FIT3025 Information technology project 1 - Semester 1 , 2007 unit guide

Semester 1, 2007

Chief Examiner

Shyh Wei Teng

Lecturers

Gippsland : Shyh Wei Teng

Outline

Students work in project groups (usually 3-5 people) on a system development project for a client who may be either internal or external to Monash. In general, projects involve all aspects of the system development lifecycle. Project management aspects of system development are stressed. The requirements of the subject are fulfilled by the team producing an identified set of deliverables, usually a project proposal, project plan, a system specification, user documentation and software. The team must perform software management activities to ensure that the project is delivered on time. Students are required to maintain a development log with a full record of all their project-related activities. Each member of the team must demonstrate a significant contribution to the team effort, a sense of responsibility for the project outcome and skills for interaction with the client. Internal students meet formally with the subject adviser each week for seminar presentations and tutorial sessions. In the case of external students an individual project or smaller project group (two or three people) may be permitted. Students admitted to the school's industry experience scheme fulfil the unit requirements by undertaking a project with their employer.

Objectives

This unit builds on knowledge and understanding developed in core units throughout first and second level studies. Students will:

  • understand all stages of the process of developing an information system;
  • understand the roles and responsibilities of clients, system users and developers in a systems development project;
  • understand how information systems are developed;

This subject aims to develop in students:

  • the capacity to apply, in a practical setting, the theoretical work covered in their course.
  • the ability to develop a significant computing application, from the analysis and design stages, through coding and implementation to evaluation.

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

  • work with clients and communicate effectively with them
  • define a problem, and gather data, facts, opinions and information needed to analyse and solve it
  • outline and evaluate alternative solutions to a system development problem
  • perform a feasibility study that includes estimates of costs, time requirements, a schedule for the development, and the benefits expected from the system
  • identify hardware and software requirements for a system
  • document a system design using tools which include system flow charts and data flow diagrams
  • implement a system, including testing and debugging
  • evaluate a system, identifying any weakness or possible enhancements

This subject aims to develop in students:

  • the ability to operate effectively as a member of a development team.

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed all first and second-year core units or equivalent, for your major.

Unit relationships

FIT3025 is a core unit in the Applications Development & Networks, and Business Systems majors of the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems degree.

As FIT3025 is a partner unit with FIT3026 (to be completed in the semester after FIT3025 is completed), the marks for FIT3025 can be moderated after the completion of FIT3026.

 

You may not study this unit and GCO2819, GCO3819, GCO3700, GCO3800, GCO3900, GCO3800A, CPE3200, CPE3300, CSE3200, IMS3000 in your degree.

Texts and software

Required text(s)

There is no prescribed text for this unit.

However, all prescribed texts and reccommended readings from other units in your major can be used as references.

Textbook availability

Monash Bookshop or Library.

Software requirements

There is no software requirement.

Hardware requirements

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 12 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Recommended reading

All prescribed texts and reccommended readings from other units in your major can be used as references.

Library access

You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Study resources

Study resources for FIT3025 are:

A printed Unit Book containing information on the structure of this unit. It also contains the unit information outlining the administrative information for the unit.

The FIT3025 Website is on http://muso.monash.edu.au, where lecture slides, sample structure of assignments/reports and sample materials will be posted.

Newsgroups/discussion groups that can be linked to from the Unit Homepage.

 

Unit website

http://muso.monash.edu.au/

Structure and organisation

Week Topics Key Dates
1 Weekly activities are determined by the group's project plan
2 As per plan
3 As per plan
4 As per plan
5 As per plan Report 1 and Presentation
6 As per plan
Non teaching week
7 As per plan
8 As per plan
9 As per plan
10 As per plan
11 As per plan Report 2 due
12 As per plan
13 As per plan

Timetable

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment

Assessment weighting

There is no exam for this unit.

You will be assessed based on the following components:

  • 2 assignments/reports
  • 1 presentation
  • collaboration learning
  • prototypes/systems developed

As FIT3025 is a partner unit with FIT3026 (to be completed in the semester after FIT3025 is completed), the marks for FIT3025 can be moderated after the completion of FIT3026.

Assessment Policy

To pass this unit you must:

perform satisfactory in all the assessment components above.


Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

Please note that this unit is set up with two credit points components. This unit is set up with 6 Enrolled Credit Points and Zero Achievable Credit Points and the next partner unit (FIT3026) is set up with 6 Enrolled Credit Points and 12 Achievable Credit Points. What this does is that students have 6 Enrolled Credit point load in each semester but they do not get the academic credit until successfully passing the second unit (only then 12 Achievable Credit Points are awwarded). Equally, a fail in the second unit is effectively a fail in both units. As a result, a student getting a pass grade (e.g. HD) in the second unit (FIT3026) will get that grade towards the whole 12 CPs.

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Due Date Weighting
Report 1 2/4/07 8%
Presentation 1 2/4/07 2 %
Report 2 18/5/07 12 %

Assignment specifications will be made available FIT3025 Unit Web Site.

Assignment Submission

The method to submit the assignments/reports is to be negotiated with the supervisor allocated to your project team.

Extensions and late submissions

Late submission of assignments

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 5% for every day after the due date.

Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted.

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

Requests for extensions must be made by email to the supervisor allocated to your project team, at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

Grade Percentage/description
HD High Distinction - very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction - high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit - sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.

Assignment return

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

Feedback

Feedback to you

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

Feedback from you

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

And if you are having problems

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and cheating

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Communication

Communication methods

Once a supervisor is allocated to a project team, he/she will be the main person to contact for any questions/issues related to the project.

For further advises, you can contact the unit advisor/coordinator using the newsgroups on the unit website.

If any personal issues (e.g. conflicts with supervisor), you can contact the unit advisor/coordinator.

Notices

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

To be finalised with your supervisor.

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Dr Shyh Teng
Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 26851

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.

Last updated: Feb 20, 2007