Dig6030 and dig6045 digital media technology projects 15 16

Faculty of Computing, Engineering

and the Built Environment

Centre for Digital Media Technology

Undergraduate Projects Guidance Notes

DIG6030 Media Technology Project UG3

(30 credit)

BSc (Hons) Film Technology and Visual Effects

Digital Media Technology

DIG6045 Technology Project UG3

(45 credit)

BSc (Hons) Film Production Technology

Music Technology Sound Engineering and Production

Academic Year: 2015 – 2016

Version Number Version Date

Version 1.1

01 October 2015

DIG6030 and DIG6045 Digital Media Technology Projects 15-16.docx

ii DIG6030 and DIG6045 Digital Media Technology Projects 15-16 (v5).docx 01/10/2015

SUMMARY ASSESSMENT INFORMATION, 2015-16

Modules: DIG6030 Media Technology Project UG3 (30 credit) DIG6045 Technology Project UG3 (45 credit) Moodle: http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6864 Courses: Film Production Technology; Film Technology and Visual Effects; Digital Media Technology; Music Technology; Sound Engineering and Production; Co-ordinator: Anthony Lewis

Assessment overview

Semester Wk No

Deliverables. Submit by 12 midday on date given in Moodle Due week indicated in left hand column is for guidance only. Deadlines are published in Moodle Refer to full submission requirements in this document.

S1 Wk 2

Project Registration Form – Submission via Moodle New project registration forms need to be submitted and can be based on the second year proposals with changes and updates. They need to be completed by the end of week 2

S1 Wk 4

Full Project Proposal Document – Submission via Moodle See section 4

S1 Wk 5/6

Compulsory Formal Review Meeting with supervisors to review aims and objectives and provide feedback. This meeting counts towards project management marks and is undertaken in the Academic Health Check week

S1 Wk 10

Review of Existing Knowledge and Methodology Report – Submission via Moodle See section 5

S2 Wk 7

Draft Report submission. – Submit report electronically via Moodle This also provides feedback from the Turnitin originality checking system See section 6.

S2 Wk 8/9

Compulsory Formal Review Meeting with supervisors to review progress and provide feedback on the draft submission This meeting counts towards project management marks and is undertaken in the Academic Health Check week

S2 Wk 11

Main Report and Poster - submitted via Moodle See section 7

Assessment summary Week Assessment weighting

1.1 Registration form S1-2

1.2 Project Proposal document S1-4

5%

Formal review meeting S1-5/6

1.3 Review of existing knowledge and methodology report

S1-10 30%

Draft submission S2-7


1.4 Main Report and Poster S2-11

65%

http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6864

iii DIG6030 and DIG6045 Digital Media Technology Projects 15-16 (v5).docx 01/10/2015

CONTENTS

SUMMARY INFORMATION & CALENDAR ii

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 THE DIFFERENT PROJECT MODULES ....................................................................................... 4 1.2 PROJECT ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 5 1.4 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP .................................................... 6 1.5 MAINTAINING RECORDS - LOGBOOK RECORD........................................................................... 6

2 SUPERVISION AND TUTORIALS ......................................................................................... 7

2.1 THE SUPERVISORY TEAM ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2 COMPULSORY REVIEW MEETINGS........................................................................................... 8 2.3 TUTORIAL SUPPORT .............................................................................................................. 8

3 DELIVERABLE 1 - PROJECT REGISTRATION ................................................................... 9

3.1 PROJECT SELECTION ............................................................................................................. 9 3.2 INITIAL RESEARCH .................................................................................................................. 9 3.3 PROJECT REGISTRATION - SUBMISSION ................................................................................ 10 3.4 ETHICS REVIEW ................................................................................................................... 11 3.5 CHANGING PROJECT IDEAS .................................................................................................. 11

4 DELIVERABLE 2 (5%) - FULL PROJECT PROPOSAL ...................................................... 12

4.1 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................... 12 4.2 PROPOSAL DOCUMENT ......................................................................................................... 12 4.3 COMPULSORY MEETING ....................................................................................................... 14 4.4 ASSESSMENT SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 14 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ............................................................................................................. 15

5 DELIVERABLE 3 (30%) – REVIEW OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND METHODOLOGY - REPORT ..................................................................................................................................... 17

5.1 REPORT REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................... 17 5.2 SUBMISSION SUMMARY - REVIEW OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND METHODOLOGY (30%) ......... 18 5.3 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ........................................................................................................ 19

6 DRAFT REPORT ................................................................................................................. 21

6.1 REQUIREMENT FOR DRAFT REPORT SUBMISSION .................................................................. 21 6.2 SUBMISSION TO TURNITIN..................................................................................................... 21 6.3 COMPULSORY MEETING ....................................................................................................... 21

7 DELIVERABLE 4 (65%) - FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION AND POSTER ......................... 22

7.1 MAIN REPORT – STRUCTURE AND CONTENT ........................................................................... 22 7.2 MAIN REPORT – STYLE AND CONVENTIONS ............................................................................ 26 7.3 POSTER – A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................. 28 7.4 SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC LIBRARY WAIVER FORM ............................................................ 30 7.5 ARTEFACTS. ........................................................................................................................ 30 7.6 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ........................................................................................................ 31

8 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................... 36

APPENDIX A - PROJECT MODERATION PROCESS AND GENERAL CRITERIA .................................... 36 APPENDIX B – MOODLE ........................................................................................................... 37 APPENDIX C - RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVAL ...................................................................... 38 APPENDIX D. SUPERVISOR INFORMATION. .......................................................................... 38

DIG6030 and DIG6045 Digital Media Technology Projects 15-16 (v5).docx (01/10/2015) Page 4

1 INTRODUCTION Please read through this document carefully – it describes how to undertake the project and includes essential information on assessment. However, it is not a substitute for attendance at the tutorial classes and regular meetings with your supervisor. Before starting you should also read the assessment criteria in each section which indicate what the assessors will be looking for, and what you should be demonstrating, for each of the deliverables You will find on Moodle the project module syllabus and other key documents to assist you. 1.1 The different Project Modules Students of the Centre for Digital Media Technology will study one of two possible project modules depending on the course and pathway followed. The two projects have the same overall aims and objectives and support but require different amounts of work from students. Music Technology, Sound Engineering and Production, and Film Production Technology students normally study the 45 credit Technology Project UG3 (DIG6045). This has a 10-12,000 word report and will reflect the 450 hours of time allocated. Some students who have had an interruption of studies, deferral, placement or restudy may study the 30 credit version when required to complete their award. Students on Film Technology and Visual Effects, and Digital Media Technology will study the 30 credit Media Technology Project UG3 (DIG6030). This has a 8-10,000 word report and will reflect the 300 hours of time allocated. 1.2 Project Assessment The project assesses both the processes and outputs of undertaking a major individual piece of work. There are four main deliverables for the Individual Project and two formal review meetings.

Assessment deliverables Week Assessment weighting

1.1 Registration form S1-2 0%

1.2 Project Proposal document S1-4

5%

Formal review meeting S1-7

1.3 Review of existing knowledge and methodology report

S1-10 30%

Draft submission S2-7


1.4 Main Report and Poster S2-10

65%

The specific date of submissions are shown in Moodle. The deadline is always 12 midday. All written submissions will be submitted via upload in Moodle and should be PDF format documents.


