media technology project ug3 guide

8/8/2019 Media Technology Project UG3 Guide

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Faculty ofTechnology, Engineering and the Environment

Undergraduate Programme

Media Technology Project UG3(30 Credit)

Guidance Notes

CodeFM6308

For School of Digital Media Technology BSc (Hons)titles; Music Technology, Multimedia Technology,Film Production and Technology, Film Technology

and Special Effects, Games Design and Production,Television Technology and Production, Sound

Engineering and Production, Sound and MultimediaTechnology

Academic Year: 2010 2011

Version Number Version Date

1.028th

September2010

49527352.doc


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SUMMARY INFORMATION AND CALENDAR, 2010-11

Module: Media Technology Project UG3; 30-credit moduleCourses: MT, MMT, FPT, FTSE, GDP, TVTP, SEP, SMMTCo-ordinator: Roy Priest

Wk No

Refer tomyTEE

Deliverables. Submit by 14:00 on date given in myTEE / My Course.

Access myTEE / My Course on the intranet deliverables hand-in dates. Due weekindication in left hand column is for guidance only.

Wk 2 Project Registration FormA new registration form (Appendix 3) is not required if it is to remain the same as thatpreviously submitted for Media Production Management UG2, Media Industry UG2 orCommissions, Markets and Revenue Streams UG2. If you wish to change the title orif you have not already registered, submit the completed form, which is the firstdeliverable for the project module, to the IT Helpdesk. The project title and aim mustbe approved to authorise your project to proceed. Refer to section 2 of theseguidance notes.

Wk 4 Full Project Proposal DocumentSubmit to IT Helpdesk. This is the second deliverable and is required even though itmay be similar to that previously submitted for the final assessment for MediaProduction Management UG2, Media Industry UG2 or Commissions, Markets andRevenue Streams UG2. Improvements and developments are expected followingfeedback on the previous version. The full proposal, 5 - 10 sides A4, should bediscussed with your supervisor and will be considered formally as part of the finalProject Viva . Further details in section 5 and in the Project Viva assessmentcriteria, section 11.4.

Wk 9 Autumn Progress Review

Refer to published schedule of meeting times. Meet with supervisor and secondassessor for approx 20 minutes to consider aim and objectives, method/approachand progress. Further details in section 6, and assessment criteria, section 11.1.

Wk 14 Research ReportSubmit to IT Helpdesk. The short Research Report covers progress, researchfindings, evaluation of methods and plans for the main report. You are required tosubmit two copies. Further details in section 7, and assessment criteria, section 11.2.

Wk 26 Main ReportThe main report is the culmination of the project module. A total of three copies arerequired, two comb bound and an electronic copy on CD. Further details in section 8

and assessment criteria, section 11.3.

Wk 29 Presentation & VivaPresentation using a poster and an interview with the supervisor and secondassessor. Further details in section 9 and assessment criteria, section 11.4.

Assessment deliverables Assessment weighting

Registration form Approval required to authorise projectProject Proposal document Considered as part of Presentation & Viva

Autumn Progress Review 10%Research Report 10%

Report 70%Presentation & Viva 10%


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CONTENTS

SUMMARY INFORMATION & CALENDAR i

.....................................................................................................................................................3

1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1

2.0 PROJECT REGISTRATION AND APPROVAL .....................................................................2

2.1 PROJECT SELECTION...................................................................................................................22.2 PROJECT REGISTRATION...............................................................................................................22.3 PROJECT APPROVAL....................................................................................................................3

3.0 SUPERVISION AND TUTORIALS ........................................................................................3

3.1 MEETINGSWITH SUPERVISOR.........................................................................................................33.2 TUTORIALS................................................................................................................................4

4.0 INITIAL RESEARCH AND RECORDS .................................................................................4

4.1 LOGBOOKRECORD......................................................................................................................4

4.2 INITIALRESEARCH........................................................................................................................55.0 FULL PROJECT PROPOSAL ..............................................................................................5

6.0 AUTUMN PROGRESS REVIEW (WEEK 9) .........................................................................7

7.0 RESEARCH REPORT ..........................................................................................................8

8.0 MAIN PROJECT REPORT .................................................................................................10

8.1 MAINREPORT STRUCTUREANDCONTENT......................................................................................108.2 MAINREPORT STYLEANDCONVENTIONS.......................................................................................138.3 MAINREPORT SUBMISSIONARRANGEMENTS...................................................................................15

8.4 MAINREPORT LATESUBMISSION.................................................................................................159.0 POSTER PRESENTATION AND VIVA (WEEK 29) ............................................................15

9.1 POSTERASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................169.2 CREATINGAPOSTERDISPLAY.......................................................................................................16

10 RETURN OF REPORTS AND POSTERS ............................................................................17

10.1 MAIN PROJECTREPORT..................................................................................................................................................1710.2 POSTER...............................................................................................................................18

11.0 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ...............................................................................................18

11.1 AUTUMN PROGRESS REVIEW.....................................................................................................1911.2 RESEARCHREPORT, WEEK 14 ...................................................................................................2011.3 MAINREPORT........................................................................................................................2111.4 POSTERPRESENTATIONANDVIVA................................................................................................24

....................................................................................................................................................24

12.0 PROJECT MODERATION ...............................................................................................26

APPENDIX 1, MEDIA TECHNOLOGY PROJECT, SYLLABUS .................................................27

APPENDIX 2, COPYRIGHT WAIVER .........................................................................................32

APPENDIX 3, PROJECT REGISTRATION .................................................................................33

APPENDIX 4, RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVAL FORM ..........................................................36


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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The final year project provides an opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge in a specialist arearelevant to the course and demonstrate your ability to:

manage your own activities and resources to solve problems generate innovative ideas and solutions write an academic paper following accepted conventions of style and referencing

The project is intended to draw from across the programme of study and to act as a vehicle for

students to demonstrate their wider abilities. The project will be individual but may, nevertheless,

be linked to group work where scale and complexity demand.

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 students must submit a report based upon a

relevant project 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 itsapplication 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.

The project has a 30 credit weighting in the calculation for honours classification and thereforeconstitutes a significant proportion of your final year work. As well as contributing to the honoursaward, a successful project will both enhance your CV and benefit career development.

Please read through this booklet carefully it describes how to undertake the project and includesessential information on assessment. However, it is not a substitute for attendance at the weeklytutorial classes and regular meetings with your supervisor. Before starting you should also read theassessment criteria in Section 11 which indicate what the assessors will be looking for, and what

you should be demonstrating, for each of the deliverables

As well as attending the tutorial classes and meeting with your supervisor, there is guidance in the


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support through the year on different aspects of undertaking a project. Keep in regular contact withthe Learning Centres Final Year Project Resources at:http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/tee/course/view.php?id=816

A statement of project module aims and learning outcomes is in the syllabus, Appendix 1.Appendix 2 is a copyright waiver to enable your project report to be published by BirminghamCity University. Appendix 3 is the Project Registration Form which you must complete and

submit (2 copies) to the IT Helpdesk in order to register your project.

