Unit outline for Computing for Engineers and Scientists (CITS1005).

6 points / Semester 2
Location: UWA (Crawley)

Handbook description

This unit introduces students to the process of taking an engineering or scientific problem, identifying its components, and expressing a solution in computational terms. MATLAB is used as the programming language. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of computing including hardware, operating systems and their support for programming languages. They are taught standard programming constructs and data types, the use of operators, control flow and functions, along with basic software engineering principles, to aid the production of correct and efficient programs. In particular, the decomposition of programs into functions to aid design, modularity, and code re-use is emphasised, as is the need for code documentation. In addition, the unit introduces students to concepts such as file I/O, basic data structures and numerical accuracy, and gives particular emphasis to graphical visualisation of data. Concepts and techniques are illustrated through examples of applications in Engineering and Science.

Prerequisites: TEE Applicable Mathematics or TEE Calculus or TEE Discrete Mathematics

Unit aims

Students are able to (1) demonstrate competence in the MATLAB programming language and understand general programming constructs found in most procedural languages; (2) understand the principles of how programming languages interact with the operating system and hardware, appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of various file types, and understand the limitations of computing accuracy; (3) identify the components of problems, decompose them, and build structured software solutions that can be maintained and re-used; and (4) know how to present and visualise simple data sets so that interpretation is facilitated.

Teaching staff

Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Cara MacNish

Contact hours

62 (lectures: 26 hrs; labs: 24 hrs; tutorials: 12 hrs)

Assessment

This comprises two programming projects and a final examination. The programming projects develop the ability to undertake problem identification, formulation, and solution, apply basic knowledge, and acquire an understanding of professional responsibilities through the use and/or submission of test data. Code submitted as part of programming projects is assessed on the basis of its correctness, design and clarity, error trapping, and the quality of supporting documentation. The final examination focuses on problem identification, formulation, and solution, the ability to apply basic knowledge, and show in-depth technical competence in the discipline. Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit except in the case of a bachelor's pass degree student who has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 and is currently enrolled in this unit, and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete the course.

Unsatisfactory progress

Any student who does not demonstrate satisfactory progress in this unit, as defined in the Faculty's policies on assessment practices and procedures, may be refused admission to the final examinations. The final deadline for notification of unsatisfactory progress is the last day of Week 10.

Penalties

The School of Computer Science and Software Engineering has adopted a policy on minimum penalties for late items of assessment. This is the default policy of all units unless indicated otherwise, in writing, by the specific unit coordinator.

This policy shall apply to all items of continuous assessment, whether submitted either physically or electronically. Immediately after the submission deadline for an item of continuous assessment, a penalty of 20 percent will be applied PER DAY or PART THEREOF. The minimum mark possible for late submission is zero. The percentage is based on the item´s total contribution to the unit´s assessment. For example, a project contributing 40% to the unit´s assessment will incur a penalty of 8 marks for each day late until it is submitted or a mark of zero results.

A more detailed description is given in this School´s policy on late submission. The Faculty does have an appeals procedure, the details of which can found at the policy for appeals.

Special consideration

Applications for consideration, deferral of tests or exams or extensions of time for assignments on medical, personal or other grounds must be lodged with the faculty office no later than three working days after the due date for the assessment in question. This rule will apply to all students, except in exceptional circumstances.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is broadly defined to be when any portion of the work presented for assessment, can be attributed to another party. The student making the submission should acknowledge what aspects of the presented work is not directly derived by them. For the purposes of plagiarism it is irrelevant that you have been given permission by someone to copy their work and present it as your own.

You are directed to the Faculty's policy on plagiarism.

Academic misconduct

The University of Western Australia strongly supports teaching and learning that promotes academic literacy and ethical scholarship for all students. As part of this commitment, UWA has recently developed new guidelines relating to Academic Misconduct (including plagiarism). It is also developing a range of resources for students and staff to further strengthen academic literacy and ethical scholarship at UWA. Further information is available on the Teaching and Learning website.

Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE)

All students who have not previously been enrolled at UWA are required to complete a short compulsory online module called Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE) within the first 10 weeks of semester. ACE introduces students to essential knowledge regarding ethical scholarship, helps prepare them for the expectations of their university career and informs them of correct academic conduct.

The unit can be accessed via WebCT. The final unit quiz must be completed with a mark of 80% or greater. Students may attempt the quiz as many times as they wish to gain the required pass mark. Completion of the unit will be recorded as an Ungraded Pass (UP) on students’ academic records. Non-completion (NC) within the required timeframe will also be documented on formal academic records.

Faculty Marks Adjustment Policy

Final assessment is subject to the Faculty's scaling policy.

Supplementary Examinations

Supplementary examinations will be awarded in accordance with the Faculty policy on supplementary assessment.

Student rights

Consult the University's Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities.