COMP SCI 4404 - Software Engineering Research Project

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018

The final year research project is aimed at providing students with an opportunity to apply Software Engineering knowledge, understanding, and skills to an industrially sourced project. The projects are jointly supervised by academic supervisors and the external clients, who propose projects. The students are assigned to different small teams that are expected to work collaboratively on the assigned project that will involve aspects of research and development. Students are expected to demonstrate the application of software engineering principles and practices by following defined processes, which are tracked using online repositories and communication tools. The project also provides a pathway to enrolment in a higher degree by research.

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Course Details

Course Code	COMP SCI 4404
Course	Software Engineering Research Project
Coordinating Unit	Computer Science
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 2 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
Restrictions	Available to B.Engineering (Software Engineering) students Only
Assessment	Project reports and presentation

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Christoph Treude

Coordinator: Christoph Treude

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Conduct research in an area of software engineering
2	Interpret and assess literature related to a current area of research
3	Present work to an audience, both in written form and orally
4	Apply software engineering principles and research to industry projects
5	Collaborate on planning and realizing industry-scale software projects

The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer.
The course is designed to develop the following Elements of Competency: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1-5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3-5
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1-5
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	3, 5
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3-5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The resources required for this course will vary with the project undertaken. Generic information will be provided as-needed on the course forums.

Recommended Resources

Resources are recommended on a group basis by project supervisors. A dedicated computer laboratory is available. Specialised computing requirements should be arranged through the project supervisor.

Online Learning

All resources for the course are available through the University's online Learning Management System, MyUni.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Students will conduct regular meetings with clients and with lecturers. Lecture and tutorial sessions are used to assist with project administration and guidance relating project processes and outcomes.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

As a project course of 6 units students are expected to organise their own time between meetings. Course participants are expected to communicate frequently via the online resources used for the project. Each student is expected to devote 20 to 24 hours per week throughout the semester.

Learning Activities Summary

The Project consists of several stages, including:

1. Literature review and research proposal presentation,
2. Reporting on research findings
3. Engagement with academic supervisor and industry client
4. Implementation of research within industry project
5. Demonstration of software engineering best practice The specific content of each step is highly project dependent, and should be discussed with the project supervisor.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Weighting (%)	Individual/ Group	Formative/ Summative	Due (week)*	Hurdle criteria	Learning outcomes	CBOK Alignment**
Poster and Associated Presentation	10	Group	Summative	Week 12		3. 5.	1.1 1.2 2.3 2.4 2.6
Peer Assessment and Meeting Contributions (5% each)	10	Individual	Summative	Week 12		3. 5.	2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.6 4.2
Project Quality	10	Group	Summative	Week 12		4. 5.	1.1 1.2 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2
Project Quality	20	Individual	Summative	Week 12		4. 5.	1.1 1.2 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2
Literature Review	10	Individual	Summative	Week 5		1. 2. 3.	2.2 2.6 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3
Development Process	10	Individual	Summative	Week 12		4. 5.	2.2 2.3 2.4 2.6 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2
Development Process	10	Group	Summative	Week 5		4. 5.	2.2 2.3 2.4 2.6 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2
Written Research Report	20	Individual	Summative	Week 12	Min 40%	1. 2. 3.	1.1 1.2 2.2 2.6 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3
Total	100

* The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.

This assessment breakdown complies with the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.

This course has a hurdle requirement. Meeting the specified hurdle criteria is a requirement for passing the course.

**CBOK is the Core Body of Knowledge for ICT Professionals defined by the Australian Computer Society. The alignment in the table above corresponds with the following CBOK Areas:

1. Problem Solving

1.1 Abstraction

1.2 Design

2. Professional Knowledge

2.1 Ethics

2.2 Professional expectations

2.3 Teamwork concepts & issues

2.4 Interpersonal communications

2.5 Societal issues

2.6 Understanding of ICT profession

3. Technology resources

3.1 Hardware & Software

3.2 Data & information

3.3 Networking

4. Technology Building

4.1 Programming

4.2 Human factors

4.3 Systems development

4.4 Systems acquisition

5. ICT Management

5.1 IT governance & organisational

5.2 IT project management

5.3 Service management

5.4 Security management

Assessment Related Requirements

Hurdle Requirement: If your overall mark for the course is greater than 44 F but, your mark for the individual project quality component is less than 40%, your overall mark for the course will be reduced to 44 F.

Assessment Detail

The Project is assessed based on a number of written and oral deliverables. The final project quality is marked by two examiners and verified by all academic staff. Students mark for the group will be based on their individual performance in the project.

Meeting contributions will be assessed by academic supervisor, peer review and contributions from the industry client.

Submission

Project deliverables are submitted via Git and web submission.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator