CC301-6-FY: Presentation and Demonstration

All presentations will be scheduled to take place during weeks 30 to 32 (first three weeks of the summer term) in the period 23rd April—9th May. The General Office will be preparing the timetable of presentations over the Easter vacation. This is a complicated process and it is therefore not possible to inform individual students of their allocated time or venue until the timetable is complete.

You must be prepared to give your presentation on the first scheduled day.

Failure to give your presentation at your allocated time will be treated in the same way as any other failure to meet a coursework deadline. It is usually not possible, except under the most exceptional circumstances, to reschedule presentations once the timetable is under way. (See the note on failure to give a presentation at the scheduled time.)

Presentations will be scheduled at 45 minute intervals, normally in the Room, the Meeting Room or the Colloquium Room. Each of these rooms will be equipped with fully networked PC and AV facilities and an overhead projector.

Your presentation and demonstration will last for 30 minutes, as follows:

• 15 minute presentation, using slides on the PC and a projector, or "acetate" slides shown on an overhead projector;
• 15 minute demonstration: on the networked PC if possible.

The PC will be a standard laboratory machine or similar. If you cannot demonstrate your implementation on a standard laboratory machine then you will move to wherever you intend to give your demonstration after having given your 15 minute presentation in one of the presentation rooms. (See the note on using your own PC or laptop.)

Your presentation and demonstration will determine the marks given in sections 5 and 6 of the final mark sheet (TBC). It may also affect the mark given under section 3 (overall achievement).

The relevant (draft) criteria and assessment guidelines are reproduced below.

The Demonstrated System (15 marks)

• Was the system robust? Did it produce correct results?
• (Where relevant) was the interface of a professional standard?
• (Where relevant) did the system work correctly over the network?
• To what extent did the system’s capability confirm the achievements claimed in the report?

An assessment of the behaviour of the implemented system

Threshold achievement (6 out of 15) is established by the demonstration of a robust system that displays a basic level of functionality. Additional marks based on the system’s capability will depend on the kind of system being assessed (e.g. correct results/output, network capability, user interface, etc.). In all cases, assessors should check the system’s capability against the achievements claimed in the report.

Oral Presentation and Questions (15 marks)

• Was the presentation delivered clearly and within the allocated time?
• Was effective use made of prepared materials (e.g. OHP, PowerPoint, etc)?
• Was there an appropriate balance between overview, technical description and conclusions?
• Were the project objectives made clear?
• Was the work undertaken described at an appropriate level of detail?
• Was there a proper evaluation of the management and outcomes of the project?
• Did the student demonstrate an understanding of the relevant technical issues?
• Was the student able to justify his/her design/implementation choices?
• Was the student able to explain any unresolved problems?
• Was the student able to make a realistic assessment of his/her management of the project?

An assessment of the oral presentation and the ability of the student to answer questions

Threshold achievement (6 out of 15) is established by a properly prepared presentation that incorporates a clear account of the problem and its solution, delivered within the allocated time. Additional marks are awarded for a succinct account of technical issues, a full assessment of the outcomes, and some reflection about the way the project was managed. Credit should be given for the ability to justify design and implementation choices, discuss alternative approaches, and provide answers about the wider context, including the management of the project.

Your presentation will be given to your supervisor and another member of staff (the 2nd assessor). Both members of staff will have read and assessed your final report before the presentation, so they will already have some understanding of your project.

Although presentations are scheduled at 45 minute intervals, you will only have about 15 minutes to talk about your project and 15 minutes to demonstrate your finished implementation. The remaining time will be taken up by questions from your assessors and turn round time between presentations.

That is not very much time to describe all the work you have undertaken during the last two terms. In order to gain maximum credit, you should spend some time planning and rehearsing your delivery.

The presentation rooms may have additional firewall protection. If you think that this could affect your ability to demonstrate your software, then you should try it out in the first week of the summer term in either one of the presentation rooms, or CSCLAB6 (TBC) which has similar security protection. (See also notes 7 and 8)

Please ask General Office when the rooms are free BEFORE setting up any equipment. If you experience any difficulty, the technicians will try to assist you.

You may not be able to demonstrate your implementation on one of the networked PCs in the presentation rooms for one of the following reasons:

1. You have been doing a robotics project that has to be demonstrated in the Brooker/Embedded Systems Laboratory.
2. You have implementing a network-based system that has to be demonstrated on more than one machine.
3. You have implemented a system that that has to be demonstrated outside the presentation room for some other reason (e.g. an embedded system, a mobile phone system)

If you come into one of these categories, you will give your 15 minute presentation as scheduled in one of the presentation rooms, and then move to the demonstration location. You should ensure that

1. you allow sufficient time to get from the presentation to the demonstration.
2. your demonstration is set up beforehand and is ready to go.

Please inform General Office as soon as possible if you come into this category. Every effort will be made to schedule these kinds of projects at appropriate times—if you inform them in time.

If you have been developing your implementation on your own equipment, you are permitted to bring a machine into the presentation room and connect it to the AV. Please note that the schedule is very tight, and there is very little turn round time (15 minutes maximum) to set up and take down machines.

Laptops are easier to handle than PCs in this situation, but in all cases the room must be left as you found it, and you must ensure that the next person has sufficient time to set up.

Failure to give your presentation at your allocated time will be treated in the same way as any other failure to meet a coursework deadline.

If you fail to give your presentation, you will lose the marks for sections 5 and 6, and the mark entered for you will be the subtotal for the report (out of 70) shown on the final mark sheet.

If you fail to give your presentation at the scheduled time, it may be possible to reschedule it, but this can only be done in exceptional circumstances, and only if you complete a marks reinstatement form.

If the presentation is rescheduled, a "late" mark will be entered into the database until the Assignments Committee meets. If the explanation provided on the marks reinstatement form is not accepted, the mark entered for you will be the subtotal for the report (out of 70) shown on the final mark sheet. If it is accepted, then you will also receive the marks under sections 5 and 6.

PLEASE NOTE: problems with non-departmental equipment will not be accepted as an extenuating circumstance for failure to give (or complete) your presentation or demonstration.