3. OOSSE Assignment
Object Oriented Software Systems Engineering
The coursework is 100% of the assessment for the module.
- Synthesize impact of design refinements on object oriented software quality by reviewing available literature.
- Use evidence to analyse problems to determine appropriate object oriented methods down to detailed design.
IMPORTANT: This is an individual assignment, all components submitted must be your own work or accredited accordingly. You are welcome to make any assumptions you feel necessary when analyzing the requirements stated in the question, but these must be clearly stated in the report.
Your report should address the following two components: –
Assignment Component 1: Research Report (min. 4000 words) (50 marks)
Assignment Component 2: Solution Design Report (min. 2000 words) (50 marks)
PLAGIARISM: It is essential to avoid verbatim reproduction of content from external sources, including web pages, books, papers, and other materials. Instead, focus on expressing ideas and concepts in your own words. If you are referring to external content, whether paraphrased or directly influenced by it, it is crucial to provide proper acknowledgment through citations.
The assignment consists of a research report and a solution design report, both structured according to the assigned tasks. Please follow the guidelines below when submitting your work:
- Submit your assignment via the Moodle platform.
- Ensure that all sources are appropriately cited using the required referencing style.
- Use recent, peer-reviewed scholarly references that are relevant to the topic and provide up-to-date and authoritative information.
- Include any additional relevant information, data, or supporting materials in an appendix to the document.
Component 1: Research Report (min. 4000 words)
Assignment Overview:
This component is designed to assess students’ ability to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the impact of various design refinements in object-oriented programming (OOP) on the overall quality of software as evidenced in the available academic and industry literature.
This section of the assignment provides a structure for Component 1 as well as guidelines to help you write the research report:
Part A: Structure for the Research Report
- Abstract:
- Summarize the main aim, scope, main findings and implications of the research and give a clear and brief overview of the content and its significance.
- Introduction:
- Describes the context and significance of the research, states the research problem, briefly discusses the methodology and indicates the contribution of the work to the field of software development.
- Literature Review:
- Summarizes key findings from the selected scholarly sources and identifies overarching themes.
- Research Methodology:
- Describes the methods used to select and analyze the relevant literature.
- Discussion and Findings:
- Provides a critical examination of the methods and conclusions in the literature, including any conflicting evidence and possible explanations.
- Conclusion:
- Evaluates the practical implications of the research findings to the field of software engineering.
- References:
- The report shall follow the APA referencing format – Times New Roman or Arial, 11 points font, 1.15-line spacing and justified format.
- Each reference cited in text must appear in the reference list, and each entry in the reference list must be cited in text.
Part B: Instructions for Writing the Research Report
- Selection of Sources:
- Select at least five scholarly articles that address design refinements in object-oriented software and their impact on quality metrics.
- Synthesizing the information:
- Summarize the findings to provide a cohesive overview of current knowledge in the field.
- Content Evaluation:
- Critically evaluate the selected articles, paying particular attention to the validity of the research methods and the implications of the findings.
- Integration into the real world:
- Discuss how these academic findings can be put into practice in software development.
Deliverables:
A detailed research report that adheres to the above structure and guidelines.
Tips for writing a high-quality research report:
-
- Clarity and relevance of the literature selected.
- Depth of analysis and synthesis of the research findings.
- Critical engagement with the methods and conclusions of the literature.
- The practical applicability of the academic research to industrial practice.
- The overall coherence and organization of the report.
Assessment Rubric for Research Report
- Abstract (5%)
- Purpose: (1%)
- Methodology: (1%)
- Results: (1%)
- Conclusions: (1%)
- Clarity and Coherence: (1%)
- Introduction (5%)
- Background and context (1%)
- Research problem definition (1%)
- Scope and objectives (1%)
- Significance and rationale (1%)
- Preview of paper structure (1%)
- Literature Review (10%)
- Relevance and breadth of literature (2%)
- Depth of analysis and synthesis (3%)
- Identification of research gap (3%)
- Integration with research problem (2%)
- Research Methodology (5%)
- Appropriateness of research design (2%)
- Data collection methods (1%)
- Data analysis procedures (1%)
- Limitations and ethical considerations (1%)
- Discussion and Findings (15%)
- Clarity of analysis (4%)
- Logical argumentation (3%)
- Critical evaluation (4%)
- Integration of findings with research question (4%)
- Conclusion (5%)
- Effectiveness of conclusion (1.5%)
- Clarity of recommendations (1.5%)
- Implications for future research (2%)
- References (5%)
- Formatting Consistency: (1%)
- Citation Completeness: (1%)
- Relevance and Quality of Sources: (2%)
- Accuracy of Citations: (1%)
Total Points/Percentage: 50%
By following these structured guidelines, you will produce a research report that not only reviews the academic literature, but also critically examines its significance and potential impact on the field of software development.
