The purpose of this module is to allow students to identify, validate and analyse a systems development project of sufficient complexity to implement modern systems analysis techniques.
Overview
This module requires the students to take full responsibility for the identification and formulation of a substantial project objective, an essential part of which will be the completion of an analysis and design project using techniques which the students have encountered in previous modules. Students will work in groups of two which will be selected by the Project Supervisor.
Development of Project Proposal
In week 1 of the semester students will be briefed by their Project Supervisor on the structure and expectations for each phase of the IT Analysis and Design Project. As a general objective this project will be based on groups of no more than two students, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Each group will be required to develop their own chosen project theme which will require the agreement of their Project Supervisor. Students will be encouraged to consult with lecturers from the Course Team in the development of their project proposal. Project proposals must be completed by the end of week 3. Project proposals will include the following elements: Project Title, Detailed problem statement, Business Rationale, Scope statement, Feasibility statement, Risk Statement, Technical challenges. By the end of Week 3 each student group will have completed and have had agreed with their Supervisor their final Project Proposal. In addition the students will have prepared an outline Project Plan for the project using Microsoft Project.
Requirements Gathering
Once the Functional Specification has been completed to a satisfactory level, the students will be required to prepare and conduct interviews with a minimum of two representatives of companies operating in the same application domain in order to verify the soundness of their functional requirements. This will provide an opportunity for students to directly engage with industry and to justify their ideas and approach to outside experts. Students will be required to prepare, distribute and analyse the results of an online questionnaire designed to evaluate and verify the approach being taken to the functional requirements. A comparison of two similar systems will also be undertaken in order to identify areas where the proposed project would improve or enhance existing offerings. Students will also be required to prepare an outline Cost Benefit Analysis for their project from the perspective of a software development company engaged in the development of the project software with the intention of selling it into the market over a five year period from completion of the project. The Requirements Gathering phase should be complete by the end of Week 6.
Analysis and Design Phase
The Systems Analysis and Design phase of the project will be undertaken during weeks 7 to 11 of the semester. Analysis will be conducted using an Object Oriented Analysis approach and the Unified Modelling Language (UML). All documentation and diagrams will be created using appropriate Modelling software. The analysis should consist of a comprehensive description of the Functional, Non-Functional and Data Requirements for the system. Students will be required to produce Event Tables, Use Case diagrams and descriptions, Sequence, Activity, Collaboration diagrams, State Charts and a comprehensive Class diagram. The System Design phase will require the students to produce an initial relational database design based on the class diagrams produced as part of analysis. This design should present the data in a set of normalized tables showing how data will be stored in the system. An initial User Interface Design will be produced using either a Wireframe Design or by producing an initial prototype indicating how the User Interfaces will appear. The Functional Design for the system will be produced based on the analysis techniques chosen previously. The Functional Design will document both the static and dynamic aspects of the system. Finally the technological requirements for the development of the system should be described, indicating the proposed technical configuration envisaged for the system development phase of the project.
Presentation Phase
Each group will be required to prepare a bound written report which will include all of the deliverables described above. They will also be required to deliver a presentation to departmental staff whose purpose is to provide an overview of the proposal, the approach taken to the analysis phase, key deliverables and key lessons learnt by the students. This will be a formal presentation to last no less than 20 minutes together with 10 minutes for questions and answers.
Project Logs
Students will be required to maintain a weekly log recording the progress made and the contribution of each participant to the project.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |