Reflections & artefacts created during the module
Learning outcomes
- Appraise the professional, legal, social, cultural and ethical issues that affect computing professionals
- Appraise the principles of academic investigation, applying them to a research topic in the applicable computing field
- Evaluate critically existing literature, research design and methodology for the chosen topic, including data analysis processes
- Produce and evaluate critically the resulting research proposal for the chosen topic
Unit 1: Introduction to Research Methods. The Scientific Investigation and Ethics in Computing.
Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate between inductive and deductive reasoning
- Understand why ethics are important and how they may relate to your area of research and your professional practice
Click to see artefact: Collaborative Learning Discussion Forum 1
Unit 2: Research Questions, the Literature Review and the Research Proposal
Learning Outcomes
- Examine the characteristics that make up a suitable research topic.
- Explore rational and creative methods for formulating a research idea.
- Identify means of transforming research ideas into crafted research questions and proposal.
- Conduct a literature search, critique the literature and to present a literature review.
Unit 3: Methodology and Research Methods
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the different research methods.
- Know which data collection methods are related to each method of research.
- Have some idea which of these would be suited to your area of research.
Unit 4: Case Studies, Focus Groups and Observations
Learning Outcomes
- Understand how to carry out each of these data collection methods.
- Know which method would be suitable, if any, for your investigation.
- Consider the type of data you would obtain.
Unit 5: Interviews, Survey Methods, and Questionnaire Design
Learning Outcomes
- Understand how interviews and surveys fit into research and whether either or both of these might be useful for your investigation.
- Understand how pre- and post-testing can be used in research.
- Design a questionnaire to obtain the responses you will need for your investigation.
- Understand how the data obtained can be analysed.
Unit 6: Quantitative Methods - Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and apply descriptive statistics.
- Identify the different levels of measurement.
- Produce measures of location and spread.
Note there were no artefacts for this unit.
Unit 7: Inferential Statistics and Hypothesis Testing
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the different levels of measurement
- Identify measures of location and spread
- Understand hypothesis tests
Click to see artefact: Literature Review
Click to see artefact: Statistical Worksheets
Click to see artefact: Tutor Feedback on Literature Review Outline
Unit 8: Data Analysis and Visualisation
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the different types of analysis and how they may be useful for the data you have collected.
- Understand the different charts available to present the different types of data you have obtained.
- Identifying key elements in Dashboards.
Click to see artefact: Research Proposal Presentation Outline
Click to see artefact: Research Proposal Presentation Outline Feedback from Tutor
Unit 9: Validity and Generalisability in Research
Learning Outcomes
- Understand how the concepts of validity, generalisability and reliability affect your investigation and the design of your research method.
- Consider how to analyse and present the results you obtain from your investigation and how they will enable you to answer your research question.
Click to see artefact: Collaborative Learning Discussion Forum 2
Unit 10: Research Writing
Learning Outcome
- Understand how to structure a dissertation and how to prepare yourself for the writing.
Click to see artefact: Research Proposal Presentation Video
Click to see artefact: Research Proposal Presentation Transcript
Unit 12: Project Management and Managing Risk
Learning Outcome
- Define and explain the concept of project management.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of project life cycles and methodologies.
- Appreciate some of the technologies/software needed to support remote collaboration.
- Understand and explain how projects can be impacted by risk and uncertainty.
- Prepare a risk management plan.
- Appreciate how to control risk and manage project change effectively.
Professional skills matrix, 'SWOT' analysis, and personal action plan
Professional skills matrix and action plan (What skills have I gained or enhanced as a result of this module and how can I use it?)
Click to see artefact: Professional Skills Matrix