2.0 PROJECT REGISTRATION AND APPROVAL

2.1 Project Selection

Most students select a project as part of the final assessment for Media Production ManagementUG2, Media Industry UG2 or Commissions, Markets and Revenue Streams UG2. If yousubmitted a registration document and it is to remain the same, you do not need to submit it

again. However, if you wish to change your project title or make significant changes to theproject aims after initial approval, the revised aims and rationale must be agreed with thesupervisor and a revised Registration Form and full Project Proposal Document must besubmitted and approved.

Lists of project topics and supervisors, and much additional information, are provided athttp://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/tee/course/view.php?id=816

Guidance on making a suitable selection of project as well as formulating statements of overallaim and objectives is provided in the project tutorial classes in the first few weeks of the autumnterm. Even if you have previously completed a proposal, you should still attend all the sessions.

The Project Module Co-ordinator will assist in identifying possible supervisors. Academic staffmay be contacted direct to discuss ideas for projects - make an appointment to meet staff viathe main entrance reception.

In choosing a project, it helps considerably if you have an interest in the subject area involved. Itis also important that the project aims are consistent with your course title and provide scope todevelop and demonstrate personal skills and attributes (such as reasoning, creativity, analyticalskills and judgment) at a level appropriate for an honours degree. Refer to the module aims andlearning outcomes in the syllabus, Appendix 1 and consider whether your proposed project willprovide scope to meet the module learning outcomes. Also, consider your proposal againsteach of the assessment criteria in Section 11 of the full project guidance notes to ensure there isappropriate scope for demonstrating achievement. The title that you choose for your Final Year

Project should be appropriate to your course and provide sufficient scope for the exploration oftechnology or for the subject matter to be investigated in a suitably scientific manner appropriateto a BSc.

2.2 Project Registration

This section applies if you have not already submitted a registration form as part of the year 2industry module or if you wish to change title, or have been directed to do so by the ProjectCoordinator.

The first deliverable is the registration form. Having obtained the approval of a member ofacademic staff you should register your project by submitting the project registration form,Appendix 3 This should be submitted at the latest by the date given in the calendar If you are
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during one of the timetabled tutorial classes.

A working title of no more than a few words may be used for the registration form. The final titlefor the project report may be determined when the work is more substantially complete. If it is aproject taken from the projects web site list, contact the relevant member of staff to establish if itis still available and to agree the overall aim and provisional objectives. This will later bedeveloped into a full proposal which should be submitted by Friday of week 4 (refer to calendar

for dates).

If you are proposing your own idea for a project, you should discuss it with, and have it approvedby, a member of academic staff who should agree, provisionally, to supervise it. You shouldinclude in your registration form a brief statement of rationale (that is justification; why is itimportant for the work to be done? Who, apart from you, will benefit from the work?). If yousubmit a registration form without a staff signature, or with significant shortcomings, approvalmay be delayed. Note that in signing the proposal, a member of staff is supporting it asreasonable and appropriate for your course. However, dependent on other commitments s/hemay not be available to be your Supervisor.

The registration form includes a statement on ethics. Does this project involve human or animal

subjects? This includes activities such as interviews, observations, questionnaires. If youanswer yes, your proposal will be assessed by the Research Ethics Committee. You shouldrefer to the research ethics check list form, Appendix 4, and sign to agree to abide by the BCUresearch ethics regulations.

All Registration forms are subject to approval by the Project Moderation Committee. Therefore,the brief proposal in the registration document should contain sufficient information on theproposed aims and provisional objectives to enable the Project Moderation Committee to form ajudgment on its suitability for the honours study programme.

2.3 Project Approval

A project proposal is not confirmed as approved until your name and the project title appear onthe Project Co-ordinator's list, identified as approved. This will be published following theapproval and allocation process. Provisional approval is provided by the member of academicstaff signing the registration document and this is sufficient to allow you to continue makingprogress. However, it is the Project Moderation Committee that finally approves and confirmsprojects and supervisors. The Committee may require modifications to be made to proposalsand there may be limits on the number of projects that can be supported in some topic areas,subject to resource constraints.

If you wish to make significant changes to the project aims after initial approval, therevised aims and rationale must be agreed with the supervisor and a revised Registration

Form and Full Project Proposal Document must be submitted to the Final Year ProjectCoordinator for approval.

3.0 SUPERVISION AND TUTORIALS

3.1 Meetings with Supervisor

After your project aims have been agreed, as recorded in the Project Registration Form andshown in the approved list, you should make frequent and adequate contact with yoursupervisor. It is strongly recommended that you arrange to meet your supervisor every week at

a fixed time. The length of the meetings will vary dependent on the project activities at the time.Regular meetings with your supervisor early on are important for constructive development ofyour proposals and in laying the foundations for a successful outcome


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When attending meetings with the supervisor you should bring a logbook, for bothdemonstrating a record of activity and keeping notes of the meeting. You will be expected tocomplete a Log of supervisor/student Final Year Project meetings (see Appendix 5). As well asadvice and guidance, supervisors will be able to provide feedback on progress during themeetings. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your supervisor is kept up to date withprogress. If you encounter any problems, contact your supervisor immediately.

Your success in terms of the management of your Media Technology Project is assessed as partof the Poster presentation & viva. For this final assessment you are required to bring yourlogbook and your Log of supervisor / student Final Year Project meetings as evidence of yourapproach to project management (see Appendix 5).

3.2 Tutorials

You should attend the timetabled tutorials, which in the first few weeks cover selection andproposals and development of objectives. Later tutorials are linked to each assessment andfailure to attend tutorials is almost certain to be detrimental to achieving your potential. Tutorialclasses are supported by the on-line Moodle tutorials and it is essential to familiarise yourselfwith the range of Moodle-based project resources as soon as possible.http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/tee/course/view.php?id=816&topic=0#section-15

4.0 INITIAL RESEARCH AND RECORDS

4.1 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, experimental and information search results, etc.maintained throughout the duration of the project. The logbook should be brought to meetingswith the project supervisor.

The logbook forms a day-to-day record of progress and should build up to become the basis fromwhich the Research Report and Main Report are derived. The logbook should be robust, and beable to withstand the rigours of the laboratory/practical/travel etc. environment without pages fallingout and getting lost. As noted in section 3.1, your logbook is considered as part of the Posterpresentation & viva.

In particular, the 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 logbookrecord as you work, so that problems do not occur through errors of memory, or scraps of paperbeing lost. The logbook is also an important part of project management and should be used tonote down plans for meetings and other activities. Careful planning leads to more effective useof 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 Learning Centre or reading a textbook. The format for ajournal entry is not fixed except that the date and type of entry should be at the beginning, and aconclusions section describing what has been achieved at the end
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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 journalentry, a practical entry should begin with the date and type of entry. This should be followed by anobjectives section, which describes what is expected to be achieved. If appropriate, somebackground information may be included under a suitable heading. A plan of activities shouldfollow under the heading of "Procedure", and if applicable, a list ofequipment/hardware/measurement used with serial numbers under an appropriate heading. The

various results and outcomes of the activities described in the procedure should be entered underthe heading "Results". Practical logbook entries should have conclusions summarising theachievements and recommendations for further action.

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

4.2 Initial research

Undertaking a project should begin with a comprehensive information search and literaturereview. The purpose of the research phase is to:

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

Investigate publications by others in the same, or related, fields. The intention should beto avoid repetition of work previously undertaken by others. Rather you should aim to benefitfrom the progress made so that you can build upon previous experience, compare ideas andapproaches, extend knowledge and develop new applications. Typical sources include journalpublications, 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/financialconstraints and targets to be achieved. Typical sources include reference publications andvarious web sites. Again it is essential to make appropriate reference, citing the sourcecorrectly, in your work.

The literature review should lead to an evaluation of your findings and their influence on yourplans to achieve your project aims. You should discuss your research findings with yoursupervisor 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 formodification, with justification, should be included.

Initial research is an element of assessment in the Autumn Progress Review and in the weekResearch Report. Refer to the assessment criteria in sections 11.1 and 11.2.

You should meet your supervisor to discuss your findings discussion and feedbackshould provide a valuable contribution towards the overall success of the project.

5.0 FULL PROJECT PROPOSAL

Note that this section applies to all students. A full Project Proposal is required even though itmay be similar to that previously submitted for your Year 2 industry module. Improvements anddevelopments should be made following feedback on the previous version.


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By the Friday of week 4 (refer to the calendar), you should have submitted a full ProjectProposal Document. 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 anumber of objectives. The objectives can be viewed as stepping-stones on the way to achievingthe main aim.

The full proposal document (typically 5-10 sides of A4, including a front sheet and diagrams)should typically comprise the following (some headings may not be applicable):

Introduction and background to the project.

Overall aim and specific objectives.

Rationale

Outline the value and benefits to be derived from the project and in particular who willgain 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?

Tasks/activities

A list of tasks detailing proposed activities and approach/possible solution(s) to theproblem(s).

Resources

Identification of likely resources that will be needed. These could be in variouscategories: laboratory or industrial equipment; IT hardware/software; information (library,databases).

Expenditure

Estimated expenditure, if applicable. Note that the budget for projects is limited and anyexpected costs should be identified to your supervisor.

Schedule

You are required to create a Gantt chart (template available via Moodle site)demonstrating your approach to time management, taking into account revision time andexams. A realistic time should be planned for each task. It is expected that furtheriterations of this Gantt chart will be created, dated and presented as part of the PosterPresentation & Viva.

Risk assessment

Any potential sources of health and safety risk should be identified and ways ofeliminating the hazard discussed with your supervisor. This heading must be included. Ifyou assess there to be no risks, there should be a statement to this effect.

The Project Proposal Document is of key importance. It is the basis for all the project activitythroughout the rest of the academic year and how it is formulated will have a significantinfluence 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 anappropriate area of investigation and activity.


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The objectives provide opportunity and scope for demonstrating honours degree levelattributes of creativity, analysis, reasoning and judgment.

If you wish to make significant changes to the project aim after initial approval, therevised aims and rationale must be agreed with the supervisor and a revised RegistrationForm and Proposal Document must be submitted and approved.

6.0 AUTUMN PROGRESS REVIEW (WEEK 9)

A review meeting, with your supervisor and a second assessor, is scheduled for week 9. Theschedule for the Autumn Review Meetings will be provided in advance on the projects Moodlepage and Learning Centre projects notice board. You should bring to the meeting two copies ofa brief document outlining progress and be ready to respond to questions on your intendedapproach/methods and research findings. The meeting will be scheduled for up to 20 minutes,allowing you about 5 minutes for an introductory statement, which should refer to the SummaryProgress Document, followed by time for discussion and questions. The assessment criteria inSection 11 provides additional indication on requirements.

Methodology is particularly associated with how the project aim is to be achieved. It covers whatmethods have been selected, their justification and what the alternatives were. A goodmethodology will increase the validity and reliability of the outcomes. At this stage you should bedemonstrating an understanding of the different approaches that could be taken.

Selecting the most appropriate methods is essential for efficient and successful achievement ofthe project aim and is dependent on activity early on the project cycle.

In your review meeting you should be prepared to answer questions on the areas covered bythe Progress Summary Document including formulation of objectives, alternative approachesand methods that could have been applied and a justification for those that you are applying or

plan to use and initial research findings. What is required from your research? Have youconsidered both project-specific and wider issues such as financial and environmental aspects?

6.1 Week 9 Progress Summary document - to be brought to the meeting

Two copies of the Progress Summary document should be brought to the Autumn ProgressReview meeting. The document should be up to two sides of A4, plus any diagrams (flow chart /Gantt chart). The 12 point font text should be well-spaced with the use of bullet-points andconcise, succinct statements to facilitate easy assimilation by the assessors within the first 2-3minutes of the review meeting.

The document should cover the following:

General Aim

State the overall aim, as it appears in the full proposal document, with modification ifapplicable and as approved by supervisor.

Objectives

List objectives as stated in the full proposal document, with modification if applicable andapproved by supervisor.

Evaluation


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include a design process or subject-specific approach. It could also include the choice ofapparatus, equipment, software etc. If the chosen methods are flawed, or fail to includebetter approaches which could have been considered, the validity of the results andfindings may be undermined. However, compromises have to be accepted, for examplein time and cost. Such limitations and problems should be identified together with howthey are to be overcome and/or the compromises that will have had to be made. Asresearch progresses, you should have been reviewing your objectives and methodology

in the light of your research findings. Consider the validity and appropriateness of yourapproach to achieving the project objectives and describe the influence of your researchon your methodology. Draw attention to, and provide justification for, any developmentsand changes that have been made since you submitted the proposal document.

4. Planning for the main report

You are required to present an annotated Contents section. Taking the template for theMain Report as a guide, you should discuss how you are looking to address each aspect.Sections may be incomplete at this stage but you should be able to offer some insight tohow each area will be addressed. Your approach to this framework should demonstratethe potential for comprehensive consideration of the project topic and aim, interpretation,

explanation, analysis, comparison, evaluation and judgement. Your research shouldhave involved a comprehensive review of literature and other sources relevant to theproject. For this section you should be demonstrating how this research will be drawnupon in your Main Report. Summarise briefly your main findings taking into considerationboth project specific and associated issues such as financial and environmental aspects.Identify a few key sources drawn from the range of formats explored, which shouldinclude books, journals and, as applicable, ISO standards, manufacturers data, andother sources. Within the annotated contents you should consider the following:

In what areas are you expecting to add value, i.e. your own contribution, in areassuch as synthesis, analysis, design, development?

