Unit 13 Computing Research Project - BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Computing

Aim & Objective

This coursework is designed to demonstrate the broad understanding and knowledge of the module, assessing and evaluating the student's strength and level of analysis; divided into four learning outcomes. The coursework should be submitted as one document in a report format in final submission.

Assignment Scenario:

The Pearson-set theme for Computing Research Project is.

The environmental impact of digital transformation

The amount of data created and stored globally is expected to reach 175 Zettabytes by 2025, a six- fold increase from 2018. This will demand additional hardware and power consumption, which; in turn, will increase the environmental impact of the digital sector and there is already increasing attention on the environmental footprint of ICT equipment and services as they become more widespread in all aspects of human life.
It is the responsibility of everyone to take action in addressing the challenges of climate change, as professionals we must also seek ways that the digital sector can play its part. While digital technologies are one of the sectors that has achieved greater efficiency; achieving about 100 times more computation power from the same amount of energy per decade, it remains unsustainable. The sector must continue to seek ways in which it can continue to support and drive innovation, while addressing the global climate emergency for a greener and fairer future.

Students are to choose their own research topic for this unit. Strong research projects are those with clear, well focused and defined objectives. A central skill in selecting a research objective is the ability to select a suitable and focused research objective.
The range of topics discussed could cover the following:

The use of modern methods to reduce carbon emissions in IT network systems.
The impact of cloud data centres on the environment.
The environmental implications of e-waste and ways to reduce it.

The research objective should allow students to broaden their understanding and widen their perspective of being able to explore, argue, prove, and/or disprove a particular objective. The research objective should be feasible, novel, ethical, relevant and ultimately of interest to the student.
Students are to submit as evidence for the unit in addition to their project findings, the research proposal and ethics form. The research proposal sets out the plan for how the students will achieve the intended research objective(s) and shows whether the objective will be feasible, ethical and achievable in the time scale. It sets out how secondary research supports the research objective, how the research will be conducted, how the research will be evaluated. Students will need to gain ethical approval before commencing their research, this will be discussed with the tutor during the research proposal.

Part 1:
Consider the development of a methodical, ethical, reliable and valid research proposal as the foundation for the project. The proposal should be agreed with your tutor prior to undertaking any research. Proposal and ethical forms should also be agreed and completed. An ethics form must be submitted prior to completion of research as part of the research proposal.

The project topic should reflect personal interest in a specialism and should allow for a sufficient degree of research through the existence of adequate background materials.

The framework of your proposal should address a specific research problem or question. This can be stated as a research question, objectives or hypothesis.

As guidance, a good project proposal and project title should have an existing body of literature or source material that can be reviewed. In addition, it should extend the current line of learning, lending itself to further rigorous exploration. You should decide on appropriate research methods and select an appropriate sample. Finally, provide a literature review that identifies the background and conceptualisation of your proposed area of study. This would provide existing knowledge and benchmarks by which your data can be judged.

Part 2:
You should conduct your research as outlined in your proposal and keep track of your findings as you progress.

The research methodology and research process, should be considered and clearly defined, demonstrating an understanding of the pitfalls and limitations of the methods chosen and ethical issues that could be encountered.

Conduct your research, analyse your findings and draw conclusions. Research methods should be applied to evaluate the data collected from primary research sources. Your research and analysis of your findings should be specific to your original research question, from which conclusions can be drawn.

Reflect on the success of your research project and your performance at the end of the project with the inclusion of a project evaluation and recommendations. In addition, based on the results of your study, what alternative research methodologies would you use in future to improve the results?

Reflect on your experience of formative draft submission and the feedback given by your lecturer. (e.g., how to improve your coursework). Whether you were able to discuss your choice of sources, your writing

style, the accuracy of your referencing... (150 to 200 words Max.)

Appendices
Note: You should attach all the supporting documents as a separate file in the appendix section of your assignment. Without appropriate evidence(s) your assignment will not be marked.
Proposal
Ethic form
Completed questioner (if it is used)
Collected data
Any other document(s) requested by tutor

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and approaches as part of the research process

LO2 Conduct and analyse research relevant for a computing research project

LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders

LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts