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Level 5 BEng/BSc/FD/HND Project Assignments

This document contains a set of assignments for guiding project supervisors and their students through a project at penultimate year bachelors degree level or in the final year of a HND or foundation degree. The project is a group project and weighted at 15 credits The set of five assignments give a sample of typical activities that the project may include. This project includes the following assignments with the associated weightings.
Assignment title Feasibility Study Poster Project Report Demonstration Evaluation weighting 10% 10% 60% 10% 10%

A set of descriptors are used to guide grading criteria.

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Assignment 1 Feasibility Study

Introduction This module requires that students carry out a work-relevant project as part of a team. Individual projects may be accepted if the students situation makes group work difficult (please discuss with staff). This Assignment contributes 10% of the overall mark for this module. This Assignment involves carrying out and reporting on a short feasibility study for your project. Task(s) This module involves carrying out the following tasks. 1. Through discussions with your colleagues and staff or in your place of work or elsewhere, you must develop an idea for a project and form a group of maximum 4 (Please note that projects from individuals are occasionally allowed, provided you have dispensation from staff). Group members must ensure that their contribution to the project is consistent with their stream of study. The group then must carry out the remaining tasks. 2. You must hold at least one group meeting for which you produce a set of minutes including the date, those present, matters discussed and action points. (In the case of individual projects you should produce a similar document recording a meeting with other stakeholders in your project). 3. Produce a Project Specification and email it to a member of staff. A typical project specification will contain the following:
A statement of the general area of the project A brief description on the starting point (is it completely new or are you building on existing work?) The objectives of the project; what are you expecting to achieve? Indications of the technical approach to be taken. The participants expertise with respect to the project.

Please state the names and email addresses of the group members and their streams Continue with tasks 4 and 5 only when the project is accepted 4. Produce a feasibility study for the project which considers the technical feasibility and operational feasibility of the project. The feasibility study may also consider issues such as the economic feasibility (does the estimated cost of the project justify the benefits?) and legal, moral, security, environmental and health and safety issues. These issues should be addressed both for the project and the possible outcomes of the project. 5. Produce a project plan, for example a Gantt chart. You may include more detailed analysis such as network charts, precedence table and risk factors.

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Submission requirements Submit the outcomes of the tasks as a word-processed report. Keep a copy for your records. All documents should clearly show who the author(s) are. Please refer to the marking scheme for further guidance. Assessment The assessment criteria are as shown below. The grading will be based on the authorship of the various documents in the submitted report. Note that if a group member is not an author of any document then the maximum attainable mark for this piece of work is 40%. Marking Scheme
Criteria Signed Project Specification [10]-if staff agreement is shown, otherwise marked with respect to content Record of a Project Management Meeting [4-5] A record is produced. [5.5-6.5] Record contains date, agenda, those present, matters discussed, action points. Coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate with few spelling or grammatical mistakes. [7-10] A credible account. Professionally presented, showing an an individual approach to communicating work coherently. Uses technical language fluently and is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes. Project Planning [12-16]Some evidence eg Gantt chart [17-20] As above but includes network analysis, evidence of research [21-30] Considers network charts, precedence table, risk factors, thorough research Consideration of Feasibility [16-21] Technical, operational feasibility are considered. Legal, moral, security, environmental and health and safety issues are addressed, when appropriate. Costing is considered. [22-27] Coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate with few spelling or grammatical mistakes. Evidence of research. [28-40] Professionally presented, showing an an individual approach to communicating work coherently. Uses technical language fluently and is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes.Thoroughly researched. Case for Project (in Conclusion of Report) [4-5] Reason(s) why the project is worth doing are stated. [5.5-6.5] Reasons for doing the project are backed up by the findings in the body of the feasibility study. Coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate with few spelling or grammatical mistakes. [7-10] Reasons are evaluated and a valid conclusion is drawn. Professionally presented, using technical language fluently and is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes. Marks /10 /10

/30

/40

/10

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Assignment 2 Poster
This Assignment accounts for 10% of the maximum marks for this module and covers the Poster Presentation (part of the audio-visual presentation). You should have already completed Assignment 1 Feasibility Study. Tasks Create a poster presentation on a sheet of A1 size. The poster is to present the main elements of the feasibility study of your group project. There are a number of guides on the web for producing posters, see for example http://www.uwex.edu/ces/tobaccoeval/pdf/postertips.pdf . Submission Requirement It is likely that the poster will be assessed by an external examiner. You may need to answer questions on your project. It is acceptable to produce a poster by cut and paste or projection from a computer if you find the production of the poster difficult for that date, but a A1 hard copy will normally be necessary to get a higher grade.. Each group must hand in the front sheet with the full poster or an A3 or A4 copy of their poster attached by the submission date so that a mark can be issued in the normal way. Grading A mark out of 10 will be assigned to each student involved in the poster presentation. The mark will reflect the quality of the poster and the communication of the specification of the project and the feasibility study, including the groups answers to questi ons. Students in a group are normally expected to share the creation and presentation of the poster. Students in a group normally receive individual marks. Grading Criteria [4.0-4.5] Project outcomes and methods are reported both visually and orally. [5.0-6.5] As above but also coherently presented, with a logical structure, both visually and orally. Questions are answered competently with reasonable accuracy. Largely technically accurate with few spelling or grammatical mistakes. A3/A4 copy of poster is attached to Assignment submission. [7.0-10.0] As above but also professionally presented both visually and orally. Uses technical language fluently and is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes. Questions are fully and accurately anwered. Hard copy of full paper poster is submitted.

