CSE3900 Case Study , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)

The Case Study provides the opportunity for students in the Graduate Diploma in Computing, the Master of Applied Information Technology and the Master of Information Technology to focus their skills of system analysis, software design and development, documentation, system and software testing, interpersonal relationships and formal and quality documentation in the development of a solution to the Case Study project. The groups report to a Supervisor, who is the 'User' of the proposed solution.

CSE9300 aims to introduce students to the skills, tools and techniques required in the development of a realistic business system IT solution as part of a team. These skills include project planning, quality planning, technical and user documentation, software development and teamwork.

CSE3900 is a core unit in the Graduate Diploma in Computing, the Master of Applied Information Technology and the Master of Information Technology.

You may not study this unit and COT6640, CSE9020 (Previous Unit Codes), GCO9800, IMS3000, or equivalent in your degree.

Required text(s)

See recommended reading

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:

To access weekly lecture/ class materials, you will need an Adobe Acrobat reader, and access to Microsoft Office software (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) for document preparation.

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 6 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Schwalbe, K. (2004) ‘Information Technology Project Management’, Thomson Course Technology – 3rd (or 4th) Edition ISBN 0-619-15984-7

Yardley, D. (2002) ‘Successful IT Project Delivery’, Addison-Wesley, UK. ISBN 0-201-75606-4

Curry, J. & Stanford, P. (2005) ‘Practical System Development: A Project-based Approach’, Pearson SprintPrint, Australia ISBN 0-7339-7336-1

Study resources for CSE3900 are:

To access unit web page go to FIT Homepage/Units or select:
http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/cse3900/study
Lecture notes/PowerPoint slides and other relevant materials and links will be posted on the web site each week.

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment for the unit consists of Practical Work and Team Presentation: 100%. There is no exam for this unit. A number of deliverables will be assessed:

1. Project
a. Working Prototype (60 marks)
b. Presentation of project (20 marks)

2. Documentation
a. Business Case & Requirements Document (20 marks)
b. Project and Design Plan (20 marks)
c. Testing Document (20 marks)
d. Technical Manual (10 marks)
e. User Manual (10 marks)

Total: 160 marks = 100%

To pass this unit you must:

obtain all of the following:
• at least 40% of the marks available for the every deliverable component including the presentation
• at least 50% of the total marks for the unit

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

Assessment Requirements

Assignment specifications will be made available CSE3900 Unit Web Site Assessment Page. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.

All Deliverables should be submitted to your Supervisor on the due date. The format of documents will be outlined in lectures.

Late submission of assignments

Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted (up to one week late) at the discretion of the lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends). Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted.

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. 

If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness, you should apply for an extension prior to the due date. All applications for extensions must be made in writing to your lecturer. Medical certificates or other supporting documentation will be required.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Email is the best way of contacting academic staff, your Supervisor and other members of your team. Appointments and other requests should be arranged using email.

Your Supervisor should be your first port of call if you are having difficulties with the unit or the project work. If your problems are not able to be solved by your Supervisor, you should then consult the unit leader.

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

Your Supervisor should be your first port of call if you are having difficulties with the unit or the project work. If your problems are not able to be solved by your Supervisor, you should then consult the unit leader.

Consultation with the unit leader should be arranged by phone or email.

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:

Dr Linda Dawson
Fax +61 3 9903 1007

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.