Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor and Lecturer
Matthew Mansour
Contact via matthew.mansour@mq.edu.au
Principal Tutor / Lecturer
Damian Jurd
Contact via damian.jurd@mq.edu.au
Principal Lecturer
Ian Joyner
Contact via ian.joyner@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MInfoTech or MEng or MSc
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
COMP247
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces basic data communication concepts, theory and practice within the context of the use of communication networks in organisations. Topics include: protocols and standards, including the OSI model; network switching and routing; LAN and WAN topologies; wireless networking; network hardware, such as routers, modems, repeaters, switches and hubs; public telecommunication-based data services; the effect of telecommunications on society; the role of telecommunications within organisations; introduction to security and network management; organisational management of telecommunications; introduction to network design; and regulatory frameworks. Practical work includes basic network hardware set up and protocol performance using Cisco routers and switches. This unit does not presume any knowledge of programming nor is there any programming work in the unit.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Tut Submissions | 9% | No | Wk 3, 6 and 9 |
Practical work | 10% | No | Every week |
Assignment 1 | 15% | No | Week 7 |
Assignment 2 | 16% | No | Week 11 |
Final Examination | 50% | No | End of semester exam period |
Due: Wk 3, 6 and 9
Weighting: 9%
At the end of week 3, 6 and 9 you will have tutorial questions to answer in regards to concepts that have been discussed and taught before the week that it is due.
By the end of the due week (for eg. Week 3) you are required to submit your responses in the manner specified in the questions for that submission. Your answers will need to demonstrate appropriate depth of understanding. All submission are done via turnitin academic honesty purposes.
General notes on tutorial submissions:
The tutorial submissions are important for your learning. We set a number of questions that you should think carefully about. Don't be late with submission -- ilearn is a program and there is a strict cutoff time. Always try your hardest with these questions -- you only get the learning benefit if you think carefully. But don't worry if you're not completely sure about your answer. The important thing is to have a go and submit the best answer you have.
We'll try to ensure that the tutorial questions don't involve too much writing. So you should expect that you can answer them in half a page or so.
The tutorial submissions are essential, but will only be "sample" marked in detail (a small sample of student submissions will be fully marked). General feedback about the questions will be given in lectures, and if you'd like individual feedback or if you'd like to discuss a question in more detail you should raise it with your practical teacher. The questions are meant to help your learning, so we will usually award you the full marks available if you have completed a reasonable attempt at the specified questions.
Due: Every week
Weighting: 10%
The practical work in this unit makes up 10% of your mark. The practical work is divided up into eleven sections and you are expected to complete them all. Each section contributes up to 1% of your total mark for the unit (so you can achieve full marks by completing perfectly ten sections, but you are required to attempt all of them.
To receive your marks you must attend the practical section and demonstrate your completion of the section to your practical supervisor. Earning the marks will require not only successful completion of the exercises, but presentation of appropriate documentation, as outlined in the question sheets. You should complete the practical session in the week it is allocated.
NB. Due to the Good Friday public holiday at the end of week 7. The week 7 prac will be run as a workshop session focusing on Subnetting. This seminar is essential to your final exam. Students enrolled in a Friday practical session will need to nominate an alternate session for that week by advising your tutor about this.
Practical classes start in week 2.
Practicals are performed in groups so you should aim to stay in step with the weekly set practical sections. (Each group member will be assigned a task to complete in the class. No allowance will be made for students who fail to finish work because they have left themselves insufficient time. Remember: that students must be supervised in the lab and it is not possible for you to access the practical lab outside of your enrolled practical session times.
Note that while the practical material will have some coordination with the lecture material, you need to keep in mind that there will not always be a direct correspondence between the practical exercises and the lecture topics. This is because you need some practical sessions to get acquainted with new tools and devices thus limiting the number of practical time slots available to experiment with technologies discussed in some lectures.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%
The first assignment tests your understanding of selected networking technologies.
Late submission of the assignment will be accepted, but penalised at the rate of 15% per day late. If you cannot submit assignments on time because of illness or other circumstances, please apply for disruption of studies as soon as possible.
For all assignment work you are encouraged to:
NB. Being a unit taken by ITEC647 students and COMP247 units you will find that your first assignment will be slightly adjusted for Masters Level students.
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 16%
The second assignment tests your understanding of local area networks, routing, and IP addressing.
Late submission of the assignment will be accepted, but penalised at the rate of 10% per day late. If you cannot submit assignments on time because of illness or other circumstances, please apply for disruption of studies.
Due: End of semester exam period
Weighting: 50%
The final examination allows us to individually and securely assess each student's mastery of the coursework material. The examination will be closed book and three (3) hours in length.
Regarding the examination process, note that
Supplementary Exams
If you want to apply for disruption of studies for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the week of July 24th - 28th, 2017. If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date.
Each week you should attend three hours of lectures, and a two hour practical. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Note that practicals (lab sessions) commence in week 2. The week-by-week details of the practical (lab) classes will be available from iLearn.
You should have selected a practical at enrolment. You should attend the practical that you are enrolled in.
The textbook for this semester is:
Additional reading that you may find useful for this unit:
Unit Websites
Comp247 is administered via iLearn (http://ilearn.mq.edu.au).
This unit outline can be found on units.mq.edu.au.
echo360
Digital recordings of lectures may be available. They will be linked from iLearn.
