It has long been an established principle that students undertaking studies in the third year level in Computer Science subjects at Monash university and aiming to graduate with a major or co-major in Computer Science will complete a project unit. This project will require them to develop a major piece of software and/or undertake self-directed research. FIT3038 fulfils this role in the restructured Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree and in degrees like the Bachelor of Science that allow students to complete a major or a co-major in Computer Science.

This unit has been updated as part of a 2009 review and comparison of data with current Handbook, Syllabus + and Callista data.

30/11/2017 - Unit disestablished at FEC 5/17 Item 7.3.

This is a third year, optional core unit in the Bachelor of Computer Science (BCompSci) and an elective in the Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE). It is an optional core unit in double degrees involving the BCompSci and may be taken as part of a major or a double major in the Bachelor of Science (BSc) and double degrees involving the BSc. Its most important role is to give students experience in working in groups to develop large software systems from initial analysis and requirements engineering through the design and implementation phases through to a software maintenance phase.

It gives students the chance to put into practice concepts learned in its prerequisite unit, FIT3077, Software Engineering: Architecture and Design. Students in the BCS need an opportunity to be involved in large scale software development and this cannot be provided by individual or group assignment work within a unit that is seeking to introduce new ideas. In this unit students will be asked to put into practice ideas that have been taught in other programming, software engineering and systems analysis-oriented units.

At the completion of this unit students will have -

A knowledge and understanding of:

• the main phases of the development of a software system, in particular, analysis and design;
• the aim of analysis and requirements engineering, (requirements elicitation, identification and negotiation);
• how to communicate the results of analysis in documents;
• the principles of good software design;
• how to compare and evaluate different design choices based on the requirements of the software system;
• how to communicate the details of a design in documents which can be used to direct an implementation team;
• implementing software according to specifications;
• integrating a software testing program into the implementation plan for a software system;
• the demands that the requirements for software maintenance place on a software system;
• how to put into practice a process for analysing problems in a methodical manner;
• aspects of project management including scheduling, risk analysis and contingency planning;
• how to work in a group environment;
• how to identify and communicate effectively the main components of an analysis, design, implementation progress reports and so on.

Developed attitudes that enable them to:

• adopt a methodical approach to developing large software systems;
• recognise the importance of a thorough analysis phase;
• understand the need to avoid errors of omission by constructing and consulting checklists;
• adopt a critical approach to evaluating potential solutions;
• appreciate the potential difficulties in working in a group setting;
• communicate effectively by putting themselves in the position of the intended audience of the communication.

Developed the skills to:

• undertake an analysis of the requirements of a software system;
• identify and evaluate potential designs which meet the requirements of a software system;
• produce appropriate documentation for communicating requirements and design decisions;
• produce an implementation plan which uses program testing as an integral part of the implementation phase;

Demonstrated the communication and teamwork skills necessary to:

• participate in a group that is working towards a common goal;
• plan, conduct and participate in group meetings;
• work together with colleagues to enable them to develop themselves professionally;
• communicate effectively by putting themselves in the position of the intended audience of the communication.

020103

This unit is intended to provide students with practical experience relating to the construction of software according to software engineering principles. Students are expected to undertake the design and implementation of a program. All aspects of the software engineering process will be covered including requirements analysis, specification, design, coding, testing and maintenance. Students will generally work in a group, and interaction with that group will be an integral part of the project. As a rough guide, this subject should require about one hundred and fifty hours of effort from the student during the semester.

On-campus

Continuous assessment: 50%; Final assessment: 50%

1 hr lecture/wk, 1 hr project meeting/week

FIT

CSE3308 or FIT3077

Peter Tischer