Postgraduate Course: Masters Dissertation (Design Informatics) (INFR11097)
Course Outline
| School | School of Informatics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | The goal of this course is to make something new, that makes work, care or play better, by designing with data. The dissertation reports an in depth investigation of a significant problem in Design Informatics, according to sound scientific, engineering and design principles.
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| Course description |
Project dependent.
This is a major piece of full-time independent work which occupies the final months of the MSc course. If taken as part of a one-year masters, it accounts for all of a student's time following their course exams. If taken as part of a two-year masters, it accounts for 1/3 of student time during Semester 1 of Year 2, and 2/3 of student time in Semester 2 of Year 2. It allows students to demonstrate their ability to organise and carry out a substantial investigation into a problem in Design Informatics, according to sound scientific, engineering and design principles. The project involves both the application of skills learnt in the past and the acquisition of new skills. The project often involves the construction of an artefact, whether software, hardware, a robotic device, some other artefact incorporating computation, or some combination of these.
The types of activity involved in each project vary but include most of the following:
- Researching the literature and gathering background information.
- Analysing requirements, comparing alternatives and specifying a solution.
- Analysing and exploiting relevant theory in novel ways.
- Designing and implementing the solution.
- Experimenting with and evaluating the solution.
- Exploring the solution as part of a product or service.
- Discussing existing results and presenting new research.
- Developing written and oral presentation skills.
The project is conducted individually by the student under the supervision of a member of teaching staff. Students are formed into groups for the purpose of Review Meetings.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Flexible |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
548 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The project is assessed on the basis of a written dissertation which should typically contain:
- Title page with abstract (a one or two paragraph summary of the contents).
- Introduction: background, previous work, exposition of relevant literature, setting of the work in the proper context.
- Description of the work undertaken: this may be divided into chapters describing the conceptual design work and the actual implementation separately. Any problems or difficulties and the suggested solutions should be mentioned. Alternative solutions and their evaluation should also be included. A focus on the associated product or service is expected.
- Analysis: results and their critical analysis should be reported, whether the results conform to expectations or otherwise and how they compare with other related work.
- Conclusion: concluding remarks and observations, unsolved problems, suggestions for further work.
- Bibliography.
Students may be required by their project markers to demonstrate any system that arose from the project. If the project's focus is the production of an artefact of some kind, then evaluation of that artefact supports the evaluation of the dissertation. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- structure and summarise a body of knowledge relating to a substantial project topic in Design Informatics
- critically evaluate previous work in the area
- conduct a programme of work in further investigation of issues related to the topic, and discuss and solve conceptual problems which arise during the investigation
- justify design decisions made during the investigation, and critically evaluate the investigation
- present their work, with demonstration of working products or services where appropriate
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Reading List
| Project dependent. Initial readings are provided by teachers; students are expected to supplement these lists themselves. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Amir Vaxman
Tel: (0131 6)50 8286
Email: avaxman@inf.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Lindsay Seal
Tel: (0131 6)50 5194
Email: lindsay.seal@ed.ac.uk |
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