Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
Introduction to Software Engineering through programming with particular focus on the fundamentals of computing and programming, using an exploratory problem-based approach. Building abstractions with procedures, data and objects; data modelling; designing, coding and debugging programs of increasing complexity
This course introduces fundamental concepts in software engineering, using the Python programming language. Emphasis is placed on problem solving using computational techniques, creating algorithms and designing classes.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No prior knowledge ofᅠprogramming is assumed.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COMP1502, CSSE7030, ENGG1001
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Students may attend additional contact sessions, beyond the one to which they are allocated, if there are not too many students in the room for the demonstrators to manage they may limit attendance to only those allocated.
Practical sessions tend to become very crowded close to assignment due dates. Demonstrators may limit attendance to only those allocated to a practical session to ensure that the session is manageable.
Lectures will be recorded and available on the course Blackboard site. However, attendance at the physical lecture is strongly recommended, with recordings used to revise content.
Aims and outcomes
This course focuses on the organising ideas of software design and construction. Because software systems are highly complex structures, special effort and techniques are needed to control that complexity and make them understandable by humans, not simply machines. Taking this course will teach you such techniques, which are common to good software engineering design, independent of the programming language, and include building abstractions to hide details, separating specification from implementation and establishing conventional interfaces to allow the creation of standard modules. Programming practice is necessary to the course, and you'll be using Python as it is well-suited to understanding fundamental computing ideas and practices.
At course completionᅠyou will be able to analyse a problem and design and implement a computational solution to the problem.ᅠYou will make use of three major programming paradigms: structured, object-oriented and event-driven.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
apply program constructs such as variables, selection, iteration and sub-routines
LO2.
apply basic object-oriented concepts such as classes, instances and methods
LO3.
read and analyse code written by others
LO4.
analyse a problem and design an algorithmic solution to the problem,
LO5.
read and analyse a design and be able to translate the design into a working program,
LO6.
apply techniques for testing and debugging,
LO7.
design and implement simple GUIs
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Computer Code | Assignment 1 | 15% |
23/08/2024 3:00 pm |
Examination |
In semester exam (Saturday)
|
25% |
In-semester Saturday 31/08/2024 - 14/09/2024
The In-Semester Exam will be scheduled on one of the following Saturdays: 31 August (week 6) or 7 September (week 7) or 14 September (week 8) The exact date and time of the In-Semester Exam will be announced later during the semester. |
Computer Code | Assignment 2 | 20% |
18/10/2024 3:00 pm |
Examination |
End of semester exam
|
40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assignment 1
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Computer Code
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
23/08/2024 3:00 pm
Task description
Students will implement a small program based on a specification. This assessment covers topics from teaching week one through four. Namely: functions, list, tuples, dictionaries, loops, and if statements. In writing this assignment (and other assessment items) students must not look at anyone else's code or show anyone else their own code. They must also refrain from copying code from the internet or other sources. They must also refrain from using generative AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Assignment submitted on-line via Gradescope. Students should submit their code regularly to Gradescope as they progress in the assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Marked submissions with feedback and/or detailed solutions with feedback will be released to students within 7 days.
Late submission
Assignment submissions received after the due time (or any approved extended deadline) will be subject to a 100% late penalty. A one-hour grace period applies to the due time after which time (4:00pm) the 100% late penalty will be imposed. This grace period is designed to deal with issues that might arise during submission (e.g. delays with Blackboard or Gradescope) and should not be considered a shift of the due time.
In semester exam (Saturday)
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
In-semester Saturday
31/08/2024 - 14/09/2024
The In-Semester Exam will be scheduled on one of the following Saturdays: 31 August (week 6) or 7 September (week 7) or 14 September (week 8)
The exact date and time of the In-Semester Exam will be announced later during the semester.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
This is a closed book and identity verified examination that is written on campus.
This exam is compulsory and covers up to Week 5.
This exam will be scheduled at a fixed time for all students.
Exam details
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 90 minutes |
Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Assignment 2
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Computer Code
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
18/10/2024 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Students will implement a small program based on a specification. This assessment covers topics from teaching week one through eleven. In writing this assignment (and other assessment items) students must not look at anyone else's code or show anyone else their own code. They must also refrain from copying code from the internet or other sources. They must also refrain from using generative AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Assignment submitted on-line via Gradescope. Students should submit their code regularly to Gradescope as they progress in the assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Marked submissions with feedback and/or detailed solutions with feedback will be released to students within 7 days.