What treatment of the results and what analysis will you be undertaking? Whatquestions will it answer?

Will there be the scope for interpretation and analysis of yourresults/designs/proposals/ and comparison with the work of others?

What issues do you expect to consider and what questions will it answer?

Appendices

Gantt chart an updated version of your Gantt Chart should be included.

Report format, style and referencing

Your report should be presented in a formal academic style (see guidance for the Main Report).Sources should be cited correctly in the text and listed in a reference section at the end of thedocument. There should also be a separate bibliography section of relevant backgroundreading. The assessment criteria in section 11.2 provide additional indication of requirements.Word count should be between 1150 1250 words (main body of the text, i.e. this does notinclude the title page, contents, list of references and bibliography).


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8.0 MAIN PROJECT REPORT

The project report (and associated product if applicable) is the culmination of the IndividualProject. It has a weighting of 70% of the project assessment and thus requires appropriate timeand care in its production.

The source material for the project report should have been developed and recorded in thelogbook during the course of the academic year. It is easy to underestimate the time it takes toconvert the source material into a finished final account and you should start planning well inadvance of the submission date given in the calendar.

Note that the report should be your own work and should not contain extended extractsfrom the work of others. Brief quotations for work that is cited should be identified inquotation marks and should always be appropriately referenced to the source.Paraphrasing the work of others also requires citation and referencing.

A total of three copies of the project report two paper and an electronic copy will be required.of the two paper copies must be comb bound allow sufficient time for this to be completedbefore the hand-in deadline. Notes on the content of the report are covered below. Theassessment criteria in section 11.3 provide additional indication on requirements.

8.1 Main report structure and content

Refer to the project report template in Moodle. The main project report should be a stand-alonedocument that can be read independently of other documents and should include the followingsections:

Cover and title pagesThe front cover should have the project title (normal maximum of 10 words), student

name, BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY, award title e.g. BSc (Hons) ComputerNetworks and the month and year of submission. The first (title) page should have thereport title and the students name and supervisors name. There will be an examplestandard front cover available from the Learning Centre and the template for the titlepage is part of the project report template.

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 no less than 8,000 words and no more than 10,000 words. Marks willbe lost if this is not adhered to. You should state your word count at the bottom of thecontents page. The word count does not include the title page, abstract,acknowledgements, contents, glossary etc, references, bibliography and appendices.The content of the main account will depend upon the nature of the project, but unlessclearly 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 fromyour supervisor.


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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 asapplicable 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, toshed more ideas and opinion, in response to a request, e.g. from company ororganisation, 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 willbenefit from the work.

1.4 Project aims and objectives

There should be a brief and precise statement of overall aim what is intended to beattained. There should follow a list, using bullet points, ofobjectivesthe completion ofwhich will lead to attainment of the aim. The objectives are developed out of the aimsand can be viewed as stepping-stones on the way to attainment of the aims. BloomsTaxonomy can help when writing objectives (see Moodle site).

Further sections ofbackground information will depend on the topic area of the project,but could include hypotheses, theory, etc. which is to be tested in the course ofundertaking the project and industrial/contextual information and influences.

2.0 REVIEW OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

Depending on the scope of the project, this section may be entitled Literature Survey oryou could use an appropriate subject-specific heading. It should be a review of theresearch work undertaken from the beginning of the year, but which should also havecontinued through the year, following up additional information of relevance arising forexample, from feedback from your supervisor. It is important to include commentary.Concepts, theories and opinions need to be critically evaluated and the reasons forapplication of the concepts and their relevance to the solution of the problem need to beestablished.

The outcomes of your research are especially important for ensuring that you areapplying the appropriate methodology towards achieving the aims of the project. In yourreport you should include full consideration and justification of your approach, as


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described in the next chapter.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

This section of the report should include a description and a justification of the selectedmethods used. Success of the project depends upon careful selection of appropriatemethodology which is why it is emphasised in the Autumn Progress Review (refer tosection 6 of this document), although it may well have developed since then. A goodmethodology increases the validity and reliability of the outcomes. It should be laid outclearly in the main report.

The record in the report should include description of alternative approaches andjustification for those selected. It could cover a design process or other subject-specificmethod as applicable to the project topic. Depending on the type of project, it shouldalso cover the choice of apparatus, equipment, software etc. It should be possible forsomeone 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 andjournal papers that were found belong within the literature survey and should be reviewedin the review of existing knowledge section. Also, methodology does not include theresults/outcomes of application of the chosen methods. These are presented in theResults section.

4.0 RESULTS

All results should be clearly presented and, for practical/experimental /technical projects,there should be sections ofcalculations, analysis and/or othertreatment of results asapplicable. For business and management related projects the presentation of findingsmay be integrated within discussion sections as referred to below. In this case there maybe separate suitably titled headings for each major objective being considered. Refer toyour supervisor for guidance.

5.0 DISCUSSION

There should be a comprehensive discussion comprising interpretation of the findingsand substantiated observations and judgments about them. Depending on the nature ofthe project, and particularly with certain business topics for which the main outcomes arerecommendations on various management related aspects, the results and discussionchapters may be integrated within chapter(s) of findings covering the relevant projectobjectives. In this case the chapter before Conclusions may be entitledRecommendations.

6.0 CONCLUSIONS

The conclusions should be a short summary of the important results and findings arisingfrom the results and discussion chapters. It is important to ensure that the conclusionsaddress the original project objectives and reflect the main discussion. You should notinclude any new information or discussion in this section.

7.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER WORK


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Many projects follow on from previous work and, owing to time constraints and thegeneration of ideas whilst undertaking the work, lead on to the possibility of further work.These recommendations should be summarised briefly.

8.0 REFERENCES

Full, correct and appropriate referencing of all sources used in undertaking theproject is an essential requirement of a good report and necessary to avoidallegations of plagiarism.

Use of, and reference to, a selection of relevant texts, journals and appropriate internetsources should enhance your work, reinforce the validity of your results and findings anddemonstrate that you are familiar with accepted knowledge and thinking in the subjectarea. Reference sources should be selected to be comprehensive, appropriate andcurrent. They should be well integrated with the text and cited in accordance with theUniversity's standard (Harvard) method, as described in the Project module site inMoodle and in Learning Centre tip sheets.

Note that any use of sources that are not cited, or that are cited incorrectly, maylead to allegations of plagiarism.

The university library website also provides referencing informationhttp://www.bcu.ac.uk/library/public/frameDev.htm. It is essential that you reference yourwork correctly.

