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Comp2100
Computing Research Projects
Assignment 1
Semester 1 2011/12
No word limit
100%
Friday January 6th 2012, 15.00 hrs
1,2,3
Sherry O’Sullivan
Dr. Colin B. Price
Module web-pages via
http://staffweb.worc.ac.uk/DrC/index.htm
Introduction
You must either select one of the three case-studies below, and develop these throughout
your module workshops, or agree an alternative case-study with your module tutor. This
alternative must be agreed before the second teaching session.
Case-Study 1
You have been commissioned to investigate the phenomena of social networking and its
trend. Your evaluation could include its use as a social, political, or educational tool or you
might consider if this phenomenon is only applicable to Digital Natives and if so why it
appeals to the users. You are expected to (i) conduct a thorough review of the associated
literature, (ii) select an appropriate research approach suitable to obtain information
concerning the use of social networking from a significant sample of users, (iii) deploy this
approach to generate primary data. This will be followed by a complete analysis of the data.
(iv) Finally, you must reflect on project management approaches and select a project
management approach suitable for this commission, and explain how you would deploy this
in the context of this project.
Case-Study 2
You have been commissioned to investigate what motivates computer game players to play
computer games You are expected to (i) conduct a thorough review of the associated
literature concerning motivation, (ii) select an appropriate research approach suitable to
obtain information concerning motivation from a significant sample of potential users (iii)
deploy this approach to generate primary data to find out what motivates players to play
computer games. This will be followed by a complete analysis of the data. (iv) Finally you
must reflect on project management approaches and select a project management approach
suitable for this commission, and explain how you would deploy this in the context of this
project.
Case-Study 3
You have been commissioned to investigate the concept of cloud computing. You are
expected to (i) conduct a thorough review of associated literature, including the literature
concerning the different definitions of cloud computing and its link to the grid computing
paradigm and any other technology, (ii) select an appropriate research approach suitable to
obtain information concerning this technology, (iii) deploy this approach to generate primary
data. (iv) Finally, you must reflect on project management approaches and select a project
management approach suitable for this commission, and explain how you would deploy this
in the context of this project.
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Assessment criteria
In addition to the general points that apply to all assessed work as outlined in the Course
Handbook, additional assessment criteria will be applied. These are found in documents
linked on the module website. We hope that these criteria will help guide you in completing
your Learning Journal.
The Learning Journal
Your work is to be assembled into a ‘Learning Journal’ which should record your on-going
workshop activities, and be built-up gradually during this module. Your module tutors will
indicate which elements of workshop activities should be incorporated and when.
The Learning Journal will be formally graded following the hand-in; however you are required
to submit two stages of the Journal during the module for formative (un-graded) assessment.
You will receive general feedback and will be able to amend your Journal stages. Your tutors
will inform you in advance the dates of these staged submissions.
The Learning Journal could be structured as suggested below and you may make extensive
use of appendices, e.g., for any questionnaire you have designed, for data sets or general
research.
(i) Introduction
(ii) Weekly diary of activities
(iii) Literature review
(iv) Research Approaches, Deployment and Analysis
(v) Project Management
Handing in
You should submit your work by the 3pm deadline on January 6th 2012. Please note that
every assessment must be submitted with a Student Feedback Form which clearly
notes your student number, and the name of the marking tutor. Work must be wordprocessed. You are required to keep a copy of work handed in. Please provide an
electronic copy of all written work.
Late submission of work
It is essential that you submit your work, in order to be able to pass the module. Work
which is submitted late will be subject to grade penalties as below. Full details of the
regulations regarding late submission and applying for mitigation are available via the
Registry Services website in the Assessment folder http://www2.worc.ac.uk/registry/.
 Students who submit course work late but within 5 days of the due date will
have work marked, but the grade will be capped at the minimum pass grade
unless an application for mitigating circumstances is accepted.
 Students who submit work later than 5 days but within 14 days of the due date
will not have work marked unless they have submitted a valid claim of mitigating
circumstances.
 Students who fail to submit an item of assessment lose their right to
reassessment in that module, and will be required to retake the module.
 For full details of submission regulations see Undergraduate Regulatory
Framework
at
http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/documents/UndergraduateRegulato
ryFramework2007entry.pdf
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Academic Dishonesty Warning
Please note the regulations on academic dishonesty, in particular the inclusion in your
assignments of un-attributed material taken from other sources. Be assured that every effort
will be taken to deal with you fairly, but remember that there are strict rules concerning
cheating. You will find further details in your Course Handbook accessible via SOLE.
Word Limits: While there is no formal word limit, you are encouraged to be concise. You will
not gain any advantage by submitting a large number of words for its own sake. This policy
will be explained by the module tutor.
Reassessment
In the event you are required to take reassessment you will receive formal notification of this
via a letter from Registry Services posted on the SOLE page after the meeting of the Board
of Examiners. The letter will normally include a copy of the reassessment task(s).
Deadlines for re-assessment can be found in the University Calendar at
http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/655.htm
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