All work is submitted electronically and you must ensure that you securely retain final copies of all work submitted in an electronic form should there be any problems with accessing your submitted work. Unavailability or failure of computing equipment / printers is not seen as exceptional circumstances so cannot be part of any claim for extensions. Throughout the development of your project you should ensure that you create regular backups of work you create and keep those backups safe. Assessment is undertaken by the supervisory team using academic judgement and the assessment breakdown and criteria for each item as outlined in the following pages. On completion of all the assessments there is a moderation process. The moderation process may recommend modification of the marks to achieve consistency of assessment standard. 1.3 Aims and Objectives The final year project provides an opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge in a specialist area relevant to the course. This will allow you to demonstrate your ability to:

manage your own activities and resources to solve problems

generate innovative ideas and solutions

engage with literature and search tools

develop capacity to organise and carry out a programme of work in a comprehensive and systematic way

develop ability to draw logical conclusions from information collected and presented

advance your own scientific and technical knowledge

develop writing and presentation skills

write an academic paper following accepted conventions of style and referencing

present factual data, arguments and conclusions in a clear and concise manner

develop general professional skills and attitudes

The project will be an individual piece of work.

Note that these aims and objectives relate to your learning and are different to the

aims and objectives you develop for your specific project

Project Aim

To provide students with an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained

during the taught part of the course to achieve performance improvement of a

relevant industrial/academic activity.

Objectives

In order to qualify for the award of BSc (Hons) students must pass a project

relevant to their course of studies. Students should show competence in the

following:

i) Understanding and taking account of the constraints imposed by an

academic, industrial or commercial need.


ii) In the context of established knowledge and the concepts covered

during the taught part of the course, assessing the relevance of

appropriate theory and its application to the specification, analysis and

solution of a problem.

iii) Understanding of the problem and current potential solutions.

iv) The ability to draw appropriate conclusions from the analysis and

recommend and/or implement solution(s) that meet the specification in

terms of technical and/or commercial performance.

v) To work independently or as part of a team and to show an ability to

communicate with others, manage processes and solve problem

systematically and scientifically.

vi) To produce a report on the project to an appropriate standard.

1.4 Degree Classification and Professional membership The project is always included in the calculation for honours classification and therefore constitutes a significant proportion of your final year work. A successful project will both enhance your CV and benefit career development. The project must be passed at the first attempt to obtain IET accreditation.

1.5 Maintaining Records - Logbook record It is important to maintain an accurate logbook record of all activity related to the project, as it is undertaken, with notes of meetings, feedback received, experimental and information search results, references etc. maintained throughout the duration of the project. The logbook should be brought to meetings with the project supervisor. The logbook forms a day-to-day record of progress and should build up to become the basis from which the Progress Report and Main Report are derived. You will need to submit a summary of all meetings as an appendix to your report. Logbooks can be maintained electronically as long as they can be made available to your supervisor. However it is strongly recommended that you have some form of physical notebook to record key information, references, activities etc. as you go (especially references). The logbook is not submitted as part of the assessment. Any physical logbook should be robust, and be able to withstand the rigours of the laboratory/practical/travel etc. environment without pages falling out and getting lost. In particular, a physical logbook should:

have fixed pages (no ring binders, lever arch files or similar).

have a strong, though not necessarily rigid cover.

be A4 in size - smaller books sometimes prevent the clear recording of activity, meetings, ideas, results, sketches and diagrams, etc..


Your logbook should be an accurate record of your progress. You should maintain a logbook record as you work so that problems do not occur through errors of memory, or scraps of paper being lost. The logbook is also an important part of project management and should be used to note down plans for meetings and other activities. Careful planning leads to more effective use of time. There are two types of logbook entry; a journal entry and a practical entry:

A journal entry is an account of an activity such as visiting the Centre for Academic Success or reading a textbook. The format for a journal entry is not fixed except that the date and type of entry should be at the beginning, and a conclusions section describing what has been achieved at the end.

A practical entry is somewhat more involved. It is an account of a planned, practical activity, leading to measurements/results, which may be in a laboratory or on location. As with a journal entry, a practical entry should begin with the date and type of entry. This should be followed by an objectives section, which describes what is expected to be achieved. If appropriate, some background information may be included under a suitable heading. A plan of activities should follow under the heading of "Procedure", and if applicable, a list of equipment/hardware/measurement used, with serial numbers where appropriate, under an appropriate heading. The various results and outcomes of the activities described in the procedure should be entered under the heading "Results". Practical logbook entries should have conclusions summarising the achievements and recommendations for further action.

During the course of the project, you will accumulate copies of reference documents, journal papers, data sheets, background information etc. These should be kept in a properly indexed file so that you can readily find items when they are needed.

2 Supervision and Tutorials

The project is an individual piece of work that allows you to manage your own activities and resources to solve problems. You will be supported by a supervisory team and schedule tutorial sessions. Additional resources will be provided on Moodle. 2.1 The Supervisory Team Two members of academic staff will provide support during your project. During the life of the project you will need to get support on the nature of the project and the academic requirement. It is not just about solving a problem or investigating an issue but about producing an academic report, following a clear justified methodology, a project plan and producing a correctly referenced report. Your Technical Adviser is the lead supervisor whom you should meet you regularly to discuss progress and guide you in the requirements. An Academic Mentor will also be allocated to you, they will normally be the second marker and be an additional person you can discuss your project with although it should be noted that it is not the role of the academic mentor to provide technical advice You will be expected to call on your Technical Adviser when you are defining your project aims and objectives and throughout the project when you need advice of a


technical nature. The support provided may be one-to-one, in group sessions and may be in scheduled sessions. Attendance at meetings with your Technical Adviser and Academic Mentor will also be recorded in the attendance monitoring system. You should make frequent and adequate contact with your supervisors. It is strongly recommended that you arrange to meet your Technical Adviser at least every other week at a fixed time. The length of the meetings will vary dependent on the project activities at the time. Regular meetings with your supervisors early on are important for constructive development of your proposals and in laying the foundations for a successful outcome. When attending meetings you should bring a logbook, (see 1.5 Maintaining Records - Logbook record) for both demonstrating a record of activity and keeping notes of the meeting. You will be expected to complete a record of Final Year Project meetings to be included as an appendix of the final report. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your Technical Adviser, and where appropriate your Academic mentor are kept up to date with progress. If you encounter any problems, contact your supervisors immediately. 2.2 Compulsory Review Meetings Your success in terms of the management of your Project is assessed as part of the final submission. There are two compulsory meetings that you are required to attend. The first looks at the aims and objectives and the second progress and draft report. These meetings together with the required summaries of meetings with supervisors feed into the project management marks of the final submission. 2.3 Tutorial Support As well as your supervisory support there is a programme of tutorials and online resources in Moodle to help you with meeting the requirements of the project. The staff delivering those tutorials will be able to help you and direct you to appropriate academic resources. Attendance at Tutorials will be monitored and recorded in the attendance monitoring system. As part of the tutorial programme there will be two key half-day Workshops, in semester 1 week 2 and semester 2 week 1, to provide the essential information required for the project. In addition there will be a number of tutorials covering specific aspects of the project at appropriate points throughout the year. Tutorial classes and the workshops are supported by the on-line Moodle materials and it is essential to familiarise yourself with the range of Moodle-based project resources as soon as possible. Details of the session times and location will be shown in your online timetable, please check these carefully as they may vary as the year progresses.


The outline initial plans for the tutorials (subject to change – see Moodle) are: Semester 1 Week 1 – Introduction to the project (tutorial) Semester 1 Week 2 – Workshop 1 (aims, objectives, research methods, Semester 1 Week 6 – Critical analysis – reviewing existing knowledge (tutorial) Semester 1 Week 7 - Methodology (tutorial) Semester 2 Week 1 – Workshop 2 (writing your report, plagiarism) Semester 2 Week 6 – The final report and poster (tutorial)

3 Deliverable 1 - PROJECT REGISTRATION

3.1 Project Selection Most students submitted a project idea as part of a second year module. You will need to update your proposal using the registration form available on the project Moodle and upload it by the end of week 2. Therefore ALL students must submit a new/revised proposal. Lists of project topics and staff profiles, and much additional information, are provided in the course Moodle. Guidance on making a suitable selection of project as well as formulating statements of overall aim and objectives is provided in the project tutorial classes in the first few weeks of the autumn term. Even if you have previously completed a proposal, you should still attend all the sessions. The Project Module Co-ordinator will allocate supervisors based on your project registration. Any academic staff may be contacted directly to discuss ideas for projects - make an appointment to meet them. Allocation of supervisory staff does not necessarily mean a project is viable and considerable work may still need to be done. Students need to work closely with their allocated supervisors to establish an appropriate set of aims and objectives. 3.2 Initial research Undertaking a project should begin with a comprehensive information search and literature review. The purpose of the research phase is to:

Develop knowledge in project-specific subjects. This could be extending knowledge to a depth beyond that attained in the course modules to date and exploring areas not covered by course modules. Typical sources could include texts, manufacturers’ information sheets and software manuals.

