COMPSCI 780 : Postgraduate Project in Computer Science 1

Science

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

No prescription

Course Overview

This is an optional choice for students enrolled in the PGDip programme, also available - under special permissions - for the GradDip and MSci programmes.
 
A successful project may change the impact of your CV, or prepare you better for further postgraduate studies, which tend to focus much more on individual work.

Briefly, each student taking this course will be expected to do an individual practical project under the supervision of a member of staff. Only students with excellent academic records will be allowed to take this course, and only after a supervisor and topic have been agreed upon by the Head of Department.

To enroll in this course, students must have exceptional academic grades, normally at or above A-. However, this is not enough, as this course entails individual projects.

Then, the student must find a supervisor and a topic of common interests, which should require an amount of quality work comparable to a regular graduate course. Some students make preliminary contacts during their regular courses, or get ideas by browsing the staff research pages.

Next, the enrollment application must be further approved by the HoS or one of their nominees (typically the PGDip, GradDip, or MSci coordinator). The approved and signed application is sent to enrollments, who make the final decision.

The projects typically end with project reports and usually these are the main or even sole items used for assigning a grade. Thus, students must have or develop very good writing skills, for research oriented (i.e. non commercial) technical reports.

To justify an individual project, the topic should be quite challenging, but there are no other restrictions on the topics, that can range over all areas of compsci, theory and/or practice.

Each supervisor may require additional assessments (such as interim reports, presentations, demonstrations) and may add or refine other specific details (such as learning outcomes, learning resources, special requirements, workload expectations).

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: Approval of Academic Head or nominee Restriction: COMPSCI 691 To complete this course students must enrol in COMPSCI 780 A and B, or COMPSCI 780

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Write and present a substantive report on a computer science project (Capability 3, 4 and 6)
  2. Critically engage in individual study (Capability 4)
  3. Act with integrity (Capability 8)
  4. Organise and evaluate their information to communicate clearly (Capability 3, 4 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Reports 100% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Reports

Tuākana

Tuākana Science is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/pacific-in-our-faculty.html
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-in-our-faculty.html

Special Requirements

Will be provided by the supervisor.

Workload Expectations

This course should be roughly equivalent to a standard 15 point graduate course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course in which they are enrolled.

More details will be provided by the supervisor.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Details, including changes that may be required by the Alert levels, may vary, and will be clarified by the supervisors.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Will be provided by the supervisor.

Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

In the context of this individual project, feedback should be to the project supervisor in the first instance and escalate to the programme coordinator if necessary.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 31/10/2023 10:51 a.m.