300582, Technologies for Web Applications
Autumn 2012
School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
Learning Guide
CSS
XHTML
PHP
JavaScript
SQL
Section 1. About Technologies for Web Applications ... 1
1.1 An introduction to this unit ... 1
1.2 Textbook ... 1
1.3 Approach to teaching ... 1
1.4 Staff details ... 1
1.5 Student consultation arrangements ... 2
1.6 TWA Web Server ... 2
Section 2. Assessment Details ... 3
2.1 Learning outcomes and assessment ... 3
2.2 Assessment summary ... 3
2.3 Assessment details ... 4
Section 3. Teaching and Learning Activities ... 7
3.1 Schedule of Learning and Teaching Activities ... 7
Section 4. Learning Resources and Information ... 9
4.1 People who can help ... 9
4.2 Useful reading ... 9
4.3 Other UWS website resources ... 11
4.4 Referencing Requirements ... 12
Section 5. You and this unit ... 13
5.1 What is expected of you ... 13
5.2 What you can expect from us (the teaching team) ... 15
5.3 Policy and how it affects you ... 16
Section 1. About Technologies for Web Applications
1.1 An introduction to this unit
Building on material covered in Programming Fundamentals this unit introduces students to the basics of developing interactive and dynamic web applications from both the client and server perspective. The unit covers web site design, web site development, web page accessibility and usability, XHTML, CSS, client side and server side scripting, database interaction, web site promotion (SEO), legal issues and web security.
This unit is a level 2 core unit in both the B.Computing and B. Information and Communications Technologies degrees. This unit requires prior completion of the unit 300580 Programming Fundamentals (level 1) and leads on to Web Systems Development (level 3).
1.2 Textbook
The textbook reinforces and complements the content provided in lectures and will also assist in many of the practical exercises and assignments.
Stobart, S., & Parsons, D. (2008). Dynamic Web Application Development using PHP and MySQL. London: Course Technology.
1.3 Approach to teaching
LecturesLectures are designed to provide students with the essential building blocks of knowledge required to successfully complete this unit. Lectures will provide students with an understanding of the material covered at a level that is not possible to attain through mere reading of resources alone. The lecturers presenting this unit have been involved in the web development domain since the inception of the World Wide Web and will be able to give in depth examples and explanations of key concepts.
Practical Sessions and Assessments
This unit is very ‘hands-on’. During session students will be exposed to many technologies that are best learnt by ‘doing’. Practical sessions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to obtain practical technical skills in the unit content. During practical sessions students work at their own pace aiming to meet the deadlines for submission of the practical work whilst acquiring many of the required technical skills and knowledge. These skills are then expanded and applied to a more in-depth web application project which spans two assignment deliverables. Being a very practically oriented unit there is no final written examination at the end of session. Instead, two restricted open book practical quizzes will be run during session which will assess various coding and other technical skills in a controlled environment. Feedback for practical work and the assignments will be available online as soon after the submission deadline as is practicable. Normally this is two weeks.
1.4 Staff details
Unit Coordinator: Paul Davies
Building 26, Room 1.54, Campbelltown Campus
First point of contact: Campus lecturer (see teaching staff details below)
Teaching Staff: Campbelltown & Penrith Lecturer and Tutor
Paul Davies
Building 26, Room 1.54, Campbelltown Campus
Phone: 4620 3405 Email: p.davies@uws.edu.au
Parramatta Lecturer and Tutor
Dr Anupama Ginige
Building ER, Room 1.13, Parramatta Campus
Phone: 9685 9439 Email: j.ginige@uws.edu.au
Penrith & Parramatta Tutors
At the time of publication of this learning guide the school had not decided upon casual staff for this unit. All tutor contact details will be published in the “Tutor Details” link in vUWS when known.
Technical Staff: John Pullan (Server Administrator)
Building 26, Room 1.31, Campbelltown Campus
Phone: 4620 3509 Email: j.pullan@uws.edu.au
1.5 Student consultation arrangements
ConsultationStudents will be able to consult with teaching staff for this unit during any of the open practical sessions for this unit and at the times indicated by the staff member in the Tutor Details link of the vUWS site for this unit.
Students are encouraged to seek assistance during these times but further times can be arranged with the staff member by prior appointment (see contact details in section 1.4).