Investigate publications by others in the same, or related, fields. The intention should be to avoid repetition of work previously undertaken by others. Rather you should aim to benefit from the progress made so that you can build upon previous experience, compare ideas and approaches, extend knowledge and develop new applications. Typical sources include journal publications, conference papers and university theses. These should all be


appropriately cited, using the Harvard system, in your work.

Explore the wider context for the work. This could include legal and regulatory aspects - European directives, patents, etc.; British and ISO Standards; financial aspects - costs/financial constraints and targets to be achieved. Typical sources include reference publications and various web sites. Again it is essential to make appropriate reference, citing the source correctly, in your work.

The literature review should lead to an evaluation of your findings and their influence on your plans to achieve your project aims. You should discuss your research findings with your supervisor and obtain feedback on progress and direction of the project. It may be that certain project objectives need to be reconsidered in the light of your findings and proposals for modification, with justification, should be included. In choosing a project, it helps considerably if you have an interest in the subject area involved. It is also important that the project aims are consistent with your course title and provide scope to develop and demonstrate personal skills and attributes (such as reasoning, creativity, analytical skills and judgment) at a level appropriate for an honours degree. Refer to the module aims and learning outcomes in the syllabus, downloadable from Moodle, and consider whether your proposed project will provide scope to meet the module learning outcomes. Also, consider your proposal against each of the assessment criteria in this document to ensure there is appropriate scope for demonstrating achievement. Each aspect of the project from initial idea, through the proposal, literature review and methodology builds up to create the overall project, culminating in the final report. Do not treat each aspect as a stand-alone activity but part of the whole process.

3.3 Project Registration - Submission You will need to submit your project registration form by upload to Moodle by end of Week 2. Having obtained guidance from a member of academic staff you should register your project by submitting the project registration form, downloadable from Moodle. This should be submitted at the latest by the date given on Moodle. If you are having problems identifying an appropriate project, contact the Project Module Co-ordinator. . The title that you choose for your Final Year Project should be appropriate for your course and provide sufficient scope for the exploration of technology or for the subject matter to be investigated in a suitably scientific manner appropriate to a BSc degree. A working title may be used for the registration form. If it is a project suggested by a member of staff, contact the relevant member of staff to establish if it is still available and to agree the overall aim and provisional objectives. This will later be developed into a full proposal, including project title, which should be submitted by the end of week 4. You will be asked to submit your title in Moodle and to update it throughout the project as a separate activity. If you are proposing your own idea for a project, you should discuss it with, and have input from a member of academic staff who may agree, provisionally, to support it as technical advisor. You should include in your registration form a brief statement of rationale (that is justification; why is it important for the work to be done? Who, apart


from you, will benefit from the work?). If you submit a registration form without support from a member of staff, or with significant shortcomings allocation of a supervisor may be delayed. Note the allocation of staff is also dependent on individual staff commitments. The brief proposal in the registration document should contain sufficient information on the proposed aims and provisional objectives to enable academic staff to form a judgment on its suitability for the honours study programme and for a supervisor to be allocated. While you are waiting for a supervisor to be allocated you should continue to make progress on developing your project. Modifications may be required to be made to proposals and there may be limits on the number of projects that can be supported in some topic areas, subject to resource constraints. 3.4 Ethics Review The Faculty has reviewed its Ethics policies for this academic year so you will need to consider whether there are any issues relating to

Potential physical or psychological harm, discomfort or stress

Protection of research subject confidentiality

Data protection and consent

Moral issues and Researcher/Institutional Conflicts of Interest

Vulnerable participants

Animals

Bringing the University into disrepute The registration form provides an initial point when you consider ethical issues and this will be covered in in the first workshop and needs to be considered in more depth for your Full Project Proposal. An online questionnaire is available on Moodle to check for possible ethical issues. If you answer ‘yes’, your proposal will need to be assessed by the Research Ethics Committee. You should refer to the research ethics check list form, downloadable from Moodle, and sign to agree to abide by the BCU research ethics regulations and give a copy to your supervisor. 3.5 Changing Project Ideas If you wish to make significant changes to the project aims after initial registration, the revised aims and rationale must be agreed with the supervisors and a revised Full Project Proposal Document must be submitted by sending a copy to the Final Year Project Coordinator for approval, this can be done by email to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


4 Deliverable 2 (5%) - FULL PROJECT PROPOSAL

4.1 Requirements Note that this section applies to all students. A full Project Proposal is required even though it may be similar to that previously submitted for your Year 2 industry module. Improvements and developments should be made following feedback on the previous version. Your proposal must contain a clear literature search methodology. By the end of week 4 (refer to Moodle for submission date), you should have submitted a full Project Proposal Document. This should be a PDF document and is uploaded to Moodle. The document outlines the project aim and how it is to be achieved. Achieving the overall aim will involve a variety of activities such as investigation, research, experiment, design, theoretical analysis and product creation. These should be expressed as a number of measurable objectives. Tutorial sessions will be held to provide guidance on setting aims and objectives. You need to have undertaken the online ethics review (see Moodle) by this time. This formal assessment point is designed to ensure you have developed your project proposal using appropriate literature to refine the overall aims and objectives. There should also be evidence of the planned methodologies to be applied. Following submission there is a compulsory meeting with your academic supervisor, which normally happens in the academic health check week between weeks 5 and 6. At this meeting you will be able to discuss and obtain feedback on your aims and objectives. The Project Proposal Document is of key importance. It is the basis for all the project activity throughout the rest of the academic year and how it is formulated will have a significant influence on the ultimate success of the project. The project proposal should demonstrate that: • The project aim and objectives are consistent with your course title, covering an appropriate area of investigation and activity. • The objectives provide opportunity and scope for demonstrating honours degree level attributes of creativity, analysis, reasoning and judgment. 4.2 Proposal document The full proposal document (typically 5-10 sides of A4, including a title page and diagrams) should typically comprise the following (some headings may not be applicable):

1. Introduction and background to the project. Brief explanation of what the project aims to cover 2. Overall aim and specific objectives. The aim states what you want to achieve overall, but not how you are going to do it. It is broad and a generalised statement of intent. The objectives set out


how you are going to achieve your Aim. Objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourced and Time limited). They do not cover how you are going to do it but what you are going to achieve. SMART objectives are covered in the first Workshop and additional information is available on Moodle. 3. Rationale Outline the value and benefits to be derived from the project and in particular who will gain from it apart from you. What contribution will it make to the function of a company, organisation or other defined set of individuals or group? 4. Tasks/activities A list of tasks detailing proposed activities and approach/possible solution(s) to the problem(s). These normally relate closely to the objectives and form the start of your consideration of a methodology. 5. Resources Identification of likely resources that will be needed. These could be in various categories: laboratory or industrial equipment; IT hardware/software; information (library, databases). Any costs that the project may entail should be estimated. Note that funds are not normally available from the School to support student projects. 6. Literature Search methodology You should state what search terms that you will be using to search and what databases you are going to use. You should identify how you are going to grade the significance of each resource found and how you are going to record findings. An example may be:

“This literature review was performed by searching the IEEE and ACM digital libraries as well as Google Scholar for the following search terms: “real-time previsualization”; “on-set previsualization”; “onset previsualization”; “virtual production”; “real-time special effects”. Articles were initially shortlisted based on title, then their relevance was graded based on their abstracts. There was an initial focus on real-time previsualization systems rather than individual technologies used within them. Additional articles cited by or citing these shortlisted articles were also identified, these were either key texts cited by multiple highly relevant articles or articles discussing specific technologies in the context of real-time previsualization.”

