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UIT2201: CS & the IT Revolution
Project (Spring 2010)

(Milestone 1 Deadline: Thu, 11-March-2010, 23:59)
(Milestone 2 Deadline: Week of 29-Mar-2010, by appt)
(Milestone 3 Deadline: Deadline: Thu, 15 April 2010, 23:59)

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Project for UIT2201

For this semester, the project for UIT2201 (15% of the course) will be based on the innovativeand fun programming paradigm Scratch that is designed to make it easy to create applications quickly and without a lot of pain. Working with Scratch does not involve the usual "coding style" of writing software -- since the software has been pre-programmed and allows users to just build applications using point-and-drag. You have already experienced this fun in the lectures and tutorials.

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Project Ideas

In Scratch development, what is more important is the thinking process and design ideas involved in building up your cool applications or story-board. What do you want to do in your cool applications or story-board, who/what are the key "actors" in it, what's the story line, what is it that makes it cool, how to present it so that the cool idea is clearly demonstrated to the audience, and so on.

It is possible to develop really cool, innovative and fun applications with Scratch. You should go to the Scratch website to browse the multitude of wide-ranging and fascinating stuffs that others have developed. That will give you ideas on possible topics.

It will be highly preferred to have your application linked to your domain of study, but that is not compulsory.

On the other hand, if you prefer to, I have some UIT2201-related project topics that I like to see developed with Scratch. These projects will become teaching materials for future UIT2201 classes and also possible Outreach workshops.

Some "UIT2201-Related" Project Topics using Scratch:

1. Using Scratch to demonstrate various algorithms covered in UIT2201 and beyond -- such as sorting, binary search, pattern matching, and so on.
2. Using Scratch to demonstrate swarm intelligence (in AI) such as flocking behaviour.
3. Using Scratch to demonstrate network protocols, such as that for wireless, ethernet, or WAN (packet-switched networks).
4. Using Scratch to simulate a Turing Machine.
5. Using Scratch to demonstrate the building and "execution" of logic circuits, such as an n-bit adder or n-bit comparator.

Projects based on other ideas and software platforms:
Of course, you are NOT forced to use Scratch if you really don't like it. If you have other interesting project ideas that will fit with the aims of this module, please make a proposal to the instructor.

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Project Details and Milestones

Each project team should work on a simple initial project plan that should include such things as meeting schedule, division of labour, project risks and how to overcome them. (I expect each team to meet face-to-face at least three times to work on the project.) Some portion of the marks will be assigned to the teamwork aspect of this project.

You should form groups and choose topic (or choose topic and form group).
Then, write a short "one page statement" (at most 1 page) on your chosen topic and a rough plan of action on how you will do the project.

This is to be due by the deadline (given above). Submit to IVLE Workbin (Project Proposal Report folder).

There will be a mid-project review for each project group done with the instructor. This will be scheduled on the week given above.
(Email will be sent by the instructor to set up appt for this project review.)

Final Project Deliverables: Your final project deliverables are as follows:

• Your "Application"
  Depending on your project, your "application" will be the cool application/storyboards/maps/web-pages that you created.
  If you "application" requires substantial user interaction, please write a short "User Manual" for it.
  

• Your Project Report Your project report (10-15 pages) should contain the following key sections:
  • Introduction,
  • Short description of the chosen software framework,
  • Overview and Key idea of your Cool Application,
  • Achievements of your project,
  • Areas for further improvements,
  • Project process, division of labour, and team-work,
  • Lessons learned,
  • References.
  • Appendix A.
  (You are free to change the actual names of the sections.)
  Note: In order to help future project-teams, Appendix A will be a short writeup on "How to Get Started with Applications using Your-Software-Frame.

• Your Project CD For (your and my) convenience, you should organize *all* your project materials into a ProjectCD. The ProjectCD should contain the following: a simple README.txt file that describes the contents of the ProjectCD, your cool application, document on how to use it (if any), intermediate project design documents (if any), project presentation files (if any), articles that your refer to, your M1-report, your final project report, and any other relevant info about your project.

Submssion of Project Deliverables:

Your ProjectCD should be properly labelled with the following info: "UIT2201 Spring 2010 Project", Your-Application-Name, names of the team members, contact info (if appropriate).
Please submit your ProjectCD to me within the same deadline.

(I highly recommend that you also make a ProjectCD for yourself, for keepsake.)

Please submit your final project report to both

• the IVLE Workbin (Final Proj Report folder) by the deadline given above, and
• hardcopy to me or my office by the deadline.

• Your project report should be your own work. It can make use of facts, figures and ideas that can be obtained from the web-sites, books, or related sources. And you should acknowledge these sources by citing them in your reports. You should NOT copy pages (wholesale) from these sources. Doing so will be considered plagiarism and incurs severe punishment.
  For more on plagarism, please consult the NUS plagiarism website.
• It is also important that in your report, you should include some of your own views and comments and not just regurgitate the reports/comments of others.
• Be sure to accurately list the sources of your material in the "References" section of your report.