fdailami/projguidnn_2005-1.doc · Web viewA number of people have also contributed to its content over the years, my special thanks are due to Ashley Longden Helena Wildblood and

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT(Undergraduates)

Guide for students and supervisors

SUMMARYThis guide provides students and supervisors with guidance in the main aspects of the

Final Year Individual Project carried out by undergraduate students at the Faculty of

Engineering of the University of the West of England, Bristol. It covers a variety of

topics from the selection of projects through the execution, report writing and

assessment. It defines the roles of supervisors and students and defines copyright and

discusses confidentiality.

The guide provides a framework which is binding for all students in the Faculty.

However, each project is different and the range of project topics is large. Small

variations within the framework are possible if approved by the supervisors.

As far as possible this guide is written in a format expected from a project report.

Project Guide F Dailami24 March 2004

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author acknowledges the contribution in the form of comments from most of the academic staff of the Faculty of Engineering. This document was largely created by George Trmal in the first instance. A number of people have also contributed to its content over the years, my special thanks are due to Ashley Longden Helena Wildblood and Jackie Long for their contribution.


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CONTENTS LIST

SUMMARY i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii CONTENTS LIST iii

1. INTRODUCTION 12. TIME SCALE 2

2.1 Tasks for students 22.2 Tasks for supervisors 2

3. PROJECT SELECTION 34. PROJECT PROPOSAL 3

4.1 Heading 34.2 Introduction 44.3 Objectives 44.4 Time scale 44.5 Project Proposal Seminar 4

5. ROLE OF SUPERVISORS AND PERSONAL TUTORS 46. RESOURCES 5

6.1 Funding 56.2 Other resources 5

7. EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT 58.PROGRESS REPORT 59. FINAL PROJECT REPORT 6

9.1 Report structure 69.2 References 79.3 Formal aspects 7

10. SUBMISSION 810.1 Date of submission 810.2 Extract 810.3 Poster 8

11. ORAL PRESENTATION 912. ASSESSMENT 9

12.1 Presentation mark 912.2 Supervisor's mark 912.3 Second assessor 912.4 Final project mark 9

13. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 1013.1 Copyright 1013.2 Confidentiality 10

14. CONCLUSIONS 10

BIBLIOGRAPHY 10

APPENDIX Project Monitoring Form 11


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1. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the project can be best explained by stating the aims and expected

learning outcomes specified in the Individual Project Module (level 3: UFMEAY-30-30,

UFPEC7-30-3).

A. show detailed knowledge and understanding of: Undertake an in-depth study of a substantial technical problem. Identify and select strategies for solving technical problems Identify and select sources of knowledge pertinent to the solution of the chosen

problem Integrate knowledge and apply it Make clear and well argued recommendations Undertake management of technical projects Present technical information in the form of a structured report and posters Develop an understanding of the use of theoretical methods within a practical

problem. 9. To design and appreciate the role of experimental work to substantiate theoretical

analysisB. demonstrate subject specific skills with respect to: To structure an investigation of a substantial technical problem To develop project plans and identify resource implication of proposed solution To identify and critically assess the current body of knowledge in the problem

domain To develop detailed plan for solving the problem To appreciate to role of design of experiment in carrying out experimental work To critically assess the outcome of the project To write concise yet informative report of the project work To develop informative poster related to the projectC. show cognitive skills with respect to: Synthesise and evaluate information from multiple sources Understand the role of, and issues involved in solving specific technical problems Understand the need for and effective dissemination of technical informationD. demonstrate key transferable skills in: self-management skills problem formulation and decision making communication skills IT skills in context

It must be stressed that the student is a driving force behind the project. The supervisor role is to support, advise and comment.

The project (level 3) scope is 1.5 units, 25% for BEng Awards of the final year effort. Considering that the project is submitted in early May, students should spend on average 1.5 day every week working on the project. Students should not devote excessive amount of effort to the project to the detriment of other final year subjects. This can result in lower final award classification. On the other hand a failure to spend appropriate time would most likely result in a low project mark. In planning the project work the students should consider the overall workload throughout the academic year.


