Course coordinator
Associate Professor Stephen Viller
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
A studio-based course in which interdisciplinary teams of students develop a proposal for a significant software-based system. The course aims to consolidate and expand on students previous experience with designing information systems, user interfaces, and computer software and systems. Subjects such as requirements elicitation, business cases, design specifications, and identifying and dealing with professional and ethical issues associated with software projects and products are covered during the course.
DECO3800 is one of two level 3 studio project courses for UQ's Bachelor of Information Technology program and Software Engineering major in the BE (Hons), with the other being DECO3801. In these two courses, students work in teams on project areas which are derived by the teams themselves from course resources and elsewhere. DECO3800 incorporates the problem finding, ideation, design and user requirements gathering leading to a proposed solution. DECO3801 starts from the design brief/proposal and allows other teams of students to further design, build, and evaluate them.
As a studio course, DECO3800 involves creative, divergent, reflective and critical design activities that explore the nature of a problem or challenge space and identify possible solutions/opportunities for digital technologies. These activities lead to a proposal for a design that a different team of students in DECO3801 could prototype.
Course Changes in Response to Previous Student Feedback
The assessment has been simplified to remove the journal and associated hurdle and redesigning the Portfolio to include a draft submission earlier in the semester. Weekly in-person check-in activities are introduced to assist with tracking progress and meeting secure assessment policy requirements.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course assumes that students are in their final year of study and can work in a team to design a digital solution to a problem/challenge in the world. Learning in studio courses happens through applying prior knowledge to a novel situation, leading to a deeper understanding of the concepts through application and the acquisition of new knowledge to supplement prior learning where required. The prerequisites for this course (knowledge of human-centred design process and experience working in team-based projects) establish the basis for success in the course, but a more significant contribution to success is students' ability to contribute to a collaborative creative process.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DECO2500 and (DECO1800 or DECO2800 or DECO2840 or DECO2850 or CSSE3200)
Restrictions
Final year BInfTech, BMultMedDes, BCompSc, BDes InfEnv and 3rd year + BE(Hons) Software Engineering
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- DECO7380
Announcements, mini-lectures, student presentations, and peer feedback are all shared activities. Team formation will be restricted to undergraduate- and postgraduate-only teams. Mixed teams will not be allowed.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Stephen Viller
Dr Agnieszka Nowak
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The combined class is timetabled into a single room for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Students are expected to attend all studios to work together with their team. This course is predicated on active learning and participation; absences from scheduled sessions are accountable in this course and will be tracked as part of our approach to secure assessment.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with experience in the software design lifecycle, with an emphasis on problem finding and eliciting requirements from a broad problem domain or challenge area, leading to the production of a well-specified and justified system design supported by appropriate low/medium-fidelity prototypes and design documentation. Student teams apply contemporary project management tools and techniques in the context of a larger-scale design process. As a capstone studio course, students are given the opportunity to apply and further develop their technical and design skills acquired in other courses and elsewhere.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Synthesise a significant digital solution to an identified problem in the world, overcoming challenges associated with implementing new designs and technologies leading to a clearly documented design proposal.
LO2.
Apply and consolidate previous experience and skills in human-centred design and software development to develop representations of the design concept at different levels of fidelity in order to better communicate with stakeholders and to clarify and inform project requirements.
LO3.
Apply sound project management methods and techniques to improve the outcomes of software design projects, where the relative merits of the methods are critiqued and adapted for the project context, making use of relevant tools for strategic planning and scheduling where appropriate
LO4.
Communicate effectively with stakeholders to gather requirements and understand the problem context, and to manage expectations over the course of a project.
LO5.
Demonstrate an ability to work successfully in a multi-disciplinary team, and reflectively apply methods and techniques for effective collaborative teamwork, including digital tools and platforms, resolving conflicts where they arise.
LO6.
Examine and question ethical and professional issues associated with technology projects or products, and apply ethical thinking to your own work.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Product/ Design, Project, Reflection |
Project
|
5 (Team) |
Problem Identification (in-class presentation) 23/03/2026 2:00 pm Problem Identification Documentation 25/03/2026 4:00 pm Interim Project Critique (in-class presentation) 27/04/2026 2:00 pm Interim Project Critique Documentation 29/04/2026 4:00 pm Exhibit 25/05/2026 2:00 pm Final documentation 27/05/2026 4:00 pm
Presentations (including final Exhibit) take place during scheduled Studio class contact hours. For each project checkpoint, the associated documentation is submitted online 2 days after the presentation, providing the opportunity to incorporate feedback from the presentation into the documents. |
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Portfolio, Reflection |
Portfolio Plan/draft & Interim Reflection
|
2 (Individual) |
15/04/2026 4:00 pm |
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Portfolio, Product/ Design, Project, Reflection |
Studio Portfolio
|
3 (Individual) |
8/06/2026 4:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Project
- Identity Verified
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Product/ Design, Project, Reflection
- Weight
- 5 (Team)
- Due date
Problem Identification (in-class presentation) 23/03/2026 2:00 pm
Problem Identification Documentation 25/03/2026 4:00 pm
Interim Project Critique (in-class presentation) 27/04/2026 2:00 pm
Interim Project Critique Documentation 29/04/2026 4:00 pm
Exhibit 25/05/2026 2:00 pm
Final documentation 27/05/2026 4:00 pm
Presentations (including final Exhibit) take place during scheduled Studio class contact hours.
