Date Work / tasks undertaken and Comments on progress or Time spent

outcomes / achievements problems; future actions hours

9 February Started by reading the project guide and Familiarized myself with the module 4
study guide sxe390 guides.
Highlighted some sections I found may
be useful later on the module.
11 Activity 1/sxe390 guide Have a better idea now of how to 3,5
February approach the project and where to look
for ideas. I must read the study guide as
advised by another OU S390 student.
12 Choose a suitable topic for the project Chose a topic for my project which I 3
February found appropriate and feasible.
Now I need to search for literature and
read the TMA1
14 Literature search Used Google scholar. 5
February Logged into Scopus, Web of Science,
Science Direct and OU library sites.
Downloaded 9 PDF´s papers which
seem adequate to my project idea so
far.
Need to focus on defining some pilot
reasonable objectives
16 draft of my objectives First objectives defined. Background 3
February literature available for my objectives.
The practical work involved is feasible
and adequate for my working/life
schedule.
Need to sketch out a plan to fit all steps
involved in the project on my agenda in
the time given.
18 Watch SXE390 module/wide room Made some notes. 2
February tutorial about skills audit and project Downloaded skills audit and project
plan plan
20 Made some useful notes to improve my
February Watch SXE390 module/wide room literature searching.
tutorial about finding scientific Focus on settling a project plan
information
21 Project plan draft done. Should include 4.5
February Started working on an initial project plan holidays and contingency time
22 Log onto forums and email system Highlighted some parts of these articles
February Read TMA1 and edited my objectives.
Need to stop for a few days to work on
another module TMA.
26 Watch module-wide room project log Made some notes. 2
February tutorial and experimental design and I should refine my objectives and start
intro to statistics tutorial with the methodology

27 Draft methods I need to define the treatments and 1.5

February number of replicates to think of a
statistical test.

27 Skim reading of papers to select 3 for 3 key papers selected. 5.5

February TMA1
1 march Start working on TMA1 Read learning outcomes 4
 Started working on theTMA1 part 1.

27 Complete project plan Included enough contingency time and 3

February all holidays.
Started working on pro-forma draft.
Making some progress.
1 March Draft project title Not very happy with how things are 1
going on. Literature I found on
hydroponic systems is confusing. Had
some personal issues/feeling sick.
Won´t be able to finish TMA1 on time.
Should contact tutor.
1 March Emailed my tutor for an extension for Tutor asked for proforma and risk 4
TMA1 assessment. Work on these two to find
her approval.
I should send my proforma and project
idea long time ago. I need to catch up
on the course and project plan.
Completed proforma and risk assessment Send both documents to tutor. 4
Keep working on TMA1
3 March Critical reading Resume 3 key papers. 1
Need to amend risk assessment as
requested by my tutor.

4 March Emailed tutor with updated risk Moving to TMA1 part 3 3,5
assessment I will leave part 2 to the end.
Activity 8/skills audit Completed part 3/skills audit.
Revisit learning outcomes and
summary marks.
Move onto part 3.
6 March Updated project plan Can´t finish part 2, I am short of time. 3.5
Need to tidy up all parts of TMA1.
7 March

8 March Revisited my main papers My draft and notes are taking shape. 2.5
Refine methods (tma asks for detailed I need to focus and stick to my
methodology and list of materials) objectives.
9 March 4.5
11 March Wrote my methods. 4
TMA1 due tomorrow. No time during
the day. Still need to complete the
references section.
12 March Checked all documents for TMA1. 7
Problem: winzip not working, neither
winRar.
Downloaded compatible software.
Took me too much time.
Uploaded TMA1 to the System.
Have the feeling the TMA1 went quite
bad. I will wait for feedback from my
tutor.

18 March Visited OU forums TMA1 marks were low, as I expected. 1

Need to focus on the feedback and
amend it as suggested.
20 March Found some important information 5
about referencing. Took a lot of notes
from these two tutorials.
24 March Tidy up all work for tma1 I will start the experiment as soon as 1
Submitted TMA1 material arrives.

13 March Start reading TMA2 Make some notes of my weakness. 2.5

Must amend objectives and methods.
I missed attaching project plan.
28 March Visited and checked all forums Took some notes from the tutorial. 3
Material will arrive tomorrow
29 March Collected TMA1 with feedback Started preparing the room where all 2.5
my plants will be planted.
Not sure if I will have enough room.

31 March Literature search for new project idea Prepared empty water bottles and 4
perlite.
Prepared different dosages of fertilizer
for each treatment.
3 April critical reading Planted seeds, tagged each group of 4.5
select key papers replicated and added fertilizer.
Took notes about the procedure.

5 April Watch module-wide room tutorial Plants didn´t germinate. Watered again 0.5
about primary literature and critical and will wait for results.
reading
8 April Revisited project guide Kept working on project log and
Draft new objectives recording data for the experiment
10 April Updated project log Watered plants and added fertilizer to 0.5
Checked progress against my project plan each group.

12 April Checked progress against my project plan Achieved working on project guide 5
activities up to section 6.
Will carry on tomorrow
13 April Read learning outcomes for TMA2 Kept working on project guide 3
Started working on TMA2 part 1 activities.
14 April Draft title and methods Upgraded my skills audit up to date. 1.5
List of materials needed Kept searching information about
hydroponic agriculture on the internet.
15 April Completed part 2 TMA2 Updated project log. 2
Will water plants tomorrow (every two
days)
17 April Watch module-wide room tutorial Watered plants and added fertilizer to 0.5
about contextualizing the project each group.
Revisited forums Its been almost two weeks and plants
didn´t germinate yet.
Started to be worried, the estimated
time to germinate is 10 days.
19 April Updated project log All plants germinated at the same time! 0.5
Updated project plan timing Noted all observations.

20 April Completed part 3 TMA2 Made some photos and records. 0.5
Some progress here.
21 April Further literature search Made some records 0.5
24 April Contacted tutor to change project idea Watered plants and added fertilizer to 0.5
 Asked for extension TMA2
26 April Worked on new updated proforma
each group.
Plants seem to grow at the same rate.
Still no noticeable difference in growth
rate between groups.
Watched last tutorial. 2
Made some annotations.
Will keed watering plants every two
days (and ferlizer every 7 days) and
recording results daily.
Need to start another TMA for another
module.

31 April Send updated proforma to tutor for Watered plants and added fertilizer to 0.5
approval each group.
Looked for all material needed for the Still not noticeable difference in
experiment growth rate between groups.
3 April Update my log up to date Need to travel abroad for family
Part 5 TMA2 completed reasons.
Can´t carry on with the project.
Need to start over. Some fresh perlite
and tomato seeds left, but will have to
place a new order.
Two weeks and a half away from
home.
29 april Tidy up TMA2 and start working on part 4 I am very behind. Need to email my
tutor for an extension.
30 april Submitted TMA2 Submitted special circumstances form
with evidence.
Need to update my log
10 may I should check the project website and
tutorials.