MODULE SPECIFICATION Template Guidance

MSC CoMPUTER SCIENCE MODULES FOR 2010-2011

Autumn Semester

Spring Semester

Summer Semester

MODULE OUTLINE

AUTUMN 2010-2011

1. Module Code

G54IHC

1. Title of Module

Introduction to Human Computer Interaction

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

4

1. Taught Semester and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

None

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

(Ms) Lyn Fiona Kiai

1. Summary of Content

This module provides an introduction to the foundations of human-computer interaction (HCI). The course will address the theoretical foundations of HCI, the relevance of users to the design process, user interface design (input/output technologies, interaction styles/paradigms, user support etc.), prototyping techniques, and user evaluation.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• The relevance and importance of considering the human in the design and implementationof IT products/systems.
• The issues involved and methods needed to design and evaluate technologies from a user-centred perspective.
• An awareness of the wider socio-cultural and contextual issues which affect the design of technology.

Intellectual Skills

• The application of relevant theories and knowledge of human capabilities and limitations to the design of IT systems.
  A critical understanding of the key role of the user in systems design.

Professional Skills

• Knowledge of Lo-fi interface prototyping methods and interface evaluation, as well as application of user interface standards.

Transferable Skills

• Team work, critical thinking, oral and written communication.

1. Weekly Programme

1. Assessment details

Two Courseworks each worth 30%; Written examination 40%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Suggested secondary texts

1. Web Link

TBA

1. Module Code

G54ORM

1. Title of Module

Operations Research and Modelling

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

4

1. Taught Semester and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

Knowledge of algorithmbasics, data structures and some computer programming. Knowledge of the basics of: linear algebra and calculus is desirable.

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

Dr. Siang Yew Chong

1. Summary of Content

This module:

• Covers a range of operations research techniques (emphasis here is on learning modelling techniques) in order to tackle a range of real-world problems. Operations research (OR) is a discipline that uses modelling techniques, analytics and computational methods to solve complex problems in industry and business with the aim of helping to make better decisions.
• Includes Linear Programming, Modelling and Optimisation Software, Post-optimality Analysis, Integer Programming, Modelling Techniques, Combinatorial Optimisation, Solving Large IP Models and Dynamic Programming.
• Provides a sound understanding to interpret and create formal models of optimisation problems and then to develop computer-based solutions by means of spreadsheets and programming style systems. Techniques are explained using numerical examples and their application is illustrated using a number of case studies and software tools.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• The strengths and weaknesses of computer tools, applications and other resources.
• Applied mathematics and formal methods in the computer science context.

Intellectual Skills

• Apply and deploy mathematical ability, practices and tools.
• Understand complex ideas and relate them to specific problems or questions

Professional Skills

• Program in various paradigms.
• Evaluate available tools, applications, algorithms and data structures, and select those that are fit for purpose within a given domain.

Transferable Skills

• Utilise mathematics to volve problems.

1. Weekly Programme

1. Assessment details

Written Examination 60%, Coursework 40%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Suggested secondary texts

*None*

1. Web Link

1. Module Code

G54ACC

1. Title of Module

Advanced Computer Communications

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

4

1. Semester in which module is taught and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

G52CCN or equivalent knowledge of computer networking

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

Ho Sooi Hock (Mr)

1. Summary of Content

The course gives a basic understanding of network-related initialization and the operation of the main Internet protocols. It gives an insight into the service definition and protocols of the most important network applications services. It considers basic network architectures such as the client-server model and the more complex distributed systems. Consistent examples from all-IP core telecommunications networks are used to illustrate transmission coding, error control, media access, routing, presentation coding, services and security. Introduction to technologies includes switch and router design, network processors, and encryption.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• understanding of distributed systems concepts and issues, including DNS, WWW/HTTP and network security issues.
• a grasp of basic client-server system implementation techniques

Intellectual Skills

• the ability to understand and evaluate requirements of and practical constraints on designing distributed systems and protocols (using RMI and socket-based communication)

Professional Skills

• the ability to evaluate and choose between possible distribution technologies (e.g. RMI, TCP sockets)
• the ability to understand and reason about security weaknesses and limitations of possible solutions in networked computer systems

Transferable Skills

• the ability to structure and communicate ideas effectively

1. Weekly Programme

1. Assessment details

Written Examination 100%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Suggested secondary texts

1. Web Link

1. Module Code

G53VIS

1. Title of Module

Computer Vision

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

3

1. Taught Semester and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

Compulsory:G51OOP Object-Oriented Programming (G51PRG 2009/10)

Recommended:G52IIP - Introduction to Image Processing (G52IVG 2009/10). Background knowledge of vision and image processing are an advantage.

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

Tomas Maul (Dr)

1. Summary of Content

Building on G52IIP this module examines current techniques for the extraction of useful information about a physical situation from individual and sets of images. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification of objects, recovery of three-dimensional shape &motion, and the recognition of events. Topics covered include: advanced segmentation and feature extraction, motion computation and tracking, stereo vision and the use of hidden Markov models in higher level analysis.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• Experience in implementing image processing and vision algorithms. Understanding of current techniques in image processing and computer vision and an awareness of their limitations. An appreciation of the underlying mathematical principles of computer vision.

Intellectual Skills

• Apply knowledge of computer vision techniques to particular tasks. Evaluate and compare competing approaches to vision tasks.

Professional Skills

• Develop a working knowledge of image processing algorithms and libraries and evaluate the applicability of various algorithms and operators to particular tasks.

Transferable Skills

• Apply knowledge of the methods and approaches presented to problem domains use the available resources (libraries, internet, etc) to supplement the course material.

