ICT225/525Computer Science Concepts

Unit Information

Semester 1, 2004

Unit coordinatorDr. Graham MannSchool of Information TechnologyDivision of ArtsRoom: ECL 2.061Phone: 9360 7270Email: g.mann@murdoch.edu.au

© Published by Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, 2004.

This publication is copyright. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act no part of it may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the publisher.

CONTENTS

UNIT INFORMATION

ONE Introduction 1TWO Resources for the unit 6THREE Assessment processes 9FOUR Assessment details 13

Computer Science ConceptsICT225

Unit Information

This information should be read in conjunction with the Guide to Studying at Murdoch booklet, the Unit Welcome Page

at http://online.murdoch.edu.au/public/ICT225/and the material provided on the unit website .

ONEIntroduction

Unit overview

Welcome to Computer Science Concepts. This unit introduces and develops key basic concepts in computer science, problem solving and program design using the Java programming language. It represents an intensive, fast-track introduction to topics including computer system architecture; computer memory and operating system principles; algorithm design; programming — simple selection and iteration control structures, data types, input/output, multidimensional arrays, strings and files, recursion; and object-oriented concepts including data abstraction, modularity, classes and object references; and also the definition and use of common classes — lists, stacks and queues.

Perhaps you chose this unit because your knowledge of computing is inadequate or out-of-date, or because you need an intensive basic course to support senior or postgraduate study in a specialised area of IT. This unit is a crash course in fundamental aspects of a computer and computing in general. Concepts will be exercised using in the Java programming language, which students will need to practice thoroughly.

This means a fairly steep learning curve, and students will need to put in a good deal of work to succeed.

Prerequisites

None. Students who have completed B102 Introduction to Computer Science and/or B104 Principles of Computer Science may not enrol in this unit for credit.

Learning objectives

The aims for students of this unit are: To acquire a foundational fast track for students entering the MSc(IT) from non-IT

disciplines (or whose IT knowledge is out of date).

To learn to solve problems by creating algorithms; be able to think algorithmically.

To be able to design, write and test simple Java programs

To understand the basics of PC hardware, operating systems, data structures, algorithmic processes and some standard PC applications.

Life-long learning: to develop appropriate attitudes and sufficient skills in independent self-learning to be able to adapt to theoretical developments and new technologies after leaving this unit.

This unit will contribute to the development of the following Graduate Attributes:

1. Information and Communications Technology Skills

2. Problem solving.

Unit coordinator

Your coordinator for ICT225 is Dr. Graham Mann. Graham studied at the University of Western Australia (psychology) and the University of New South Wales (artificial intelligence). He teaches artificial intelligence and computer programming at Murdoch University. His current research interests include robotics and Mars mission simulations.

Contact details

Email: g.mann@murdoch.edu.auRoom: ECL 2.061

Tel: (08) 9360 7270 Fax: (08) 9360 2941

Administrative contact

Ms Mirella ParlatoniDivisional Executive OfficerTel: (08) 9360 6093 Fax: (08) 9310 2994

TutorYou will be notified of your tutor at the beginning of the unit.Please write your tutor’s name and contact details here.

How to study this unit

Read and Relate

Read through the summary on the first page of each topic in the study guide so that you are aware of the chapter to be studied. Attempt to

relate this chapter to the unit objectives (see Section 2 above) and to your previous knowledge.

Only a part of the text book is directly covered in the course so there is no need to study and comprehend the entire book. The summary on the first page of each topic clearly identifies which parts of the text book should be studied for that topic.

Watch Assessment Dates

Be aware of the assessment requirements for that topic which can include demonstration (or submission for off-campus students) of the practical exercises and/or submission of an assignment.

Read the material The lectures, study guide and text book are intended to complement each other. Neither is sufficient on their own, but as a whole they provide all of the principles and techniques required to complete the course. Note the required reading for each topic. This includes relevant material from the textbook. It's a good idea to read more widely than the required reading. This is partly to give you a deeper understanding and partly because a different way of presenting the concepts may suit you more as an individual. Sources for further reading include other text books from either bookshops or libraries, computing magazines and the Internet (World Wide Web, newsgroups and mailing lists).

Know the objectives

Study the objectives of the topic before you commence your reading. Use these as a guide to your reading.