9.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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

10.0 APPENDICES

Appendices, which should have short titles, are separate documents appended at theend of the report. Only include appendices if they are necessary to explain particulardetails to understand the main report.

8.2 Main report style and conventions

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 formore than 10% of your report. Direct quotes should be identified by using inverted commas andshould be appropriately referenced. Additional resources to assist you with referencing can befound on the intranet homepage under Info Links.

The Faculty standard for degree project reports is similar to papers in technical/professionaljournals. 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 discussionpoint to the next and through from one section/chapter to the next. It also requires that care betaken over spelling, punctuation and grammar. Any significant errors are liable to cause areader to suspect that the content of the report may also be flawed.

The language for the report should be straightforward jargon-free English, written inconventional style using the conventional third person past tense, and readable by someone
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/library/public/frameDev.htmhttp://www.bcu.ac.uk/library/public/frameDev.htm


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The following conventions should be used and care should be taken to maintain a consistentstyle 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 doublespacing between paragraphs. Do not indent at the start of a paragraph. Type on one side ofthe page only.

Mathematical symbols

Mathematical symbols and equations are best entered using a package such as EquationEditor. 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 aspace between Fig. and the number following. When tables are referred to in text theyshould be typed in full thus: Table 5, i.e. with a space between Table and the numberfollowing.

The word Figure should be shortened to Fig. at the beginning of figure captions. Itshould also be shortened to Fig. in the text except where it begins a sentence, when itshould be spelled out Figure.

Figure captions should appear below the figure, with the caption in lower case and aninitial capital for the first word and proper nouns only. The caption should be centred, forexample:-

Fig. 3.1 The electronic method of testing

Table headings should always appear above the table. The table heading should be typed in thefollowing 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 aspace of two lines above such headings and one below.

Section headings should be lower case with capital letters for the first letter of the firstword, and placed at the left hand margin. Leave a space of two lines above suchheadings and one below.

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

Pagination


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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.)

Binding

There should be two hard copies of the main report, both comb bound, with card title and backcovers and a front coursework submission sheet. Facilities for comb binding are available in the

Learning Centre.

8.3 Main report submission arrangements

The deadline for the three report deliverables, which should be submitted to the IT Helpdeskeach with its appropriate coursework submission sheet, is given in the intranet myTEE / MyCourse.

There are 3 separate deliverables are:

Two paper copies of the report, both comb bound and each with the appropriatecoursework record form as the front sheet.

The electronic copy of the report on CD should be put into a clear plastic wallet togetherwith the appropriate coursework record form. You are also requested to include a completedcopyright waver form, Appendix 2, to allow the Learning Centre to electronically scan your reportfor publication on the UCEEL Electronic Library.The CD copy of report may be used to make acheck for unreferenced or copied work from other sources.

8.4 Main report late submission

To be recorded as meeting the deadline, the three copies of the report (two comb bound paperand the CD) must be submitted together, to the IT Helpdesk, by 14:00 on the date given in theintranet myTEE / My Course. An extension of up to 10 working days to the deadline, forexceptional circumstances, may be claimed in the same way as for coursework for othermodules, using the claim form available from Registry Reception, Level 3. Refer to theUndergraduate Student Course Handbook for details about claims. If the reports are submittedlate, within 5 days of the submission deadline, but without an upheld claim for extension, a markcap of 40% will apply to the report in the same way as for other module assessments.

9.0 POSTER PRESENTATION AND VIVA (WEEK 29)

The poster session is held toward the end of the academic year refer to the dates in thecalendar. Students will display their project work in the form of a poster outlining their projectsand summarising achievements. Each student will be limited to one A1 sized board, the layoutfor which should be portrait. You should attend the relevant tutorial sessions on how to createa poster.

Display Boards will be set up in the Level 4 exam suite on the morning of Monday of week 29.Each board will be numbered. You will be allocated a Display Board Numberwhen youcollect a blank poster card from the Learning Centre reception desk. A list of students andsupervisors, will be placed on the Learning Centre Notice board and on Moodle.

You should attach the poster to your allocated display board from 1400 hrs on the Monday ofweek 29 and before 1000 hrs on the Tuesday using Velcro fasteners provided on entry to


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day of attendance.

The assessment should take place between Monday 1400 hrs and Friday 1400 hrs. Theremay be a single interview with both supervisor and 2nd assessor present or, alternatively, twoseparate interviews.

Although a guidance schedule will be issued by the Final Year Projects Coordinator, It is your

responsibility to confirm / arrange the time of interview(s) with your supervisor and 2nd assessorwell in advance. If you have valid reason for being unable to arrange a suitable time within the5-day period, you may, subject to prior approval of your Project Co-ordinator, arrange analternative time, which should by the end of the second week in June.

The poster session is a test and other than for prior approved re-scheduling, if you do notattend you will not be assessed and will get a zero mark . As for other assessments, if youmiss the assessment, you may submit a claim for extenuating circumstances to the UniversitysRepresentations Committee, normally at least 7 days prior to the due date. You may obtaindetails of the claims procedure from Level 3 Registry Reception.

After your poster assessment, you should leave your poster on the display board. Posters

will be retained by the Project Co-ordinator for viewing by external examiners and the examboard. Following the exam board, posters not required for Faculty use will be available for returnto students.

If you have problems or queries, contact your School Project Co-ordinator.

9.1 Poster assessment

The main purpose of the assessment is not to judge the aesthetic appearance of the posteritself. Rather, it is:

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

to describe what you have done in an informal setting and to an audience not necessarilyexpert in the field of study.

to demonstrate your understanding of what you have done and defend the approach andconclusions by answering questions during the presentation/interview.

to demonstrate your approach to the management of the project. As evidence of thisyou are required to bring your original Full Project Proposal Document, logbook,

your Log of Supervisor / Student Final Year Project Meetings (see Appendix 5) andeach iteration of your Gantt chart.

Assessment for the poster/viva session counts for 10% of the project marks. The marksbreakdown is included in chapter 14.

9.2 Creating a poster display

What is a poster session?

A poster session is a common term used in conferences. It enables people to present their

academic work without having to make a formal presentation. The poster is not exactly like anadvertising poster but some of the techniques of advertising technical products could be used toadvantage. Project Co-ordinators can direct you to examples of posters from previous years. It


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Space and Title

The Learning Centre will provide you with an A1 size card, which is the size of eight A4 sheets.To enable you to get a good layout you should not have more than six A4 sheets on yourdisplay. The display should be portrait (not landscape) layout. This is necessary becauseof the size of the display boards. You must have your name and title of your project on the

poster.

Layout

The writing should be readable from a metre or so away from the page, so use a large typeface.Microsoft PowerPoint is an example of a package which will give you some good and quicklayout options and the word processor font is easily modified. Remember the old adage that apicture is worth a thousand words. This is particularly true when you can include graphs anddiagrams.

