Reference no: EM133857786

Computing Project - Level 6

Research - Cyber security

Section A: Module Overview

Aims
Employers are looking for graduates who can demonstrate their skills through taking on projects and who understand the workflows and methodologies employed by computing professionals.

This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate to employers the knowledge and skills you have developed whilst at university and your ability to undertake a substantial piece of project work within the Computing field. Where appropriate, you may choose to align your project within your current workplace context. Alternatively, you may choose a project that aligns with your future study or career ambitions as a showcase of your abilities.

The project will involve the design, implementation, development, and testing of a computing artefact to the prototype stage as a minimum, to achieve clearly defined objectives. It will also require you to undertake and demonstrate project planning, including creating a clear rationale, performing risk analysis and appropriate project scoping.

Throughout the project, you will be required to demonstrate the ability to work independently, demonstrating initiative and professionalism, following the necessary professional and ethical standards.

You will be allocated to a supervisor in your chosen Computing field who will mentor and advise you throughout the duration of your project.

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

Evaluate a Computing related problem and select an appropriate approach to resolve that problem.

Demonstrate expertise in the Computing subject area that showcases your technical, transferable and project management skills and the ability to undertake a Computing related project from initial concept to design, implementation, and evaluation.

Demonstrate your ability to undertake advanced research in the Computing subject area.

Critically evaluate the work done and the methods employed.

Graduate attributes

Reflective Practitioner: Undertake critical analysis and reach reasoned and evidenced decisions, contribute problem-solving skills to find and innovate in solutions.

Module Delivery
The module will be delivered via the Virtual Learning Environment, through workshops that focus on concepts, theories, and processes plus individual support from your designated supervisor, who will agree a schedule with you and agrees landmarks and objectives. This is intended to motivate you and ensure that you can monitor your own progress. Within this structure the emphasis will be on applying knowledge in practical tasks and ensuring that you receive ongoing feedback. You will be expected to attend all scheduled workshops.

You will be undertaking a significant Computing related project (on a topic of your choice) consisting of two main phases. As well as showcasing your technical skills, this also allows you to demonstrate your ability to plan, implement and design a successful project.

Phase 1: Project Proposal
This is a gatekeeper document i.e. The proposal does not carry any weighting at this stage, but your content will inform your main report. Your initial proposal must be approved by your supervisor and module lead before you can proceed with your project.

As part of the proposal, you must consider the Arden ethical guidelines and apply for ethical approval (this must be in place before any data collection begins). Once ethical permission has been approved and signed off, you can proceed with Phase 2 of the project.
Note: you will not be able to submit your final project report to the portal without having completed this phase. In the event of not gaining approval, you will be required to re-design and resubmit your plan based on your supervisor's recommendations.

Phase 2: The Project
The Project report with a final deliverable due at the end of the module. This accounts for 100% of the total mark.

Section B: Project Selection & Supervision
You will first need to identify and select a suitable project. The final project proposal must be agreed by your supervisor, the module leader and REC (the Research Ethics Committee) before you can begin. Your project idea must meet the following criteria:
It can be completed within an appropriate time frame.
Access to any specific hardware/software has been considered.
It is sufficiently challenging (but not impossible to complete).
It makes use of (and builds upon) the skills and knowledge gained through your previous Computing modules.
Is original in nature (e.g., not just re-using existing assessment submissions from previous modules)
It satisfies all the ethical requirements as set out by Arden University.

Project Supervision
Once you have registered and submitted an appropriate working title through the Arden Ethics Portal you will be allocated a project supervisor who will provide you with support throughout the duration of your project. This will include:
Monitoring and ensuring your progress towards your objectives
Providing academic and technical guidance and answering general project queries
Encouraging you to keep appropriate records of actions/progress, such as reference sources, designs, and contact logs

Providing guided feedback on your project elements (proposal and final draft)
A successful project requires significant thought and preparation. This is not a ‘taught' module where we are delivering and assessing a fixed body of knowledge. This is an activity that is yours, and for you alone, to progress and be responsible for, with some advice from your supervisor acting as a guide and facilitator.
Your supervisor will provide you with feedback as to the project's viability and discuss with you any amendments that need to be made before you can proceed. For this to happen you should ensure that you have contacted your supervisor within the FIRST week of being allocated (your Module Leader will email you to confirm your supervisor).
Your supervisor will discuss specific details of how the working relationship will be implemented in practice. This is an ideal time to raise any concerns about the development of your initial proposal and how the project will proceed.

Section C: Project Structure

Your project will consist of THREE parts: a project proposal, a project report, and your software artefact.
Proposal (1500 words or equivalent)
The project proposal will need to address the following points before your project can be approved:
Overview/Rationale - an overview of your project and the reason for undertaking this e.g., is it attempting to solve a problem? Is it aimed at a particular set of users?
Aim - the aim is a statement of intent that should state what you plan to achieve with the project overall (but not how you will do it)
Project Objectives - the objectives define how you are going to achieve your aim. Objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourced and Time-limited (SMART). Information on developing SMART objectives can be found on iLearn.
Potential Solutions - provide an overview of your proposed solution(s) and artefact.
Risk Assessment - you should provide a summary of:
Potential issues that could arise with your project and possible impact.
Appropriate measures that you can implement to mitigate any risks.
Any ethical considerations
Project Methodologies - Identify suitable development methodologies for your project. Provide a clear rationale and justification for your choice of methodology.
Project Plan -propose a draft plan of work for the project. All necessary project tasks should be identified along with a realistic timescale. This should be presented as a GANTT chart.

Main Project Report (10,000 Words or equivalent)
The project report should include the following sections:
Introduction - covers the background to the project, details the chosen topic, discusses rationale, relevance to the field of computing plus the aim and objectives.
Requirements Gathering - This should analyse and document the functional, non- functional and security requirements for your artefact. The requirements should be fully and appropriately documented, actionable, measurable, and testable.
Proposed Solution- a model for your solution. Designs should be annotated with explanations where appropriate. The design should cover your artefact from all perspectives including usability and accessibility.

Implementation - provide a detailed account of the implementation of the project (including any coding where appropriate) and use of software tools to develop your artefact. You should also discuss any problems you have had to overcome during the implementation. A descriptive approach will not achieve any more than a pass - instead, you should aim to critically reflect on how your chosen development methodology has impacted on the artefact and how the design and development has been influenced by supporting literature and subsequent testing where appropriate.
Testing - provide a detailed and comprehensive test plan covering a full range of appropriate tests for your artefact. This can include unit and functional testing (e.g., testing against your functional and non-functional requirements). Provide test data and an analysis of the results. You should highlight how the testing process identifies problems and the resolutions in place to overcome these. You can also make suitable recommendations for improvements to the artefact based on test results.
Ethics - discuss any ethical issues relating to your project that you have identified and how they were addressed.
Conclusion - a discussion of the outcomes of your project. This should highlight where the project has met/failed in its objectives. You can also suggest recommendations for further development and areas of possible investigation in future.
Reflection - this should be an account of what you have achieved during the project, including lessons that were learned, any mistakes and anything you would do differently in future projects.

References & Appendices - Include references for all articles that you have used during your project. The appendices section should be used for supporting material unsuitable for the main body of the report (e.g., large datasets or sections of code).