7. Schedule You are required to create a Gantt chart (guidance available via Moodle site) demonstrating your approaches to time management, taking into account the activities stated above other activities and assessments you may be involved in. A realistic time should be planned for each task. It is expected that further


iterations of this Gantt chart will be created, dated and presented as your project progresses. 8. Risk assessment Any potential sources of health and safety risk should be identified and ways of eliminating the hazard discussed with your supervisor. This heading must be included. If you assess there to be no risks, there should be a statement to this effect. 9. Ethics Review You need to have undertaken the online ethics test (see Moodle). If any potential issues have been identified these should be identified. See 3.4 Ethics Review above. You need to carefully consider how you are approaching ethical issues, please refer to the assessment criteria.

4.3 Compulsory Meeting

You must have a meeting with your Technical Adviser and Academic Mentor, within three weeks of submission, normally in the academic health check week. . The meeting is a formal project review at which your supervisor will discuss the full proposal and any issues with the project viability. This meeting counts towards project management and progress will be formally recorded.

4.4 Assessment Summary The full project proposal is submitted in week 4. This is followed in weeks 5/6

(academic health check week) by a formal meeting with your supervisors. Failure to submit the Full Project Proposal by the deadline in week 4 will result in

the deliverable being caped at 40%. Failure to submit the Full Project Proposal within 5 working days of the deadline in week 4 will result in a zero mark.

Students with additional support summaries will normally be able to submit their

report within five working days of the deadline without penalty and will be required to attend a meeting by the end of teaching week 6.


Assessment Criteria

Element & weighting

Assessment Criteria Typical Mark

Mark Range

Aims and Objectives and Rationale 40%

There is an excellent rationale for the project with an excellent well considered aim and supporting SMART objectives

85+ 80-100

There is a good rationale for the project with an appropriate aim and set of SMART objectives

75 70-79

There is an appropriate rationale for the project with an appropriate aim and set of measurable objectives

65 60–69

There is a clear rationale for the project with an appropriate aim and set of objectives

55 50–59

There is a rationale for the project with an appropriate aim but objectives do not fully support the stated aim.

45 40–49

The project needs to be developed further to become viable but there is evidence that this could be achieved

35 30–39

The project needs significant work to make viable and lacks a clear set of objectives.

0-29

Element & weighting


Mark Range

Identify literature 30%

There is evidence of excellent initial research methodology covering the subject area through a broad range of appropriate sources

85+ 80-100

There is evidence of a very good initial research methodology covering the fundamentals of the subject area through a range of sources

75 70-79

There is evidence of good initial research covering the fundamentals of the subject area through a broad range of sources

65 60–69

There is evidence of a clear initial research methodology to identify the search terms and types of material that will be needed for the project

55 50–59

There is some evidence of initial research methodology to identify the search terms and types of material that will be needed for the project but limited in scope or appropriateness

45 40–49

Very little research into the initial research methodology but some awareness of what should have been achieved and how to go about it.

35 30–39

Little or no relevant research methodology or a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of the subject area.

0-29


Element & Weighting


Mark Range

Tasks, Resources and Schedule 20%

A comprehensive set of tasks relating to meeting a good set of project objectives identifying resources and appropriate timescales

85+ 80-100

There is a excellent set of tasks showing how objectives will be met with detailed coverage of expected resources and appropriate project plan

75 70-79

There is a good set of tasks showing how objectives could be met with an indication of expected resources and good outline project plan

65 60–69

There is a clear set of tasks covering the whole project with an indication of expected resources and outline timescale

55 50–59

There is a set of tasks covering the whole project with some indication of expected resources and outline timescale

45 40–49

There is a limited number of tasks, with some indication of expected resources and outline timescale, but does not provide enough information

35 30–39

Very limited or no set of tasks covering the project with poor consideration of expected resources and timescale

0-29

Element & weighting

Assessment Criteria

Typical Mark

Mark Range

Risks and Ethics 10%

Ethics questionnaire done with excellent understanding of any issue raised and how they can be managed. Risk assessment included and health and safety potential risks identified and action needed to be taken to eliminate or reduce risks to an acceptable level specified

85+ 80-100

Ethics questionnaire done with excellent understanding of any issue raised and how they can be managed. Risk assessment included and health and safety potential risks identified and any issues discussed in detail

75 70-79

Ethics questionnaire done with good understanding of any issue raised. Risk assessment included and health and safety potential risks identified and any issues discussed.

65 60–69

Ethics questionnaire done. Risk assessment included and health and safety potential risks identified.

55 50–59

Ethics questionnaire done Risk assessment included and main health and safety risks identified.

45 40–49

Ethics questionnaire done but may have missed some issues. Risk assessment very limited or inappropriate for project.

35 30–39

No ethics questionnaire undertaken and/or very limited consideration of health and safety issues

0-29


5 Deliverable 3 (30%) – Review of Existing Knowledge and Methodology - report

This report assesses three key aspects of your project

1. A Review of Existing Knowledge 2. Proposed Methodology 3. Project Plan

5.1 Report Requirements This report is submitted via Moodle in semester 1 week 11. The document should cover the following:

General Aim and Objectives State the overall aim, as it appears in the full proposal document, with modifications as applicable and as approved by supervisor. List objectives as stated in the full proposal document, with modification if applicable and approved by supervisor. Review of Existing Knowledge The report include the following:

Knowledge gained of subject fundamentals. Offer evidence to demonstrate that you have achieved a foundation of knowledge in your chosen subject area.

The Literature Search Methodology (updated from the Full project proposal)

Critical review of previous research in chosen field. Evaluate key texts, journals and other sources which you have investigated. For each state briefly their (expected) contribution towards achieving the project aims. Where there is lack of progress there should be brief explanation.

Methodology You should clearly describe and justify your chosen methodology and proposed implementation. It is recommended you provide a diagram showing your methodology. Limitations of the chosen method should be identified and ways to overcome them suggested. Depending on the project subject area methodology could include a design process or subject-specific approach. It could also include the choice of apparatus, equipment, software etc. If the chosen methods are flawed, or fail to include better approaches which could have been considered, the validity of the results and findings may be undermined. However, compromises have to be accepted, for example in time and cost.


Such limitations and problems should be identified together with how they are to be overcome and/or the compromises that will have had to be made. As research progressed, you should have been reviewing your objectives and methodology in the light of your research findings. Consider the validity and appropriateness of your approach to achieving the project objectives and describe the influence of your research on your methodology. Draw attention to, and provide justification for, any developments and changes that have been made since you submitted the proposal document.

Progress and Project Plan

An updated version of your Gantt Chart should be included. This should clearly demonstrate a link between the planned methodology and activities taking into account other workloads, deadlines, holidays etc. Bibliography and References Your report should be presented in a formal academic style (see guidance for the Main Report) with citations and references in Harvard format

It is often useful to summarise key research information using tables, diagrams and charts. Word count should be around 2500 words (main body of the text, i.e. this does not include the title page, list of references, tables, charts and bibliography).

5.2 Submission Summary - Review of Existing Knowledge and Methodology (30%) The report is submitted in semester 1 week 11 and provides the background research undertaken to support the achievement of the Project aims and objectives and a clear methodology demonstrating how the project will be achieved in conjunction with a project plan.

Students with support summaries will normally be able to submit their report within seven working days of the deadline without penalty.


5.3 Assessment Criteria

Element & weighting

Assessment Criteria Typical

Mark

Mark Range

Knowledge gained of subject fundamentals 30%

There is evidence of excellent comprehensive research covering the subject area through a broad range of appropriate sources (journals, text, web).

