This unit is unlike most others you have undertaken; rather than focussing on lectures, labs and tutorials, the focus here is a significant group project. The project work is also more open-ended than you are perhaps used to. There are teams of about 6 people for the projects - sourced from industry and the University and wider communities. Each group generally has a distinct project, different from the other groups' projects. Team work is essential. While there is some individual assessment of how you perform in the team, projects will be marked as a whole, not as individual contributions. Therefore, unless there is strong evidence to support a contrary policy for a particular group, the default position will be that every member of a group will get the same mark.

There are no set labs, lab sheets or tutorials. There are a few lectures and you are required to attend them. You will write an essay on Ethics.

If you enrol after the start of semester please tell me via admin3200

Aims

• To develop awareness of the ethical and social responsibilities of computing professionals
• To develop experience using professional practices in a teamwork setting
• To provide a "programming in the large" experience as far as practical
• To allow for the integration of and reflection on previous computer science knowledge
• To develop student capability, confidence and maturity
• To model industrial practice regarding commercial software development, and effective client relationships

Assessment

1. a group project worth 75%, consisting of Deliverables A, B, C and D
2. an individual essay worth 25%

In addition, Group Leaders are expected to provide each week on behalf of their groups on Friday:

• a set of minutes for each group meeting held that week (PDF or MS-Word doc),
• a time-sheet summarising the work that has gone on that week (Spreadsheet) based on Booked_hours spreadsheets from Group members, and
• a tar or zip file containing the Booked_hours spreadsheet submitted by EACH Group member.

The three items are to be emailed to the unit coordinator directly.

Full participation in the project is considered essential for satisfactory progress in this unit. You must attend weekly project meetings with your team. Absences, other than sickness or emergencies, must be notified to the Unit Coordinator in advance and meetings should be free from disruptive behaviour, see UWA Guidelines for Conduct in the Workplace.

Finally, while School policy governs the major deliverables (and in particular late penalties), the following will apply to the aspects unique to this unit. (I really hope you won't need this information.)

1. If a group's Minutes, Booked-hours spreadsheets file or Timesheets are later than Sunday evening, there will be a penalty of 2 marks off the total project mark for each item that is late.
2. The weeks when there will be meetings with mentors are known well in advance. Therefore, there is no excuse other than illness or misadventure, or the unavailability of the mentor, for you not to attend a mentor meeting, so there will be penalty of 3 marks from your own total mark for each meeting missed.