Tutorial and/or Seminar: 1 hour/week
Lab: 3 hours/week
Note: Lab activities may be replaced by practicum activities under approved circumstances
Practicum, lab work, and tutorials or seminars may be used in this course. Most of the instruction will be on a one–to–group basis between students and the faculty advisor to guide the students through a self–managed work plan. Weekly communication with the instructor will be compulsory.
Students will complete a semester-long project consisting of several milestone stages each requiring a formal written report and/or oral presentation. The content details will depend upon the particular subject of each project. However, there will be several common topics. Tutorials will be held to discuss:
- Background research and market analysis
- Project scope statement and project proposal
- Fundamentals of systems engineering
- Project report tools and strategies including written reports, poster presentations, oral presentations, etc.
- Teamwork ethics, best practices, and effective collaboration techniques
- Project management tools and concerns
- Resource and risk management
- Brainstorming and concept generation
- Requirements analysis and systems design
- Problem-solving techniques
- Prototyping
- Product quality control
- Project deliverables
Criteria for selection of a project topic:
- A project's subject must be related to a field of study in Computing Science.
- A project's scope must be such that its objectives can be attained in one semester.
- The contents and results of a project must be original, as plagiarism is unacceptable and viewed as a serious offence.
- In case of practicum, the project's progress and results must be reported to the instructor on a weekly basis.
Typical projects may be in (but are not restricted to) one of the following areas:
- Systems analysis and design
- Electronic device/system design
- Game development
- Web development
- Mobile applications
- Embedded systems
- Microcontroller design
- Cryptosystems
- Database design and implementation
- Operating systems design and implementation
After successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Perform a market analysis, analyze available alternatives, and assess various solutions in the planning of a project
- Prepare a project proposal
- Apply project management tools and theoretical concepts in the development of a project
- Efficiently utilize systems analysis and design practices in the development of a project
- Deliver oral presentations and provide written memos/reports to the clients and the instructor in a formal environment
- Prepare technical documentation and a final project report on the work performed
- Compare and contrast the proposed project solution with other alternatives
- Outline a project's vision and the future scope of a developed project
Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. A written course outline including assessment rubrics will be provided at the beginning of the course. Evaluation will be based on the following:
|
Initial project proposal including timeline, schedule, and scope |
15% – 20% |
| Project design specification | 15% – 20% |
| Progress Report 1 | 10% – 15% |
| Progress Report 2 | 10% – 15% |
| Project Completion Report | 15% – 25% |
| Project Post-Mortem Analysis Report | 15% – 25% |
Teaching materials will be decided by the instructor at the time of the course offering. Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for current required text/materials. Example materials include:
- Douglas College Custom Courseware on Project Management
- Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams by Terry Schmidt
- Project Management For Beginners: Proven Project Management Methods To Complete by Ed Stark
- Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling by Harold R. Kerzner