Read actively & Make notes

As you read through the text make notes either into a notebook or directly into the study guide.

Practice Now apply your knowledge to the practical exercises and other exercises suggested in the text book. For any programming problem or exercise, work out the solution on paper. This is your algorithm. Check your paper-based solution before you attempt to write and run the program. Avoid trying to work out a solution by trial and error - ie. Try not to write the program first and then meddle with the program to get it to work. Such programs are not designed properly and it will show. The emphasis is on well-designed, well documented programs so it is not just a matter of getting your program to run.

Seek Help If you have difficulty with any of the above activities you should seek help from your tutor. Off-campus students should contact their tutor by phone or email (please have your Study Guide, textbook and the list of questions with you, so that you do not waste time searching for information during your conversation with the tutor). For Off-campus students located in the metropolitan area, it is also possible to arrange an appointment. Internal students should contact their tutor during their normal laboratory times.

Revise After you have received the assignments back from your tutor, go over the comments carefully. If in doubt, ask the tutor for further explanations.

Learning activities

On-campus students (D enrolments)

There are three 1- hour lecture and one 2-hour laboratory per week. Because this is an intensive course, you will very likely need to spend further time in the laboratory or on a home machine to complete the practical lab work. Consult the university timetables or the unit website for times and locations. You will be informed of the laboratory arrangement by week 2. During the laboratory session, you will be able to receive assistance from your tutor and work on your assignments.

Off-campus students (X and Z enrolments)

Off-campus students must obtain the Savitch textbook, download the materials (lectures, labs, software and other documents) from the B225 website and study these in their own time. You will need to put in about 12-15 hours per week to get through the material and practice the programming skills. It is important for off-campus students to set up their computers with the necessary software early in the semester, in order to be ready for the exercises (see link called "Setting up your home machine" on the unit website). It is also important to try to keep up with the weekly material and readings, so as not allow study to build up to a point where it is difficult to catch up. You will be able to email or telephone your tutor to get help with your study and practical work. in order to get feedback on performance or notice problems.

Technical Help

For technical difficulties with WebCT contact the Student Helpdesk:helpdesk@student.murdoch.edu.au or phone 9360 2000.

For problems with the lab computers, contact the Division of Arts Help Desk: artshelp@student.murdoch.edu.au or phone 9360 6700.

For difficulties with other online materials contact your Unit Coordinator.

Unit timetable

Week Topic Content Due Dates1 Overview. Basics: O/S & File System.

The Java language. A first program.2 Algorithms I Program structure, data

types. 3 Algorithms II. Identifiers. Operators.

Repetition4 Basic OO:Classes, Objects & Methods.

Strings.5 Programming with Methods Pracs 1-4, 26th March 20046 Programming with Classes7 Arrays Assignment 1, 8th April 2004

Two Week Break Two Week Break8 Inheritance; Event-driven programming Pracs 5-7, 30th April 20049 Exception Handling

10 Streams and File Input/Output11 Data Structures Assignment 2, 21st May 200412 More on Algorithms Pracs 8-10, 28th May 200413 Review

TWOResources for the unit

Unit materials

To undertake study in this unit, you will need:

Essential textbook

W. Savitch. Java - An Introduction to Computer Science and Programming. 2nd Edition. Published by Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2001.

Other references G.M. Schneider & J.L. Gersting An Invitation to Computer Science,

Java Version. Published by Brooks/Cole, California, 2000. ISBN 0-534-37488-3

Online Resources The WebCT login page for online access to this unit is at

http://online.murdoch.edu.au/

Unit Welcome Pagehttp://online.murdoch.edu.au/public/ICT225/ For the content, click ICT225 Computer Science Concepts on the bottom left.

External Studies Guidehttp://external.murdoch.edu.au/support/index.html

ICT225 Unit Information 1

Library resources

There are any number of books in the Murdoch Library catalogue on the subject of computer programming, from introductory works to detailed studies of particular techniques. You can find several special teach-yourself-Java style volumes.

A past exam papers are under the earlier unit code, B225https://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/exams/b.html

Computing resources

On-campus students (D enrolments)

Students on campus will be using the School of IT's undergraduate computer laboratory. For an update on the new location of this laboratory, please check the unit website near the beginning of semester. To use these laboratories, you will need an account in order to log in to them. This consists of a user name and password which would normally be issued to you by ITS when you enrol.

