Semester 2, 2023 Springfield On-campus | |
Units : | 1 |
School or Department : | School of Mathematics, Physics & Computing |
Grading basis : | Graded |
Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
Many aspects of modern life are driven by data. Computing practitioners use systems of various types to manage data, both personal and professional. While ultimately the way in which increasingly large data sets are used is critical to society, this course examines the earlier prerequisite fundamentals of computer systems, data capture, data storage, and data manipulation. It builds foundational skills using state of the art systems and tools to prepare for continued studies and practices in information technology.
The course first looks at common computer systems, both physical and virtual, and both local and cloud-based. It then turns to the study of various perspectives on the properties of data, and two main ways of storing and retrieving data digitally: either as files, or in special purpose data stores. In both cases the range of formats and structures, as well as benefits and drawbacks are investigated. The course also discusses data backups, version control, and data integrity checking. Role-based practice of ethics and privacy are covered to build fundamental professional skills, and tools are introduced to support team collaboration. The course also introduces modern cloud-based practices.
Course learning outcomes
- Compare and contrast, and confidently utilise different types of computing resources, with a focus on virtual machines;
- Compare and contrast storing data in files and in special purpose data stores, both relational and non-relational, and competently choose and utilise tools to meet goals;
- Confidently utilise personal, shared, and cloud-based data storage, backup tools, and data integrity checks to carry out common data retrieval tasks in an efficient, safe, and ethical manner;
- Relate common roles in data management to the ACS Code of Ethics, and, being sensitive to risks around the use of information, apply software mechanisms such as role-based access control to enhance privacy and security;
- Employ basic version control software and workflows to support team-based collaboration.
Topics
Description | Weighting(%) | |
---|---|---|
1. | Computer Systems and Virtualisation | 20.00 |
2. | Filesystems and Tools | 15.00 |
3. | Version Control | 15.00 |
4. | Ethics, Cultural expectations, and Data Privacy | 10.00 |
5. | Storage, Backups and Redundancy, Data Integrity | 15.00 |
6. | Data File Formats | 15.00 |
7. | Data Management Systems | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Quiz | No | 10 | 1 |
Tech and/or scntific artefact 1 | No | 25 | 1,2,3 |
Tech and/or scntific artefact 2 | No | 25 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Time limited online examinatn | No | 40 | 1,2,3,4,5 |