Information Technology

This unit will provide a solid foundation for the design, implementation and management of database systems. Data modelling is introduced, focusing on entity-relationship (ER) modelling. The skills required to construct such ER diagrams will be explored, with a focus on ensuring that the semantics of the model match those of the real-world it is representing. The relational data model will be presented and the functionality it affords will be explored. The process of constructing, maintaining and retrieving information from the database using SQL will be a focus of this unit. Key implementation and management concepts, including transaction management and concurrency control, database backup and recovery, and security will be investigated.

Assessment: 40% two practical assessments (20% each), 60% final examination

In a world where technology is encompassing every part of our lives, the skill of thinking critically and solving problems can fall to the way side. Technology helps us to achieve a lot of things much more easily, which is great, but we need to control and shape it to fit our needs. If you do not exercise these skills, they will become fatigued and disappear but we need them to be paramount if we are to thrive in this technological world and design the next big thing. To be successful technologists, we need to be able to develop knowledge and confidence to think critically in order to analyse requirements of technological projects and synergise this with problem solving abilities to creatively respond to design challenges in order to get the best outcomes. The knowledge, understanding and skills you learn in this unit will aid in your ability to critically analyse information and design technologies with algorithms that will play a key role in enriching and transforming our society.

Assessment: 20% two quizzes (10% each), 40% two assignments, 40% final examination

Over the past 70 years computing systems and algorithms have revolutionised nearly every facet of modern life, from healthcare to education, manufacturing to transport, and entertainment to agriculture. Computing hardware and the algorithms encoded into software are thus vital to the continued growth of modern society, as are computer scientists – the professionals who design and develop algorithms and computational solutions to many of the world’s problems. In this unit students will investigate some of the major computing system innovations over the past 70 years, to understand the role of computer scientists, computing hardware, algorithms and software as drivers of change and innovation. The unit will also look at recent developments and applications of computer science that are set to revolutionise our futures, such as digital currencies, intelligent machines, and the Internet of Things.

Assessment: 10% critical reflection, 20% research report; 30% learning portfolio, 40% final examination

Data science is an emerging field and data scientists must be able to know how to make sense of data. In SIT112, students will develop knowledge of fundamentals in data science, in particular data manipulation and algorithms for analytics. The unit will also cover the practice of data science including ethical and responsible behaviour when crawling, cleaning, analysing, representing and repurposing the data. Students will be able to obtain data, recognise data formats, summarise and visualise relationships in the data, perform exploratory data analysis tasks and build predictive models.

Assessment: 20% individual task, 30% group task, 20% project, 30% two quizzes (15% each)

Cloud computing represents a significant shift in the delivery of Information Technology to end users by introducing the ability to deliver infrastructure, platforms, and software via the network. This unit explores the technologies, models, benefits and risks of cloud computing and includes a study of virtualization as one of the key building blocks of most cloud computing solutions. Upon completion of the unit students will have a clear understanding of cloud computing, the types of problems solved by cloud computing, and the issues that must be considered when deploying cloud technologies in an organisation.

Assessment: 20% quizzes, 10% written report, 10% problem solving task, 60% final examination

This unit will explore foundational knowledge of and basic skills related to responsive web app design and development. Students will learn basic HTML, responsive CSS and JavaScript skills in order to build web apps both for desktop and mobile devices. Students will develop an understanding of how web design and web programming work together, as well as learn fundamentals of responsive web design, mobile UI design, licensing of media, mobile screen handling, touch events, and game concepts.

Assessment: 30% report, 40% project and presentation, 30% portfolio

This unit will introduce students to ubiquitous and readily accessible devices for data capture, such as the sensor suite on a mobile smartphone, and those commonly used in homes, vehicles and current examples of cyber-physical systems. Students will be introduced to data capture protocols and methodologies, as well as data presentation and visualisation methods. Through practical investigations and analysis, students will investigate issues of robustness, reliability and validity of data and the effects of these on conclusions drawn from data.

Assessment: 30% lab reports, 30% project and poster presentation, 40% final examination

SIT124 is about exploring the IT Industry in the 21stcentury and the development and innovations that had led up to where IT stands today. Exploring IT focuses on how the web has been one of the biggest contributors in regards to the direction that IT has taken over the last decade.Within SIT124 students will start to develop their professional identify and explore the requirements needed to gain employment within the field through case studies and a peek behind the curtain provided by recent graduates.Students will also explore and acquire skills in web design and development, in order to gain an understanding of the important role that the web plays in the delivery and storage of information within the IT industry.

Assessment: 15% professional preparation document, 20% new technology website, 25% website development project, 40% final examination

This unit is for students to study the concepts that define the design and development of games. Through the combination of practical application and theory, students will learn about designing games with a focus on engaging and refining their creative skills. Students will analyse existing games, learn about current processes of game design and development, and design a game implementation.

Assessment: 10% online quizzes, 50% three assignments (10%, 20%, 20%), 40% final examination

In SIT182 students will learn the real world practices of cyber security by solving problems based on realistic case studies. Students will explore fundamental concepts of risks in managing communication networks and choose the appropriate means to manage these risks. The unit enables students to understand threats and vulnerabilities in the context of how systems can be compromised and how we can prevent harm to systems. There will be a practical focus on how we can detect and respond to cyber-attacks. The key to learning will be introducing students to practices through case studies.

Assessment: 50% two assignments (30%+20%), 50% final examination

This unit aims to develop the fundamental functions of applied mathematics, and to introduce calculus to students who have not previously studied it in secondary school. It is designed to prepare students from a number of different disciplines for learning tertiary level mathematics. Students will explore the algebra of polynomials, exponentials, logarithms and trigonometric functions and learn rules for differentiating and integrating these functions. Applications studied include graph sketching, maximisation and minimisation problems, areas and kinematics.

This unit provides students with the foundations in a range of areas in discrete mathematics, which is the basis for mathematical reasoning in applied sciences. SIT192 is designed to prepare students from a number of different disciplines for further study in the areas of linear algebra, number theory, graph theory, symbolic logic, set theory and combinatorics. These areas of study are vital for studying cryptography, networks, computer programming and analysis of algorithms.

Assessment: 40% assignments, 60% final examination

STP050 is a compulsory zero credit point module in all courses in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment. The module’s learning and assessment activities provide students with guidance on what constitutes academic integrity. It will allow students to develop knowledge, skills and good practice principles to avoid plagiarism and collusion and thereby maintain academic integrity.

To be eligible to obtain a pass in this module, students must achieve a minimum mark of 85%. Students are allowed unlimited attempts of the online assessment.