Software Construction

Class Number 4174
Term Code 3430

Class Info
Unit Value 6 units
Mode of Delivery In Person
COURSE CONVENER
- Dr Bernardo Pereira Nunes
LECTURER
- Dr Bernardo Pereira Nunes

Class Dates
Class Start Date 19/02/2024
Class End Date 24/05/2024
Census Date 05/04/2024
Last Date to Enrol 26/02/2024
TUTOR
- Llew Reilly

View Class Timetable

This course extensively explores the fundamental principles and practices necessary for creating medium-scale software projects, with a specific focus on the object-oriented programming paradigm. By blending theoretical understanding with hands-on practice, students establish a robust foundation in software construction, drawing from their prior programming experience. Key topics, including programming techniques at large, life cycle models, data manipulation techniques, and GUI concepts, are highlighted to foster a comprehensive grasp of software development. Ultimately, the course empowers students with the skills to construct medium-scale software projects efficiently, ethically, and in alignment with industry standards.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Apply object-oriented programming concepts for medium-scale software projects
Understand the fundamentals of life cycle models for developing medium-scale software projects
Apply and Evaluate software construction principles across various life cycle stages in medium-scale software projects
Describe contractual specifications, analyse documentation and specifications against other’s code, develop, understand, test, and evolve substantial programs using a modern IDE, and Understand fundamental concepts of GUIs and user interfaces
Understand basic concepts of intellectual property in software construction, considering ethical and social implications of technical decisions
Apply and Evaluate techniques for data manipulation in medium-scale software projects

Examination Material or equipment

The materials and equipment will be listed prior to the exams on Wattle.

Required Resources

The minimum computing environment for the course is the following:

Java Development Kit 17 (JDK 17). This is the version that will be used in the course.
IDE JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA (Community Edition). Or Eclipse IDE for Java Developers (latest version).
Android Development Studio Dolphin | with 2021.3.1 Patch 1 (October 2022). It's okay to use the latest version (Flamingo); however, you must check its computing requirements (memory, CPU/GPU, storage) and the suitable performance of your computer.
JUnit Version 4
Zoom (latest version).
Computer with a working camera and enough resources (e.g., storage for self-invigilation if needed) to run IntelliJ IDEA, the preferred web browser, and Zoom simultaneously without any problems (such as lag).

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

Written comments for the group, video assignments, and manually marked labs.
Auto-generated comments based on a set of pre-defined test cases for all other assignments/exams.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

The use of Generative AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT) is permitted in this course, given that proper citation and prompts are provided, along with a description of how the tool contributed to the assignment. Guidelines regarding appropriate citation and use can be found on the ANU library website (https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai> https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai>https://libguides.anu.edu.au/generative-ai%3e>)]. Marks will reflect the contribution of the student rather than the contribution of the tools. Further guidance on appropriate use should be directed to the convener for this course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Overview of Software Construction - This lecture overviews the course and introduces the main concepts related to software construction.	Video assignments are released.
2	Design Patterns - This lecture presents several typical solutions (i.e. design patterns) to recurring problems in software design using real-world examples.	Lab 1: Setting Up the Environment. This lab is dedicated to helping you set up your course environment.
3	Software Testing - This lecture covers essential software testing concepts and techniques for identifying defects and errors in software during its development, as well as measuring software quality in terms of various coverage techniques.	Lab 2 - Design Patterns. This lab offers an opportunity to implement some of the most popular design patterns used in various applications.
4	Data Structures - This lecture covers well-known data structures that are essential for developing efficient algorithms and a variety of applications.	Lab 3 - Software Testing. In this lab, you will design and implement test cases to identify defects and errors in software, as well as use different techniques to measure the code coverage of a small application.
5	Data Structures II - This lecture is a continuation of the previous one with a focus on more challenging and advanced data structures.	Lab 4 - Data Structures. In this lab, you will implement a part of an important data structure for several applications.
6	Android Development - This lecture delves into the concepts of mobile development using Java.	Lab 5 - Android. In this lab, you will implement a small application using Android Studio and Java.In this week, the group project will be released and the first part of the video assignment is due.
7	Tokeniser and Parser - This lecture introduces an important concept for a range of applications such as compilers, search engines, and even natural language processing.	Lab 6 - Tokeniser & Parser. In this lab, you will have the opportunity to implement a tokeniser and parser.
8	Persistent Data - This lecture introduces several approaches to data persistence using popular industry standards for data representation and interchange (e.g., JSON, XML, Serialisation, etc).	Lab 7 - Escape Room (participation marks). In this lab, you will experience hands-on exercises in the Escape Room. The first checkpoint for the group project takes place this week.
9	Refactoring - It's time to revisit our code and identify and fix common errors in software development. This lecture will overview the most common design and implementation mistakes when developing software and possible solutions.	Lab 8 - Persistent Data. In this lab, you will implement a simple application where you are required to use one or more data persistence techniques.
10	Design by Contract - This lecture introduces the "design by contract" concept, a methodology for delivering high-quality software.	Lab 9 - Refactoring. In this lab, you will refactor a small application to practice the concepts seen in the lecture. The second checkpoint for the group project occurs this week.
11	Intellectual Property - The concept of intellectual property is part of the software development process. This lecture covers concepts every developer should know about intellectual property and software development.	Group project is due.
12	Minute Madness Presentations - This lecture is an opportunity for all students to showcase the software they have developed throughout the semester.	Video assignment 2 is due. Group project presentation is due.

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimeTable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Video Assignment 1	4 %	29/03/2024	12/04/2024	1,2,3
Lab Assignment	1 %	*	*	1
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	1,2
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	1,2,3
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	4
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	4,6
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	3,4,6
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	1,3,4,6
Lab Assignment	2 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6
Group Project	30 %	16/05/2024	14/06/2024	1,2,3,4,5,6
Video Assignment 2	4 %	24/05/2024	07/06/2024	4,5,6
Final Exam	45 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
Extenuating Circumstances Application
Student Surveys and Evaluations
Deferred Examinations
Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

You are encouraged to participate proactively in all the course activities, including lectures, labs, and the Wattle forums.

Your positive participation during the course might become an important consideration for special cases when assessing your course performance in the final marks.

Examination(s)

Each assessment has its specs and guidelines (for example, the labs have submission guidelines concerning GitLab and academic integrity). You are expected to READ and FOLLOW them closely.

* Late submission is not allowed.

* You have up to 14 days to appeal your assessment marks from the release date. After the appeal period ends, your marks are final. This applies to all assessments.

* As a result of an appeal request, the marks of that assessment may go upwards, downwards, or remain the same. The assessment may be fully remarked on.

In the case of approved deferred assessments (except the final exam), this may be redeemed against the final exam.

* A deferred assessment may be in a different format, mode of delivery and structure.

Assessment Task 1

Value: 4 %
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3

Video Assignment 1

In this assignment, you must produce one short video explaining any topic covered or related to the first part of the course. Your video will be assessed based on four criteria through a single-blind peer-review methodology.

Assessment Task 2

Value: 1 %
Learning Outcomes: 1

Lab Assignment

Hands-on assignments covering key concepts learned in the lectures (9 assignments, 8 contain assessable items; 8 are worth 2 marks, and 1 is worth 1 mark). The solutions provided in this assignment will be assessed based on a set of pre-defined test cases. Feedback will be auto-generated (except for Lab 1 & the Escape Room Lab, where there will be participation marks and the Android-based labs, where students must present their solutions to tutors during their lab sessions to be marked off).