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2. TIMESCALE

2.1 Tasks for students

September/October Selection of the projectDevelopment of project proposal

Mid October Submission of the Project ProposalChanges after this date are possible but must be discussed with the supervisor and in case of major change (topic, objectives, strategy) the proposal must be resubmitted.

October to April Project execution: PlanningRegular meetings with the supervisor. In addition to the meetings discussing current problems there should be three more formal progress reviews with the supervisor to be arranged by the student. All meetings should be recorded on the Record of Meetings form (see appendix).

April/May Submission: ReportEnd of 2nd ExtractSemester Poster

June Viva

Note: For part time courses this period extends to next year. The total project time is therefore 7 months for full time courses and 19 months for part time courses.

2.2 Tasks for supervisors

September, October Help with project selection, comments on Project Proposal, it is also beneficial to inform the second year students about the project requirement in their final year.

October to May Available for meetings arranged by the student

January Evaluation of progress on the basis of the meetings and discussions upto that date, if necessary (lost or never established contact), initiation of a letter to students (to be arranged by the Award secretary)

May, possibly June Attending viva/ seminar/ presentationMeeting of assessors

June Assessment, providing second reader with a copy of the Report and arranging a meeting with the aim of reaching a consensus mark. Making sure that the Marking form is given to the course secretary.


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3. PROJECT SELECTION

Selecting the project is the responsibility of students. However, they must receive support from the Faculty staff. The project topic must be compatible with the area of the study. In selecting the project topics the students have to take into account their interest, ambition (top marks are difficult to achieve with some topics) and their strength and weaknesses. Part time students are encouraged to bring in projects connected with their work. Students in their industrial year should look for suitable projects in their placements. Other projects can be connected to Faculty research. Extension of course material into the area of hobbies and leisure is also possible. Suitable supervisors are inevitably linked with project topics. This is also to be considered by the students.

What is the procedure for selecting the project topic? The students should:Look at the published Areas of Interest and discussed project possibilities with relevant supervisors

ORSelect a favourite supervisor and discuss the project ideas with him/her

ORSelect a project idea from the published Project Topics and discuss it with the relevant supervisor

ORDiscuss project ideas with their Year Tutors

General advice can be obtained from project co-ordinators.

If the students enter discussions with suggestions these can be developed. This approach is more likely to succeed than just waiting for the idea of a topic.

Supervisors have the right to refuse supervision because of the lack of interest in the project idea or because they already supervise too many projects. In practice the supervisors do all they can to accommodate the students. They might suggest modifications according to their own interests and needs.

Once the topic has been identified it must be developed into a project proposal. This is done in collaboration between the student and the supervisor, although the student has a leading role and carries the responsibility. Development of a credible proposal is a suitable test that the selected topic is a feasible project topic.

4. PROJECT PROPOSAL

Students must develop a project proposal using the standard Project Proposal form available from the Award secretary. Word-processed version of the same format would be an advantage because of the ease of inevitable modifications. The completed Project Proposal must be handed to the Award secretary by the end of the second week of the first semester. Failure to do so will result in a penalty, reduction in the project mark. The proposal must include:

4.1 HeadingDate. In the case of change of project and resubmission of the proposal the latest version could be identified

Project title. The title should not be too long. Eight words should be considered the maximum.


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Name of the investigator (student).Student Number

Name and signature of the supervisor. The signature signifies that the supervisor agrees to supervise the project and is aware of the proposal

Name of industrial supervisor and company if appropriate

4.2 Introduction

The short introduction answers the question WHY the project has been selected. It gives background of the existing product or practice, disadvantages and problems and should generate a need to do something about it.

4.3 Objectives

This section logically follows and answers the question, WHAT is intended?It should include four to six specific points indicating expected achievements at the end of the project.

4.4 Time scale

The time scale answers the questions, HOW (literature survey, experimental work) and WHEN? Specific tasks necessary for the successful completion of the project are listed and the time for their execution indicated.

5. ROLE OF SUPERVISORS It has been stressed before that the students take the initiative and are responsible for project selection, development of the project proposal and planning, execution and success of the project work. However, they must receive help, encouragement and guidance from the supervisors.

