3rd year projects making the final hurdlecs.swan.ac.uk/~csmora/project/lecture-fair and...3rd year...

3rd year projects – Making the final hurdle

Benjamin Mora

April 2019

M. Roggenbach B. Mora Making the final hurdle April 2019 1 / 45

Timeline

09/04/2019 – Today12/04/2019 – Easter Break begins06/05/2019 – Term starts again10/05/2019 – Electronic Submission of the Dissertation15/05/2019 – Project Fair


Outline

Before we start...

Dissertation-Outline

Dissertation

Poster design

Project Fair


Before we start...

Attendance Monitoring.

NSS reminder.

On the relevance of this lecture.

Other details (Project title, turnitin, server bandwidth, codesubmission, handbook, further emails etc..)

Yes servers will be down and submisison is going to be a long process.


Dissertation Outline

!!Voluntary Document!!


Purpose

To serve as a solid basis to decide with your supervisor on

Structure

Content

of your dissertation.


Dissertation


Dissertation: Chapters

Word and Latex templates are available from the course website.

A few (hopefully good enough) past dissertation samples will beavailable on blackboard (under student information).

Most of the chapters that will follow are likely to be required!

Please show some independence!


Dissertation: Abstract

Yes you need one on the front page!

Front page is different from the submission cover.

This summarises your work.

Also, do not forget a table of content after the abstract/front page.


Dissertation: Introduction

Tells us quickly what it is about and why you do it.

You may want to introduce the project environment and the sectionsthat will follow.

This section tends to be informal but requires a good writing style(like the conclusion), so make it interesting.

Any similarities in the structure of the abstract may make markersquestion how independent you are.


Dissertation: Background research

Tells us what you have read about!

How other people solve similar problems.

Describe (technically speaking) the tools you will be using and theirimportance in the project.

Display some technical understanding of the methodologies used inyour writing. Frankly, inaccurate comments are quite telling.


Dissertation: project management

Reflection on the timeline. Compare and contrast with original aimsand milestones.

Project life cycle (SE students only?).

Testing (SE students only?).

How many original specifications have been met (SE students only?).


Dissertation: What has been achieved/ Implementation

Discuss what you have done in this project and how you did it.

Show some Computer Science skills there.

Anything from new algorithms to philosophical thoughts on the effectof CS on frogs.

Short pieces of code could be there if not trivial, but code shouldideally be located in appendix and submitted through blackboard.


Dissertation: Results section

It is likely that you have obtained/created something at the end of theproject

Give us some results (measures, pictures, etc...).

Compare/analyse with other approaches if possible.

Make it interesting.


Dissertation: Conclusion

Because you need one.

Thoughts on the project.

What do the results mean?

What remains to be done?

Was it successful?

Are you happy?


Dissertation: Extra Stuff

Because you are worth it...

Do not forget references.

Appendix to put extra data (and large pieces of code) if possible.

These are just guidelines. The dissertation is your own responsibilityand it has to be well written.

Colleagues’ opinion may slightly differ from these guidelines. Ask yoursupervisor what he wants to see in your document (before the Easterbreak!)


Marking Sheet and Project Title

Accessible through the course website as usual.

https://cs.swansea.ac.uk/ csmora/project/Marking/1819/MarkingForms.php

Also, you will receive an email asking about your project title and with alink to this website!


Recommendations

Plan for a document that is:

self-contained,

40–50% background – 50–60% own work,

30–50 pages (suggested).

Start now if you have not done so yet – At least with the outline!

Write background in parallel to producing new results.


Deliver a dissertation better than this . . .


Natural overlap with previous documents

Dissertation, Initial Document, and Interim Document might all include

Motivation of the project.

Background studies.

Technology involved.

First prototype.

Etc.


Relation between these documents

Initial Document/Interim Document:Premature discussion only.

Dissertation:

Can re-use texts from previous documentsprovided they have be re-viewed / alteredin the light of the larger experience gained.

Should demonstrate progress beyond the results already achieved inthe earlier documents.


For the rest

See the Project Handbook!


Poster Design


Project Fair


Marking sheet and Bob’s website

https://cs.swansea.ac.uk/ csmora/project/Marking/1819/MarkingForms.php

https://cs.swan.ac.uk/ csbob/teaching/projectFair/


Communication situations

One poster – many purposes

Attract attention – Visible selling point.

Short meeting: 30 sec – Main points available.

Long meeting: 2 mins – Interesting details.


Your eye catcher?


Content counts!

What is the project about?(topic, motivation, similar projects, . . . )

What methods were used?(programming language, software tools, algorithms, theories, . . . )

How was the problem solved?(software architecture, own algorithms, code examples, . . . )

What are the results?(is the world a better place after this project?)


Space

You have 1 × 1 m:

A4: ∼ 210 mm * 297 mmA3: ∼ 297mm * 432mm

what ‘tiling’ do you want?


How to organise things on the poster(s)?

‘poster as slide sequence’: prepare a talk and put up your slides

‘poster as one unit’: develop one ‘big’ picture on your projecte.g.: star form(middle: final product, surrounded by ‘aspects’)


Example: “slide sequence”


Example: “one unit”


Mind Mapping Video

can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlabrWv25qQ


Layout: The usual design rules apply

Large font

Clear colour scheme / font selection scheme

Keywords – not novels

Easy to understand layout

Have pictures

No deviating information – Go to the point and avoid superfluouscomments on ‘grandmother’s shoe size’


Computer demonstrations

Software projects need to demonstratea ’running system’

Explanation of your demo:

What is it demonstrating?

Why these specific values?

What will the effect be?


Extra things

Business cards?

Flyers about your project?

Mascot?

Sweets?

. . .


Project Fair


Poster submission

by 15/05 through blackboard.

Beware: Blackboard servers are likely not to be able to cope with theworkload on submission deadlines!

Project title needed by 11/04!


Poster printing

Various copy-shops (e.g., Staples)

Offers on the internet (e.g. www.a1posters.co.uk)


www.a1posters.co.uk

Possibly some prizes

Best poster prizes based on the vote from

1 School kids

2 Academic staff

3 Industry


Timeline

10:00-12:45 Set-up of Posters (compulsory)12:55 Lunch.13:00-17:30 Demonstrations to Swansea University

(compulsory).15:00-18:00 Demonstrations to IT Industry

(compulsory).

Full program at:http://cs.swan.ac.uk/~csbob/teaching/projectFair/


http://cs.swan.ac.uk/~csbob/teaching/projectFair/

On request of the more conservative CS staff members

Please come

well dressed (smart casual?)

well shaved

with styled hair

In summary, well presented

. . .


Job market for BSc students

1 Have a CV ready

2 Advertise at the info board

3 Be around for networking

4 Have a handout for your project (only if good enough)

5 Have business cards


MEng Students – IR project market

1 Have a CV ready

2 Advertise at the info board

3 Be around for networking

4 Have a handout for your project?

5 Have business cards?


Good luck with your dissertationsand presentations!


3rd year projects making the final hurdlecs.swan.ac.uk/~csmora/project/lecture-fair and...3rd year...

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