This research report should be no longer than 4,000 words. The acceptable Turnitin percentage is anything below 20% in the similarity report. A Turnitin plagiarism score of 25% and below indicates that your written research report is original.
Assignment Component 2 (50%) – Solution Design Report (2000 words)
Component 2: Solution Design Report (min. 2000 words)
Assignment Overview:
This component is designed to assess students’ ability to analyze an existing system, propose a comprehensive redesign using modern methods, and critically evaluate their own design. It encourages the application of object-oriented principles and the use of standard design tools and methods in software development.
This section of the assignment provides a structure for Component 2 as well as guidelines to help you write the research report:
Scenario:
The Redesign of An Old-fashioned Library Website
A project manager is tasked with reinventing an outdated library website that was originally developed without a framework and using old-fashioned methods. You are part of the development team and are asked to propose a solution for a more efficient, modular, and maintainable website. The new website should use object-oriented methods and modern web development practices.
Assignment Tasks:
- Analysis of the Current System:
- Objective: Analyze the existing website to identify its limitations and areas for improvement.
- Deliverables: Report on the current system analysis, including issues of maintainability, scalability, and usability.
- Proposal for a New System:
- Objective: Propose a new design that uses object-oriented methods and modern web development practices.
- Deliverables: A detailed proposal document outlining the new system architecture, technologies to be used, and how the shortcomings of the existing system will be addressed.
- Software Architectural Layout:
- Objective: Design a software architectural layout for the new system.
- Deliverables: Architectural diagrams (i.e., the high-level architecture overview, component diagrams) and a description of how the architecture improves efficiency and maintainability.
- UML Diagrams:
- Objective: Create UML diagrams that describe the design of the new system in detail.
- Deliverables: Class diagrams, sequence diagrams, use case diagrams, and state diagrams that illustrate object-oriented design.
- Identification of Design Issues:
- Objective: Critically analyze the proposed design to identify potential issues.
- Deliverables: A report outlining any design issues identified, including potential scalability, performance, or usability issues.
- Design Refinements:
- Objective: Refine the design to solve identified issues.
- Deliverables: Revised UML diagrams and architectural layouts, along with a report on how the refinements address previously identified issues.
- Limitations and Future Enhancements:
- Objective: Analyze the proposed design for limitations and propose future enhancements.
- Deliverables: A report discussing any limitations of the current design and suggesting areas for future development or enhancement.
Deliverables:
A detailed research report that adheres to the above structure and guidelines.
Submission Guidelines:
- All deliverables must be compiled into a single, coherent report.
- Reports should be clear, well-structured and demonstrate a deep understanding of the design process.
- Diagrams must be neat, legible, and correctly labeled.
- Electronic submissions in PDF format are preferred.
Assessment Rubric for Solution Design Report
- Analysis of the Current System (5%)
- Thoroughness of the analysis: 3%
- Identification of key issues: 2%
- Proposal for a New System (10%)
- Appropriateness of proposed technologies and methods: 5%
- Clarity and feasibility of the solutions: 5%
- Software Architectural Layout (10%)
- Clarity and relevance of architectural diagrams: 5%
- Justification of architectural choices: 5%
- UML Diagrams (10%)
- Completeness and accuracy of diagrams: 5%
- Relevance to the object-oriented design principles: 5%
- Identification of Design Issues (5%)
- Depth of critical analysis: 3%
- Relevance and identification of potential issues: 2%
- Design Refinements (5%)
- Effectiveness of refinements in addressing issues: 3%
- Clarity in revised designs and reports: 2%
- Limitations and Future Enhancements (5%)
- Insightfulness of identified limitations: 3%
- Creativity and practically of future enhancement suggestions: 2%
