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CS3024: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES (2014-2015)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

The CS3024 module tackles the technical, the organisational, and the wider professional aspects of large software systems analysis, design, and development, as well as other issues relating to software development, including software quality assurance and testing.

The practical component allows students to apply the knowledge gained during the various 'teaching' sessions (lectures, discussions, orienteering, Q&A) as a member of a software project team. While the core emphasis of the module is on the principles of Software Engineering and, even more importantly, on Software Engineering practice, a range of relevant professional topics are explicitly focused on.



Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term First Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Ernesto Compatangelo

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

None.

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

  • Introduction to software engineering: software development paradigms, software lifecycle, the Unified Paradigm.
  • Project management issues: team organisation, time and cost estimation, risk analysis. Software modelling and coding issues - The Unified Modelling Language (UML); Computer-Aided Software Engineering.
  • Software analysis and design issues - requirements elicitation, developing a system specification through use cases, architectural design, detailed design, design patterns.
  • Software implementation and quality issues - testing strategies and methods; quality assurance and management; software verification and validation; software documentation and maintenance.
  • Ethics: the individual, organisational and societal context of computing systems; deployemnt of technical knowledge and skills with a concern for the public good.
  • Legal Issues: UK legal system, contract law liabilities, company and employment law, data protection, computer misuse, intellectual property rights.
  • Public policy issues: digital signatures, restrictions on encryption, IT monopolies.
  • Safety/mission critical software: impact of failure on users; liability; risk analysis.
  • Professional Bodies: structure, function, restriction of title, licence to practise, code of ethics/conduct/practice.
  • Career: Career options; entrepreneurship; rights and duties of an employee.
  • Aspects of effective communication: written and verbal communication skills.

Further Information & Notes

Assistive technologies may be required for any student who is unable to use a standard keyboard/mouse/computer monitor. Any students wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (25%) and two software engineering project deliverables (20% and 40% respectively, 60% in total, one individual in-course assessment on professional topics consisting of 4,000 word essay/report (15%)).

Resit: Students must resit the component(s) they have failed. (written examination and/or individual in-course assessment on professional topics). Students who have failed the combined software engineering project deliverables component need to repeat the course the following year.

Only marks gained on the first attempt will count towards Honours classification.

Formative Assessment

During lectures, the Personal Response System and/or other ways of student interaction will be used for formative assessment. Additionally, practical sessions will provide students with practice opportunities and formative assessment.

Feedback

Formative feedback for in-course assessments will be provided in written form. Additionally, formative feedback on performance will be provided informally during practical sessions.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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