projects should offer students an opportunity to showcase:
- Their ability to understand knowledge systematically and critically evaluate current problems and/or emerging insights that are at, or influenced by, the forefront of the specialised academic field.
- A comprehensive understanding of techniques relevant to their research or advanced scholarship.
- Originality in applying knowledge, along with a practical understanding of how established research and inquiry techniques are utilised to generate and interpret knowledge within the discipline.
- Their capacity to address complex issues in a systematic and creative manner, make informed decisions in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Consideration and evaluation of research ethics and integrity relevant to application and practice of their project.
- Self-direction and originality in addressing and resolving problems, and the ability to work autonomously while planning and executing tasks at a professional or comparable level.
- Critical self-evaluation of the entire process.
This module will also give students an opportunity to consider sustainable technology and digital services such as reducing cloud storage and data processing, reuse of software, hardware and resources for their projects and optimise energy.
The teaching approach for this module utilises student-centred learning. Students undertake problem-solving activities and receive formative feedback throughout the module. Initially, they attend workshops where tutors guide them on how to conduct and construct a successful project report and on software development project management skills such as Agile, with a strong focus on the research ethics element and following the University’s rigourous ethics approval process. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to discuss their individual projects with academic staff throughout the module. This approach aims to provide a supportive environment to enhance students' self-confidence. Students negotiate the topics and presentation format for their assessments with the academic staff and industry mentors.
Workshops
Hours: 24
Intended Group Size: 50
Supervision
Hours: 10
Intended Group Size: 1-5
Guided independent study
Hours: 566
Further details relating to assessment
Students will be required to gain ethical approval where appropriate for their projects, which adheres to the University's Research Ethics Policy and other applicable research codes of practice relevant to the area of study. Approval of ethics documentation is required from the FBCDI Research Ethics & Integrity Committee before any data collection can be actioned.
Project Artefact: The ‘artefact’ is the software or technical product the student has developed in response to a proposal that has been negotiated between themselves and an academic supervisor. The artefact should be sufficiently technical and complex to satisfy the Level 7 requirements.
Project Report: This is a more substantial report demonstrating the student has acquired the depth of knowledge and academic rigour expected at Level 7. Their report should provide the wider context of the problem they are seeking to address (e.g. What is the wider social/political issue around the use of data and AI? Why is it important that businesses act to address it and how data science and AI techniques can contribute to solve this issue? How big data analytics benefit businesses?). Students are provided with a set of writing guidelines to support the structure of the assessed report.
Oral exam: The oral exam presents an opportunity for the student to defend their project before their academic supervisor and a second marker. The examiners may ask questions about the project not addressed by the report, and the student can respond and highlight anything else they want to bring to the examiners’ attention. The oral exam also represents an opportunity for the examiners to assess the student’s comprehension of the material presented.
In this module, formative assessment will be used to support the skills that contribute to the assessment. Formative assessment includes student-led seminars, mock viva, skills audits and specific research tasks. Formative feedback will be an ongoing process within class sessions.
Students should refer to the Module Handbook for further details on the module learning, teaching and assessment strategies.
Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level - 7
Credit Value - 60
Pre-Requisites - SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ALL OTHER COMPULSORY MODULES ON PROGRAMME
Semester(s) Offered - 7T3