DECO4001: Semester 1, 2023

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Units DECO4001 Semester 1 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

DECO4001: Design Computing Honours Research A

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Students must submit an Honours application form. Entry into Honours in the Bachelor of Design Computing requires you to have completed your pass degree with a weighted average mark of at least 70. The Honours degree requires full-time study over two semesters (DECO4001 and DECO4002 and then DECO4003 and DECO4004). In special cases the Dean may approve a part-time enrolment over four semesters. The units are not assessed separately. A single dissertation is required. The appointment of a supervisor will depend on the topic chosen for the dissertation by the student. The dissertation should be submitted by the end of the first week of the formal examination period in the semester in which DECO4004 Design Computing Honours Research D is taken.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	DECO4001
Academic unit	Design Lab
Credit points	12
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Leigh-Anne Hepburn, leigh-anne.hepburn@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Honours thesis	Dissertation Written dissertation	100%	Formal exam period Due date: 09 Jun 2023 at 23:59	max 30,000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Dissertation:

When you commence Honours research, you will first develop a research proposal in consultation with your supervisor. Throughout the year, you will work on the research project, with regular guidance and feedback from your supervisor. At the conclusion of the year you are expected to submit a dissertation that was written in consultation with your supervisor. This makes up 100% of your total mark. The dissertation should:

Outline the state of the art through a literature review, outlining the key knowledge gaps and explaining how the research addresses them.
Report on the aims and objectives of the work, the rationale and process taken in its conception and development, and a detailed reflection or empirical evaluation of the (design) research work.
Utilise quantitative, qualitative or mixed mode research methods to explore the research questions.
Introduce new knowledge in the form of novel design work, conceptual model, framework, method, or a technology-driven design process that is realised through either theory or the introduction, incorporation, enhancement or development of a prototype; or other negotiated output.

Progress Presentations:

You will be expected to present the progress of your research to the coordinator and supervisor in the form of an oral/visual presentation. A discussion and feedback will take place to provide you with guidance on the direction and progress of the project. Typically the progress presentations will be held in Week 12 of Semester 1 and Semester 2. The exact date/time will be confirmed in consultation with all required parties.

Assessment criteria

The honours dissertation itself receives a mark, which is recorded on the transcript next to DECO4004. The other units will be converted to SR for Satisfied Requirements upon successful completion of the dissertation.

The grade of honours is determined by using a mark derived from averaging the marks for each criteria. While this number is not recorded on the transcript, the final class of honours awarded is.

The honours degree of Bachelor of Design Computing shall be awarded to eligible students, with the following grades:
•   Honours Class I (with a mark of at least 80)
•   Honours Class II, Division 1 (with a mark of at least 75)
•   Honours Class II, Division 2 (with a mark of at least 70)
•   A student of the honours program who does not meet the requirements for award of honours (mark less than 65) shall be awarded the Bachelor of Design Computing pass degree.

The University Medal may be awarded for students who achieve over 95.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes

Attendance and class requirements

There will be no formal weekly classes to attend, although you are invited and strongly encouraged to attend the scheduled classes for Masters by Coursework research units. These classes run on Wednesday afternoons, 2-5pm, for 5 weeks covering topics of what is (design) research, research design and methodology, how to do literature searches, formulating research questions, human ethics, qualitative data analysis, writing up your research for publication. The schedule will be available on Canvas.

Students are expected to make arrangements for regular (weekly/fortnightly) contact with their supervisors on an individual basis to chart the work, receive advice, and review and monitor progress. Supervisors have a workload allocation of 26 hours of supervision, which includes meetings, review of draft material, and attendance at student presentations.

At the conclusion of the year you are expected to submit the dissertation with any auxiliary material to Canvas. Along with the dissertation, students are expected to give two presentations during their honours year to give an update on their progress and receive feedback. The presentations are scheduled in Week 12 of Semester 1 and Semester 2.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Plan, scope and manage an independent research-based project.
LO2. Critically engage with published scholarship and trusted sources of data to identify gaps and contributions in knowledge.
LO3. Select and apply appropriate research methods to answer well-formulated research questions.
LO4. Communicate persuasively through diverse forms of media the value and validity of research proposals, findings and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
LO5. Work independently, with an ability to make independent judgements, reflect, self-evaluate and self-improve, and incorporate the guidance and feedback of others.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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