When approached by the student, the supervisor will :

* Help students to select project topic and develop project proposal* Establish initial contact with the student. It is recommended that students are given a a letter outlining the mutual relationship.* Provide help and guidance during the project* Discuss purchases associated with the project and apply for funding* Monitor project progress in regular meetings arranged by the student* Provide help and guidance in the preparation of the report, extract poster and presentation Most students will be able to find a project and a supervisor without the help of their personal tutors. Some students will not submit their project proposals by the submission date. These students will be penalized and their personal tutors will be asked to help them to select a project. They will get help from project co-ordinators in identifying potential supervisors from those members of staff with low numbers of supervised students.


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6. RESOURCES

6.1 Funding

There is a budget provision for funding final year projects. The funding corresponds approximately to £35 per project and overall it is a considerable sum. There is no right to this average value of £35, some projects receive no funding, some receive considerably more. The main criterion for allocating the money is the benefit to the Faculty. The benefit does not need to be financial. A publication, contribution to teaching, lab development or future research will be considered. Funding of photocopying (including colour) can be approved only in exceptional circumstances and in accordance with the above criterion.

The request for funding must come in advance of spending the money and retrospective claims will not be accepted. The requests must come from supervisors and must include short justification. Requests from students will not be accepted. The purpose of this procedure is not to obstruct genuine claims but to make sure that the funding is used for the Faculty benefit.

6.2 Other resources

Other resources (help of technicians, use of equipment) are also limited. The students with their supervisors must identify the needs as early as possible. The supervisor will then discuss the need with the relevant technical staff. They should arrive at a mutually acceptable solution which might involve modification of the project plan. The technicians are nearly always willing to help but the amount of the help they can provide is limited. The help is expensive although it is not expressed in financial terms. In requesting the technicians' help the supervisors should apply the same criterion as in request for funding: what are the benefits to the Faculty?

7. EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT

The execution of the project is left to the students and their supervisors. Review sessions must be carried out with the supervisor and the students should keep a logbook containing all the project information. It is in the students' interest to discuss the project with their supervisors in frequent intervals. The discussion meetings should be recorded in the form shown in the appendix.

8. PROGRESS REPORT

After the first semester the student may be required by their supervisor to produce a Progress Report. Submission date for this report will be specified by the supervisor.

9. FINAL PROJECT REPORT

9.1 Report structure

The report is not just a record of the work done. On the basis of the completed investigation the author (investigator) forms an opinion and has something to say, some recommendations to make, a solution to offer. This forms the 'Conclusions' section of the report and is closely linked to the original objectives. There could be a deviation from the original objectives because a different and better line of investigation emerged during the project. This, however, should be reflected in the conclusions. The conclusions must be credible, not just presented without any backup. That is why they must be fully supported by the evidence in the report.


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Students have some experience in writing reports but they have much more experience in reading and learning from written material. When writing the report they should think about the reader, consider what they wanted to say and if the message is conveyed effectively. Excessive information which interrupts the report flow should go into appendices. On the other hand discussing in the main report a figure which is in the appendix makes it very difficult to follow the logic. In general, repeated graphs without explanation and tables of results should go into appendices. They are unlikely to be needed by the reader.

Readers cannot be expected to study the presented material and formulate conclusions. They must be lead by the author and follow their logic. After reading the report they decide if the presented view is credible or not. If the reader is not convinced the author has not achieved his/her aim.

The report should have the following format: page

Title pageSummary (approx 200 words) iAcknowledgement iiTable of contents iii1. Introduction (background, need for the project)

2. Literature Review3. Objectives and strategy Main report (chapter headings and subheadings must

be meaningful and must correspond tothe content)

Critical appraisal Conclusions (Achievements and recommendations, punchy, bullet points,

should not introduce new information) Further work (suggestions for continuation) References (identified when discussed in the text as

explained bellow) Bibliography (sources of information providing

background knowledge) Appendices

9.2 References

Every project should start from the existing knowledge presented by others and reflected in the literature survey. This survey not only lists the existing knowledge but provides its critical assessment in relation to the investigated task. All work by others must be properly acknowledged. All quotations and references to others must be followed with the author's surname and year in brackets, ie (Smith 1992). In the list of references at the back of the report give the author's name (in capitals), year, title (in italics), publication: publisher. Example:THEAKER, C.J. and BROOKES, G.R. 1983. A practical course in operating systems. London: Macmillan.