Under normal circumstances students should expect a response to any unit related email within 48 hours (excluding weekends) provided that the email was sent from the student’s UWS email address. Email sent from non-UWS student email addresses will not be answered. When sending unit related email please include the acronym TWA in the subject line (TWA = Technologies for Web
Applications).
1.6 TWA Web Server
Each enrolled student in Technologies for Web Applications will be provided with a user account for the unit’s web server (TL28serv) at the start of week 2 of session if not sooner. The user account will provide the
student with their your own web site for this unit which will be used for development work during session and as a repository for completed practical exercises and assignment work. Please note the following:
1. Students will be able to obtain their TWA web site credentials from the “Web Site Allocation” link in the unit’s vUWS site from the start of week 2.
3. Students can access their TWA web site from any Internet connected computer.
4. The allocated TWA web site is in no way related or linked to vUWS or any other UWS computer system.
5. Students are to use their TWA web site for work related to this unit only
Section 2. Assessment Details
2.1 Learning outcomes and assessment
Learning Outcomes
On the successful complete of this unit it is expected that you will be able to:
Assessment tasks
c. Create web-based forms incorporating client side scripting to validate user input on the browser
e. Create functional and usable web sites using technologies outlined in learning outcomes a, c, and d and incorporating
o basic principles of human-computer interface design, o current accessibility principles and standards,
o current search engine optimisation techniques
Web Application Project
(Assignment 1 & 2)
f. Describe legal aspects of the Web medium, including copyright issues, current areas of litigation and professional practices
Practical Exams
g. Describe the operation of securing data and servers on the web and internet/intranet
Practical Exams
Each of the assessment tasks has been designed to evaluate the extent to which the student has achieved these learning outcomes.
2.2 Assessment summary
One hundred percent (100%) of the assessment in this unit will be in the form of continuous assessment (ie, there is no final examination), which consists of the following mandatory items:
Continuous Assessment Task Weight Due Date & Time
1 Three sets of practical exercises. 10% Prac Set 1: Friday 23rd March 6pm (week 4)
Prac Set 2: Friday 13th April 6pm (week 7)
Note: In order to gain a passing grade in this unit, the student must satisfy all of the following: 1. Complete all mandatory assessment items that are listed in the table above
2. Obtain a minimumtotal assessment mark of 50% in the unit.
The total assessment mark (out of 100) that the student achieves in the unit will form the basis for the determination of the grade the student will receive in the unit. Final marks and grades are subject to confirmation by the School and University Assessment Committees which may scale, modify or otherwise amend the marks and grades for the unit, as may be required by University policies.
2.3 Assessment details
A S S E S S M E N T T A S K 1 : P R A C T I C A L E X E R C I S E S
Details about Practical Exercises
The practical exercises are designed to supplement the unit material discussed in lectures and recommended reading which covers learning outcomes a, b, c and d as listed in section 2.1. Students must complete the exercises listed in the TWA vUWS site for each of the three Prac Sets and follow the instructions provided to publish and submit their work to the web server for this unit before the due date. Note: Access to this web server will be given to enrolled students during week 2 of the academic session (details of this will be explained in the lectures and in the TWA vUWS site). Students accessing the web server must abide by the rules and regulations stipulated by the server administrator and unit coordinator and published in the TWA vUWS site.
Submission details
All three prac sets in this unit must be submitted electronically. This procedure is explained below and in a separate document (in the TWA vUWS site) and discussed in lectures:
1. Upload all practical files to the relevant Prac folder in your TWA web site on the TL28serv server. 2. Run the submission script located at: http://TL28serv.uws.edu.au/twainfo/submit.asp
As a part of the submission script, students will be prompted for their TWA website username and password. They will then be asked to read the UWS policy on plagiarism and certify that work submitted by them is their own work (please see also the section 4.4 on referencing). This action will be logged in a database for future reference and is deemed to be evidence that the student claims that their work is original.
Next, select from a drop down list the Prac Set being submitting, eg, Prac 1, and click the "Submit Assessment" button. The web page will then display a listing of the files that are being submitted along with a receipt number. This page should be printed for proof of submission.
2 Two practical exams of 90 minutes duration each (Quiz 1 and Quiz 2)
50% Quiz 1: During week 10 practical class. (week starting 30th April)
Quiz 2: During week 14 practical class. (week starting 28th May)
3 A major web application project encompassing server and client side scripting. There will be two deliverables (Assignment 1 and Assignment 2)
40% Assignment 1: Friday 27th April, 6pm (week 9)
Assignment 2: Friday 25th May 6pm (week 13)
Both will be submitted electronically
NB: The submission script may be run more than once if needed. A record of all submissions will be automatically created by the submission script in a set of web log files and in a database for future verification purposes. This submission script copies the files from the student’s web site to a duplicate version on a marking web server. Students will not be able to access the marking web server.
Unless otherwise advised, exercises that have been submitted on time will be marked by the tutors and results announced via vUWS approximately 10 working days after the relevant due date. Submission of practical exercises is compulsory; a penalty (10% per day, for each day after the scheduled due date) will be applied to students who do not submit on time.
Students are encouraged to discuss their exercises and results with their tutor in their allocated practical session after results have been published on vUWS and electronic feedback has been provided.
Marking criteria and standards
Please refer to the TWA vUWS site for details.
A S S E S S M E N T T A S K 2 : P R A C T I C A L E X A M S ( Q U I Z Z E S )
Details about Practical Exams
Quizzes are designed to test students’ knowledge of the unit material covered in lectures, recommended reading, practical work and coding skills and will contain multiple choice questions and may contain short answer/coding questions. Each quiz will be online, of 1.5 hours duration and will be ‘restricted open book’. Specific restrictions will be placed upon the resources that students will be allowed to use during each quiz. The restrictions will be published in vUWS prior to each quiz. Quiz 1, held in week 10, will cover all material covered in weeks 1 to 6. Quiz 2, held in week 14, will cover all material covered in weeks 7 to 13.
Quizzes will be conducted during the student’s registered practical class in the weeks set down in the Assessment Summary table in section 2.2 of this learning guide. Attendance at the quizzes is compulsory; a penalty (10% per day, for each day after the scheduled date) will be applied to students who do not sit a quiz in their registered practical class. Prior permission must be sought from the unit coordinator by the student if it is known that they will not be able to attend any of the quizzes, or as soon after the sitting date as practicable, if not.
Submission details
Quiz 1 will be held online in week 10 in the student’s registered practical class. Quiz 2 will be held online in week 14 in the student’s registered practical class. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are correctly registered for a practical class in Platform Web Tutorial Registration system for this purpose. This system will be closed to TWA students in week 6 of session.
Marking criteria and standards
Please refer to the TWA vUWS site for details.
Example Quizzes
A S S E S S M E N T T A S K 3 : W E B A P P L I C A T I O N P R O J E C T
Details about the Web Application Project
The project aims to extend student knowledge in the application of appropriate web technologies to a typical web based problem. The project covers learning outcome e as listed in section 2.1 and will require two deliverables to be submitted for marking, Assignment 1 and Assignment 2.
Assignment 1 will focus on web page/site design and browser side scripting. Typically this will involve the production of five or six XHTML documents that incorporate client-side scripts to solve a specific web based problem.
Assignment 2 will be designed to cover unit material on web site design and server side scripting and database connectivity. Typically this will involve the production of five or six dynamic server side web pages with output that is derived from an online database.
Specific requirements of each assignment will be detailed in the assignment specification documents released via the TWA vUWS site.
Submission details
Both assignments in this unit must be submitted electronically. This procedure is explained below and in a separate document (in the TWA vUWS site) and discussed in lectures:
3. Upload all assignment files to the relevant Assignment folder in your TWA web site on the TL28serv server.
4. Run the submission script located at: http://TL28serv.uws.edu.au/twainfo/submit.asp
As a part of the submission script, students will be prompted for their TWA website username and password. They will then be asked to read the UWS policy on plagiarism and certify that work submitted by them is their own work (please see also the section 4.4 on referencing). This action will be logged in a database for future reference and is deemed to be evidence that the student claims that their work is original.
Next, select from a drop down list the assignment being submitting, eg, Assignment 1, and click the "Submit Assessment" button. The web page will then display a listing of the files that are being submitted along with a receipt number. This page should be printed for proof of submission.
NB: The submission script may be run more than once if needed. A record of all submissions will be automatically created by the submission script in a set of web log files and in a database for future verification purposes. This submission script copies the files from your web site to a duplicate version on a marking web server. You will not be able access the marking web server.
Submission of both Assignments is compulsory; a penalty (10% per day, for each day after the scheduled due date) will be applied to students who do not submit on time.
Marking criteria and standards
Section 3. Teaching and Learning Activities
3.1 Schedule of Learning and Teaching Activities
The Autumn teaching session begins on 27th February 2012. The intra session break begins on 16th April 2012. Please note that the table below is an abridged version of the Schedule document that can be found on the unit’s vUWS site. Please refer to the online version in vUWS for readings and external resource links.
Week Topics Student Activities
1
Brief History of the Internet and the WWWSGML/HTML/XML & XHTML
Practical classes start in week 2. Prior to week 2 you should:
• Obtain your TWA web site credentials from the link in vUWS and ensure you can log into your web site
• Review web site publishing information on vUWS
• Read through the notes in the Practicals link in vUWS.
2
Web Site DesignCascading Style Sheets (CSS) Prac Set 1
3
Introduction to JavaScript4
Building forms with XHTMLUsing JavaScript to interact with XHTML forms
Prac Set 1 due (see section 2.2 for due date and
time)
5
Validating input using JavaScript (browserside validation)
HTML 5
Prac Set 2
6
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – onlinematerial
Note: Public Holiday Friday 6th April. No Lectures will run this week on any campus
Prac Set 2
Week Topics Student Activities
7
An introduction to PHP server side scripting- Script writing and processing - PHP constructs
- Interacting with xhtml forms
Prac Set 2 due (see section 2.2 for due date and
time)
8
Intra session break Intra session break9
Web Accessibility – online materialNote: Public Holiday Wednesday 25th April.
No Lectures will run this week on any campus.
Assignment 1 due (see section 2.2 for due date and
time)
Prac Set 3
Note: Public Holiday Wednesday 25th April. No Lectures will run this week on any campus.
10
PHP & online databases, Structured Query Language (SQL)PHP Sessions
include files, functions
Quiz 1 (see section 2.2 for due date and time)
11
Combining client forms, PHP and DB tocreate output
Simple server-side validation (numeric and string manipulation)
Prac Set 3
12
Creating a secure web application using PHP Prac Set 3 due (see section 2.2 for due date and time)13
Internet Security Assignment 2 due (see section 2.2 for due date andtime)
14
No lecture this week Quiz 2 (see section 2.2 for due date and time)For full details about the timetable for this unit, go to http://platformweb.uws.edu.au/pweb_tt/start.asp
Lectures
Two hours of lectures will be held each week. Please download and read the lecture material available on vUWS before attending the lecture. Bring a copy of the lecture notes to class each week so that annotations can be made. Lecture attendance is not compulsory but strongly advised.
Practical Sessions
Each student should be registered for a weekly two-hour practical class. The first 10 to 15 minutes of practical sessions in most weeks will include a review of the key aspects of the previous weeks lecture by the tutor. During the remaining time in the practical sessions students are able to obtain assistance from their tutor when needed. Students seeking tutor help need not limit themselves to the practical class for which they are registered. Students are free to attend any other TWA practical class open during the week, space permitting (please ask class tutor). Tutors will be available in the practical classes to assist students with practical exercises and assignments.
components of the assessment. During other weeks attendance at practical classes is not compulsory, however it is strongly encouraged since non-attendance may lead to failing the unit.
Section 4. Learning Resources and Information
As independent learners you must make choices about the resources you use to help you with your learning activities and assessments in this unit. In the following section we briefly summarize the resources that are available to you.
4.1 People who can help
Teaching TeamYour unit coordinator, Paul Davies, is your first point of contact to help clarify any issues with the learning activities in Technologies for Web Applications. Asking your lecturer and/or tutor is best when asking questions about the unit content. Your lecturer and/or tutor will be happy to help you during any of the practical sessions or in their consultation hours which are detailed in vUWS in the Tutor Details link.
Librarian
The librarian and other library staff on your campus can help with finding information. You can contact the library staff via the library home page, or just call in to the library on your campus.
Student Learning Unit
The Student Learning Unit organises and runs a variety of programs and courses to develop students' academic literacy, mathematics and study skills, and participates in many collaborative projects with Schools and Colleges to enhance the academic achievement of UWS students. You can access a list of
their activities, such as SLU Workshops and Peer Assisted Study Sessions, at
http://www.uws.edu.au/campuses_structure/cas/services_facilities/slu. Further information about any
of the SLU services can be obtained via email at slu@uws.edu.au.
