Research and Testing Methods
• Module delivery team
• Waqas ur Rahman
Research and Testing Methods
• Learning Outcomes
1. Distinguish between different testing standards and methods and select
those most suitable.
2. Apply methods to accurately present, visualise, calculate and interpret
results
3. Analyse results and develop reasoned findings and conclusions
4. Complete a Technology Project registration form
Research and Testing Methods
• Assessment (100%)
• In two parts, A and B
• Part A - is a continuous assessment of the lab tasks and online activities
throughout the module (40%)
• Part B – Methodology Report (50%) and Project Registration form (10%)
What is
RESEARCH?
What is research?
• Research is a process used to collect and analyse information to
increase our knowledge of a topic or subject domain
• Three fundamental steps:
• Pose a question
• Collect data to answer the question
• Present an answer to the question
What is research?
• Research is what we do when we have a question or a problem we
want to resolve
• We may already think we know the answer to our question
• We may think the answer is obvious, common sense even
• But until we have subjected our problem to rigorous scientific
scrutiny, our 'knowledge' remains little more than guesswork or at
best, intuition
Registration
• Introduction
• Aim
• Objectives
• Rationale and Technology Focus
• Alignment with Broadcast and Media Systems Engineer Standard
• Resources and initial research findings
• Literature Search Methodology – key search terms
• Risk Assessment
• Ethical issues
• Biography
The Project Aim
• Informs the reader what you want to achieve overall, but not how
you are going to do it.
• It is broad and a generalised statement of intent of the output from
the project
• Written before the Objectives.
• No more than 1 or 2 Aims.
Aims
• Aims are about the solution to a ‘problem’ and do not focus on how
you are going to meet the aim.
• Aims need to have a clear end-point of what you want to achieve in
terms of an overall output.
• While you aim to get a good mark in your final year project the aims
of the project are only concerned with the topic and not the
academic processes and deadlines
Aims – are these good?
• To investigate the impact and effectiveness of software in the digital
health and fitness sector
• To bring virtual objects into live video streams
• To research, design, build and evaluate a suitable and a user-friendly
model of data visualization tool for SME’s
More Aims - issues
• To investigate the impact and effectiveness of software in the digital
health and fitness sector
• Too broad, too vague, needs an output focus
• To bring virtual objects into live video streams
• Idea OK in principle but needs to be more specific, perhaps with a stated case
study
• To research, design, build and evaluate a suitable and a user-friendly
model of data visualization tool for SME’s
• OK but we would expect good usability so not needed, and SME is a very
wide term so could have a clearer focus
What is the aim of your project?
• Clear outputs
• Viable in the time available
• Clear focus (scope)
Objectives
• Objectives are how you intend to achieve those aims
• The objectives together will meet your overall aim
Plan a research-informed Research existing knowledge,
project … Methodology, Plan
The Design an artefact using
appropriate techniques and Apply design methods
Undergradu tools
ate Projects Implement a design to
produce an artefact using Construct, do
appropriate techniques
Module Critically evaluate … What does it all mean, what was
Objectives
achieved
Assemble and organise Dissertation report, Poster
information…
Your Project Objectives
• They will include the specific means of answering any research question and
details of the key issues involved, tests etc.
• The Objectives together cover all the key requirements to meet the project
aim
An Objective?
• An Objective is how you will set out to achieve your Aim.
• A general business technique for checking objectives is SMART with our additional -ER for projects
• They are SMARTER
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Resourced
Time limited
Ethical
Recorded
• Can have many objectives (typically 5-8) – but need to be achievable. Together meet the whole Aims of the
Project
• Will often be revised as the project proceeds
SMAR---
• Specific
• Exactly what is it you want to achieve? Good objective
statements explain: what, why, who, where and when. If your
objective statement is vague, you will find it hard to achieve
because it will be hard to define success.
• Measurable
• You must be able to track progress and measure the result of your
objective. Good objective statements answer the question: how
much or how many. How will I know when I achieve my objective?
• Agreed
• Your objective must be relevant to and could be agreed by all
stakeholder – do the objectives meet the requirements of the
undergraduate project
• Realistic
• The objective should be stretching, but realistic and relevant.
Ensure the actions you need to take to achieve your objective are
things you can do and control. Is this objective achievable?
--TER
• Time-Bound
• Objectives must have a deadline in the project plan. A good objective
statement will implicitly answer the question: When will I achieve my
objective? Without deadlines, it’s easy to put objectives off and leave them
to die. As well as a deadline, it’s a good idea to set some short-term
milestones along the way to help you measure progress.
• Ethical
• Objectives must sit comfortably within the University ethical guidelines.
Most people resist acting unethically. Ensure objectives meet a high ethical
standard.
• Recorded
• Record your objective and progress towards it. Written objectives are visible
and have a greater chance of being completed successfully. Recording is
necessary for planning, monitoring and reviewing progress.
Writing Objectives –
Blooms Taxonomy
amended by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)
http://thesecondprinciple.com/teaching-essentials/
beyond-bloom-cognitive-taxonomy-revised/
Questions