For a journal give author's name (in capitals). Title. Journal title (in italics). Year (bold) issue number (in brackets), page numbers.Example:


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ROLSTON, S.C. Passive control of pre-entry shock in supersonic intakes. The Aero Journal, 1994, 98 (6), 1-8.For more on referencing visit:http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/general/info_study_skills/harvard2.htm

9.3 Formal aspects

The report must be written in good standard English using the impersonal style. It must be typed with single line spacing on one side of white A4 paper. The left hand binding margin and the bottom margin should be 40 mm; other margins should be 20 mm. Neatly drawn figures (graphs, diagrams, flow charts and photographs) can be included in the text or on separate sheets. The figures and tables must be numbered and have meaningful captions. All pages starting from 'Introduction' chapter should be consecutively numbered in the centre of the bottom margin. The pages preceding the 'Introduction' should be numbered in Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv). The report must be submitted in standard covers obtainable from the Course secretary. The front page will be typed by the student and will contain the project title, year of submission, course, name of the student and the supervisor. These will appear in a window in the front cover.

Binding of the report (2 copies) is the responsibility of the student. The reports will be submitted. As bound. It is recommended that pockets for discs or drawings (if needed) should be arranged by students after binding.

The length of the report is not specified but 8000 words (35 pages of text) for Level 3 projects (Honors degree) provide a useful guide. The reports should be clear, concise and as short as possible consistent with presenting all relevant information. Over-long reports, especially with little content, might result in a reduced mark.

Any work, design or results produced by others and used in the report must be identified and acknowledged. Detailed information not directly necessary for understanding the report (tables of results, repeated graphs, program listings) should be presented in appendices.

10. SUBMISSION

10.1 Date of submission

Students will be notified in time of the date of submission. This date might differ from Award to Award. At this date the students submit two copies of the project report (These may be kept by the supervisor). Students will also submit the project extract and a poster.

10.2 Extract


JIT Method in Pyramid Building

2005 S.T.UdentBEng Mech S.U.Pervisor

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http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/general/info_study_skills/harvard2.htm

In addition to the full report the students submit a short version, one page representing the project work. The material should be taken from the project report and should provide a fair resume of what is in the report. The Extract should start with introduction, clearly stating the need for the work. Achievements and recommendations should conclude the Extract. In between there is some selected important evidence giving credibility or illustrating the achievements. Normally the Extract should include one or two most important figures or diagrams for the best representation. Anybody interested in the topic should be tempted to read the full report. Naturally the heading of the first page must contain the information on the title page of the report: Project title, course, year of submission and the name of the student and the supervisor. The Extracts will be collated and printed in a booklet available to students and supervisors before the vivas take place.

10.3 Poster

Students are to provide an A3 poster describing their project work. The posters should describe the achievements and describe briefly the supporting work. The presentation should be of a high standard but just glossy pictures which can be assembled before the project commences do not constitute a good poster. The Poster may be taken into the viva session as an aid memoir.

11. ORAL PRESENTATION

At the end of the project the students will present their work. This presentation consists of a short explanation by the student followed by questioning during a viva session.10 % of the project mark is awarded for the presentation. However, the presentation mark also represents the view of others about the position of the project relative to those of other students within the Award. In this way it can influence the marking of the supervisor. The importance of the presentation mark is therefore higher than 10%.Attendance at the viva is mandatory. 12. ASSESSMENT

The assessment of the project contains several elements as follows:

12.1 Presentation mark

This mark represents 10% of the project mark and is based on the presentation (including questioning), the extract and the poster. It provides the necessary moderating element because it contains consensus of several assessors.