1. Weekly Programme

1. Assessment details

Coursework 40%; Written Examination 60%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

None.

Suggested secondary texts

1. Web Link

MODULE OUTLINE

SPRING 2010-2011

1. Module Code

G64SWE

1. Title of Module

Software Engineering

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

4

1. Taught Semester and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

Experience of Computer Programming

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

Dr. VP Kallimani & Mr. Chew Sze-Ker

1. Summary of Content

This module covers object-oriented methods for requirements engineering and software design and application of these methods during the development of a medium scale software system. Experience of team working to break down a problem into a set of manageable tasks. Instruction in industrial notations to model and reason about software behavior and application of these methods to software development and documentation.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• * Programming * Instruction in Unified Modelling Language for determining system requirements * Documentation and help systems * Awareness of various software architectures for use in system and network design.

Intellectual Skills

• * understanding and evaluating requirements specifications * working in team on complex software engineering problems.

Professional Skills

• * Programming utilising software engineering methods * Evaluating software design tools * Identifying usability issues in software design.

Transferable Skills

• * Solving software design problems * Working in team and organizing activities using formal techniques *Writing software manuals * Retrieving information on software design practices

1. Weekly Programme

Not Available

1. Assessment details

Coursework 100%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Not Available

Suggested secondary texts

Not Available

1. Web Link

To be provided by the module convenors

1. Module Code

G54PDC

1. Title of Module

Parallel and Distributed Computing

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

4

1. Semester in which module is taught and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

G51OOP Object-Oriented Programming (G51PRG 2009/10), G52CON Concepts of Concurrency or equivalent knowledge of computer programming and basic principles of concurrency

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

TBA (Mr)

1. Summary of Content

A simple sequential computer program effectively executes one instruction at a time on individual data items. Various strategies are used in CPU design to increase the speed of this basic model, but at the cost of complexity and power consumption. To further increase performance the task must be re-organised to explicity execute on multiple processors and/or on multiple data items simultaneously. This module charts the broad spectrum of approaches that are used to increase the performance of computing tasks by exploiting parallelism and/or distributed computation. It then considers in more detail a number of contrasting examples. The course deals mainly with the principles involved, but there is the chance to experiment with some of these approaches in the supporting labs. Topics covered include: common applications of parallel and distributed computing; parallel and distributed machine architectures including Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) or short-vector processing, multi-core and multi-processor shared memory, custom co-processors including DSPs and GPUs, cluster and grid computing; programming approaches including parallelizing compilers, explicit message-passing (such as MPI), specialized parallel computing abstractions (such as MapReduce), and specialized co-processor programming (such as for GPUs).

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• The practice of parallel programming for a range of architectures and approaches. The strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to increasing task performance through parallelism. The synergy of hardware and software in parallel computer systems implementation and the properties of networked and distributed systems as used for parallel computation.

Intellectual Skills

• Thing independently while giving due weight to the arguments of others in approaches to parallelism. Understand complex ideas and relate them to specific problems or questions in the area of parallel computation.

Professional/Practical Skills

• Program in various paradigms relevant to parallel computing. Evaluate available parallel programming approaches and select those that are fit for purpose within a given domain.

Transferable/Key Skills

• Solve problems. Communicate effectively in writing. Retrieve information from appropriate sources (e.g. API, instruction set and compiler documentation).

1. Weekly Programme

Not Available

1. Assessment details

Written Examination 100%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Not Available

Suggested secondary texts

Not Available

1. Web Link

To be given by the module convenor.

1. Module Code

G53NMD

1. Title of Module

New Media Design

1. Number of credits

10

1. Level

3

1. Taught Semester and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

None

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

Dr. Wang Wei

1. Summary of Content

This is a practical course covering the critical elements of the principles of design. Such principles are applied to new media applications, with a particular focus on its use in the context of the web. It also aims to give students a hands on experience with emerging new media technologies. Technical issues such as colour, images, audio, video and animation will be introduced and discussed in addition to usability and interaction. Practical uses of multimedia authoring systems, content management systems, flash and HTML 5 will form part of this module. Such tools will be put into context with emerging paradigms and new media for mobile platforms.

1. Learning Outcomes

To be able to design and produce multimedia objects.

1. Weekly Programme

1. Assessment details

Group based development of a multimedia website and group report75%; Individual Essay 25%

1. Resources

Suggested primary texts

Suggested secondary texts

1. Web Link

1. Module Code

G64PRE

1. Title of Module

Computer Science Technology Transfer Project

1. Number of credits

60

1. Level

4

1. Semester in which module is taught and Assessment Period

1. Pre-requisites for admission to the module (if any)

N14C15, N14G01, N14G02, N14G03

1. Co-requisites for the module (if any)

None

1. Lecturer

(Mr) TBA

1. Summary of Content

The purpose is to provide the opportunity for students to undertake independent research into a topic appropriate to Computer Science Technology Transfer. In undertaking the project, you should draw on and extend material presented in the course. Beyond reinforcing information and methodology presented in the taught modules,you will gain experience by:

• addressing the challenges involved in developing the commercial potential of a technological advance;
• develop communication skills relevant to the process of transferring technology to a commercial environment both by:
• making presentations to non technical audiences
• developing a report appropriate for a set of potential investors
• otherwise communicating ideas to customers through meetings in groups or as individuals

.

1. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• Knowledge of business administration and entrepreneurial practices. Elementary knowledge of business and patent law.

Intellectual Skills

• Ability to apply assessment and processes to real-life situations.

Professional Skills