Late submission
Assignment submissions received after the due time (or any approved extended deadline) will be subject to a 100% late penalty. A one-hour grace period applies to the due time after which time (4:00pm) the 100% late penalty will be imposed. This grace period is designed to deal with issues that might arise during submission (e.g. delays with Blackboard or Gradescope) and should not be considered a shift of the due time.
End of semester exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
This is a closed book and identity verified examination that is written on campus.
The final exam is compulsory and covers the entire course.
The final exam will be scheduled at a fixed time for all students.
Hurdle requirements
Exam >= 45% required for Grade 4 and aboveExam details
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Cut off Marks | Description |
---|---|---|
1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 10 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
2 (Fail) | 11 - 40 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 41 - 50 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Hurdle: FINAL EXAM >= 40% |
4 (Pass) | 51 - 60 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Hurdle: FINAL EXAM >= 45% |
5 (Credit) | 61 - 75 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Hurdle: FINAL EXAM >= 60% |
6 (Distinction) | 76 - 90 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Hurdle: FINAL EXAM >= 70% |
7 (High Distinction) | 91 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Hurdle: FINAL EXAM >= 80% |
Additional course grading information
A mark in this course is calculated from the following four assessments in this course:
1. Assessment 1 (A1)
2. In-semester exam (EM)
3. Assessment 2 (A2)
4. End-of-semester Exam (EF)
Supposing A1, EM, A2, EF are percentages in [0%, 100%] then your mark is
MARK = MAX(M1, M2)
where
M1 = 0.15*A1 + 0.20*A2 + 0.25*EM + 0.40*EF
M2 = 0.15*A1 + 0.20*A2 + 0.10*EM + 0.55*EF
This means that poor performance on the in-semester exam can be mitigated by performing well on the final exam.
Your mark will be computed using two digits precision, then rounded UP.
At the discretion of the course coordinator, marks for the assessment items may be adjusted upwards (uniformly across the class), but not downwards.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of AI
Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 evaluate students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Having Troubles?
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material you should seek help. Speak to the course teaching staff.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help, for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).
Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Blackboard
There are extensive video modules, readings, examples, contact exercises, assignments and other resources that can be accessed via Blackboard.
Online Material
Lecture related notes can be accessed via Blackboard. Lectures will be example driven demonstrating the application of the concepts covered in the weekly readings. You need to be prepared for the lectures for this course by having read the weekly notes beforehand. This course will make use of ShiFoo. ShiFoo is a programming exercise system that automatically checks your answers and gives you feedback.
Facilities
Practical work for this course will take place in PC labs or classrooms. If you practical session is in a classroom, you will need to bring a laptop computer with you to work in these sessions. Several slots have been booked for this course, when you will have priority in the lab. A demonstrator will be present to answer questions and help with any problems - this includes any problems you are having with any of the online material. You should be aware that you will need to do more work independently of the 2 hours per week that is set aside for practicals. The required software, libraries and documentation are on the the machines in the PC labs and instructions for downloading for home use can be accessed via Blackboard. For details of the Occupational Health and Safety requirements of the labs, refer to the EECS Student Guide.
Handouts
Notes, assignments, solutions, etc. will be made available through Blackboard.
Distribution of Notices
Important notices will appear on Blackboard.
Ed discussion forum
This course will use Ed Discussion forum.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Lecture |
Week 1 Course introduction. Learning outcomes: L01 |
Multiple weeks |
Practical |
Practicals Weeks 2 -12 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Lecture |
Week 2 Control Structures. Functions. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 3 Loops and Strings Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 4 Dictionaries Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 5 File IO and Testing Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 6 Scope and Intro to OO Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 7 Inheritance and Polymorphism. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Lecture |
Week 8 GUI: Basic Widgets. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Lecture |
Week 9 GUI: Frames and Events Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Lecture |
Week 10 GUI: Menus and Canvases Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Lecture |
Week 11 Recursion. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Lecture |
Week 12 Functional Programming. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Lecture |
Week 13 Revision Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorials Weekly tutorials start from Week 2. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: