Students

COMP1010 – Fundamentals of Computer Science

2022 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer (weeks 1-6)
Gaurav Gupta
gaurav.gupta@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Please see iLearn
Lecturer (weeks 7-12)
Bernard Mans
bernard.mans@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
TBA
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(COMP1000 or COMP115) or admission to (BActStud or BActStudBSc or BAppFinBActStud or BActStudBProfPrac)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit studies programming as a systematic discipline and introduces more formal software design methods. Programming skills are extended to include elementary data structures and abstract data types. There is a strong emphasis on problem solving and algorithms, including aspects of correctness, complexity and computability.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: apply enhanced problem solving skills to develop algorithms
  • ULO2: implement programs from algorithms, showing an understanding of the underlying architecture of the computer
  • ULO3: adhere to standard software engineering practices, including documentation, unit testing and debugging
  • ULO4: compare different methods available for the same problem in terms of efficiency and other criteria
  • ULO5: demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in their learning process

General Assessment Information

WEEKLY SUBMISSION HURDLE

You must pass at least 8 out of 10 weekly submissions. Thus, there are 2 grace attempts. Passing criteria for each week will vary and is explained in the practical worksheets. If you get 50 or more marks in the unit but have 7 or fewer hurdles that you pass, your final mark will be capped at 49, and your grade will be FH.

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Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

From 1 July 2022, Students enrolled in Session-based units with written assessments will have the following late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information. 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted 

In this unit, late submissions will be accepted as follows: 

  • Weekly Submissions: NO, unless Special Consideration is granted 
  • Assignments: YES, Standard Late Penalty applies 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Weekly submissions 20% Yes Weeks 2 - 12
Assignments 30% No Weeks 3, 8 and 13
End-of-semester exam 30% No Weeks 14-15
Quizzes 20% No Weeks 6, 10 and 12 (First 30 minutes of lecture)

Weekly submissions

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Weeks 2 - 12
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Weekly submissions from the practice package provided. To clear the hurdle, students must submit at least 8 out of 10 submissions that satisfy the minimum requirements, which may be different for each week.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply enhanced problem solving skills to develop algorithms
  • implement programs from algorithms, showing an understanding of the underlying architecture of the computer
  • compare different methods available for the same problem in terms of efficiency and other criteria
  • demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in their learning process

Assignments

Assessment Type 1: Programming Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 39 hours
Due: Weeks 3, 8 and 13
Weighting: 30%

 

Take-home assignments during the semester to assess problem-solving skills in the domain of the unit topics.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply enhanced problem solving skills to develop algorithms
  • implement programs from algorithms, showing an understanding of the underlying architecture of the computer
  • adhere to standard software engineering practices, including documentation, unit testing and debugging
  • compare different methods available for the same problem in terms of efficiency and other criteria
  • demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in their learning process

End-of-semester exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Weeks 14-15
Weighting: 30%

 

End of semester exam to assess achievement of learning outcomes from the entire session.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply enhanced problem solving skills to develop algorithms
  • implement programs from algorithms, showing an understanding of the underlying architecture of the computer
  • compare different methods available for the same problem in terms of efficiency and other criteria
  • demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in their learning process

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Weeks 6, 10 and 12 (First 30 minutes of lecture)
Weighting: 20%

 

Online quizzes to assess the understanding of the several topics taught throughout the unit. Students get only one attempt for each quiz.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply enhanced problem solving skills to develop algorithms
  • implement programs from algorithms, showing an understanding of the underlying architecture of the computer
  • compare different methods available for the same problem in terms of efficiency and other criteria
  • demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in their learning process

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

Each week you should attend

  • two hours of lectures (details to be announced via iLearn),
  • two hour practical class

For details of days, times and rooms, consult the timetables webpage.

Note that Lectures and Practical classes commence in week 1.

You should have selected a practical class during enrolment. You should attend the practical class in which you are enrolled. You won't always get the class of your choice. Check availabilities via eStudent regularly. If ALL practical classes are full, only then, contact the convenor.

Please note that you are required to submit work regularly. You will get the help that you need by attending your practical class. Failure to submit work may result in you failing the unit (see the precise requirements in the "Grading Standards" section) or being excluded from the final examination.

 

TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

Lecture notes, Practical classes and Video tutorials: details to be announced via iLearn

Recommended Textbooks: 

  1. T. Gaddis, Starting out with Java: From control structures through objects (Pearson), Global edition (6th). ISBN 9781292110653
    • Online edition of this book is available through MQ Library. There can be up to 5 simultaneous accesses. Click on "Full text available at: 2018 eTextbooks" and login with OneID and password.
  2. Kathy Siera, Bert Bates, Head First Java, 2nd edition. ISBN 9780596009205

 

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Audio and Video Lecture

Digital recordings of lectures are available from within iLearn via Active Learning Platform.

Technology

Discussion Boards

The unit makes use of forums hosted within iLearn. Please post questions there, they are monitored by the unit staff.

 

Unit Schedule

Note that three important themes will pervade the entire unit:

  1. Problem-solving. A crucial skill for all of the weekly topics will be to write appropriate code to meet a given problem specification. This theme relates to the first two learning outcomes for this unit.
  2. Software development. The use of JUnit testing framework is an important development practice that will be taught from the beginning and used throughout the unit. This theme relates to the third learning outcome of this unit.
  3. Comparing different solution methods. Very often different algorithms are available for the same problem. Another important skill to develop throughout this unit is the ability to compare different algorithms in terms of efficiency and other criteria. This theme relates to the fourth learning outcome of this unit.

Unit Schedule

NOTE: This is a tentative schedule and subject to minor changes.

Week

Topic

Pre-lecture readings from Lecture Notes (COMP1010)

Assessments Due

Weekly 

submission

1

Programming environment

 1, 2

  

No

2

Problem-solving, 

JUnit testing

3, 4

  

Yes

3

Classes and Objects - 1

5, 6, 7

Assignment 1 (Arrays) - 5%

Yes

4

Classes and Objects - 2

 8, 9, 10

 

Yes

5

Recursion - 1

 11, 12

 

Yes

6

Recursion - 2

 13, 14, 15

Quiz 1 (Classes) - 5%

First 30 minutes of lecture

Yes

7

List Interface, 

ArrayList class

 16, 17, 18

  

Yes

2 weeks’ recess

8

Sorting Algorithm(s)

 19

Assignment 2 (Classes) - 10%

No

9

Stacks and Queues

 20

  

Yes

10

Recursive data structures - 1

 21

Quiz 2 (Recursion) – 7%

First 30 minutes of lecture

Yes

11

Recursive data structures - 2

 22

  

Yes

12

Assembly Programming

 TBA

Quiz 3 (ArrayList class) - 8%

First 30 minutes of lecture

Yes

13

No lecture/Practicals

 

Assignment 3 (Recursive data structures) - 15%

No

14, 15

 

 

Final Exam – 30%

No

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

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.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
31/07/2022 consultation time changed to "Please see iLearn"
19/07/2022 weekly submissions due date fixed.

Unit information based on version 2022.05 of the Handbook