CS407-30 Group Project

Department: Computer Science
Level: Undergraduate Level 4
Module leader: Sara Kalvala
Credit value: 30
Module duration: 30 weeks
Assessment: Multiple
Study location: University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

CS407 - The group project is intended to give students experience of team project work, similar to that which might be expected of them in a working environment, demanding management and problem-solving skills as well as individual initiative.

Module aims

The project will be in response to the needs of a "customer" who will normally be an industrial partner, or may alternatively be an academic, and will be closely involved in the specification and running of the project. The themes for such projects will offer more scope for interdisciplinary and collaborative activities than a typical third year project, requiring a mature knowledge of computer science and its applications.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The topics of the group projects are up to students and their supervisors and may be drawn from any area in Computer Science. Topics of the lectures focus on key skills in software engineering, such as:
Version control
Testing and continuous integration
Build systems and package management
Containerisation/development
Writing for Computer Science
These topics will be illustrated using relevant, current technologies.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Experience of writing a sizeable report as a co-author
Experience of working in a team on a substantial development project
Improved interpersonal and communication skills
Awareness of issues relating to project management

Indicative reading list

Please see Talis Aspire link for most up to date list.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

Some groups of students may work on small research projects.

Subject specific skills

Students will learn how to engineer complex software systems or conduct research projects according to the requirements of a customer.

Transferable skills

Technical skills, communication skills, critical thinking, multitasking

Study time

Type	Required
Lectures	5 sessions of 1 hour (2%)
Project supervision	20 sessions of 1 hour (7%)
Private study	275 hours (92%)
Total	300 hours

Private study description

Private study consists of:
Researching topic
Developing software
Writing reports
Preparing presentations

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.

Assessment group A4

	Weighting	Eligible for self-certification
Progress Presentation	20%	No
Group presentation to assessors using overhead slides and optionally a demo. All group members to take part in presentation. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.
Group Report	60%	No
The Group Report is jointly authored by the members of the group, is typically of length 30,000 words (excluding appendices), and counts for 60% of the assessment. Its purpose is to document the process of delivering the agreed software, from both a technical and a process management standpoint. The report should demonstrate that the group has applied their skills in the software development process, and also that they have worked together effectively as a team. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.
Individual Report	10%	No
The individual report is a piece of reflective writing which allows each group member to discuss their own contribution to the project, and what lessons they have learned from the process. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.
Final Presentation	10%	No
The final presentation allows the group to present their completed work to their assessors as well as to an audience, and allows members of the audience to question members of the group about their work. Depending on the type of project, the group will be expected to demonstrate their working software or present a poster of their research results. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.

Assessment group R2

	Weighting	Eligible for self-certification
Resit report on group project management	50%	No
A report consisting of literature survey on management of CS group projects in academia and industry and reflective analysis of own experience on group work, particularly the first attempt at this module, if applicable, and including issues raised, their resolutions, and lessons learned regarding large software development. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.
Viva on Group Projects	50%	No
Following on from the Written Report, a discussion with two assessors on the first attempt in CS407 (including technical aspects) as well as general insights into software development project management. This assessment is worth more than 3 CATS and is, therefore, ineligible for self-certification.

Feedback on assessment

Individual feedback via Tabula and group feedback via email

Past exam papers for CS407

Courses

This module is Core for:

Year 5 of UCSA-G504 MEng Computer Science (with intercalated year)
Year 4 of UCSA-G503 Undergraduate Computer Science MEng