FIT4008 Reading unit

This unit is a research unit and an elective unit for the Honours degrees of the Faculty of IT. Due to the nature of the area of IT, a wide range of reading unit types can be offered to students. Some project components are of a practical nature and may involve some software development and/or experimentation, while other components are of a more theoretical nature.

Teaching

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of one semester. Supervisor(s) will guide and monitor the student's research work and discuss progress, difficulties and outcomes during these meetings. Supervisor(s) will also require student to submit regular written work and interim reports on research topic.

Assessment

Assessment is determined by the supervisor. Assessment can include a written report or written formal exam. The student may also be required to present the findings of the research undertaken.

Practical components will be judged for quality in one or more of the following categories:

• Correctness and completeness
• Sound design
• Testing
• Ease of use
• Documentation

Theoretical components will be judged for quality in one or more of the following categories:

• Formal correctness
• Problem understanding
• Innovative and independent problem solving
• Conceptual elegance and simplicity

A written report will encompass a literature review, a formal statement of the research problem and a description of the research methodology employed. The assessment of the written report will be used to gauge the student's level of understanding of the research topic. The thesis will also demonstrate the experimentation carried out to understand the problem and explore different solutions and finally demonstrate, justify and communicate a possible solution. Finally the assessment, thesis and presentation will also determine the level of research and communication skills acquired.

The criteria for evaluating the written report is as follows:

• Structured presentation
• Clear formulation of research objective(s) and methodology
• Clear definition of important terms and concepts discussed in the project report
• Clear demonstration of how the project relates to relevant published work
• Appropriate use of references

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Admission to the Honours degree. Enrollment in FIT4008 is subject to the approval of the Associate Dean Education on the advice of the relevant Honours program leaders.

Corequisites

None.

Prohibitions

None.