12.2 Supervisor's mark

The supervisor takes into consideration a standard of project management, the amount and quality of work during the project and the logical and formal aspects of the report. The supervisor provides two marks: the 'feel' mark based on the overall impression of the project and the 'step-by-step' mark by systematically marking individual elements of the project. After considering both these marks the supervisor determines the overall Supervisor's mark.

The assessor should be able to quantify the 'feel' mark by judging the standard (BEng/MEng Honours: 1st class, upper 2nd,). It is suggested that in the judgement the assessor should consider


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the conclusions and compare them with the objectives. The assessor then considers how credible the conclusions are , how well they are supported by the evidence in the report. Formal aspects of the report should be also considered.For the 'Step-by-step' mark the assessor judges the elements of the project individually and sum up the final mark. The elements are as follows:

Percentage of overall markProject proposal and planning 15Project management 15Work done application 10

achievement 20technical content 15

Report logic and structure 15Presentation, extract and poster (moderated) 10

12.3 Second assessorThe mark of the second assessor will be based on the project report and the Viva. The assessment will follow the guidelines for the 'feel' mark. The formal aspects of the report should also be considered. The quality of the literature survey is an important aspect.

12.4 Final project markAfter independently assessing the project the supervisor and the second assessor attempt to reach a consensus. If consensus cannot be reached the final decision will be made by the Award Leader and Project Coordinator.

13. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

13.1 CopyrightOwnership of the copyright belongs to the University of the West of England. However, the University will never prevent students from using material they developed during their project work.13.2 ConfidentialityUniversity cannot prevent selected personnel (eg. external examiners) from examining the report and the student from keeping a copy. The report must not include confidential information.

14. CONCLUSIONS

* This guide sets a framework for selecting, planning, executing and submitting the undergraduate project work at the Engineering Faculty of UWE.

* The guide is primarily for students but it also outlines the roles and tasks of supervisors* The guidance is general and there is a scope for intelligent interpretation. However, the

students are encouraged to discuss frequently the project work with their supervisors and consult with them any deviation from the suggested practice. The supervisors have more experience and they will be marking the project.

BIBLIOGRAPHYCOOPER, B.M. 1976. Writing Technical Reports, Harmodworth: Penguin Books


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PROJECT MONITORING FORM (FT) Engineering, UWE, Bristol

Kept by student, submitted with report. Failure to submit means – (minus!)15% mark for the Project Management section.Student: Supervisor:Title:Award: Year:

Students should consult their supervisors and keep them informed about the progress of their work. As a bare minimum, students should meet with supervisors at least once a month, indicative dates are shown on the table below. In addition to the regular meetings students should submit in the usual way and discuss with their supervisors the following at the dates indicated:

1) Proposal / Plan : Completed proposal form and outline plan identifying aims of project and work proposed. This should be agreed and signed off by supervisor by Mid-October2) Progress Report: At the start of the second semester you should submit an outline of the report. This should consist of literature survey, description of work so far, chapter headings and planned content. This should be discussed with supervisor by the end of January.

Students are advised that the marking scheme for the project apportions 15% of the total marks to the proposal, planning and evidence of regular progress and failing to keep in regular contact with your supervisor will result in loss of marks.

Date Deliverable Comments Supervisors Initials

Mid October Project Proposal including Plan

End October Progress Review

End November Progress Review

End January Progress Report

End February Progress Review

End March Report Draft

April Full Report


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PROJECT MANAGEMENT MARKING FORMEXECUTION

No contact,No review of proposal

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Regular contact,

initiative,

Drives the pro-ject, asks for comments

WEIGHT WEIGHTED MARK

Comment 1.5

PROPOSALNot submittedon time

PENALTY No penaltySubmitted on time

PENALTY

- 0.510 8 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

PROGRESSREPORT Not submitted

on time

PENALTY No penaltySubmitted on time

PENALTY

- 1.010 8 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL To be transferred on the main sheet


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Documents

fdailami/projguidnn_2005-1.doc · Web viewA number of people have also contributed to its content over the years, my special thanks are due to Ashley Longden Helena Wildblood and