Credits

22 credits at SCQF level 10

Prerequisites

CSC9V4

Learning Outcomes

The student will have:

• a practical understanding of the software engineering life-cycle
• a knowledge of how software projects are planned and managed
• practical skills in methods and tools for software design and testing, with particular reference to object-oriented development using UML for information and system modelling
• an understanding of the issues and consequences of being a professional software engineer, including aspects related to risk and safety
• to demonstrate the ability to apply theory and techniques to unseen problems without reference to notes, to work independently and under a time constraint.

Transferable Skills

• understanding and use of CASE tools
• planning and managing a software project
• team working
• document preparation.

Contents

Systems and Software Engineering: Overall strategy, system and software life-cycles, introduction to modelling, introduction to project management and risk analysis, small group working.

Requirements Capture and Analysis: general principles, requirements capture methods, notations and methods for requirements modelling.

Object-Oriented Development: general principles, UML (Unified Modelling Language), use-case modelling and object-oriented analysis, class diagrams, sequence diagrams, state diagrams, use-case diagrams, use of a CASE tool.

Agile Methods: An alternative, iterative approach to software engineering, including principles of agile methods, extreme programming and testing.

Professional Issues: professional societies, social responsibilities and ethical aspects, professional development, legislation.

Assessment

• Assignment 1 (system modelling in UML) 20%;
• Assignment 2 (group project: analysis and high level design) 30%;
• Examination 50%.

Module requirements

In assessing a student's grade for the module, the Examiners require that a student must:

Submit all items of assessed work.

Non-submission of any single item of assessed coursework will result in the award of No Grade for the module as a whole. Assessed coursework submitted late will be accepted up to five days after the submission date (or expiry of any agreed extension) but the grade will be lowered by one grade point per day or part thereof. After five days the piece of work will be deemed a non-submission, and will result in the award of No Grade for the module as a whole. This rule may be relaxed for students who can show good cause for failure to submit. ‘Good cause’ may include illness (for which a medical certificate or other evidence will be required).

Attend the examination.

If a student is unable to attend the Main examination, he/she must apply to the Student Programmes Office for a Deferred examination. If a Deferred examination is not granted, then the Examiners may allow a Repeat examination. A student who attends neither the main exam nor the Repeat/Deferred exam will be awarded No Grade for the module as a whole.

Students who obtain a fail grade, 4A-5C, following the main examination will be eligible for a Repeat examination. The grade awarded following a Repeat examination is capped at 3C.

In addition, Regulation 14 of the University's First Degree Regulations sets out attendance rules for classes that have been defined by the Department as prescribed. In this module, the Prescribed classes are the group project meetings with a project monitoring officer. Failure to attend at least two-thirds of prescribed classes results in a module grade being capped at a maximum of 3C for that module, unless good cause for missing those classes can be shown. Responsibility for showing good cause lies with the student.