CS261 Software Engineering
CS261-15 Software Engineering
Introductory description
The aim of the module is to provide students with a theoretical understanding and practical experience of current best practice in software engineering.
This module is only available to students in the second year of their degree and is not available as an unusual option to students in other years of study.
Module aims
The aim of the module is to provide students with a theoretical understanding and practical experience of current best practice in software engineering. The module concentrates on the application of software engineering principles to the development of a significant software system, with an emphasis on design quality, technical evaluation, team working and project management.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Topic areas addressed are software development processes, feasibility and requirements analysis, modelling and design, implementation and design patterns, testing and analysis, maintenance and evolution. Each area will be covered from a theoretical and practical perspective, with a particular emphasis on concepts such as:
- Object oriented modelling and design: objects, classes, inheritance, polymorphism, aggregation, abstract classes.
- Formal notations for expressing issues relating to the analysis, design and implementation of
systems, including classes, objects, sequences, packages, collaborations, activities, system
states and components. - Classical software engineering principles, including software processes, waterfall model,
software life cycles, cost-estimation, safety critical systems, software testing and maintenance. - Human computer interaction: human information processing models and memory, learning and skill acquisition; interaction styles; the graphical user interface; task analysis and user centred design; evaluation techniques.
- Techniques relating to the elicitation of requirements, including issues in process engineering, user-centred design and customer management.
- Architectural design and implementation technology selection, including the application of design patterns and frameworks for system design.
- Levels of system and performance testing, including unit, integration, system and user / acceptance testing.
- Software process issues relating system documentation, evolution and maintenance.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- - Understand the importance of the stages in the software life cycle, including a range of software development development methodologies.
- - Design object oriented software using with the aid of a formal system modelling notation.
- - Understand the principles of graphical user interface design.
- - Understand the principles of user-centred design.
- - Critically evaluate their experience of practical software development with regard to project management, software processes and technical accomplishment.
- - Understand, though experience, the practical challenges associated with the development of a significant software system, including a graphical user interface.
- - Understand, though experience, the practical challenges associated with working as a member of a software development team.
Indicative reading list
Please see Talis Aspire link for most up to date list.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
Understand the importance of the stages in the software life cycle, including a range of software development methodologies.
Design object oriented software using with the aid of a formal system modelling notation
Understand the principles of graphical user interface design
Understand the principles of user-centred design
Critically evaluate their experience of practical software development with regard to project management, software processes and technical accomplishment
Understand, though experience, the practical challenges associated with the development of a significant software system, including a graphical user interface
Understand, though experience, the practical challenges associated with working as a member of a software development team.
Transferable skills
Communication skills (written and verbal)
Presentation skills
Team work
Team based coding
Problem analysis
Critical evaluation skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 15 sessions of 1 hour (10%) |
| Seminars | 3 sessions of 1 hour (2%) |
| Project supervision | 4 sessions of 30 minutes (1%) |
| Private study | 130 hours (87%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Independent study includes both revision of the material and the group project. The project has a number of factors, including a variety of reports and software tasks. Engaging with these tasks, and revising the expected approaches and techniques of these tasks, help to reinforce the material from the lectures. The remaining time should be spent on revision and performing the background reading.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group C2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group software development project - Requirements and Design | 20% | No | |
|
Group software development project - Requirements and Design. This assignment is group work and is not, therefore, eligible for self-certification. |
|||
| Group software development project - Final Report | 30% | No | |
|
Groups software development project - Final Report. This assignment is worth more than 3 CATS and is groupwork and is not, therefore, eligible for self-certification. |
|||
| In-person Examination | 50% | No | |
|
CS261 Exam
|
|||
Assessment group R1
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person Examination - Resit | 100% | No | |
|
CS261 resit exam
|
|||
Feedback on assessment
E-mail and real-time feedback.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 2 of UCSA-G500 Undergraduate Computer Science
-
UCSA-G503 Undergraduate Computer Science MEng
- Year 2 of G500 Computer Science
- Year 2 of G503 Computer Science MEng
- Year 2 of UCSA-I1N1 Undergraduate Computer Science with Business Studies
- Year 2 of UCSA-G406 Undergraduate Computer Systems Engineering
- Year 2 of UCSA-G408 Undergraduate Computer Systems Engineering
- Year 2 of USTA-G302 Undergraduate Data Science
- Year 2 of USTA-G305 Undergraduate Data Science (MSci) (with Intercalated Year)
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 2 of UCSA-G4G1 Undergraduate Discrete Mathematics
- Year 2 of UCSA-G4G3 Undergraduate Discrete Mathematics
Further Information
Term 2
15 CATS (7.5 ECTS)
Module Organisers:
James Archbold
Andrew Hague
Note: This module is only available to students in the second year of their degree and is not available as an unusual option to students in other years of study.