COMM102 to COMP307

COMM102 Introduction to Communication                                                                                           10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation Lectures, tutorials and computer laboratory.

This introductory unit aims to develop students’ communication skills for formal study and for the workplace. It deals with listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills, presentation of ideas supported by appropriate software, visuals, and web-sourced information, and it introduces students to skills in interpersonal and cross-cultural communication and in negotiation.

COMM213 Interpersonal Communication                                                                                             10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation Lectures, tutorials, workshops and seminars.

This unit aims to develop students’ awareness of interpersonal communication as it applies to their relationships with peers, families, and colleagues, and awareness of themselves as communicators. It uses a range of theoretical models and considers their application to students’ life issues.

COMM218 Communication in the Workplace                                                                                       10 cp

Prerequisites COMM102 Introduction to Communication or ENGL107 Written Communication

This unit examines effective communication in the workplace against the background of factors that affect it, such as language, gender, and culture, and the forms it takes, such as negotiation, mediation, conflict management, interpersonal communication and assertiveness. The unit aims to develop students’ awareness of ethical and professional standards of behaviour in the workplace.

COMP102 Computer Applications                                                                                                        10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation 1-hour lecture and 4-hour tutorial per week.

Aims to provide students with a critical awareness of how personal computers can be used as information management tools and to support their learning in subsequent units. The unit is therefore designed to enable students to gain the knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary for their confident use of personal computers. The content of this unit will introduce students to the personal computer in a variety of environments, examine data communication systems, and deal with the principles and applications of computer systems and software.

COMP103 Computing Concepts and Issues                                                                                          10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation Lectures, computer laboratory workshops, field visits.

This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to a range of basic computing concepts and to current issues pertaining to the various uses of computers in society.

COMP104 Computing Systems                                                                                                             10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of computer laboratory classes, lectures, tutorials and small-group practice.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to examine the function of digital computing systems as collections of hardware, software, data, applications and people and how these are configured to meet the various needs of end-users. Students acquire advanced skills with computer applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software. The skills acquired are used to solve everyday problems in an ethical manner and to communicate and present their solutions.

COMP106 Communication Systems                                                                                                     10 cp

Prerequisites Nil

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of computer laboratory classes, lectures, tutorials and small-group practice.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to examine the concepts of scope, impact and interrelatedness of digital communication systems within an ethical framework. Students will gain insight into the ways in which computers are linked in networks to facilitate effective transfer and retrieval of information. Students acquire knowledge and skills to facilitate basic networks and to configure and use Internet tools such as email, web browsers, discussion boards, on-line chats, and file transfer protocol (FTP) to conduct effective communication.

COMP202 Structured Problem-Solving                                                                                                10 cp

Prerequisites TECO203 Design Processes

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

This unit is designed to enable students to gain knowledge, skills and understanding which will assist in the development of their general problem-solving skills through the activity of computer programming. In the first instance, Object Logo and Visual BASIC will be used to develop students’ understanding and appreciation of the nature of the computer languages used. Students will use them in a disciplined manner to enhance the development of a cognitive processing perspective of the activities of programming and problem analysis. Students will develop skills in defining, expressing and documenting problem solutions and coding in at least two programming environments.

COMP203 Multimedia Systems                                                                                                             10 cp

Prerequisites Computing Sequence: COMP104 Computing Systems Communication Sequence: COMM102 Introduction to Communication

Teaching Organisation. 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to examine the concept, scope and impact of digital multimedia systems on communication. Students will consider and apply elements of multimedia systems including instructional design, hyperlinks and interactivity, production of text, graphics, sound and video. Students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to design, develop and publish effective multimedia solutions to everyday problems.

COMP204 Information Processing and Technology                                                                             10 cp

Prerequisites COMP106 Communication Systems

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of computer laboratory classes, lectures, tutorials and small-group practice.

This unit builds on the unit COMP106 Communication Systems. Students will be introduced to computer applications as tools for information processes. The unit examines various information systems with an emphasis on databases and spreadsheets. Students explore social and ethical issues relating to information systems. Tools for information processing and the system development cycle are investigated. Students will apply project management techniques to the planning, design, implementation, testing, evaluation and documentation of the solution to an information processing problem.

COMP302 Programming 1                                                                                                                    10 cp

Prerequisites COMP202 Structured Problem Solving

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

Students are given instruction in the principles of programming in a high level language. In the first instance this language will be Pascal. Students will be required to use a problem solving approach and use practical skills in developing algorithms and coding solutions to problems.

COMP303 Programming 2                                                                                                                    10 cp

Prerequisites COMP302 Programming 1

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

Students are moved into the principles of advanced programming and software engineering. Topics covered include data structures, report generation, program testing and debugging. Students will also examine the requirements for a successful human–computer interface. As in Programming I the language used will be Pascal.

COMP304 Computer Controlled Systems and Artificial Intelligence                                                    10 cp

Prerequisites COMP202 Structured Problem-Solving

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

This unit investigates the nature of artificial intelligence applications and their implications for society. This will be linked to the development of computer controlled systems with students being given the practical experience of developing their own simple computer controlled models, writing associated control programs, and developing expert systems.

COMP305 Electronic Publishing                                                                                                           10 cp

Prerequisites TECO101 Graphics for Design

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

This unit is designed to give students an overview of the application of design principles to a variety of the publishing media accessible through computer–related technologies. Students will extend their abilities to design, develop, format and produce quality documents in at least two media. In the first instance these media will be chosen from presentation, desktop publishing, multimedia and web publishing software.

COMP306 Software Design and Development                                                                                     10 cp

Prerequisites COMP202 Structure Problem Solving

Teaching Organisation 5 hours per for 12 weeks or equivalent of computer laboratory classes, lectures and small-group practice.

This unit extends the skills and understanding students developed in the unit Structured Problem Solving. The unit introduces students to historical, hardware, social and ethical issues as they relate to software development. Students will also be introduced to a variety of programming paradigms. Students will develop knowledge and skills in the development and publishing of software solutions using the software development cycle. In the first instance the programming language used will be Visual Basic.

COMP307 ICT Project                                                                                                                           10 cp

Prerequisites 4 advanced level units from the computing major

Teaching Organisation 4 hours per week (one consultation and three independent workshop hours) for 12 weeks or equivalent.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to carry out an individual project related to the application of information and communication technology to a specific problem. Each student will be required to conduct a thorough investigation of their chosen topic then to design, develop and manage their project. A significant component of the unit will be their ability to report on their findings using a variety of presentation media.