CE301-6-FY-CO:
Individual Capstone Project Challenge

The details
2019/20
Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (School of)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 03 October 2019
Friday 26 June 2020
45
30 April 2019

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BSC G610 Computer Games,
BSC G612 Computer Games (Including Year Abroad),
BSC I610 Computer Games (Including Placement Year),
BENGG420 Computer Networks,
BENGG421 Computer Networks (Including Year Abroad),
BENGI120 Computer Networks (Including Placement Year),
BSC G400 Computer Science,
BSC G401 Computer Science (Including Year Abroad),
BSC G403 Computer Science (Including Foundation Year),
BSC I101 Computer Science (Including Placement Year),
MSCIG402 Computer Science,
MSCII100 Computer Science (Integrated Masters, Including Placement Year),
BENGH650 Computer Systems Engineering,
BENGH651 Computer Systems Engineering (Including Year Abroad),
BENGHP50 Computer Systems Engineering (Including Placement Year),
BENGGH46 Computers with Electronics (Including Foundation Year),
BENGGH4P Computers with Electronics,
BENGGH4Q Computers with Electronics (Including Year Abroad),
BENGI1H6 Computers with Electronics (Including Placement Year),
BENGH610 Electronic Engineering,
BENGH611 Electronic Engineering (Including Year Abroad),
BENGH61P Electronic Engineering (Including Foundation Year),
BENGHP10 Electronic Engineering (Including Placement Year),
MENGH613 Electronic Engineering,
MENGH614 Electronic Engineering (Integrated Masters, Including Placement Year),
BSC H60E Electronic System Engineering,
BENGH641 Communications Engineering,
BENGHP41 Communications Engineering (Including Foundation Year),
BENGHPK1 Communications Engineering (Including Placement Year),
BENGHQ41 Communications Engineering (Including Year Abroad),
BENGH615 Robotic Engineering,
BENGH616 Robotic Engineering (Including Year Abroad),
BENGH617 Robotic Engineering (Including Placement Year),
BSC G111 Computing,
BSC G112 Computing (Including Year Abroad),
BSC G113 Computing (Including Placement Year),
BSC GH01 Computing and Electronics,
BSC GH02 Computing and Electronics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC GH03 Computing and Electronics (Including Placement Year),
BSC H631 Electronics,
BSC H632 Electronics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC H633 Electronics (Including Placement Year),
BENGH730 Mechatronic Systems,
BENGH731 Mechatronic Systems (Including Year Abroad),
BENGH732 Mechatronic Systems (Including Placement Year),
BSC H737 Mechatronics,
BSC H167 Neural Technology with Psychology,
BSC H717 Robotics

Module description

The aim of this module is to give students an opportunity to manage a project from beginning to end under the guidance of an individual supervisor. Projects are offered by academic members of staff and cover a wide range of topics from computer science and electronic engineering. Professional development elements such as risk analysis, project management, ethics and intellectual property (IP) are embedded in the project structure.

Module aims

The aim of this module is to give students an opportunity to manage a project from beginning to end under the guidance of an individual supervisor. Projects are offered by academic members of staff and cover a wide range of topics from computer science and electronic engineering. Professional development elements such as risk analysis, project management, ethics and intellectual property (IP) are embedded in the project structure.

Module learning outcomes

On completion of the module students will be able to;

1. Apply an appropriate design methodology to achieve a product defined by a specification.
2. Use Gantt charts and time management techniques to plan and manage a project over a period of six months or more.
3. Locate and read references and produce summaries and critical analysis of them. Be aware of peer review as a means of the quality assurance of written work.
4. Record plans, ideas, results, and reflections in a log book as defined in the project guidebook.
5. Work as an individual to specify, design, construct and test a system to meet a project requirement.
6. Demonstrate oral and written communication skills through the writing of the initial and final report, through the midpoint second assessor oral examination, through the preparation and presentation of a poster at the Project Open Day, and by providing a working demonstration of the project product at the Presentation, Demonstration, and Oral Examination (PDO).
7. Present and discuss ideas informally with academic supervisors.
8. Plan an employability strategy in light of current knowledge regarding graduate employment.
9. Define and discuss the role of an engineer in society particularly related to professional ethics.
10. Plan and report on the aspects of risk within their specific project.
11. Explain the meaning of Intellectual Property and ways in which IP can be protected.

Module information

Outline Syllabus

This is a triple module in which individual students work under a project supervisor to produce a final product starting from a project description provided by the supervisor. Projects are allocated at the end of the second year.

Working space is provided for students and regular weekly meetings are held with supervisors. In parallel with the independent project work students receive a weekly lecture on topics in support of their project work.

Learning and teaching methods

Lecturers, Individual Project Work and Supervisor Meetings

Bibliography

  • Agile best practices and tutorials | Atlassian, https://www.atlassian.com/agile
  • Learn kanban with Jira Software | Atlassian, https://www.atlassian.com/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-kanban-with-jira-software
  • Plummer, Frederick B. (2007) Project engineering: the essential toolbox for young engineers, Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier.
  • Learn scrum with Jira Software | Atlassian, https://www.atlassian.com/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   A planning record using JIRA     5% 
Coursework   Project Demonstration Oral Interview     20% 
Coursework   Challenge Week Interview - Week 2    5% 
Coursework   Interim Oral Interview - Week 11     10% 
Coursework   Poster Submission for Open Day     5% 
Coursework   Abstract for Project Open Day     0% 
Coursework   Final Report    55% 
Coursework   Summer Reassessment - Final Report     

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Vishwanathan Mohan, email: vishwanathan.mohan@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Anthony Vickers
CSEE School Office, email: csee-schooloffice (non-Essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create full e-mail address), Telephone 01206 872770

 

Availability
Yes
No
No
There is no financial assistance from the University for travel costs associated with work placements or live projects as part of this module.

External examiner

Dr Jeremy Ian Hiller Gow
Goldsmiths College
Lecturer
Dr Robert John Watson
University of Bath
Senior Lecturer
Dr Yunfei Chen
University of Warwick
Associate Professor
Dr Iain Phillips
Loughborough University
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 93 hours, 57 (61.3%) hours available to students:
36 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (School of)

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