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Several evaluations have been carried out of previous versions of TDT4290 (i.e. "Systemering prosjektarbeid" and "Programmering prosjektarbeid"). These evaluations are generally very positive. See Markus Sorge: "Evaluering av prosjektundervisningen ved IDI, NTNU", Program for lærerutdanning, NTNU, spring 2000, 63p,
http://www.idi.ntnu.no/undervisning/siving/docs/prosjektevaluering.pdf.
Technology is experience-based knowledge – composed and refined over many years − to be able to satisfy human-societal needs in a cost-effective way. Engineering is the process of combining and applying suitable technologies to construct specific means, such as houses, food, clothing, roads, bridges, vehicles, books, sewing machines − and recently − computer- and information systems. That is, an engineer creates new reality (e.g., kitchen tables) − not only studies the existing one (e.g., a humming bee in a forest).
Engineering requires a domain-specific methodology (a technology itself) for how to describe the actual context − being farming, bridge-building, or banking. An engineer will apply scientific insight (both technical and social), combined with knowledge and experience from many sources – all representing different technologies. It is often a strong relationship between what is being constructed and the available time, budget, and tools / methods. Because of the substantial complexity and diversity of the engineering work and the characteristics of the processes, it is often necessary for several people to work together. That means that engineering has a social dimension, since it is executed as group work. Cooperative and communicative skills are therefore essential.
Project work in teams is an important part of the engineering discipline. Your study program at NTNU is among the ones with most emphasis on project work. Project work means on the one hand that you need to make an agreement with a customer (customer / organization) about what should be constructed. On the other hand, you have to design and implement technical solutions that satisfy the elicited constraints and requirements. You also have to consider changes over time, as most customers are not sure about what they really want. As a consequence, the proposed unfinished solution must be modified. The project groups must also be well organized and effective, and try to avoid destructive internal conflicts.
All this means that you will get a hectic work situation – sometimes at the edge of chaos. You have to combine your theoretical knowledge from previous courses to solve specific and practical problems. You have to use a considerable amount of effort in cooperation, communication, planning, and improvisation and show capabilities of working under pressure.
Your project will give you essential training to become a professional software engineer. Feedback from industry says, that it is almost impossible to get more done in 3 months than what such a group of students is capable of. Further, software engineers from NTNU are useful from day one: they posses the theoretical knowledge and know how to work efficiently in teams.
So, the expectations are great from all participants: the IDI department, lecturers, advisors, external customers and of course the students themselves. The project report (written in English) should not be more than 200 150 pages, exclusive appendices and graphics.
If your group experiences that some of the team members are not participating satisfactorily, you should immediately contact your advisor. If you experience other minor problems, the advisor is the one to contact. However, most (minor) problems are to live with; in fact, it is a part of the course to learn to deal with such issues in a project.
So, welcome to an interesting and hectic semester in this course!
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