COMP4050 applies an agile method to the engineering of features in a non-trivial software project. Students work as a team on a project. They are able and encouraged to use technology with which they are already familiar or that has a relatively short learning curve. The assessment is focused on the software processes and tools that a team uses, as well as individual contributions to the team effort. The items will be assessed continuously with feedback being provided frequently by the unit convenor to teams as well as to each student. Peer feedback will be used to inform the assessment by the convenor.

The deliverables for the basis of the reflection include group presentation, peer group reviews, personal logs, and a personal reflection. Based on the supplied evidence and the convenor's observations, these assessment items will be assessed according to the following standards:

• Distinction/High Distinction: An extremely valuable team member who makes many key contributions to many different aspects of the software that is developed by the team.
• Credit: A team member who makes useful contributions to multiple aspects of the team's software.
• Pass: A team member who makes a small number of contributions to the team's software or focuses on a single area of contribution. 

The team contribution assessment item captures contributions to the functioning of the team rather than a specific contribution to the development of the software artefact (which is captured by the other three assessment items). E.g., a high team contribution mark might be earned by a student who often comes up with useful suggestions in planning discussions for features proposed by other team members or who volunteers to present some useful technology to the team so everyone can learn about it. Students are encouraged to think of ways in which they would like to contribute but the unit convenor will also suggest opportunities. Students should plan to attend all classes since they are vital software team meetings.

Participation will be assessed according to the following standards:

• Distinction/High Distinction: An extremely valuable team member who contributes strongly in many, varied ways to the smooth and efficient functioning of the team.
• Credit: A team member who makes multiple varied contributions to the team's operations, not just in a single particular way.
• Pass: A team member who makes a small number of contributions to the way the team operates or whose contributions have a single focus.

The assessment during the semester will be formative. The student and teams  are expected to document in their final submissions what measures they have taken in response to formative feedback.

Requirements to pass the unit

• Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day the final reflection is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. For example, if the assignment is worth 8 marks (of the entire unit) and your submission is late by 19 hours (or 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds), 0.4 marks (5% of 8 marks) will be deducted. If your submission is late by 24 hours (or 47 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds), 0.8 marks (10% of 8 marks) will be deducted, and so on. 

Submission time is set at Sundays, 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience technical problems.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable, and significantly disruptive, which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Week 1

The workshops will start in week 1.

Weekly Activities

• Workshop including lecture (3 hours)

Workshops

The focus of the unit is on development periods of a few weeks duration - so-called sprints - where milestones such as new features, bug fixes and the like are proposed, planned, delivered and reviewed. Students should not develop code by themselves or in pairs or focus narrowly on one or two aspects. Instead, we expect students to participate in each aspect of the project rather than focus on one or two aspects in isolation. In particular, students will be asked to review each other's code and participate in reviews of each software milestone.

Tools such as distributed version control and milestone planning software will be used throughout to coordinate activities.

Each week there is a three-hour class during which the teams will meet to discuss expectations, plans and progress. Usually, the first hour or so will be devoted to general topics of interest to the whole class, while the second and third hours will be used by teams to work together on their activities. Students are expected to attend all classes since they are vital meetings of the software team.

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you during the weekly sessions, via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be made during the weekly meeting, placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.

COVID Information

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

The scheule is tentative, and may be subject to changes if circumstance requires.

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.   In response to feedback we received from student after the previous offering, this unit will focus during the semester on formative feedback, allowing the team and individual students to demonstrate that they can continually improve processes and performance.