4.2 Useful reading
Your textbook provides content relating to many, but not all, of the topics covered in this unit. Therefore, other resources will be required to supplement the textbook. This section lists some recommended resources to assist your studies. The list of books can also be obtained electronically via the UWS library at http://readings.uws.edu.au/imageserver/readings.php?ci=3030.
Textbook
The textbook reinforces and complements the content provided in lectures and will also assist in many of the practical exercises and assignments.
Stobart, S., & Parsons, D. (2008). Dynamic Web Application Development using PHP and MySQL. London: Course Technology.
Library resources
Bickner, C. (2004). Web Design on a Shoestring. Indianapolis: New Riders
Castro, E. (2007). HTML, XHTML, & CSS – Visual QuickStart Guide. (6th Ed.). Peachpit Press Chapman, N., & Chapman, J. (2006). Web Design – A complete introduction, West Sussex: Wiley Coggeshall, J. (2005). PHP 5 Unleashed. Indianapolis: SAMS.
Darlington, K. (2005). Effective Website Development - Tools and Techniques. Harlow: Addison Wesley Deitel, P.J., & Deitel, H. M. (2008). Internet & World Wide Web How to Program. (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Duckett, J. (2008). Beginning web programming with HTML, XHTML, and CSS (2nd Ed.). Indianapolis: Wiley Eccher, C. (2006). Advanced professional Web design : techniques & templates (CSS & XHTML). Boston: Charles River Media.
Goodman, D. (2007). JavaScript Bible (6th Ed.). Indianapolis: Wiley Gosselin, D. (2004). XHTML:Comprehensive, Boston: Course Technology
Griffiths, P. (2007). HTML dog : the best-practice guide to XHTML & CSS. Berkeley: New Riders.
Huseby, S. (2004). Innocent Code: A Security Wake-up Call for Web Programmers. West Sussex: John Wiley. Lazar, J. (2006). Web Usability - A User-Centered Design Approach. Addison Wesley.
McCracken, D.D., & Wolfe, R.J. (2004). User-Centered Website Development - A Human-Computer Interaction Approach. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Meloni, J.C. (2008). Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache- All in One (4th Ed.). Indianapolis: SAMS. Schmitt, C. (2006). CSS Cookbook (2nd Ed.). O’Reilly
Shelly, G.B. (2005). JavaScript – Complete Concepts and Techniques (3rd Ed.). Cambridge, MA: Course Technology.
Zeldman, J. (2007). Designing With Web Standards (2nd Ed.). Peachpit Press
Lecture notes
Lecture notes are provided in the TWA vUWS site. They can be downloaded from the Lecture Notes link. Many of the weeks will also contain example code that you will be able to edit and ‘play with’ to assist your learning. Much of the material covered in lectures will be helpful in developing solutions to your practical exercises and assignments.
Reading lists
Online Resources in vUWS
Given that this unit is about web development and the tools and technologies that can be used you will find that the World Wide Web has a nearly limitless supply of useful information on the topics covered in this unit. Sometimes the vast amount of information available on the web can be daunting when you are not sure what you are looking for. To assist in this area the TWA vUWS site provides a range of essential online resources that are found in the Learning Materials link from the home page. These resources include, but are not limited to, external links to information on XHTML, CSS, Web Standards, JavaScript, SEO and PHP. You are encouraged to check the site regularly for updates and to use these resources throughout the session. Many of these resources will be referred to in lectures and practical classes at the appropriate times. Other resources that will be helpful with your Practical Exercises are found in the Practicals link in vUWS.
4.3 Other UWS website resources
The “Current Students” page of the UWS web sitehttp://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students contains many important links, including:
University life - Find out about life outside the lecture theatre – news and events, service and facilities, career information and more!
http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/university_life
Managing your study – This site contains much of the information necessary for the
administration of your course throughout your study at UWS.
http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/managing_your_study
Getting help – This site is a useful resource for students and a hub for coordinating developments to improve your university experience.
http://www.uws.edu.au/students/ods
e-learning – This is your entry to all aspect of e-learning at UWS, including this unit’s vUWS site.
http://www.uws.edu.au/students/onlinesupport:
Students with a disability should visit:
http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/getting_help/disability_services
Handbook – This site provides information on course structure, units, key programs, majors, sub-majors, pre-requisites, co-requisites and other matters concerning how your course is structured
http://handbook.uws.edu.au/hbook/
Course and Unit Rules - This site provides information on various rules associated with UWS courses and units
http://www.uws.edu.au/students/stuadmin/enrolments/enrolmentrequirements
4.4 Referencing Requirements
When coding assignments and practical work in this unit it is desirable that each student submits original work only, however it is understood that students may sometimes use segments of code from other sources as inspiration for their work. These sources may include the lecture notes and practical exercises, a textbook, or tutorial site from the web, but must not be another student’s work (past or present). In these cases the student must make sure that the work is not copyright and that full acknowledgment of the source of the original work is given.
For coded functions this acknowledgement will take the form of a code comment in the line immediately preceding declaration of the function. For a code segment this acknowledgement will take the form of a code comment in the line immediately preceding the code segment and another code comment in the line immediately after the last line of the code segment. If the source is a resource available on the Internet then it should detail sufficient information such that the original source can be directly viewed by the marker without having to delve through a series of links or searches of their own to locate it (ie, a full URL pointing directly to the resource). If the source is from a text book or similar then insert a code comment as described above but which uses APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style as detailed in the following link to the UWS library site: http://library.uws.edu.au/citing.php
Examples:
This is an example of correct referencing style
// the following JavaScript function disp_confirm was modified from // http://www.w3schools.com/js/tryit.asp?filename=tryjs_confirm function disp_confirm()
{
var r=confirm("Press the OK button") if (r==true)
{
document.write("well done, you pressed OK!") }
else {
document.write("You pressed Cancel!") }
}
This is an example of incorrect referencing style (since the URL does not point directly to the page where the code is found)
// the following JavaScript function disp_confirm was modified from // http://www.w3schools.com
function disp_confirm() {
var r=confirm("Press the OK button") if (r==true)
{
document.write("well done, you pressed OK!") }
else {
document.write("You pressed Cancel!") }
}
This is an example of correct referencing style for a segment of code
// The following segment of code was modified from
for (i = 1; i <= 6; i++) {
document.write("<h" + i + ">This is header " + i) document.write("</h" + i + ">")
}
// end of code segment from
// http://www.w3schools.com/js/tryit.asp?filename=tryjs_fornext_header
When marking, any non original work that has not been referenced in this way will have an appropriate mark penalty applied and if serious may be referred to the school misconduct committee/Head of Program as suspected plagiarism.
Section 5. You and this unit
5.1 What is expected of you
WorkloadThis unit is a 10 credit point unit and will require your full and continuous attention to maintain the highest possible grades. It is expected that you will spend at least 10 hours each week (on average) which includes the four (4) contact hours per week. Some weeks you will spend more time on learning activities and assessments and in other weeks the workload will be somewhat less. It will be essential for you to keep up with the assigned readings and consistently working through the practical exercises and assignments so that you acquire the required technical and theoretical skills.
Attendance
This unit consists of a 2-hour Lecture and a 2-hour Practical class each week. All students should enrol in one Lecture and one Practical class on their home campus. Please check the current timetable at
http://platformweb.uws.edu.au/pweb_tt/start.asp for the list of available Lectures/Practical classes.
Attendance at the two scheduled practical exams during session is compulsory since these are mandatory
components of the assessment. During other weeks attendance at practical classes is not compulsory, however it is strongly encouraged since non-attendance may lead to failing the unit. To gain full benefit of the practical session, students should attempt the practical work prior to the class and then seek further help from the teaching staff when necessary. It will not be possible for a student to complete the practical work without prior preparation for the class.
Attendance is not compulsory at the lectures but definitely encouraged.
Essential Equipment
It is advisable that students undertaking this unit have
• access to a computer with Internet connection from their place of residence.
• the current version of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera browsers.
• the following Firefox add-ins: Web Developer, Firebug and DOM Inspector
• a plain text editor such as notepad, notepad++, textpad or editpad. No compilers or other specialised software is necessary.
Assessment
submit your assessment work for marking from this web server. You must submit all mandatory assessment items according to the instructions given for each assessment. The assessment items and submission requirements are listed and detailed in sections 2.2 and 2.3. Failure to submit any of the mandatory items will result in a failing grade in the unit irrespective of the total unit mark achieved.