Contents

The poster (portrait layout) 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 ofyour work will be most interesting to your audience. This will be a major piece of work in yourdegree - present yourself and your project in the best possible way - it will leave a lastingimpression.

AudienceAlthough formally assessed by the project supervisor and 2nd assessor the poster session willalso be an open event. Some of the external examiners for the undergraduate programme mayattend, year 2 students will be invited to look at the posters and industrialists and other guestsmay be invited. It is therefore important that you should be available at other times in the week ifrequested in advance.

Training SessionsThe Learning Centre runs training sessions on how to produce posters. Sessions are advertisedin advance and are held about two weeks prior to the assessment week.

Queries and ProblemsIf you have any queries or concerns relating to procedure and/or guidance then in the firstinstance contact your supervisor. You may also contact your Project Co-ordinator.

10 RETURN OF REPORTS AND POSTERS

10.1 Main Project report

The arrangements for return of project reports following the July Examination Board meetingsare as follows: reports for projects gaining an overall mark of 65+%, are transferred to theLearning Centre where they are scanned and made available electronically - please complete


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identified as confidential (such as for certain part-time students company based projects), whichshould have a note to that effect on the title page, will not be made available for public access.Instead they will be returned to the project supervisor.

One paper copy of each report is retained by the Project Coordinator for a minimum of one yearin case of query, for any audit requirements and/or for supervisor use in project developmentwork. After that time, if not required by the supervisor or other member of academic staff, the it

will be returned to the student provided a request is made before the end of October (i.e oneyear and three months after the Examination Board meeting), or disposed of. The second copyof the project report if not required by the supervisor and, if not required for TEE use, it will bereturned to the student, provided a request is made before the end of October followingsubmission.

10.2 Poster

All posters are retained for the July examination board meeting. Posters not required for TEEuse will be available for return to students. Some posters are retained by the TEE for futuredisplay. Those not required will be returned to the student, provided a request is made beforethe end of October following submission.

11.0 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

There are four items of assessment for the Individual Project with the following percentageweightings of the overall mark:

AssessmentNumber Description Weighting Page No

1 Autumn Progress Review 10% 192 Research Report 10% 20

4 Main Report 70% 21

3 Presentation and Viva 10% 24

Total 100%

Assessment is undertaken by the supervisor and a second assessor using the assessmentbreakdown and criteria for each item as outlined on the following pages. On completion of allthe assessments by the supervisor and second assessor, there is a moderation process.Projects are selected for scrutiny by a panel using the criteria under the heading ProjectModeration, chapter 15. The moderation panel may recommend modification of the marks toachieve consistency of assessment standard.


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11.1 Autumn Progress Review

There should be a brief (5 minutes maximum) oral statement to supplement the summaryprogress document (2 copies to be brought to the review meeting). The assessors, normally thesupervisor and second assessor, will then ask questions for up to about 15 minutes onobjectives/methodology and initial research. In the table below, the appropriate mark in % ismultiplied by the element weighting. The sum for the three elements leads to an overall mark,maximum 100 %.

Element &weighting

Assessment Criteria MarkRange

Knowledgegainedof subjectfundamentals0.4

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

70-100

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

web).

6069

There is evidence of initial research into the essentials of this subjectarea but further research and information gathering could have beenachieved at this stage.

5059

Some information gathering has taken place but it is only justadequate and much additional research work should have beenachieved at this stage in order to gain a deeper appreciation of thesubject fundamentals.

4049

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

3039

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

0-29

Critical reviewof previousresearch inchosen field0.3

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

70-100

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

6069

Evidence of competent evaluation of the work of previous researchersin the subject area.

5059

Limited critical appraisal, with shortcomings in depth of analysis. 4049

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

3039

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

Possiblemethodologies0.3

Alternative approaches have been identified and analysed in depth.Limitations of the methods have been identified and ways to overcomethem suggested.

70-100

Alternative approaches have been considered. Limitations of themethods have been identified and ways to overcome them suggestedalthough this could have been covered in greater depth.

6069

Some alternative approaches have been considered although thiscould have been explored further. Limitations of the methods havebeen identified.

5059

There is an adequate consideration of appropriate methodologies. 4049


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There is an insufficient description and consideration of alternativeapproaches.

3039

Inappropriate methods described. Little or no consideration ofalternative approaches.

0-29

11.2 Research report, week 14

The report is submitted at week 14. In the table below, the appropriate mark in % is multipliedby the element weighting. The sum for the 2 elements gives the overall percentage mark.

Element &weighting


MethodologyJustification forchosenmethodologyand proposedimplementation0.5

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

70-100

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

6069

Fair justification of selected methodology. Limitations have beenidentified.

5059

Reasonable choice of approach, adequately described. 4049

Methods have been selected without justification. Little detail ofproposed implementation provided.

3039

Inappropriate methodology described. Inadequate detail ofproposed implementation.

0-29

Planning formain reportAnnotated

Contentssection0.4

Excellent planning for the main report expressed through adetailed annotated Contents section.There is potential for advanced and comprehensive consideration

demonstrated through identification of key issues involving, asapplicable to the project topic and aim, interpretation, explanation,analysis, comparison, evaluation and judgement.

70-100

Good planning for the main report outlined through the annotatedContents section. There is potential for broad considerationdemonstrated through identification of key issues involving, asapplicable to the project topic and aim, interpretation, explanation,analysis, comparison, evaluation and judgement.

6069

Satisfactory planning for the main report demonstrated through afair annotated Contents section. There is potential for appropriateconsideration demonstrated through identification of issuesinvolving, as applicable to the project topic and aim, interpretation,

explanation, analysis, comparison, evaluation and judgement.

5059

Adequate annotated Contents section. Room for improvementand some issues for consideration are omitted.

4049

Weak annotated Contents section. Planning for the main report isnot adequately demonstrated but there is indication of ability tomake good the shortfall. Key issues for consideration have eithernot been identified or there is little scope for them.

3039

Inadequate annotated Contents section demonstrating little or noplanning for the main report. Issues for consideration have eithernot been identified and/or there is little scope for them.

0-29

Report format,style and

referencing0.1

Succinct text with style and language in accordance withguidelines and with no significant shortcomings. Report includes

all necessary elements and is there is demonstration of ability todistil content and cite references correctly.

70-100

No significant shortcoming in structure with all the main elements 60 69


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included. Style and language generally in accordance with theguidelines although there may be some minor deficiencies. Thereis demonstration of ability to cite references correctly.

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

5059

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

4049

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

3039

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

11.3 Main report

The project report is the culmination of the Media Technology Project. The report should becapable of being read independently of any other documentation.

In the table below, the appropriate mark in % is multiplied by the element weighting. The sumfor the 4 elements leads to an overall mark, maximum 100 %.