85+ 80-100

There is evidence of excellent initial research covering the fundamentals of the subject area through a broad range of sources (journals, text, web).

75 70-79

There is evidence of good initial research covering the fundamentals of the subject area through a broad range of sources (journals, text, web).

65 60–69

There is evidence of initial research into the essentials of this subject area but further research and information gathering could have been achieved at this stage.

55 50–59

Some information gathering has taken place but it is only just adequate and much additional research work should have been achieved at this stage in order to gain a deeper appreciation of the subject fundamentals.

45 40–49

Very little research into the fundamentals of the field but some awareness of what should have been achieved and how to go about it.

35 30–39

Little or no relevant research leading to the demonstration of a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of the subject area.

0-29

Element & weighting


Mark Range

Critical review of previous research in chosen field 20%

Evidence of rigorous critical analysis of appropriate past research in the chosen subject area.

85+ 80-100

Evidence of the ability to carry out rigorous critical analysis of past research in the chosen subject area.

75 70-79

Some good critical analysis of previous research in the field although this could have been covered in greater depth.

65 60–69

Evidence of competent evaluation of the work of previous researchers in the subject area.

55 50–59

Limited critical appraisal, with shortcomings in depth of analysis. 45 40–49

Insufficient evidence of critical review but enough to indicate ability to pass if further work undertaken.

35 30–39

Little or no critical analysis of previous research in the chosen field. 0-29


Element & weighting


Mark Range

Methodology Justification for chosen methodology and proposed implementation 30%

Clear well defined and documented methodology. Major limitations have been identified with appropriate ways of overcoming identified.

85+ 80-100

The choice of the final methodology is clearly described and well justified. Limitations of the chosen method have been identified and ways to overcome them suggested.

75 70-79

An appropriate choice of final methodology. Limitations have been identified and ways to overcome them suggested although overall this could have been covered in greater depth.

65 60-69

Fair justification of selected methodology. Limitations have been identified.

55 50-59

Reasonable choice of approach, adequately described. 45 40-49

Methods have been selected without justification. Little detail of proposed implementation provided.

35 30-39

Inappropriate methodology described. Inadequate detail of proposed implementation.

0-29

Project Plan A project plan identifying activities over time 10%

Clear and complete project plan taking into account all tasks needed to support methodology and overall time available

85+ 80-100

Clear project plan taking into account all tasks needed to support methodology and overall time available

75 70-79

Clear project plan taking into account main tasks needed to support methodology and overall time available

65 60–69

Project plan taking into account main tasks needed to support methodology and overall time available

55 50–59

Project plan produced with main activities identified and timescales 45 40–49

Weak project plan that does not provide enough information of what tasks are being undertaken and when but provides a good overview of the project

35 30–39

Very limited project plan that lacks clarity on how and when the project tasks are being undertaken.

0-29

Report format, style and referencing 10%

Clear academic style and language in accordance with guidelines and with no shortcomings. Report includes all necessary elements and is there is demonstration of ability to produce professional documentation.

85+ 80-100

Succinct text with style and language in accordance with guidelines and with no significant shortcomings. Report includes all necessary elements and is there is demonstration of ability to distil content and cite references correctly.

75 70-79

No significant shortcoming in structure with all the main elements included. Style and language generally in accordance with the guidelines although there may be some minor deficiencies. There is demonstration of ability to cite references correctly.

65 60–69

Report generally follows guidelines including all main elements. There may be some shortcomings in clarity and some minor omissions of content. There is demonstration of ability to cite references correctly.

55 50–59

Includes major elements but there may be omissions or shortcomings. The text may have significant shortcomings in style, language and/or lack of conciseness. It may not be straightforward to follow. However, there should be adequate demonstration of ability to present a readable account and an attempt to appropriately reference it but there are shortcomings.

45 40–49

Serious shortcomings but enough indication of ability to suggest some additional work should lead to a pass standard. There may be some error or lack of evidence in citing references in the report.

35 30–39

Report has substantial shortcomings in most or all aspects. 0-29


6 Draft Report 6.1 Requirement for Draft Report Submission By the time you get to week 7 of the second semester you should have produced a draft report that you can obtain feedback on. Writing the report is covered in the second workshop and the detailed requirements are given below in 7.1 Main report – structure and content and 7.2 Main report – style and conventions. Much of your literature review and methodology will be based on the earlier coursework submission but updated to reflect new information and discussions on the effectiveness of the methodology. You should by now have a clear structure for the overall report with headings and sub-headings for all the aspects you wish to consider and a significant amount of the results and findings and some of your conclusions. By aiming to produce a draft by this time you would be well positioned to meet the final deadline. 6.2 Submission to Turnitin You will upload your draft to Moodle and this will also submit your work into the originality checking service, Turnitin. This will provide feedback which will be useful for you to check you are correctly referencing material. The use of Turnitin and the interpretation of results is covered in the second workshop and by resources in Moodle. 6.3 Compulsory Meeting You must have a meeting with your Technical Adviser and Academic Mentor, normally in the academic health check week. The meeting is a formal project review at which your supervisors which will discuss the draft report and any issues. This meeting counts towards project management and progress will be formally recorded.


7 Deliverable 4 (65%) - FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION and POSTER The project report (and associated product if applicable) is the culmination of the Individual Project. It has a weighting of 65% of the project assessment and thus requires appropriate time and care in its production The final Submission consists of four items:

1. Project Report (It must be created as a single PDF document and be less than 20Mb in size.)

2. Poster (PDF A3 equivalent) 3. Library waiver form 4. Artefacts (optional, depending on nature of project, digital artefacts can be

uploaded to Moodle, large digital files and physical artefacts need to be made available to the tutors for assessment)

Students with support summaries will normally be able to submit their report within ten working days of the deadline without penalty. 7.1 Main report – structure and content Structure Refer to the project report template in Moodle. The main project report should be a stand-alone document that can be read independently of other documents and should include the following sections:

Cover and title pages The front cover should have the project title (normal maximum of 10 words), student name, ‘‘BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY’’, award title e.g. ‘‘BSc (Hons) Sound Engineering and Production’’ and the month and year of submission. The first (title) page should have the report title and the student’s name and supervisor’s name. An abstract, i.e. a summary of the report (100-200 words), which should cover the topic, aim, methodology and main findings (quantitative if applicable) and conclusions. Acknowledgements identifying those from whom assistance has been received. A contents page listing chapter and section headings with page numbers. A glossary of symbols and abbreviations. A list of diagrams, tables and plates (photographs). A main account of: For 30 credit projects: no less than 8,000 words and no more than 10,000 words For 45 credit projects


no less than 10,000 words and no more than 12,000 words. Marks could be lost if this is not adhered to. You should state your word count at the bottom of the contents page. The word count does not include the title page, abstract, acknowledgements, contents, glossary etc, references, bibliography and appendices.

The source material for the project report should have been developed and recorded in the logbook during the course of the academic year. It is easy to underestimate the time it takes to convert the source material into a finished final account and you should start planning well in advance of the submission date given in the calendar. Note that the logbook itself is not submitted The report must be your own work and should not contain extended extracts from the work of others. Brief quotations for work that is cited should be identified in quotation marks and should always be appropriately referenced to the source. Paraphrasing the work of others also requires citation and referencing. The content of the main account will depend upon the nature of the project, but unless clearly not necessary it should include the main chapter headings and, as applicable, section headings shown in the list below. Alternative heading titles and sub-division may be used as appropriate to the particular project content – advice should be taken from your supervisor. This will usually be derived from the outline planning done for the progress report. A generic template for a project report will be found on Moodle and will be discussed in the second workshop. The structure for the main account can be based on the following:

1.0 INTRODUCTION

A short overview of the subject under study, leading on to:

1.1 Problem definition

A statement of the problem, with its significance and origin, making reference as applicable to a company or industry, that led to the project. 1.2 Scope Extent in terms of coverage, time and application.