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Assignment 3 Project Report

This Assignment accounts for 60% of the maximum marks for this module and covers the Project Report. You should have already completed Assignment 1 Feasibility Study. Tasks Carry out the planned project. Show how plans and designs are updated in the light of experience. Record and recosting of time and resources used. Keep records of meetings. Submission Requirement Hand in a report covering the range above along with all supporting documentation and evidence of the outcome of the project. Keep copies of all documents. In the case of group projects some indication of the individual contributions of members should be given. For example you could indicate individual roles or all documents could show their author(s). If there is no such statement then all group members will receive equal marks for this assignment. State the title of the course you are taking and the name(s) of your supervisor(s) (if any). Grading For the group, the work will be marked against the attached marking scheme to give an average mark for group members. Note that each member of the group will generally receive a different mark, based on his/her contribution, based on the evidence of the assignments and from the group.

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Grading criteria: See below. Category Report [16-21.5]Project plan has been followed. Requirements have been determined and followed. Designs for the outcome have been produced. Evidence of testing or a testing strategy is devised. [22-27.5] Coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate with few spelling or grammatical mistakes. Requirements are recorded and requirements have been structured (tables or diagrams). Designs for the outcome should be substantially complete. Design documents should show title, author(s) and date. A significant testing strategy is developed and implemented. If the plan is revised then a revised project plan is given. Project work is consistent with the individual students stream. Project report is securely bound. [28-40] Professionally presented, showing an an individual approach to communicating work coherently. Uses technical language fluently and is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes. Requirements have been reviewed and potentially revised. Design should be reviewed and potentially revised. A comprehensive testing strategy is developed and implemented. Any revised plan considers network charts, precedence table, risk factors. Revised plan must tie in with general project evolution. Implemention [5.5-7.5]: Design is implemented. [8-10]: As above but a tangible outcome should be produced, in line with the purpose of the project. [10.5-15]. As above but the outcome should be reviewed and potentially revised. Records of project management meetings Meetings held during the project should be recorded. These include meeting of the project team and meeting with outside parties. [2-2.5].Meetings are recorded showing date, those present, agenda, matters discussed and action points. Meetings (at least three) are recorded throughout the project and filed in historical order. [3] As above but records should be substantially technically accurate in terms of spelling and grammar. Continuity between records of meetings should be generally evident. [3.5-5]. As above but meetings should tie in accurately with changes in plans. Work should be technically accurate in the use of language, spelling and grammar
/5

Mark /40

/15

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Assignment 4 Demonstration
This Assignment accounts for 10% of the maximum marks for this module and covers the Demonstration (part of the audio-visual presentation). This is an assignment for the whole group. Tasks Organise and carry out a demonstration of your project work to one or more members of the relevant OD teaching staff at college. Group members may need to answer questions during and/or after the demonstration. There may be an arranged date for carrying out this assignment, otherwise contact staff to book date/time. Submission Requirement Each group must carry out the demonstration and must hand in the front sheet with evidence of their demo (eg screen shots, slides, photos and/or brief plan of the demo) in no more than 5 sheets of A4. Grading A mark out of 10 will be assigned to each demonstration. The mark will reflect the quality of the demonstration and the groups answers to questions. Group member may receive different marks, depending on their relative contributions to the demonstration. No mark will be issued until the demonstration has been carried out and the assignment has been handed in. Grading Criteria [3.5-4.5] Project is demonstrated. [5.0-6.5] As above but also coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate. [7.0-10.0] As above but also professionally presented, showing an an individual approach to communicating work coherently. Uses technical language fluently.

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Assignment 5 Evaluation
This Assignment accounts for 10% of the maximum marks for this module and covers the evaluation of the project. Group members views of how their project went may vary considerably, so this is an individual assignment. Tasks Towards the end of your project, you are asked to evaluate it. Your evaluation should address the following issues Evaluation of outcome against original design objectives Evaluation of the effectiveness of teamwork (either within your project team and/or other parties) Performance against original time/cost objectives Cost effectiveness of final product or outcome (if appropriate) Suggestions for improvements/further developments.

Submission Requirement Submit a report. Grading A mark out of 10 will be awarded for the evaluation.. Grading Criteria [3.5-4.5] Project is evaluated. [5.0-6.5] As above but also applies and analyses detailed knowledge and skills using relevant theories and techniques. Coherently presented, with a logical structure. Largely technically accurate. [7.0-10.0] As above but also evaluated and synthesised relevant theories and techniques to generate and justify valid conclusions. Also professionally presented, showing an an individual approach to communicating work coherently. Uses technical language fluently.