In this unit you will will be exposed to the following technology and tools:
Week |
Topic |
Reading |
Practicals |
1 |
Introduction |
Chapter 1 |
N/A |
2 |
The Internet |
Chapter 10 |
Lab Introduction |
3 |
Local Area Networks |
Chapter 7 |
Introduction to Wireshark |
4 |
Physical Layer |
Chapter 3 |
Introduction to Comware |
5 |
Data Link Layer |
Chapter 4 |
Data Link / Switches |
6 |
Network Layer |
Chapter 5 |
IP |
7 |
Transport Layer / Application Layer |
Chapter 5 |
Sub-netting |
8 |
Wireless LANs |
Chapter 7 |
TCP |
9 |
Backbone Networks |
Chapter 8 |
Static Routing |
10 |
Metropolitan and Wide Area Networks |
Chapter 9 |
RIP |
11 |
Network Security |
Chapter 11 |
VLANs |
12 |
Network Security |
To be provided |
VLAN Trunking |
13 |
Exam Revision |
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Exam Prep |
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The study break occurs between weeks 7 and 8 Because of public holidays, there are no Friday practicals in weeks 7
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Labs are closed during the break
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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Special Consideration is intended for a student who is prevented by serious and unavoidable disruption from completing any unit requirements in accordance with their ability. Complete the application form at ask.mq.edu.au (search "Disruption to Studies") and provide evidence to support your case (such as a medical certificate). Depending on the circumstances presented, the convenor may choose to give you an alternative assessment, additional time for an assessment, make-up exam, etc. For successful special consideration regarding the final examination, you will usually be required to sit a special examination which will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Disruption to Studies policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy pages.
In case of problems arising with your final grade, the first step is to organise a review. The Department recommends that you request an appointment with the convenor of the unit in order to review your grade. If the review does not solve the problem, a formal Grade Appeal can be lodged. For more information please refer to the grade appeal policy page at:
http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own. This includes copying from the Internet. The Department, in line with University policy, treats all cases of plagiarism seriously and deals with them in accordance with University policy.
For concrete examples of unacceptable behaviour, refer to the Academic Honesty Policy at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Department has established a Student-Staff Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss relevant issues or problems with fellow students and staff. If you would like to raise any issues or make comments, please attend a liaison committee meeting, or discuss the matter with one of the student representatives who will be attending the meeting.
The committee meets two or three times during the semester. For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at http://comp.mq.edu.au/undergraduate-studies/liaison-committee-meetings/200-level/
If you have concerns about the anything related to the organisation or operation of COMP247, please convey those concerns to the unit convenor, either directly or through the liaison committee. If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching in Computing or the Head of the Department of Computing. You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
The unit has undergone a reshuffle of the material from previous semesters. As the unit has become a key unit in all computing degrees it has been slightly modified to suit a broader cohort.
Grading Standards
Unlike many units, COMP247 covers a wide range of areas, but at limited depth. Therefore it is not appropriate to identify core knowledge and assess the students' mastery of that at increasing levels of complexity. Instead, the assessment of learning outcomes is based in large part on the amount of knowledge the student gains across the range of the unit, as assessed by performance in the (Individual) assignments, practical exercises, tutorial submission and final examination.
GRADING
|
PASS |
CREDIT |
DISTINCTION |
HIGH DISTINCTION |
Knowledge development |
Understand the development of IT project development from a project portfolio perspective. |
Apply knowledge in the analysis of IT project development from a project portfolio perspective. |
Apply knowledge in the development of IT project development from a strategic management viewpoint. |
Apply knowledge in the analysis and development of IT project development from a strategic management viewpoint. |
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PASS |
CREDIT |
DISTINCTION |
HIGH DISCTINCTION |
IT Project Leadership |
Able to understand the principles of IT leadership in the evaluation of all aspects of IT portfolio of projects. |
Apply the principles of IT leadership in the evaluation of all aspects of IT portfolio of projects. |
Demonstrate IT analytical skills in evaluation of all aspects of IT portfolio of projects in real world scenarios. |
Demonstrate IT leadership and creative thinking in the analysis and evaluation of all aspects of IT portfolio of projects in real world scenarios. |
Your final grade will depend on your performance in each part of the assessment of the unit. In particular, to obtain a grade of Pass (P) or higher in this unit you will of satisfied the following:
Obtaining a higher grade than a Pass (P) in this unit will require a student to obtain (in addition to the above):
Policies
Macquarie is developing a number of policies in the area of learning and teaching. Approved policies and associated guidelines and procedures can be found at Policy Central. There you will find the University's policy and associated procedures on:
Assessment
The procedure implementing the new assessment policy can be found here.
Disruption of Studies
Disruption of Studies is intended for a student who is prevented by serious and unavoidable disruption from completing any unit requirements in accordance with their ability. In this case, you should follow the procedure implementing the policy available here.
If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own. The Department, in line with University policy, treats all cases seriously. In particular, the Department, and the University, keeps a record of all plagiarism cases. This record is referred to so that an appropriate penalty can be applied to each case. More details are available here.
Grade Appeal
In case of problems arising from the final unit grade provided by academic staff members, the first step is to request a review of your grade. The Department recommends that you submit a request in writing to the convenor of the unit in order to arrange a review session. If this review does not resolve the problem, a formal Grade Appeal can be lodged via www.ask.mq.edu.au
COMP247 is taught via lectures and laboratory practical sessions. Lectures are used to introduce new material, give examples of the use of networking concepts and techniques and put them in a wider context. While lectures are largely one to many presentations, you are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of.
Practical classes give you an opportunity to practice your practical networking skills under the supervision of a demonstrator. Each week you will be given a number of problems to work on; it is important that you keep up with these problems as doing so will help you understand the material in the unit and prepare you for the work in assignments.
Tutorial submissions will be posted to develop your understanding of material taught during preceding weeks. Remember that you are required to submit through Turnitin (via ilearn).
Each week you should: