This module will address topics of:

System development Lifecycles, agile, waterfall, etc, system modelling, and procedure models

Leadership, organisational theory, and commercial awareness

Group working, peer assessment, and self-assessment

Role of standards, and organisational culture

Project teams, roles, and responsibility
Project management principles, change management, risk, quality, and resourcing

Economics of systems and architecture

Documentation, plans, requirements and specifications

Legal, social, ethical, and professional issues

Domain and professional, ethical and legal practices

Design processes and trade offs

Risk assessment and forward thinking

Team organisation, team-working, and effectiveness of individual roles

Professional practices in the domain

Solution support

Utilisation of accepted standards

Careers SFIAplus



SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO THE EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK, these modules cover:



Identification of common career routes/pathways

Understanding the different types of employment from industry to self-employment

The role of entrepreneurship (identifying opportunity, channelling, evaluation, and exploitation)

Finance and monetary systems

Legal requirements of working

Identification of potential barriers and organisational restrictions to career paths

The digital workforce and worker within

Social mobility skills

Employment and the fit to lifelong learning



Reflection on skills and knowledge

Understanding industry specific skills

Understanding personal strengths and identification of opportunities to develop these

CV writing, interpretation of job descriptions and customisation of CVs to person specifications.

Writing effective job applications and cover letters

Interview skills including mock interviews

Understanding of recruitment processes

The traditional internship process

Coaching and mentoring approaches

Strategies, efficiencies, and lifelong planning - Students will be introduced to the University Peer and Professional Mentoring Scheme:

University Life Mentor – new students have the opportunity to receive a peer mentor to support them in settling into university life.

Giving back to place and society - Continuing students can sign up to become a Life Mentor to support new students.

Professional Mentor - Continuing students have the opportunity to receive a professional mentor from the industry of their choice to support them in their career journey

Strategies, efficiencies, and lifelong planning

Addressing unsuccessful job applications / career moves

Learning to read recruitment process and expectations

Reflection on personal development needs and career development planning

Career planning/development:

Recruitment process – what to expect

tools such as decision matrices, psychometric testing

skills - including searching for jobs, CV writing, interpretation of job descriptions and customisation of CVs to person specifications.

Entrepreneurship, skills, opportunities and issues

Reflection on personal development, needs and direction (skills audit and personal Development Planning)


The University Careers team will run workshops on:



Career Planning where students will learn how to create an effective career plan and generate SMART Targets

Life After University workshop – students will think about what their career journey might look like after University and will receive information on the support they can receive as a graduate

Routes into Teaching workshop – students will recognise the various routes into teaching and understand more about the support available to them

Graduate Labour Market workshop - students will understand how to be prepared for graduate competition and receive an overview of Graduate Outcomes (delivered by Graduate Employability team)

An Introduction to Self-Employment workshop – students will learn more about self-employment (Delivered by the Enterprise team)

Group Report - A group collaborative project following all parts of the development lifecycle, that follows principled roles, practices and standards in finding a solution to an IT related problem (Learning Outcomes 1 to 3).

Individual Report – An individual report that provides an evaluation of a project and application of professional practice and career pathway in the solution of the given problem. More specifically related to career planning a Personal Development Portfolio will be created as part of the report submission that includes a skills audit, a professional CV, career plan, and professional LinkedIn profile (Learning Outcome 4).

Lectures and practical sessions:

Lectures will introduce key topics and concepts. Practical sessions will be used to present the case study scenario, the organisation of the groups and various aspects of communication and team working including the use of collaborative software. The student groups will interview the staff (who will role play as customers of the required product) via arranged tutorial sessions. In supervised and unsupervised study time the student groups will analyse, design and develop a working solution to the presented problem.

ELICIT DETAILED REQUIREMENTS FROM A PRESENTED SCENARIO AND APPLY RELEVANT TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND METHODS TO DESIGN A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

Analysis,

Application,

Problem Solving

PLAN AND DOCUMENT THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ICT PROJECT BASED ON A GIVEN SCENARIO ESTIMATING THE TIMESCALES AND ALLOCATING TASKS WITH REGARD TO RISK, HUMAN AND TECHNICAL FACTORS.

Application,

Communication, Enquiry

UNDERSTAND AND OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN A TEAM UNDER PRESSURE TO DELIVER A FULLY DOCUMENTED SOLUTION, AND RELATE THESE TO AN INTENDED CAREER PATHWAY.

Knowledge and Understanding,

Communication

REFLECT CRITICALLY ON THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT WITH REFERENCE TO THE APPLICATION OF TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES, AND ADHERENCE TO RELEVANT BENCHMARKS, STANDARDS, ETHICS, LEGISLATION AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF A CAREER PATH.

Knowledge and Understanding,

Learning

Reflection

Trotman Education, (2022), Careers 2022, Trotman Education; 18th edition

Sosna, E. (2021), The Career Equation: Coaching a Culture of Career Conversations, Open University Press

Newton, A, J. (2021), Start a Successful Career Today in Information Technology: Computer Science + Computer Engineering Career Guide, Independently published

Harbash, R. (2019), Professional Practice in Engineering and Computing: Preparing for Future Careers, CRC Press; 1st edition

Cornwell, D. (2020), Software Company: Advice on how to start, grow and exit a software company, Beaten Metal Books Ltd

Umer, W. (2020), Agile Scrum Crash Course: A Guide To Agile Project Management and Scrum Master Certification PSM 1, Independently published

Ready Set Agile, (2020), Become an Agile Project Manager: Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Agile Project Management with Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban, Lean, Six Sigma, and Extreme Programming, Independently published







Siau, K. (2010) Systems analysis and design: people, processes, and projects, Armonk, NY : M.E. Sharpe, Inc.,

Tavani, H.T. (2013),¿Ethics and technology: controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing,¿4th edn, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.

Dennis, Alan (2015) System Analysis and Design, 6th Edition, Wiley

Brewer, J.L. & Dittman, K.C. (2013),¿Methods of IT project management,¿2nd edn, Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana.

This module provides an opportunity for students to take part in a collaborative project during which you will be expected to work professionally and develop your professional practice. You will learn to use project management tools and techniques as well as developing other transferable skills. You will also gain an appreciation of legislation and standards applicable to ICT projects. The module also takes an extensive focus on careers and career pathway planning.