IT 446

Catalog Data:446 Senior Project/Capstone 1. (2:2:0) Prerequisite: completion of all required 300-level information technology courses. IT senior project proposal and feasibility studies. Project management, teamwork principles, intellectual property, supplier interactions, identifying and using professional technical literature, oral and written presentations.

Textbook(s):

• Hoffman, Harvey F., Organizations Through the Eyes of a Projecct Manager Prentice Hall, 2003
• Goldratt, Eliyahu Critical Chain North River Press,1997

Other books for consideration:

• Richard Murch, Project Management Prentice Hall PTR, 2001
• Angus, Gunderson and Cullinane Planning, Performing and Controlling Projects 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall 2000
• Ghattas and McKee, Practical Project Management, Prentice Hall 2001
• Eric Raymond, The Cathedral and the Bazaar,

Lab Textbook(s): None

Recommended Book(s):

These books are some of the list to be used for the life-long learning exercise.

• Gilder, George. Telecosm Free Press
• Kurzweil, Ray. The Age of Spiritual machines
• Levy, Steven Hackers
• Levy Steven Crypto Viking
• Postman Neil. Technopoly Kopf
• Von Baeyer, Christian. The Fermi Principle Random House
• Cringeley, Robert X. Accidental Empires Harper Business
• Rhodes Richard Visions of Technology Touchstone
• Stoll, Cliff The Cuckoo’s egg
• De Bono, Edward. Lateral thinking WLE
• Raymond, Eric The Cathedral and the Bazaar

Reference Book(s):

Class website:

Class Coordinator: Richard Helps

Goals: On completing this class students will be able to conceive and propose a complex technical project. They will be able to work in a team to research the feasibility of the project. Feasibility includes elements of design, prototyping, planning, costing, testing, etc. They will manage the project, including project change with professional tools. They will present their results to a professional audience in a thorough and convincing fashion. Students will become competent in professional areas such as intellectual property, teamwork, creativity principles, life-long learning, business requirements etc.

Prerequisites by topic:

• Senior standing. Students need to have had several project and teamwork experiences in sophomore and junior level classes.
• Students need to be conversant with the basic concepts, language, tools and practices of IT including laboratory work.
• Technical writing, public speaking.

Outcomes:

1. Conceive and present project ideas.
2. Develop a professional quality resume
3. Describe the (Tuckman teamwork model: Forming Storming, Norming, Performing). (3)
4. Participate as a responsible member of a team in project design and regular project review meetings with a coach
5. Set up a Project Management system using. Pert/Gantt charts, resource scheduling etc. (2)
6. Manage change in projects using project tools(1)
7. Estimate Project requirements (initial design). Produce accurate estimates of materials, resources and time needed for its completion.
8. Use professional resources to acquire materials and resources for projects from suppliers. (1)
9. Find and use appropriate research and development resources. Evaluate information source reliability.
10. Describe intellectual property protections and how they apply to IT projects
11. Understand and apply principles of creativity. Expansion and restriction. (lateral thinking and analysis) (2)
12. Develop performance specifications for the project
13. Develop test specifications for the project.
14. Integrate parts of the project into a cohesive whole.
15. Complete the design of the final project (in the form of a detailed feasibility study) (3)
16. Demonstrate presentation skills in presenting projects in a formal setting with the goal of achieving support (funding). (3)
17. Describe and practice skills and methods of life-long learning (1)

Laboratory projects: There will be a few exercises in formal disciplines such as teamwork, creativity etc. the remainder of the labs will be devoted to project development and exploration of alternative ideas. As a result the formal labs will be held in Room 385 but some projects may require other areas.

Laboratory assignments:

• Teamwork exercises
• Creativity exercises
• Team development of projects

Laboratory equipment: Project dependent

Computer Equipment used: Project management will use Microsoft Project (current version). Projects will all require computing elements but they will vary by project.

Written and oral communication requirements:

1. Various oral presentations in class
2. Formal oral presentation of feasibility report at end of semester
3. Formal written feasibility study (Semester paper and final exam?)
4. Lab books for on-going progress monitoring

Math Analysis: Project dependent

Library or other Research Projects:

Students will be required to research their projects for

1. prior art
2. market applicability
3. available resources
4. alternative designs. They will be required to record and document the results of this research.

Projects or assignments requiring the students to access the library, professional journals, or the Internet. Note that these should be research-oriented assignments, not just looking up a fact or two on the Internet. I.E. the students should be able to reference the material in a formal way when they report their results.

Life- long Learning Expectations and Experiences: Some class time spent on life-long learning to discuss its need both professionally and for the whole person. Students will also be required to select and read a book that they have not read before exploring new areas in science and technology.

Prepared By: R. Helps

Date Revised: 11 October 2005