In Final Year Projects (FYP), objectives is very important. For students and supervisors, it sets the guideline of WHAT your project should achieve. It also explains HOW you are going to achieve it.
[su_pullquote]For students, the objectives sets the guideline of WHAT your project should achieve. It also explains HOW you are going to achieve it.[/su_pullquote]
For project evaluators, it provides a somewhat measurable expectation of what the end result of the FYP should be and if it is enough to be called a Final Year Project (as opposed to an assignment).
Creating objectives is NOT the objective of this post. I would like to discuss how objective achievement is measured, especially in FYP. To that end, let’s use these particular objectives as examples:
OG: To review different karipap filling offered in Malaysia to compare ingredients, method prepared and look.
OS : To study existing systems that uses RFID to collect attendance for features and characteristics.
***Note: OG is a generic objective for discussion purpose, while OS is a more specific example relating to IT. Please be reminded that these two objectives does not appear in the SAME project.
First of all, these objectives are complete, in a sense it tells you what you are looking for when you are studying and reviewing respectively.
Each objectives have elements in it that must be fulfilled to be considered as ‘achieved’ 100%. The figure shows a breakdown of the different elements of the particular objective.
OG elements breakdown
If only part of it is done, even done well, achievement of that objective is not 100%.
If all the parts are done, but not well, achievement of that objective is not 100%.
In this particular example, it shows 4 different fillings, which is a good number, but not great considering the many, many different fillings available out there. For FYP purpose, a student must review, at the very least, 3 different ones.
But as it is with projects,the more you study, the richer the flavour of your analysis.
**Note: Discussion on OS, will be continued here.