1.3 Rationale

Why has the topic been chosen? This may be because of lack of research in the area, to shed more ideas and opinion, in response to a request, e.g. from company or organisation, or a relevant current issue. It should be more than for personal interest – you should be able to identify a company, organisation or other defined group that will benefit from the work.


1.4 Project aims and objectives

There should be a brief and precise statement of overall aim – what is intended to be attained. There should follow a list, using bullet points, of objectives –the completion of which will lead to attainment of the aim. The objectives are developed out of the aims and can be viewed as stepping-stones on the way to attainment of the aims. Bloom’s Taxonomy can help when writing objectives (see Moodle site). Further sections of background information will depend on the topic area of the project, but could include hypotheses, theory, etc. which is to be tested in the course of undertaking the project and industrial/contextual information and influences.

2.0 REVIEW OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

This should be derived from the Review of Existing Knowledge and Methodology Report. It should also have updated through the year, following up additional information of relevance arising for example, from feedback from your supervisor. It is important to include commentary discussing decisions made. Concepts, theories and opinions need to be critically evaluated and the reasons for application of the concepts and their relevance to the solution of the problem need to be established.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

This section of the report should include a description and a justification of the selected methods used, as well as a reflection on the effectiveness of the approach taken and extends the work submitted as part of the Review of Existing Knowledge and Methodology Report Success of the project depends upon careful selection of appropriate methodology. A good methodology increases the validity and reliability of the outcomes. It should be laid out clearly in the main report. This part of the report should include description of alternative approaches and justification for those selected. It could cover a design process or other subject-specific method as applicable to the project topic. Depending on the type of project, it should also cover the choice of apparatus, equipment, software etc. It should be possible for someone else to repeat any experimental or research aspects of the project and expect to obtain the same data. Methodology is not about what ‘secondary’ sources were identified. Mention of texts and journal papers that were found belong within the review of knowledge or in the main finding as appropriate. Methodology does not include the results/outcomes of application of the chosen methods. These are presented in the Results section. It is important to provide a reflection on the effectiveness of the methodology used and whether there could be further improvements in the approach taken.


4.0 RESULTS / FINDINGS (modify title to reflect project requirements)

This section documents the results of the application of your methodology in order to meets the aims and objectives. In practice this section can be quite large and may often be broken into a number of additional sections. All results should be clearly presented and, for practical/experimental /technical projects, there should be sections of calculations, analysis and/or other treatment of results as applicable. For business and management related projects the presentation of findings may be integrated within discussion sections as referred to below. In this case there may be separate suitably titled headings for each major objective being considered. Refer to your supervisor for guidance.

5.01 DISCUSSION

There should be a comprehensive discussion comprising interpretation of the findings and substantiated observations and judgments about them. This discussion should include reflection on the issues raised in the project. Depending on the nature of the project, and particularly with certain business topics for which the main outcomes are recommendations on various management related aspects, the results and discussion chapters may be integrated within chapter(s) of findings covering the relevant project objectives. In this case this chapter could be entitled Recommendations.

6.01 CONCLUSIONS The conclusions should be a short summary of the important results and findings arising from the results and discussion chapters. It is important to ensure that the conclusions address the original project objectives and reflect the main discussion. You should not include any new information or discussion in this section.

7.01 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER WORK

Many projects follow on from previous work and, owing to time constraints

and the generation of ideas whilst undertaking the work, lead on to the possibility of further work. These recommendations should be summarised briefly.

8.01 REFERENCES

Full, correct and appropriate referencing of all sources used in undertaking the project is an essential requirement of a good report and necessary to avoid allegations of plagiarism. Use of, and reference to, a selection of relevant texts, journals and appropriate internet sources should enhance your work, reinforce the validity of your results and findings and demonstrate that you are familiar with accepted knowledge and thinking in the subject area. Reference sources

1 Indicative numbering, you can renumber sections from this point onwards to reflect the most appropriate structure for your specific project.


should be selected to be comprehensive, appropriate and current. They should be well integrated with the text and cited in accordance with the University's standard (Harvard) method.. Note that any use of sources that are not cited, or that are cited incorrectly, may lead to allegations of plagiarism. The library iCity site provides extensive referencing information https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/library-and-learning-resources/centre-for-academic-success/Referencing/Harvard-Referencing. It is essential that you reference and cite your work correctly.

9.01 BIBLIOGRAPHY

A bibliography is a list of relevant source texts not directly cited in the report, in Harvard format.

10.01 APPENDICES

Appendices, which should have short titles, are separate documents appended at the end of the report. Only include appendices if they are necessary to explain particular details to understand the main report. Copies of the project meeting logs should be scanned and included as an appendix. You should include copies of your Gantt chart in the appendix

7.2 Main report – style and conventions Workshop 2 will provide additional information on the writing of the report. The report should be written in your own words and should not contain extended extracts from the work of others. It is possible to use direct quotes but these must not account for more than 10% of your report. Direct quotes should be identified by using inverted commas and should be appropriately referenced. Additional resources to assist you with referencing can be found on the intranet homepage under Info Links. The Faculty standard for degree project reports is similar to papers in technical/professional journals. Examples can be found by referring to journals in your field of study. Producing a readable account requires a logical structure to lead the reader from one discussion point to the next and through from one section/chapter to the next. It also requires that care be taken over spelling, punctuation and grammar. Any significant errors are liable to cause a reader to suspect that the content of the report may also be flawed. The language for the report should be straightforward jargon-free English, written in conventional style using the conventional third person past tense, and readable by

https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/library-and-learning-resources/centre-for-academic-success/Referencing/Harvard-Referencing

https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/library-and-learning-resources/centre-for-academic-success/Referencing/Harvard-Referencing


someone familiar with the general subject area, although not an expert in the specific topic. The following conventions should be used and care should be taken to maintain a consistent style throughout the document. Fonts, paragraphs and line spacing Aim to maintain a consistent approach throughout. Use Arial font size 11. Type to a left hand margin that is 35 mm wide to allow for binding. Use 1.5 lines spacing between lines and double spacing between paragraphs. Do not indent at the start of a paragraph. Mathematical symbols Mathematical symbols and equations are best entered using a package such as Equation Editor. Equations should be numbered in the right hand margin and referred to in the text. Figure captions and table headings A consistent style should be used as follows:

When figures are referred to in the text they should be typed thus: Fig. 3, i.e. with a space between Fig. and the number following. When tables are referred to in text they should be typed in full thus: Table 5, i.e. with a space between Table and the number following. The word “Figure’’ should be shortened to “Fig.” at the beginning of figure captions. It should also be shortened to Fig. in the text except where it begins a sentence, when it should be spelled out – “Figure”. Figure captions should appear below the figure, with the caption in lower case and an initial capital for the first word and proper nouns only. The caption should be centred, for example:-

Fig. 3.1 The electronic method of testing

Table headings should always appear above the table. The table heading should be typed in the following way:-

Table 5 Results of radioactive handling on personnel

Text headings Headings throughout the report should be consistent as follows:

Main section, major, headings, should be in capitals and centred on the line. Leave a space of two lines above such headings and one below. Section headings should be lower case with capital letters for the first letter of the first word, and placed at the left hand margin. Leave a space of two lines above such headings and one below.


Sub-section headings can be in italics, leaving a space above and below the heading.

Pagination Starting on the Introduction page, pages should be numbered using decimal numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). Pages prior to the Introduction page should have Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.) Format The document must be in PDF format and less than 20Mb in size. Normally documents will not exceed this size unless uncompressed images and graphs are included. Documents can be shrunk using tools available, see Moodle for further guidance. 7.3 Poster – A Summary of the Project

The Poster is created as a PDF single page document, that could be printable as an landscape A3 colour copy, and uploaded to Moodle (a physical copy is not required). You should attend the relevant tutorial sessions on how to create an electronic Poster. The main purpose of the poster is not to judge the aesthetic appearance itself. Rather, it is:

to summarise the major features and achievements of your project in a tightly constrained way.

to describe what you have done in a way that is appropriate to an audience not necessarily expert in the field of study.

to demonstrate your understanding of what you have done

to demonstrate your approach to the management of the project.

What is a poster? A poster a common term used in conferences. It enables people to present their academic work, often without having to make a formal presentation. A poster is not exactly like an advertising poster but some of the techniques of advertising technical products could be used to advantage. Examples of posters from previous years and recent posters will be made available online in Moodle, note in previous years these may be in portrait format when current requirements are for landscape format. For your project the poster will provide an overview of the project and supplement the final report. Space and Title The Poster should be seen as a single landscape format ‘page’ which can be displayed and printed if required.


You must have your name and title of your project on the poster. Layout Posters are traditionally portrait but because we will be displaying them electronically they should be designed as if they were a landscape format A3 poster. Remember the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is particularly true when you can include graphs and diagrams. Contents The poster will normally contain the following:

Project title and student name.

A statement of the project/case study brief.

A brief outline of the methodology used.

Summary results/findings (preferably in graphical form).

Key discussion points/recommendations. The poster should contain all of the essential elements of the work and be visually attractive. Include only the things that are really important in your project. Try to think what elements of your work will be most interesting to your audience. This will be a major piece of work in your degree - present yourself and your project in the best possible way - it will leave a lasting impression.

Audience Although formally assessed by the project supervisor and 2nd assessor the posters will also be made available electronically. External Examiners, academic staff, industrialists, students and the public will be able to see the posters to see the range of project produced.


7.4 Submission of Electronic Library waiver form You are required to submit a completed Electronic Library waiver form (downloadable from Moodle). This provides the university with permission to publish your report and poster on the BCU Electronic Library. Where projects contain commercially sensitive material you can specify any specific restrictions relating to the publication of any intellectual property in your report so they can be removed from the published copy. The form asks you to: “I confirm that the above project / thesis includes / does not include (please delete as appropriate) material copied from a source (e.g. a book) where ownership of the copyright does not belong to myself. “ Cited material and properly referenced excerpts do not normally require to be specified on the form so in many cases you can state that it does not include copyright material. If you have included referenced material such as commercial product guides, specifications etc, (often these are included as part of your appendices), which are copyright material, then you need to list such material so the University can ensure copyrights are not infringed. 7.5 Artefacts.

Some projects may produce an artefact such as DVD’s, audio equipment etc. Your project report should be self-contained and describe any artefacts created. Any artefacts should be made available to the markers and external examiners to support your submission Electronic artefacts under 50Mb may be uploaded as a zip file into Moodle Physical artefacts must be provided to your supervisor prior to the submission deadline. You should make arrangements with your supervisor, before the deadline, of where the artefact can be securely left or viewed. Your supervisor will arrange the return of artefacts, if required, following the examination boards.


7.6 Assessment criteria The project report is the culmination of the Project. The report should be capable of being read independently of any other documentation. The Final submission counts 65% towards the module mark Each element below has a weighting within thus assessment.

Element & weighting


Mark Range

Achievement of objectives 30%

Evidence of exceptionally high quality work, involving advanced theory/concepts relevant to the course, and applicable to other domains. Achievement of demanding objectives using appropriate methods. The content demonstrates extensive knowledge in the subject area relevant to the project aims and has benefited from the outcomes of extensive research

85+ 80-100

Evidence of much high quality work, involving advanced theory/concepts relevant to the course, and leading to the achievement of demanding objectives using appropriate methods. The content demonstrates depth of knowledge in the subject area relevant to the project aims and has benefited from the outcomes of extensive research.

75 70-79

Evidence of good quality work, involving in-depth theory/concepts, leading to the achievement of demanding objectives, although some areas could have been covered more thoroughly and/or with greater depth and insight. The content demonstrates depth of knowledge in the subject area relevant to the project aims and has benefited from relevant research..

65 60–69

Evidence of generally competent work leading to achievement of appropriate, but not fully challenging, objectives; or some incompleteness of challenging objectives. Background research has enabled some reasonable consideration of wider issues.

55 50–59

There is an adequate quantity of appropriate level work involving application of course-relevant knowledge and leading to limited achievement of undemanding objectives. Background research has enabled only cursory consideration of wider issues. However there is evidence of ability to undertake investigation, obtain reasonable results, manipulate relevant data and generate reasonable content. However, there may be significant shortcomings - errors/omissions - in the various aspects of the work.

45 40–49

Serious shortfall in demonstration of achievement of objectives. Treatment of results is too superficial and/or incomplete. However, there is evidence to suggest that some further work and re-drafting could bring performance to a pass standard.

35 30–39

Substantial deficiencies through one or a combination of incompleteness, superficiality or incoherence. Major additional work and re-drafting of the report required.

0-29


Element & weighting


Mark Rang

e

Project management 5%

Clear evidence of appropriate and effective project management. Both formal project feedback meetings were attended and an excellent draft document submitted as expected.

85+ 80-100

Evidence of appropriate project management. Both formal project feedback meetings were attended and an appropriate draft document submitted as expected.

75 70-79

Project has been well managed. Both formal project feedback meetings were attended and a reasonable draft document submitted as expected.

65 60–69

Clear project management approach. Both formal project feedback meetings were attended and a draft document submitted as expected.

55 50–59

Evidence of appropriate project management. At least one formal project feedback meetings was attended

45 40–49

Little evidence of project management with lack of engagement with formal supervision support

35 30–39

Insufficient evidence of appropriate project management

0-29


Element & weighting


Mark Range

Review of Existing Knowledge 10%

Comprehensive research using all appropriate techniques/sources and achieving an extensive well documented information base. Critical analysis of findings with comprehensive consideration of relevance and appropriateness. All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listed under the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

85+ 80-100

Wide ranging research using all appropriate techniques/sources and achieving an extensive information base. Critical analysis of findings with comprehensive consideration of relevance. Effective development of knowledge base following initial literature search. All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listed under the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

75 70-79

Wide ranging research using most techniques/sources to achieve a good information base. Comprehensive consideration and analysis of findings. Reasoned recommendations cover most relevant areas, although these could have been covered with greater depth and/or insight. All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listed under the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

65 60–69

A broad research identifying much information. However some may not be directly relevant and more advanced work may be overlooked. There may not be a demonstration of knowledge and understanding associated with higher grades. Generally competent consideration of findings. All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listed under the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

55 50–59

Some relevant research, but with shortcomings in extent and level. Some appraisal of relevance, but significant shortcomings in extent or validity of analysis. All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listed under the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

45 40–49

Little research but enough to indicate ability to pass if further work undertaken. Some, but insufficient, evaluation, but with evidence of ability to analyse which could lead to a pass standard with further work.

35 30–39

Little or no relevant research or demonstration of ability to undertake research. Little or no evidence of analysis or indication of potential in this area.

15 0-29


Element & weighting


Mark Range

Methodology 10%

A range of alternative approaches have been identified and critically analysed in depth and those most appropriate selected with full justification and clearly described. Thorough consideration of the limitations of the methods and ways they were overcome.

85+ 80-100

Alternative approaches have been identified and analysed in depth and those most appropriate selected with good justification and clearly described. Excellent consideration of the limitations of the methods and ways they were overcome.

75 70-79

Alternative approaches have been considered and those appropriate selected with some justification. Limitations of the methods have been identified an explanation on how this was handled in the project.

65 60–69

Alternative approaches have been considered and some reasoning supports selection. Those selected as most suitable are justified. Limitations of the methods have been identified.

55 50–59

There is an adequate consideration of methodology leading to reasonable choice of approach, adequately described.

45 40–49

There is an insufficient description and consideration of alternative approaches. Methods have been selected without justification.