Online learning
Students should access the TWA vUWS site and check their UWS student email account at least twice a week. Copies of the weekly schedule, lecture notes, practical exercises and many online resources are available on the unit’s vUWS site. Students should check for content updates on the vUWS site on a regular basis and should check for any important announcements via the announcements tool at least twice a week. Access to the unit’s vUWS site is only available to students who are enrolled in the unit. Student enrolment can be cancelled for failure to meet financial obligations to the University, e.g. failure to pay library fines. If students do not have access or find that access is lost, they should contact the Student Centre to check enrolment. Students
can also contact “E-Learning Support for Students”, using the following link:
http://www.uws.edu.au/students/onlinesupport/home .
General conduct and behaviour
According to the UWS Teaching and Learning code (http://policies.uws.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00139 ) you are required to:
• obtain the unit outline for this unit, by the end of the second teaching week;
• regularly and actively participate in all scheduled educational activities, which includes lectures, tutorial, laboratory sessions, online activities etc;
• give honest, helpful and courteous feedback to your lecturer(s)
• make every effort to undertake the work required to successfully complete this unit;
• submit work that is your own for any assessment task (ie, do not plagiarise or cheat and understand the serious consequences of indulging in such behaviour by familiarising yourselves with the
University's Misconduct - Student Academic Misconduct Policy);
• not indulge in any behaviour that disrupts the teaching and learning environment, or negatively affects fellow students and university staff, and understand that the University will take action against such behaviour as outlined in the Misconduct – Students Non-Academic Misconduct Policy
• treat university property with due care and report any damaged or broken equipment.
In addition, you should:
• be on time to lectures, tutorial and laboratory sessions. If you are late, then please enter the lecture/tutorial room or lab with courtesy and consideration for others;
• pay attention in lectures ,tutorials and laboratory sessions as this is where helpful information is given out regarding the learning activities and assessment tasks;
• switch off your mobile phone prior to entering any teaching or learning activity or class
• ask questions about the content that you found difficult, immediately after the lecture, tutorial or lab session finishes (time permitting). If this cannot be accomplished, then make sure you see your lecturer or tutor as soon as possible to resolve any problems.
Students with an Academic Integration Plan
If you have an Academic Integration Plan that requires special arrangements for quizzes, handing in assignments and the like, please contact the unit coordinator, Paul Davies, at least two weeks before the assessment is due so that proper arrangements can be made. You should also inform your lecturer and tutor that you have an Academic Integration Plan for the unit.
5.2 What you can expect from us (the teaching team)
FeedbackFeedback will be provided formally on your practical work and assignments/project. This feedback will be in the form of an electronic marking sheet that will be made available to you as soon as possible after the marking of each assessment is completed. The required URL to obtain this feedback will be provided to you when the first assessment has been marked. Students are encouraged to discuss the feedback provided with the marker of the assessment prior to submission of subsequent assessments to better address assessment criteria. Informal feedback on “work-in-progress” prior to submission is also possible within the context of the practical classes, time permitting.
Consultation
Teaching staff in this unit will be available for consultation during their published consultation times. Staff can also be available for consultation outside of these times by prior appointment. Staff will also make every effort to answer questions via email if possible. Please note that for some questions this may not be possible due to the nature of the question. In such circumstances the teaching staff will suggest an appointment to discuss the question(s) in person.
General conduct and behaviour
It is our aim to create a learning environment so that you may reach your full potential in this unit. Accordingly, you can expect the lecturing staff in this unit to:
• prepare thoroughly for each teaching session;
• be on time for each lecture and practical class;
• explain the unit requirements and material;
• be available to assist students during advertised consultation times;
• Assess student’s work fairly, objectively and consistently
• Provide students with appropriate, helpful and explanatory feedback on work submitted for assessment
• treat you equitably, and with courtesy and respect and adhere to the University's Code of Conduct and Federal and State Government legislative requirements;
• Make reasonable accommodation in assessment tasks and examinations for students with special requirements
• report immediately, any issues or concerns related to student academic and non-academic misconduct to the relevant authority, according to the UWS Misconduct Policy.
Sometimes the best-laid plans do go astray! In the unlikely occurrence of this happening, you will be notified about any changes to the scheduled activities, at least 24-hours in advance (if possible), via an announcement on vUWS.
Student feedback and improvements to the unit
exercises and the introduction of a review time at the beginning of the practical sessions.
5.3 Policy and how it affects you
The University has a number of policies that relate to teaching and learning. Important policies affecting students include
Assessment Policy
Examinations Policy
Special Consideration Policy
Review of Grade Policy
Assessment Practice – Fundamental Code
Misconduct – Student Academic Misconduct Policy (see extract of the policy below under the heading "What is Academic Misconduct?")
