CLASSES

• Seminars -- the unit basic component is a collection of five seminars. Each seminar is given by an academic with international research standing. The seminars are going to present both the state of art and recent developments in the five selected research areas of Computing. Seminars are clustered in two blocks: the first block (Weeks 2, 4 & 6) and the second block (Weeks 9 & 11).
• Final Reports and Presentations -- after each block students are going to chose an individual topic for their final reports. The first report has to cover a topic from Seminar 1, 2 or 3. The second final report has to cover a topic from either Seminar 4 or Seminar 5. The final reports are going to presented at two presentation workshops.
• Discussion Sessions -- a week after each seminar, there will be a discussion session, in which students will present a chosen topic from the seminar.
• Coaching Sessions -- the unit is going to include lectures on how to manage time, write scientific reports and how to present research results.

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

• iLearn is going to be used as a main web server for the unit.

The following schedule is tentative. Please consult iLearn for any possible updates.

The overall structure of the unit has no significant changes from previous offerings. The topics of some of the seminars have changed, to show another shapshot of the wide range of research topics conducted at the Department of Computing.

COMP700 will be graded according to the following general descriptions of the letter grades as specified by Macquarie University.

• High Distinction (HD, 85-100): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline.

• Distinction (D, 75-84): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.

• Credit (Cr, 65-74): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline..

• Pass (P, 50-64): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.

• Fail (F, 0-49): does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.

The standards of achievement that will be used to assess each of the assessment tasks with respect to the letter grades are as follows.

Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3:

Learning Outcomes 4 and 5.

These assessment standards will be used to give a numeric mark out of 100 to each assessment submission during marking. The mark will correspond to a letter grade for that task according to the University guidelines. The final raw mark for the unit will be calculated by combining the marks for all assessment tasks according to the percentage weightings shown in the assessment summary. 

We will look at your overall performance on all assessments when determining your final grade. A total raw mark of at least 50% in each of the assessment tasks will be sufficient to pass the unit. Students who do not meet this cut-off will be examined on a case-by-case basis.

On occasion your raw mark for the unit may not be the same as the Standardised Numeric Grade (SNG) which you receive as the final result. Under University Senate guidelines, raw marks may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.