Unit Outline: ITEC202
Semester 1, 2008
Convenor: D. Rutter
Prerequisites: ITEC100(P) or ITEC101(P) and admission to GDipIT or GradCertIT
Students should read this unit outline carefully at the start of semester. It contains important information about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.
About This Unit
This unit focuses on software construction from an analysis and design perspective. Analysis and design methods are applied in the design process, from system requirements to construction. Problem formulation and solving are emphasised. Students will learn how to analyse a problem domain and to develop models that formalise requirements and design using object-oriented methods, theory and the Unified Modelling Language (UML). Classic software development methodologies, as well as alternative methodologies such as Agile development are also covered.
Teaching Staff
| Role | Name | Room | Office hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convenor, Tutor | David Rutter | drutter@ics.mq.edu.au | E6A121 | Friday 11-1 |
All emails related to ITEC202 should be sent to itec202-admin@ics.mq.edu.au and must include your full name and your student id number.
Classes
Each week you should attend 2 hours of tutorials. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Note that Tutorials commence in week 2.
You should have selected a tutorial at enrolment. You should attend the tutorial you are enrolled in. If you do not have a class, or if you wish to change one, you should see the enrolment operators in the E7B courtyard during the first two weeks of the semester. Thereafter you should go to the Student Centre.
Please note that you will be required to attend most of the tutorials and hand in prepared work each week. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit or being excluded from the exam.
Required and Recommended Texts
The textbook used this semester is:
- K. E. Kendall & J. E. Kendall, Systems Analysis and Design, 7th Ed., Prentice Hall International: Upper Saddle River. ISBN 0-13-224085-8
Additional reading may be recommended or provided during the course of the semester
Unit Web Page
The web page for this unit can be found at http://online.mq.edu.au/pub/ITEC202. Note that the majority of the unit materials are publicly available while some material requires you to log in to WebCT to access it.
The unit will make use of discussion boards hosted within WebCT. Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit.
Learning Outcomes
A student completing the unit should have:
- An understanding of the application of current and classic systems analysis and design techniques.
- Experience in using industry standard CASE tools.
- Improved analytical skills. Improved ability to take a "big-picture" view of systems.
- An understanding of the techniques and issues involved in the construction of medium to large-scale software systems.
In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, all academic programs at Macquarie seek to develop students' generic skills in a range of areas. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop their skills in the following:
- Critical analysis skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Creative thinking skills.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
ITEC202 is taught via selected chapters from the text, and tutorials. Students should read the set chapters from the text, and answer the set tutorial questions prior to attending the tutorials. Tutorials are small group classes which give you the opportunity to interact with your peers and with a tutor who has a sound knowledge of the subject. The format for the tutorials will be a mixture of a discussion of the course material, group work, and group discussions.
Each week you should:
- Attend your tutorial, seek feedback from your tutor on your work.
- Read appropriate sections of the text, add to your notes and prepare questions for your tutor.
- Prepare answers to next week's tutorial questions.
- Work on any assignments that have been released.
Topic List
|
Week |
Topic |
Reading |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Introduction |
Chapters 1 and 2 |
|
2 |
User Requirements Analysis - Interactive |
Chapter 4 |
|
3 |
User Requirements Analysis - Unobtrusive |
Chapter 5 |
|
4 |
Preparing Systems Proposals |
Chapters 3 and 10 |
|
5 |
Analysis Using Data Flow Diagrams |
Chapter 7 |
|
6 |
Analysis Using Data Dictionaries |
Chapter 8 |
|
7 |
Analysis using Process Specifications and Use Cases |
Chapter 9 + (re-read chapter 2 pp 39 - 46) |
|
8 |
Systems Design |
Chapters 6 and 13 |
|
9 |
Object Oriented Analysis and Design Part 1 |
Chapter 18 |
|
10 |
Object Oriented Analysis and Design Part 2 |
Chapter 18 |
|
11 |
Designing User Interfaces, and System Input and Output |
Chapters 11, 12, 14, and 15 |
|
12 |
Quality Assurance and Implementation |
Chapter 16 |
HELP202
Your tutor will be available to answer questions regarding the course at the times specified on the HELP202 timetable. Questions can also be email to your tutor.
Relationship Between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
- An understanding of the application of current and classic systems analysis and design techniques: Students will be exposed to analysis and design methodologies such as data-flow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams and UML.
- Experience in using industry standard CASE tools: At least one of the assignments will make use of a case tool such as Rational.
- An understanding of the techniques and issues involved in the construction of medium to large-scale software systems: An emphasis of the course is on the development of non-trivial software systems.
- Improved analytical skills. Improved ability to take a "big-picture" view of systems: Throughout the course there is an emphasis on the role of the systems analyst. Extensive use of case studies will allow students to develop their problem analysis skills. An emphasis is on what is to be developed, rather than how.
| Task | Planned Date | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Exercises | Weekly | 10 |
| Assignment 1 | 24/03/08 | 10 |
| Assignment 2 | 28/04/08 | 15 |
| Assignment 3 | 02/06/08 | 15 |
| Final Examination | TBA | 50 |
Your final grade will depend on your performance in each part separately. In particular:
- You must achieve a mark of 40% or greater in the final examination in order to pass this unit.
- You must submit a reasonable attempt to all three assignments to pass this unit. You must achieve a total combined mark of 50% or greater from the three assignments.
- You must submit a reasonable attempt to at least 6 tutorials to pass this unit.
All assignments should be handed in via the online WebCT system at http://online.mq.edu.au/ by the time specified in the assignment description.
All work submitted should be readable and well presented.
Late work will be accepted with a penalty of 10% of the marks for the assignment per day submitted late. Hence, an assignment submitted five days late will get at most half the marks. If you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer before the due date.
Examinations
The university examination period in First Half year 2008 is from 11th to 27th June.
You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations.
You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.
The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available on the web (PDF).
If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.
Plagiarism
Please refer to the Department of Computing Plagiarism Policy for the definition of plagiarism, advice on avoiding it and the penalties in place if you are found to have submitted plagiarised work.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Staff-Student Liaison Committee
The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.
For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at:
Details of the regular meeting dates will be posted on the unit home page. Anyone with an interest in Computing units may attend. This includes staff involved in the teaching and administration of the units, and all students currently taking a Computing unit at that level. There are formal Liaison Committee representatives for each unit who attend to present the views of the student body; all students are welcome and are encouraged to attend.
The meetings are usually held in the Department of Computing Meeting Room, E6A357.
To forward agenda items or get in touch with your representative, send an email to comp125liaison@ics.mq.edu.au.
If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Dr Steve Cassidy) or the Head of Department (Assoc. Prof. Bernard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.