For each project checkpoint, the associated documentation is submitted online 2 days after the presentation, providing the opportunity to incorporate feedback from the presentation into the documents.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The main focus of work in this Studio course is the team-based project where students work together to identify a problem or challenge, investigate and develop an understanding of the problem context and solution space, leading to a documented design that provides sufficient detail to allow a different team of students to complete the design process with the development of a working prototype (note, development of working prototype is the task of student teams in DECO3801/7381).
Assessment for the project is a sequence of checkpoints that run throughout the semester. The main mode of assessment will vary at each checkpoint. However, all checkpoints require the submission of project documentation. By the end of the semester, this documentation will form the project’s design/requirements document. The final document should be detailed enough for another team to use as a starting point to further design and develop into a working prototype.
- Problem Identification
- Interim Critique
- Exhibit and final documentation
Grading and feedback on checkpoints 1 & 2 will be formative, intended to provide students with an understanding of the quality of their work against the criteria, and to inform and support their subsequent work to refine and improve their project based on the feedback. The overall grade for the project will be considered holistically, examining work across the whole lifetime of the project, but with an emphasis in particular on the endpoint and on the quality of the process followed to get there.
Use of Generative AI
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
You take responsibility for fully understanding any work that you submit. If you cannot reasonably explain or justify any parts of the submission that you were individually responsible for, a significant penalty for this assessment will apply individually (up to the total grade for this assessment item) as the submission will be considered to have low or no academic merit.
Submission guidelines
Project documents will be submitted via TurnItIn on Blackboard. Presentations and project exhibit will be in-person during scheduled studio sessions.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions are only permitted for the Final Documentation submission.
In-Class Presentation/Exhibit: Extensions are not available for this assessment item. Extensions for groupwork are typically not available as this impacts on all members of the team. However, if a group encounters extraordinary difficulties in meeting a deadline, they should contact the Course Coordinator in advance of the due date. Teams may be asked to complete an alternative presentation.
Problem Identification & Interim Project Critique Documentation: Extensions are not available for this assessment item. Extensions for groupwork are typically not available as this impacts on all members of the team. However, if a group encounters extraordinary difficulties in meeting a deadline, they should contact the Course Coordinator in advance of the due date. Teams may be asked to complete an alternative assessment.
Final Documentation: The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours. Extensions for groupwork are typically not available as this impacts on all members of the team. However, if a group encounters extraordinary difficulties in meeting a deadline, they should contact the Course Coordinator in advance of the due date.
Late submission
In-Class Presentation/Exhibit: 100% Late Penalty. No grace period.
Problem Identification & Interim Project Critique Documentation: 1 hour grace period followed by 1 grade per hour for up to 8 hours. Feedback is provided in following session. Marks can be superseded by subsequent assessment.
Final Documentation: A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Portfolio Plan/draft & Interim Reflection
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Portfolio, Reflection
- Weight
- 2 (Individual)
- Due date
15/04/2026 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L06
Task description
This assessment item is the first iteration of your portfolio for the work you conduct this semester. It should be presented in the form of an early draft of the final version, including a plan for what you intend to include, and a reflection on your current and planned contribution to the team project. The Portfolio Draft will give you an opportunity to reflect and receive feedback on your progress so far, as well as on your intended direction for the rest of the semester.
Use of Generative AI
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
You take responsibility for fully understanding any work that you submit; if you cannot reasonably explain or justify any parts of the submission, a significant penalty for this assessment will apply (up to the total grade for this assessment item) as the submission will be considered to have low or no academic merit.
Submission guidelines
Submission is via the DECO3800-7380 course wiki (Link in Blackboard).
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
This assessment is developed and iterated on with students needing to act on regular formative feedback over the semester. This is to support the development of genuine reflective practice in the assessment and enable students to learn skills required in standard industry design practice.
Late submission
A 100% late penalty applies to any wiki edits that are made later than the deadline (with 1 hour grace period allowed). All edits on the wiki are logged and time-stamped so the most recent submission prior to the deadline will be marked.