35 30–39

Inappropriate methods described. Little or no consideration of alternative approaches.

0-29

Analysis and discussion 35%

Interpretation and analysis of findings related to advanced theory/concepts is complete and well justified. Alternative approaches and wider issues are considered comprehensively. There is reasoned and logical justification for selections, conclusions and recommendations.

85+ 80-100

Interpretation and analysis of findings related to advanced theory/concepts is well justified. Alternative approaches and wider issues are considered. There is reasoned and logical justification for selections, conclusions and recommendations.

75 70-79

Methodical care and competence in the analysis of findings, but without the depth and/or consideration of wider issues. Selections, conclusions and recommendations are well reasoned and justified.

65 60–69

There is interpretation of straightforward data/findings. Analysis is limited in extent and depth and may have some errors/shortcomings. There is some consideration of wider issues with reasonable comments.

55 50–59

There is evidence of ability to undertake basic treatment of information/results and to explain straightforward findings. There may be some flawed analysis and/or omission of some areas of analysis. Satisfactory conclusions may cover only some of the objectives and some conclusions may not be logically justified.

45 40–49

Some, but insufficient, evaluation, but with enough evidence of ability to analyse, which could lead to a pass standard with further work.

35 30–39

Little or no evidence of interpretation/analysis of results/findings and little or no indication of potential in this area.

0-29


Element & weighting Assessment Criteria

Typical Mark

Mark Range

Report structure and presentation 5%

Clear academic style and language in accordance with guidelines and with no shortcomings. Report includes all necessary elements and is there is demonstration of ability to produce professional documentation.

85 80-100

Report includes all necessary elements and is appropriately referenced throughout. Presentation of result/findings is clear and is supported using suitable visual/diagrammatic/tabular techniques. Succinct text with style and language in accordance with guidelines and with no significant shortcomings. There are appropriate supporting appendices.

75 70-79

No significant shortcoming in structure with all the main elements included. Tabulated/diagrammatic/visual presentation of data is clear and the report is well referenced throughout. Style and language generally in accordance with the guidelines although there may be some minor deficiencies.

65 60–69

Report generally follows guidelines including all main elements. There may be some shortcomings in clarity of both text and visual presentation and some minor omissions of content.

55 50–59

Includes major elements but there may be omissions or shortcomings in logical order, such as inappropriate use of chapters, sections, figures and appendices. The text may have significant shortcomings in style, language and/or lack of conciseness. It may not be straightforward to follow. However, there should be adequate demonstration of ability to present a readable account, supported by some relevant tables/diagrams/visual forms presenting data.

45 40–49

Serious shortcomings in structure and/or presentation, but enough indication of ability to suggest some additional work should lead to a pass standard. There may be some error or lack of evidence in citing references in the report.

35 30–39

Report requires major drafting/re-drafting in most or all sections.

0-29

Poster 5%

Professional well designed and clear visuals that are very effective in presenting the projects findings.

85+ 80-100

Excellent encapsulation of key points, extremely clear, high impact, error free.

75 70-79

Good encapsulation of key points, generally clear, with good impact and error free.

65 60–69

Reasonable encapsulation of key points, although the poster may be over-detailed or, in part, lacking a clear message and/or including minor errors.

55 50–59

Some deficiencies of key points, lacking clarity, and/or with little impact and some errors. There may be indication of a shortage of planning and care in composing/creating the display. However it adequately presents some of the main points.

45 40–49

Poster lacks information on key aspects of project, but should be able to attain pass standard with some additional time in preparation.

35 30–39

Poster either incoherent and lacking awareness of basic presentation requirements, or lacking relevant content.

15 0-29


8 Appendices Appendix A - Project Moderation Process and General Criteria On completion of assessment by two assessors there is a moderation process to ensure projects are of an appropriate standard. A sample of project deliverables will be reviewed by external examiners and internal verifiers Overall assessment criteria Mark 80 % and above: evidence of much work beyond what that is normally expected leading to achievement of demanding objectives. The report demonstrates inventiveness and ability to analyse complex theory/concepts and relate them to practice. Content builds on knowledge/skills from higher level course modules, with depth in areas relevant to the degree title. There is extensive use of a range of relevant sources, which are correctly referenced through the text. Interpretation and analysis of findings is complete, and alternative approaches and application to other domains are considered. Report closely follows conventions with no shortcomings in structure, style or language. Mark 70 - 79 %: evidence of much work of the highest quality leading to achievement of demanding objectives. The report demonstrates inventiveness and ability to analyse complex theory/concepts and relate them to practice. Content builds on knowledge/skills from higher level course modules, with depth in areas relevant to the degree title. There is extensive use of relevant sources, which are referenced through the text. Interpretation and analysis of findings is full, and alternative approaches and wider issues are considered. Report closely follows conventions with no major shortcomings in structure, style or language. Mark 60 - 69 %: evidence of much good quality work, competently undertaken, and leading to achievement of demanding objectives, but not demonstrating the highest intellectual calibre associated with first class honours. The report demonstrates methodical care and competence in solving problems and in the treatment of information and results. Content involves knowledge/skills from course modules, with depth in areas relevant to the degree title. There is evidence of extensive research, but the benefit to the work, and in general the analysis and consideration of wider issues, is not fully explored. The report closely follows conventions with no major shortcomings in structure, style or language. Mark 50 - 59 %: evidence of generally competent work leading to achievement of appropriate, but not fully challenging, objectives. The report demonstrates ability to solve relevant problems and handle data competently. Content relates to course modules but does not demonstrate the depth associated with higher classification. There is evidence of research, but with only limited consideration. Analysis may be narrow and with only limited consideration of wider issues. The report generally follows conventions but may suffer from some shortcomings. Mark 40 - 49 %: there is evidence of adequate ability and sufficient effort towards achievement of undemanding, but appropriate, objectives. There is demonstration of a reasonable quantity of relevant work, but without the investigative background, depth, or analysis associated with higher classifications There is evidence of some research, but the analysis is limited, and wider issues are not explored. However, there is evidence of ability to manipulate relevant data in a manner, and with


comments, demonstrating an adequate level of understanding for the award. The report contains necessary major sections, but may suffer from significant shortcomings. Appendix B – MOODLE Students enrolled on the project should be automatically enrolled into the Moodle course and it should appear on the list of your courses at http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/my/ as DIG6045 Technology Project / DIG6030 Media Technology Project UG3 A AYR 2015/6 Its direct link for bookmarking is http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6864 Key forms and documents are available for download from the course Moodle: Moodle contains sections for

Welcome - essential documentation and guides o Project Guidelines o Syllabus

Assessment – all submission points and assessment information o Project registration form o Copyright waiver

Project Supervision – Information and contact details for supervisors

Past Projects – Information on past projects

Ethical Issues – guidance on ethical issues and ethics review process

Getting Started – Guidance on the tutorial programme

plus Tutorial support materials

http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/my/

http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6864


Appendix C - RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVAL

All students must complete the Stage One ethics quiz on Moodle. If your proposed research will involve human subjects* in any way then you must complete this form so that the ethical implications of your research can be assessed by the Faculty Research Ethics Committee.

Until your research proposal has been approved by the Faculty Research Ethics

Committee you cannot proceed with the research as planned. You should therefore

complete and submit this form to your project supervisor well in advance of your proposed project start date. ETHICAL APPROVAL CANNOT BE APPLIED RETROSPECTIVELY The ethics implications are assessed as part of the full project proposal Appendix D. SUPERVISOR INFORMATION.

Students are allocated to a supervisory team. Supervisor profiles are available on Moodle. Students are allocated in Moodle to a number of groups, one for all students, one for students on a specific course and one for each supervisor.

These groups can be seen by checking your Moodle profile. Groups may be used to support communication with students. Staff may use Moodle to schedule meetings and make announcement All meetings must be pre-booked in availability or other mutually convenient times. Other staff may be consulted throughout the project as appropriate.