You will also need at least five 3.5" 1.44-Megabyte floppy disks (preferably more to allow for good backup strategies). You may prefer to use a CD-R (recordable) disks, which many machines can now read and write. You may buy these media from any computer supplier or bookshop, such as the Murdoch University Bookshop.

Note that whilst the laboratories are reserved for you for the 2 hours of your practice session, you may get additional access to lab machines at times when no booking exists. But note that the laboratories are usually heavily used during the day, so you may care to use the labs at night. To do that, have your student card authorised to allow after hours access. Visit the Arts Help Desk or call 9360 6700 for details on how to do that.

Off-campus students (X and Z enrolments)

Students working off campus will need to equip themselves with the right hardware and software for the exercises. The software in the unit runs on the School of IT's student lab computers which are IBM-type machines running Windows Xp. This essentially consists of Java 2 SDK Runtime Environment, JBuilder 3.5, a PFE editor. The software should run on earlier versions of Windows but this is not guaranteed. Instructions on how to set up your machine will be provided at the beginning of semester.

It is the off-campus student's responsibility to provide themselves with the needed computing resources. The material and instructions will be made available via downloads and/or on CD. Every effort will be made to help students get up and running, but there is a limit to what can

2 ICT225 Computer Science Concepts

be done over email and the telephone, so it is recommended that students begin installation as soon as the software is made available.

ICT225 Unit Information 3

THREEAssessment processes

Assessment components

You will be assessed by practical exercises, assignments and a final examination:

Assignment Description Value Due Date

Practical Exercises Short programming exercises 10% See unit timetable

Assignment 1 Programming project with testing and documentation 15% 8th April, 2004

Assignment 2 Programming project with testing and documentation 15% 21st May, 2004

Examination Multiple Choice QuestionsShort Answer Questions

60% To be arranged

Assignment submission

A professional standard of presentation of written work is expected from all students. Written work must be typed or word processed, printed on A4 paper and the pages stapled together. The pages, along with any disks containing software, must be enclosed in a plastic envelope. A fully filled-in and signed cover sheet must form the first page of every submission. There are different cover sheets depending on enrolment and submission type. Cover sheets may be downloaded from the unit website. Marks may be deducted if these presentation requirements are not met.

On-campus students (D and Z enrolments)

Submit your assignments by 4:00pm on the due date to the School of IT Secretary in ECL3.037. It is acceptable to mail assignments to the Secretary at

School of IT, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150

But be sure that the work arrives by the due date to avoid a possible late penalty.

4 ICT225 Computer Science Concepts

Off-campus students (X enrolments)

Off campus students must submit their work via the External Studies Office. Assignments and tutorials should be submitted by post. Practical lab work may be submitted by email provided that it does not require many or very large code file attachments (if so, put onto disk and physically post them with a printed submission). Do not separate sections and send parts by email and others by mail. If emailed do not also send in your hard copy. Should there be problems with the receipt of either emailed assignments you will be informed.

It is important to keep copies of all work submitted.

Each submission of work should be accompanied by an assignment attachment with sections A, B and C completed. Assignments submitted without the attachments will not be processed. Students frequently forget to complete their name and address details. This is most important as assignments are returned in window-faced envelopes. It is recommended that you keep a supply of attachments on hand. Please ask if you require a further supply of assignment attachments.

SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS BY EMAIL

The address for submission of assignments by email is: assignments@central.murdoch.edu.au

Note: all assignments submitted by email MUST include an electronic assignment attachment. Please do not alter the size or shape of this document. When you fill in your details please ensure that you enter the name of your tutor. This enables the assignment to be forwarded immediately. The declaration can be completed using italics. When entering your name and address please ensure that this is in the allocated area as the assignment is returned to you in a window envelope, hence the position is important.

Electronic assignment attachments may be directly downloaded from:http://external.murdoch.edu.au/support/info.html/

Attached documents must follow a standard naming convention. For example:p-atkinson-ict105-3.doc For the first part of the filename use initial-surname Then unit code Then whatever assignment number was specified in your study guide (or an abbreviation

– eg pr for project report) Give code attachments a clear name with a proper extension.