Studio Portfolio
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Portfolio, Product/ Design, Project, Reflection
- Weight
- 3 (Individual)
- Due date
8/06/2026 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05, L06
Task description
The main item of individual assessment for Studio 3 - Proposal is your Studio Portfolio. In Studio 3 where we do not have a final examination, this assessment item plays a similar role, where you are required to demonstrate what you have learned across the whole course.
The main purpose of a portfolio in a design course is for you to gather together examples and evidence of the work that you have done throughout the course. Traditionally, portfolios are collections of work that individuals can share with prospective employers or potential collaborators as examples of the work that they have done. In a course like DECO3800, the work you contribute to your team's outcome will be heavily influenced by your skills and background, as well as by the nature of the project you have worked on. The contents of your portfolio might therefore include design work related to any number of things, including: project inspirations from existing products or services; user research to learn more about the context of use; sketches and schematics relating to data structures; visual designs of interface elements; reports on technology spikes; code snippets to explore functionality, etc.
A studio portfolio will show off not only what work you have done, but also what you learned as a result of doing it. This reflective component is important so that you can demonstrate deeper learning. Your reflections will feature in this studio portfolio through a combination of how you provide a commentary on the work that you are featuring, along with the inclusion of a reflection section accompanying each topic covered in the portfolio. The reflection will be an opportunity for you to connect the work you have collected for display with what you have learned through working on it.
Use of Generative AI
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
You take responsibility for fully understanding any work that you submit; if you cannot reasonably explain or justify any parts of the submission, a significant penalty for this assessment will apply (up to the total grade for this assessment item) as the submission will be considered to have low or no academic merit.
Hurdle requirements
Students must gain an overall passing grade for the individual assessment to pass the course. Failure to achieve an overall passing grade for the individual assessment will result in an overall fail for the course with the grade capped at 3.Submission guidelines
Submission is via the DECO3800-7380 course wiki (Link in Blackboard).
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
This assessment is developed and iterated on with students needing to act on regular formative feedback over the semester. This is to support the development of genuine reflective practice in the assessment and enable students to learn skills required in standard industry design practice.
Late submission
A 100% late penalty applies to any wiki edits that are made later than the deadline (with 1 hour grace period allowed). All edits on the wiki are logged and time-stamped so the most recent submission prior to the deadline will be marked.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to demonstrate most or all of the basic requirements of the course. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates clear deficiencies in understanding and applying fundamental concepts; communicates information or ideas in ways that are frequently incomplete or confusing and give little attention to the conventions of the discipline. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Demonstrates a superficial or partial or faulty understanding of the fundamental concepts of the field of study and limited ability to apply these concepts; presents undeveloped or inappropriate or unsupported arguments; communicates information or ideas with lack of clarity and inconsistent adherence to the conventions of the discipline: OR Fails to meet the individual assessment hurdle for the course by receiving a FAIL for the Portfolio. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates adequate understanding and application of the fundamental concepts of the field of study; develops routine arguments or decisions and provides acceptable justification; communicates information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline: OR Fails to meet the participation hurdle for the course by receiving a FAIL for the Journal |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates substantial understanding of fundamental concepts of the field of study and ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; develops or adapts convincing arguments and provides coherent justification; communicates information and ideas clearly and fluently in terms of the conventions of the discipline: |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: As for Credit, with frequent evidence of originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and in creating solutions; uses a level, style and means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience: |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: As for Distinction, with consistent evidence of substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem-solving approaches; critically evaluates problems, their solutions and implications: |
Additional course grading information
Hurdles in this course
Students must gain an overall passing grade for the Portfolio assessment (Portfolio Draft/Plan + Portfolio) in order to pass the course. Failure to achieve an overall passing grade for the individual assessment will result in an overall fail for the course with the grade capped at 3.
Identity verified assessment
Studio teaching staff actively monitor individual participation throughout the semester and are aware of the degree to which students are contributing to the team projects. To pass this course, students must achieve a passing grade overall for the individual assessment items. One purpose of the individual assessment items is to provide evidence of individual contributions to team outcomes - students who are unable to demonstrate their contribution to the team outputs risk failing the course with an overall grade capped at 3 by not meeting this requirement. Weekly in-person check-ins will provide documented evidence of individuals' ongoing work and contribution to the team project.
Team-based Assessment
All team members are required to provide meaningful contributions to the central concept being developed, and equally all team members need to contribute across the communication components of the assessment (for example documentation, reports, presentations etc). Where it is evident that a team member has contributed ONLY to the communication components and has had little to no meaningful input into the project concept & its development, the course coordinator reserves the right to adjust individual grades accordingly. In such circumstances, it is also likely that these team members will not have any appropriate work to report on in their Portfolio and will therefore be at high risk of failing the course overall.
For team-based assessment items, teams are expected to develop effective conflict resolution strategies at the outset of the project to enable them to deal with situations where the workload is not shared equitably (the information about Maintaining your Team in UQ Working in Teams: A Practical Guide may be useful in planning this). Studio teaching staff are available to assist with conflict resolution if necessary. Team performance reviews will be conducted during the team project to enable individuals to comment on team progress and morale. The purpose of the team performance review is to appraise the individual contributions to the team, team effectiveness and attitudes - both for indications of conflict and to recognise high-performing teams. The results of these will, along with teaching staff observations, be used to support teams through conflict resolution. Ultimately the course coordinator reserves the right to vary group marks for each group member in the event of varied contributions to the team effort.
Qualitative Grading
Grades for assessment in this course will identify your work as being of a particular standard from the following list:
- No assessable work received (X) - applies to non-submission of assessment items
- Low Fail / No Academic Merit (1)
- Fail (2)
- Marginal Fail (3)
- Pass (4)
- Credit (5)
- Distinction (6)
- High Distinction (7)
Within each category, there may be a further qualifier of + or - to indicate that the work is respectively at the upper or lower bounds of the category. The main grade descriptor always applies - if work is assessed at the level of Credit, for example, it has been assessed overall to meet the quality described by the Credit grade descriptor. Credit- means that the work is assessed at credit, but it is at the bare minimum of meeting the criteria for a Credit. Credit+ means that the work is assessed at Credit, and while it is an excellent example of work at this grade, it is missing key aspects that prevent it from being assessed at the next grade up. Grades on formative assessment items during the semester will be used to calculate the initial overall grade for each student (see below). The final moderation process will consider student work holistically, taking into account evidence of improving grades and/or incorporation of feedback in later assessment items.
Calculation of final grades for course
Assessment items are given unit weights to be consistent with qualitative and criteria-based assessment. In this course, weights for the assessment items total to 10 units.
Final grades will be calculated as a weighted average of a student’s assessment grades, using the same formula as used for calculating a student’s GPA (click here and then select How to calculate your GPA). Applying the formula there to this case, P is the unit weighting for that particular assessment item; and G is the grade for the assessment item.
Example 1:
If a student receives the following grades:
- Project
- 1.1 Problem Identification: Fail (2)
- 1.2 Interim Critique: Credit (5)
- 1.3 Exhibit: High Distinction (7)
- Project overall (weight 5): High Distinction (7)†
- Portfolio Plan/Draft (weight 2): Fail+ (3)
- Studio Portfolio (weight 3): Distinction (6)
Grade Calculation: ((7*5)+(3*2)+(6*3))/(5+2+3) = 5.9
Individual component: ((3*2)+(6*3))/(2+3) = 4.8
Final grade =6
Example 2:
- Project
- 1.1 Problem Identification: Distinction - (6)
- 1.2 Interim Critique: Pass + (4)
- 1.3 Exhibit: Fail + (3)
- Project overall (weight 5): Credit (5)†
- Portfolio Plan/Draft (weight 2): Pass + (4)
- Studio Portfolio (weight 3): Fail + (3)
Grade Calculation: ((5*5)+(4*2)+(3*3))/(5+2+3) = 4.2
Individual component: ((4*2)+(3*3))/(2+3) = 3.4
Final grade =3^
Notes
† Overall project grade is either the average across two formative plus final summative grade, or equal to the final summative grade, whichever is higher.
^ Final grade capped at 3 due to failing individual component
Calculation of grades for assessment items
The weighted average approach will also be used to determine the grade for each assessment item.
Final Grade Moderation
The final grade for the course will be initially constructed from the individual grades according to assessment weightings. It will then be reviewed & moderated based on overall performance across the course. The course coordinator reserves the right to moderate grades.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
Supplementary assessment is not available for the team-based or continuously assessed parts of the course which require progressive updates throughout the semester. Supplementary assessment is only available for the individual Studio Portfolio assessment item (approved by EAIT Associate Dean-Academic)
Additional assessment information
Having Troubles?
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material, you should seek help and speak to the course teaching staff.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help; for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things). Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Notices
Notices regarding the course will be posted on Blackboard and also distributed in the General channel on MS Teams. You are expected to read these notices regularly (at least once a week and more often near deadlines for deliverables).
Web
The course web site is available on Blackboard. The course web site will contain important information and links to other sites related to the course. You must be enrolled in the course to access some parts of the web site.
Course Communications
Microsoft Teams will be used for course communication in studio sessions and for internal team collaboration. This can be used via the web interface, but students are encouraged to download the relevant native application for a better experience.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Studio |
Studio Students will work in teams with teaching staff on their team projects and on activities related to their projects. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: