This unit will provide students with an overview of programming and its role in problem-solving and strategies for meeting user requirements and for designing solutions to programming problems. The fundamental programming concepts of the memory model, data types, declarations, expressions and statements, control structures, block structure, modules, parameters and input and output will be applied within the context of objects, attributes, methods, re-use, information-hiding, encapsulation, event-handling and message-passing. Software engineering topics include maintainability, readability, testing, documentation and modularisation.
Objectives
At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:
The relationship between a problem description and program design;
The management of problems using recognised frameworks;
The use of design representations;
The semantics of imperative programs;
The object oriented paradigm as represented by Java;
Event-driven programming;
The sequence of steps that a computer takes to translate source code into executable code;
Primitive data types and basic data structures.
At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:
Adopt a problem-solving approach;
Recognise the importance of programming and documentation conventions;
Appreciate quality parameters in program development;
Accept the code of professional conduct and practice;
Act in accordance with best practice, industry standards and professional ethics.
At the completion of this unit students will have the practical skills to:
Use diagrams to design solutions for programming problems;
Apply problem solving strategies;
Use pseudo-code to design algorithms;
Design object oriented solutions to simple problems using multiple user-defined classes;
Create and test programming solutions to problems using the Java programming language;
Edit, compile and execute a computer program;
Analyse and debug existing programs;
Write a test plan.
At the completion of this unit students will demonstrate the communication skills necessary to:
Produce formal documentation for a program;
Explain an existing program.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this unit.
Unit relationships
FIT1002 is a core unit in all Faculty of IT undergraduate degrees. There are no prerequisites for this unit. You may not study this unit and GCO1811, CSE1102, CSE1301, CSE1202, CSE2200, CPE1001, SFT1102, SFT2021, SFT3021, CFR2121, CSC1011, CSC1021, RDT1301, MMS1802, GCO9805 in your degree.
Texts and software
Required text(s)
For students not enrolled at Gippsland (your lecturer will specify)
Horstmann C: Big Java 2 ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2005, ISBN 0471697036
Savitch W: Absolute Java 2ed., Addison Wesley, 2006, ISBN 0-321-33024-2
For students enrolled at Gippsland:
Horstmann C: Big Java 2 ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2005, ISBN 0471697036
Robertson LA: Simple Program Design, 4 ed., Thomson/Nelson, 2003, ISBN 017010704-3
Textbook availability
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
Software requirements
For students at Caulfield, Clayton and Peninsula campuses:
BlueJ, Version 2.1.2 Programming Development Environment. Although available on CD, version 2.1.3 can be downloaded from
Java Development Kit, Version j2sdk-1_5_0_06 or later, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Jcreator - jcreator LE v3.5 is a powerful IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Java and is strongly recommended. It can be downloaded from the Web Site:
You should download the freeware version. You have no need for the fuller facilities provided in JcreatorPro, and would have to pay for it as well.
jEdit - Text editor written in Java which can auto indent and provides syntax highlighting for more than 130 languages.
http://www.jedit.org/
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
For all students:
Sanchez J. and Canton M.P., Java Programming for Engineers - online library resource
For Gippsland Campus students only:
Savitch W. : Absolute Java 2nd Ed., Addison Wesley 2006, ISBN 0321330242
Malik D.S. : Java Programming - From Analysis to Design., Thomson Learning 2006, ISBN 0619216085
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 FIT1002 are:
A printed Unit Book containing a number of Modules covering certain topics
OCL students only (A copy of this Unit book is available from the library however the order of presentation differs and so it has not been recommended for Caulfield, Clayton and Peninsula students)
A CD-ROM sent at the start of the year, with software required for the unit
OCL students only
This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit
The MUSO unit web site where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be available
The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
Assessment
Assessment weighting
Exam
60%
Non-Exam
30% Assignment
10% ongoing Assessment
Assessment Policy
To pass this unit you must:
pass the exam
AND
pass non-exam assessemnt
Your score for the unit will be calculated by:
Exam Score (out of 100) * 0.6 + Non Exam Score (out of 40)
Assessment Requirements
Assessment
Due Date
Weighting
part 1
end of week 5
10%
part 2
end of week 9
10 %
part 3
end of week 12
10 %
unit test/lab sessions
ongoing
10 %
Exam (3 hours, closed book)
Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06
60 %
Assignment specifications will be made available On the FIT1002 MUSO site.
Assignment Submission
Upload zipped Java files via MUSO Assignment tool.
Multiple uploads will be allowed. The last upload will contain the work that is marked.
Extensions and late submissions
Late submission of assignments
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Once the MUSO assignment tool deadline has passed upload will be disabled.
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.
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 not regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions.
Requests for extensions must be made by email to your lecturer at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates 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.
The lecturer will arrange some upload mechanism other than MUSO which will be disabled for upload after the deadline passes.
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.
Unit improvements
In response to student comments about overloading of content, several non-essential topics have been removed.
A globally common major assignment task has been introduced.
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
For Students enrolled at Caulfield, Clayton and Peninsula campuses:
Queries regarding non-exam tasks to be addressed to tutors in the first instance (tutor consultation times are available at the School's Web site)
Queries regarding unit content and exams to be addressed to lecturers (lecturer consultation times are available at the School's Web site and will be announced in the first lecture)
MUSO Discussion groups may be set up at some campuses. You should interact primarily with the discussion group set up for your delivery point.
For students enrolled at Gippsland campus:
Any unit material or assignment query must be posted to the relevant discussion group. Any email sent that relates to the content of the unit will be answered via the relevant discussion groups.
Personal queries, which include include requests for assignment extensions, special consideration requests, or the need to discuss your personal progress can be directed to the campus lecturer or tutor via email.
You are not asked to put anything of a personal nature into your newsgroup postings. You can discuss matters over the phone but email is the preferred method of contact.
Notices
Notices related to the unit during the semester will be made via the Announcement tool in MUSO. For a set period a pop up box will notify you of any important notices, after than you must check the Announcement tool for any that you missed. Check this regularly. Failure to read the announcements is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.
Consultation Times
Tutors
Posted on the School Web site.
Lecturers
Announced in the first lecture.
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:
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.
Additional information
Order of Presentation of Unit Content
Lecturers may present the content of this unit in the order best suited to them and their students. In particular introductory and detailed discussion of object orientation may vary from one delivery point to another.
Order of Release of Assignment Tasks
This may vary from campus to campus to integrate with the campus's order of presentation unit content