Element &weighting


Achievement of

objectives0.3

Evidence of much high quality work, involving advanced

theory/concepts relevant to the course, and leading to theachievement of demanding objectives using appropriate methods.The content demonstrates depth of knowledge in the subject arearelevant to the project aims and has benefited from the outcomesof extensive research.

70-100

Evidence of good quality work, involving in-depth theory/concepts,leading to the achievement of demanding objectives, althoughsome areas could have been covered more thoroughly and/or withgreater depth and insight. The content demonstrates depth ofknowledge in the subject area relevant to the project aims and hasbenefited from relevant research.

6069

Evidence of generally competent work leading to achievement of

appropriate, but not fully challenging, objectives; or someincompleteness of challenging objectives. Background researchhas enabled some reasonable consideration of wider issues.

5059

There is an adequate quantity of appropriate level work involvingapplication of course-relevant knowledge and leading to limitedachievement of undemanding objectives. Background researchhas enabled only cursory consideration of wider issues. Howeverthere is evidence of ability to undertake investigation, obtainreasonable results, manipulate relevant data and generatereasonable content. However, there may be significantshortcomings - errors/omissions - in the various aspects of thework.

4049

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

3039


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

0-29

Review ofExistingKnowledge 0.1

Wide ranging research using all appropriate techniques/sourcesand achieving an extensive information base. Critical analysis offindings with comprehensive consideration of relevance. Effectivedevelopment of knowledge base following initial literature search.

All documentary sources (texts, journal articles, etc.) are listedunder the reference heading and appropriately cited in the report.

70-100

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

6069

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

5059

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

4049

Little research but enough to indicate ability to pass if further workundertaken. Some, but insufficient, evaluation, but with evidence

of ability to analyse which could lead to a pass standard withfurther work.

3039

Little or no relevant research or demonstration of ability toundertake research. Little or no evidence of analysis or indicationof potential in this area.

0-29

Methodology0.1

Alternative approaches have been identified and analysed indepth and those most appropriate selected with full justificationand clearly described. Thorough consideration of the imitations ofthe methods and ways to overcome them.

70-100

Alternative approaches have been considered and thoseappropriate selected with some justification. Limitations of themethods have been identified and ways to overcome them

suggested.

6069

Alternative approaches have been considered and somereasoning supports selection. Those selected as most suitableare justified. Limitations of the methods have been identified.

5059

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

4049

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

3039

Inappropriate methods described. Little or no consideration ofalternative approaches.

0-29

Analysis anddiscussion

0.4

Interpretation and analysis of findings related to advancedtheory/concepts is full and justified. Alternative approaches and

wider issues are considered comprehensively. There is reasonedand logical justification for selections, conclusions andrecommendations

70-100


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without the depth and/or consideration of wider issues.Selections, conclusions and recommendations are well reasonedand justified.

There is interpretation of straightforward data/findings. Analysis islimited in extent and depth and may have someerrors/shortcomings. There is some consideration of wider issueswith reasonable comments.

5059

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

4049

Some, but insufficient, evaluation, but with enough evidence ofability to analyse, which could lead to a pass standard with furtherwork.

3039

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

0-29

Reportstructure andpresentation0.1

Report includes all necessary elements and is appropriatelyreferenced throughout. Presentation of result/findings is clear andis supported using suitable visual/diagrammatic/tabulartechniques. Succinct text with style and language in accordancewith guidelines and with no significant shortcomings. There areappropriate supporting appendices.

70-100

No significant shortcoming in structure with all the main elementsincluded. Tabulated/diagrammatic/visual presentation of data isclear and the report is well referenced throughout. Style andlanguage generally in accordance with the guidelines althoughthere may be some minor deficiencies.

6069

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.

5059

Includes major elements but there may be omissions orshortcomings in logical order, such as inappropriate use ofchapters, sections, figures and appendices. The text may havesignificant shortcomings in style, language and/or lack ofconciseness. It may not be straightforward to follow. However,there should be adequate demonstration of ability to present areadable account, supported by some relevanttables/diagrams/visual forms presenting data.

4049

Serious shortcomings in structure and/or presentation, but enoughindication of ability to suggest some additional work should lead toa pass standard. There may be some error or lack of evidence in

citing references in the report.

3039

Report requires major drafting/re-drafting in most or all sections. 0-29


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11.4 Poster presentation and viva

Presentations will be undertaken following submission of the project report. Students willmake a brief presentation to the supervisor and second supervisor and will also answerquestions about aspects of the project. In the table below, the appropriate mark in % ismultiplied by the element weighting. The sum for the 3 elements leads to an overall mark,

maximum 100 %.

Element &weighting


Oralpresentation0.1

Well planned, coherent oral presentation expressed withconfidence and interest, appropriate to the audience, reflecting onthe aims / objectives, methodology, research activity andachievements.

70-100

Good oral description reflecting on main features of project;straightforward to follow, confident and interesting.

6069

Fair attempt at reflecting on the major features and achievements,

some aspects lack of clarity.

5059

Presentation not well planned and delivered, but conveys somerelevant information, although with significant deficiencies incontent/clarity/interest. Adequate reflection on the success of thechosen approach.

4049

Oral presentation lacks clarity and/or relevance. However, there issufficient evidence to suggest that some additional preparationtime would enable a pass standard to be achieved. Inadequatereflection on the success of the chosen approach.

3039

Major shortcomings in clarity and/or relevance. Little or noengagement with reflective practice.

0-29

Visual

presentation0.1

Excellent encapsulation of key points, extremely clear, high

impact, error free.

70-100

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

6069

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

5059

Some deficiencies of key points, lacking clarity, and/or with littleimpact and some errors. There may be indication of a shortage ofplanning and care in composing/creating the display. However itadequately presents some of the main points.

4049

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

preparation.

3039

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

0-29

Discussion /defence0.4

Confident, succinct and informative responses to questions. Indiscussion, appears to be well informed on specific subjectknowledge as well as wider issues associated with the project.

70-100

Good responses to questions and in discussion appears to begenerally familiar with the specific topic and with relevant widerissues.

6069

Reasonable responses to questions and is able adequately todiscuss straightforward aspects. There may be some minor

deficiencies in knowledge.

5059

Some hesitance in responses/discussion indicates lack offamiliarity with the topic and wider issues, and/or lack of

4049


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responses to questions on key points ofknowledge/understanding.Serious shortfall in ability to explain fundamentals, but should beable to reach pass standard with some additional preparation.

3039

Responses are incoherent or display lack of essential knowledgeand/or relevance.

0-29

Evidence ofappropriateprojectmanagement0.4

Evidence of excellent project management skills demonstratedthrough a variety of documentary evidence.

70-100

Evidence of good project management skills demonstratedthrough a range of documentary evidence.

6069

A fair approach to the management of the project demonstratedthrough documentary evidence.

5059

Evidence of adequate project management skills demonstratedthrough documentary evidence.

4049

Inadequate approach to project management, poorly documented. 3039Little or no evidence of an appropriate approach to projectmanagement.

0-29


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12.0 Project Moderation

On completion of assessment by two assessors there is a moderation process. The moderationpanel selects projects for consideration by the panel using the following typical descriptors:

Mark 70 % and above: evidence of much work of the highest quality leading to achievement ofdemanding objectives. The report demonstrates inventiveness and ability to analyse complextheory/concepts and relate them to practice. Content builds on knowledge/skills from higherlevel course modules, with depth in areas relevant to the degree title. There is extensive use ofrelevant sources, which are referenced through the text. Interpretation and analysis of findingsis full, and alternative approaches and wider issues are considered. Report closely followsconventions with no major shortcomings in structure, style or language.

Mark 60 - 69 %: evidence of much good quality work, competently undertaken, and leading toachievement of demanding objectives, but not demonstrating the highest intellectual calibreassociated with first class honours. The report demonstrates methodical care and competencein solving problems and in the treatment of information and results. Content involvesknowledge/skills from course modules, with depth in areas relevant to the degree title. There isevidence of extensive research, but the benefit to the work, and in general the analysis andconsideration of wider issues, is not fully explored. The report closely follows conventions withno 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 problemsand handle data competently. Content relates to course modules but does not demonstrate thedepth associated with higher classification. There is evidence of research, but with only limitedconsideration. Analysis may be narrow and with only limited consideration of wider issues. Thereport 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 ofrelevant work, but without the investigative background, depth, or analysis associated withhigher classifications There is evidence of some research, but the analysis is limited, and widerissues are not explored. However, there is evidence of ability to manipulate relevant data in amanner, and with comments, demonstrating an adequate level of understanding for the award.The report contains necessary major sections, but may suffer from significant shortcomings.


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APPENDIX 1, MEDIA TECHNOLOGY PROJECT, SYLLABUS

Module Title: Media Technology Project UG3 Version 1.02

Faculty: Technology, Engineering and the Environment

School: Digital Media Technology

Credit value: 30 Module Code: FM6308 Level: 6

Programme(s) on which the module is delivered:

BSc (Hons) Music TechnologyBSc (Hons) Multimedia TechnologyBSc (Hons) Film Production and TechnologyBSc (Hons) Film Technology and Special EffectsBSc (Hons) Games Design and ProductionBSc (Hons) Television Technology and ProductionBSc (Hons) Sound Engineering and ProductionBSc (Hons) Sound and Multimedia Technology

Study hours:

Lecturers:Seminars/Tutorials:Assessment:Lecturer Guided Study:Self Directed Study:

Notional Total Hours:

20106060150

300

Brief content:

A variety of project topics are offered enablingstudents to acquire in-depth knowledge and skills inan area of interest relevant to their course title.Activities include generating a proposal, researchingscientific and technical sources, creating andimplementing solutions, verifying and analysingresults and reporting on outcomes.

Relationship with Programme Philosophy and Aims

The project simulates typical graduate workplace tasks that require in-depthknowledge and skills in a course specific area, consideration of wider issues and theability to manage activities and resources, and to generate, implement and report onsolutions to meet task objectives. The project therefore provides opportunity todemonstrate technical and general employability preparation for career progression.

Indicative content

Projects may be university or industry based. There are a range of project topicsaccording to the course title. Projects topics may also be student proposed, subject toapproval. The project title should be appropriate to the students course and providesufficient scope for the exploration of technology or for the subject matter to beinvestigated in a suitably scientific manner appropriate to a BSc. Assistance withselecting a project is through guidance notes, tutorials, meetings and on-lineresources. The project co-ordinator will, in consultation with supervisors, establish thesuitability of proposed projects. Each student will be assigned an academic supervisorwho will monitor progress and provide guidance.

Completing the project involves specifying an aim, formulating objectives, planning,managing activities and resources, considering alternative approaches and

techniques, researching literature and information for topic-specific and wider issues,devising solutions and if applicable an artefact, analysing, evaluating and verifyingresults maintaining records recording progress and documenting outcomes


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The first deliverable is a proposal document which follows the registration of theproject. The document outlines the project aim and how it is to be achieved, expressedas a number of objectives, rationale, tasks/activities, resources, expenditure, scheduleand safety assessment. The project proposal document is the foundation for theproject activity through the academic year and benefits from formative feedback. Theproposal document must be approved to authorise the project to proceed and isconsidered as part of the final assessment as one aspect of the projects

management.

The Autumn progress review is held towards the end of the autumn term. Evidenceconsidered at progress review can include short written progress/evaluationdocuments and brief presentations and question/answer sessions as applicable to thecourse.

Before the mid-point of the year students submit a briefresearch report whichincludes a discussion of the chosen methodology and plans for the main report.

The main report is the culmination of the project module and is submitted towards theend of the scheduled duration. The guidance notes require the content and format of

reports to follow accepted conventions appropriate to the study area. The main reportwill allow for the exploration of existing research in the chosen area, going on to detailthe students chosen methodology and findings. The analysis and verification ofresults may be achieved through comparison to established theory, techniques,experimentation or via the creation of an artefact. The knowledge gained will bediscussed, conclusions drawn and recommendations for further study highlighted.

A final project viva is undertaken after submission of the main report. Thepresentation, supported by appropriate visual media, offers the opportunity to reflecton the project and for students to demonstrate depth of knowledge and defend theapproach and conclusions through response to questions. The presentation providesoccasion for the discussion of the approach to project management and students are

required to bring documentary evidence to support this.

Study mode / delivery method(s):

The normal timescale for completing a project is from September to May.

Regular contact between the student and project supervisor is expected. Studentshave responsibility for maintaining contact with their supervisors and shouldmeet/communicate with them on a regular basis.

Tutorials are scheduled during the year covering all aspects of undertaking and writing

up the project. Tutorials are supported by on-line material on the universitys VLE andthe facultys Learning Centre provides resources to support students in following goodpractice and creating deliverables.


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Intended Learning Outcomes and the means by which they are to be achieved anddemonstrated.

Learning Outcome Learning and Teaching Methods

On completion of the module, the student should be able to:

1. Create a project proposal demonstrating

ability to analyse the aim, formulateappropriate and achievable objectives andplan to achieve them;

Emphasis is placed upon student centred learning

and independence. Regular contact between thestudent and project supervisor is encouraged.Students having the responsibility for maintainingcontact with their supervisors.

There is a module guide in the form ofcomprehensive guidance notes, including aschedule of dates and information and directionfor each deliverable.

Tutorials are run through the year and cover allaspects of undertaking the r

media technology project ug3 guide

Documents