Misconduct – Student Non-academic Misconduct Policy
Enrolment Policy (includes a section on the UWS Student Email Account)
Bullying Prevention Policy and Guidelines
Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy
There are two policies that relate to misconduct – academic and non-academic misconduct. Breaches of these policies can have very serious consequences. It is essential that you are familiar with these policies and how to ovoid misconduct of any type.
What is Academic Misconduct?
Academic Misconduct may involve plagiarism, collusion or cheating. Plagiarism involves submitting or presenting work in a unit as if it were the student's own work when, in fact, it was not. Collusion includes inciting, assisting, facilitating, concealing or being involved in plagiarism, cheating or other academic misconduct with others. Cheating includes dishonest conduct (or attempted dishonest conduct) in exams.
For the full definition of academic misconduct and the consequences of such behaviour, you are advised to read the Misconduct – Student Academic Misconduct Policy in its entirety, refer to: http://policies.uws.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00051
The School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics definitions of Minor and Substantial Breaches of the UWS Academic Misconduct policy are below:
Plagiarism
Minor breach definition: A minor breach occurs when the weighting of the assessment task is 10% or less, and 20% or less of the work submitted is taken from another source without reference to the original source or author.
Substantial breach definition: A substantial breach occurs when:
1. Either the weighting of the assessment task is more than 10%, or 20% or more of the work submitted is taken from another source without reference to the original source or author. 2. If a student has been found to have already committed an act of plagiarism and warned about it,
Cheating
1. Dishonest or attempted dishonest conduct during an examination, for example speaking to other candidates or otherwise communicating with them, leaving answer papers exposed for other students to view and/or copy or attempting to view another student’s solutions, would be deemed as minor. However, if this behaviour continued after the student had been asked to desist, then the breach would be treated as substantial.
2. Bringing into the examination room any textbook, notebook, memorandum, other written material or mechanical or electronic device (including mobile phones), or any item not authorised by the examiner would be treated as minor. However, if the student does not surrender the unauthorised item, then a substantial breach would have occurred.
3. Writing an examination or part of it, or consulting any person or materials outside the confines of the examination room without permission to do so, would constitute a substantial breach. 4. Cheating in take-home examinations, which includes, but is not limited to: making notes, papers
or answers in connection with the examination (in whatever form) to others without the permission of the relevant lecturer; receiving answers, notes or papers in connection with the examination (in whatever form) from another student, or another source without the permission of the relevant lecturer; and the unauthorised collaboration with another person or student in the formulation of an assessable component of work constitutes a substantial breach.
Other Academic Misconduct
1. Tampering or attempts to tamper with examination scripts, class work, grades or class records, will be regraded as substantial.
2. Failure to abide by the directions of an academic member of staff regarding the individuality of work to be handed in, will, in the first instance be treated as minor. However, any reoccurrence of such behaviour will be regarded as substantial.
3. Acquisition, attempted acquisition, possession or distribution of examination materials or information without the authorisation of the academic member of staff will be regarded as
substantial.
4. Impersonation of another student in an examination or other class assignment will be regarded as substantial.
5. Falsification or fabrication of practical or laboratory reports will be regarded as substantial. 6. Non-authorised use of tape recording of lectures will be regarded as minor, except where the
student/s has been asked to desist and refuses to comply. This continued abuse will be regarded as substantial.
There are many resources to help you ovoid academic misconduct. The library staff can help you with referencing and the Student Learning Unit can assist with academic writing and plagiarism. If you are unsure about any of your work you should also ask your tutor or lecturer for advice and feedback. Please also see the referencing section in section 4.4 of this learning guide.
What is Non-academic Misconduct?
All matters of suspected misconduct will be reported directly to the Head of Program by the unit coordinator.
5.4 What to do if you have a problem/concern
If you have a concern about this unit please contact the unit coordinator, Paul Davies, in the first instance. If you would prefer to speak to someone else you are advised to contact the Director of Academic Program for your degree (see the online handbook to identify your Director of Academic Program and their contact details http://handbook.uws.edu.au/hbook/).
More information about resolving complaints is available on the UWS website.
http://uws.clients.squiz.net/opq/planning_and_quality/complaints_management_and_resolution
