Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 20 x 1 Hour Lectures |
| Tutorial | 10 x 1 Hour Tutorials |
| Workshop | 10 x 2 Hour Workshops |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Written Exam | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Programming Assignment | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Worksheets in practicals | 10% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Resit Exam Students must resit failed examinations. | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmission of failed component assignments Resit of failed components - 50 hours | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. demonstrate their understanding of the principles of abstraction and encapsulation as they apply to the design of abstract data types and programs;
2. analyse and evaluate the time and space behaviour of algorithms and understand how this is expressed and determined;
3. recognise the importance of this analysis in the design of software;
4. describe some of the main approaches to algorithm design such as greedy algorithms, divide and conquer and dynamic programming;
5. demonstrate judgement in evaluating and choosing appropriate data structures and algorithms for a range of programming problems;
6. design and implement significant programs in Java.
Brief description
This module builds on the foundations of the first year modules on program design and provides a thorough grounding in the design of data structures and algorithms and gives further insight into object-oriented design.
Content
Module road-map; Object-oriented design goals and principles; Abstract data types
2. Basic abstract data types - approx 3 Lectures.
Basic data structures; Stacks, Queues, Priority Queues and their implementations
3. Storing and Retrieving Data by Key - approx 5 Lectures
The Map abstract data type and related abstract data types; Implementations using basic data structures; Hashing; Binary search trees; Balanced binary search trees.
4. Representing Complex Relationships: Graphs - approx 4 Lectures
Introduction; Terminology; Implementation; Representation; Graph traversal; Problem modelling and solving using graphs, e. g., planning a communications network (minimum spanning trees), finding a route (shortest paths); Graph libraries
5. Design Paradigms for Algorithms - approx 4 Lectures
Introduction; Brute Force; Recursion; Greedy algorithms; Divide & Conquer; Dynamic programming
6. Design patterns and frameworks - approx 2 Lectures
Introduction to object-oriented design patterns; Implementation of patterns in Java
7. Revision - 1 Lecture
Aims
Minor changes to syllabus and format of workshops based on TuN feedback (implementation of action plan).
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Particularly in algorithm analysis. |
| Communication | Written skills will be needed to complete supporting documents to accompany assessed coursework. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students are required to engage in self study. Completing the assignment requires improvements in programming skills. Both the assignment and the exam requires understanding challenging concepts. |
| Information Technology | The whole module concerns this area. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Carefully time management will be needed as so to enable students to complete coursework etc. A frequent topic of interview questions for programmers. |
| Problem solving | This is inherent in both the formative practical work and the assessed coursework. |
| Research skills | The students wil need to search for and use relevant technical information while completing practical and assessed coursework. |
| Subject Specific Skills | See module title and content. |
| Team work | N/A |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5