Further information on the submission of assignments by email can be found at: http://external.murdoch.edu.auExtensions

ICT225 Unit Information 5

If you believe that you will be unable to submit a piece of assessment by the due date you must request, in writing, an extension at least one week before the due date from the unit coordinator. A good reason must be documented such as illness with a doctor's certificate.. You may use a Request for Extension form which can be downloaded from the unit website. Unless you have specific approval for an extension, overdue work may have 10 percent deducted per day late.

Note that the final deadline for submission of all unit work is fixed on the Friday of Week 13. Extensions beyond this deadline date can be granted only in exceptional circumstances in accordance with the deferred assessment procedures in Degree Regulation 46, which may be found in the University Handbook.

Backup Copy

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of all project and practical exercise work. This is in any event good computing practice. Extensions may not be granted due to problems of computer systems and loss of data due to disk corruption, loss of work, etc. Queries about project and practical exercises grades should be directed to your tutor in the first instance.

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Determination of the final grade

In order to pass this unit, normally students must achieve satisfactory performance (at least 50%) for each of the examination, the semester work, and the overall final mark.

The marks are combined as a weighted sum into a final mark out of 100. A letter grade is assigned for each individual piece of work, and for the unit as a whole. Scaling of marks may be deemed necessary, but normally this will not disadvantage students. See Section 5 of the assessment code regarding grades http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/codes/assess.html#5

The nominal ranges for the various letter grades are as follows:

Notation Grade Percentage Range

HD High Distinction 80 – 100D Distinction 70 – 79C Credit 60 – 69P Pass 50 – 59N Fail Below 50S Supplementary Assessment 45 – 49*

*The award of the grade of S shall be at the discretion of the unit coordinator.

The meaning of these grades are provided in the Murdoch University Handbook and Calendar and at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/codes/assess.html#5

University policy on assessment

Assessment for this unit is in accordance with the provisions of Degree regulations 40–48. Check these in the current Murdoch University Handbook and Calendar or http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/legsln/regs/bachelor.html#assessment

Assessment roles and responsibilities

Please refer to the University Policy at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/codes/assessapp1.html

Honesty in assessment and avoiding plagiarism

Students are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the rules concerning misconduct in submission of assessable work. The University regards very seriously and students in found breach would be subject to disciplinary action by the Division.

For guidelines on honesty in assessment including avoiding plagiarism, seehttp://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/discipline/

ICT225 Unit Information 7

FOURAssessment details

Assignments

The assignments will involved solving a problem by writing an algorithm, implementing that algorithm in Java, testing the working program and documenting the results. Marks will be assigned for all these tasks. The second assignment will be more challenging than the first, as the skill level of students increases.

Details of the assignments will be made available to students during the semester (watch the unit website).

Practical Exercises

There are ten practical laboratory exercises to be completed during the semester as follows:

Week Prac Due Date12345 Pracs 1-4, 26th March 200467

Two Week Break8 Pracs 5-7, 30th April 20049101112 Pracs 8-10, 28th May 200413

8 ICT225 Computer Science Concepts

On-campus students should show the results of practical lab work to their tutor. Off-campus students should submit to their tutor via External Studies Office by email or post (see Assignment Submission, above). If submitting by post, students should include:

a) a printed Prac cover sheet (available from the unit website) b) printed copy of their program source code and c) a disk containing the compiled program.

ICT225 Unit Information 9

Details of labs will be available from the unit website during the semester.

Final Examination

The final examination will be a three-hour paper covering all aspects of the unit. The exam will consist of multiple choice, and longer answer questions which, in general, cannot be answered by quoting verbatim from the textbook, but which require an understanding of the material covered during the unit. You will be advised about the precise format of the examination during the lectures. Past exam papers are available from the University library at Sample multiple questions are included at the end of this Study Guide. These are only a guide as the exam paper format will vary somewhat from year to year.

The University requires that all students sitting end-of-semester examinations (including those held off-campus) must show their Murdoch University Student Card for identification purposes. NO OTHER FORM OF IDENTIFICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Students may inspect their marked examination scripts and discuss the marking with the Unit Coordinator within 14 days of the posting of results (Degree Regulation 43).

For further information about examinations, refer to http://www.murdoch.edu.au/oss/exams/

10 ICT225 Computer Science Concepts

Unit code Learning Guide 1