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Unit outline_

COMP9001: Introduction to Programming

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit is an essential starting point for software developers, IT consultants, and computer scientists to build their understanding of principle computer operation. Students will obtain knowledge and skills with procedural programming. Crucial concepts include defining data types, control flow, iteration, functions, recursion, the model of addressable memory. Students will be able to reinterpret a general problem into a computer problem, and use their understanding of the computer model to develop source code. This unit trains students with software development process, including skills of testing and debugging. It is a prerequisite for more advanced programming languages, systems programming, computer security and high performance computing.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Computer Science
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
INFO1110 OR INFO1910 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1903 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905 OR ENGG1810
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Ashlee Pearson, ashlee.pearson@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Hazem El-Alfy, hazem.elalfy@sydney.edu.au
Ashlee Pearson, ashlee.pearson@sydney.edu.au
Bob Kummerfeld, bob.kummerfeld@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
Final Examination (Advanced Task)
Final Exam (pre-req: >C on Assignment Part C/Extension Task)
0% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11
Tutorial quiz hurdle task Quiz 1 (Essentials Task)
Online invigilated quiz in week 4 & 6 labs.
0% Multiple weeks 30 minutes each.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO11 LO10 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Tutorial quiz hurdle task Quiz 2 (Essentials Task)
Online invigilated quiz in week 10 & 12 labs. (pre-req: >C on Quiz 1)
0% Multiple weeks 45 minutes each.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO11 LO10 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Assignment Part D (Advanced Task)
Computer programming problems (1 submission, pre-req = >C in Part C)
0% Multiple weeks 4 weeks
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO11 LO10 LO9 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Assignment Part C (Extension Task)
Computer programming problems (up to 3 submissions, pre-req = >C in Part B)
0% Multiple weeks 7 weeks
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO11 LO10 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment hurdle task Assignment Part B (Essentials Task)
Computer programming problems (Up to 3 submissions, pre-req = >C in Part A)
0% Multiple weeks 10 weeks
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO11 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment hurdle task Assignment Part A (Essentials Task)
Computer programming problems (Up to 4 submissions)
0% Multiple weeks 10 weeks
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO11
Participation Early Feedback Task
#earlyfeedbacktask Completion of online modules and lab participation
0% Week 03 3-5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

The assessment in this unit is structured in an unusual way. There are 3 different assessment types – quizzes, assignments and early feedback task.  

For each quiz (quiz 1 and quiz 2), we will count your best attempt of 2 towards your final grade.  

There are 4 assignments, Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Each assignment must be awarded a competent before you can move onto the next assignment. E.g. You must achieve competent in Part A before you may submit Part B. You will have multiple opportunities to submit a task until you are deemed competent.  

No marks are awarded for any quiz or assessment. Instead, they are assessed as: NSI – needs significant improvement, NI – needs improvement, C – competent, or C* - above competent. Your final result in the unit will then be determined based on the levels achieved in the tasks completed. A 50P Pass is equivalent to a C – competent in Quiz 1 + Quiz 2 + Assignment Part A + Assignment Part B.  

To pass this unit, students must 

  • Complete all Essentials tasks to a minimum standard of ‘Competent’ (Quiz 1, Quiz 2, Assignment Part A, Assignment Part B) .   

  • Attend and actively participate in a minimum of 8 lab classes.  

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The usual University policy is that you are penalized 5% per day for late submissions (up to a maximum of 10 days). Since the assessment tasks in this unit don't have marks awarded (instead you achieve progressively higher levels) applying a percentage penalty doesn't make sense. Instead, you are penalised 0.5 marks per day for late submissions. After ten calendar days late, a feedback band of unsatisfactory (equivalent to a zero for the assignment) will also be awarded. These penalties accrue through the semester, and are applied to your final grade.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 What is a computer program? Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5
Week 02 Variables and data types, operators and expressions, comments, input() function, files and folders. Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO11
Week 03 The if statement, indented blocks, testing and debugging Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO5 LO9 LO10
Week 04 Python Containers (list, tuples, dictionaries), testing and debugging Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO5 LO6 LO9 LO10
Week 05 For loops Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 06 While loops, handling errors Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 07 Python functions and scope Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Input and output Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 09 Classes Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 10 Characters and list comprehensions Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO11
Week 11 Function parameters, Sets Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO11
Week 12 Recursive functions Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8
Week 13 Numerical python Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Weekly Weekly Ed Lessons weeks 1-13. Details in Canvas. This unit of study is designed flexibly to respond to student progress. Each week there will be a series of Ed Lessons posted via Canvas that detail which lessons students should work through in that week to stay 'on track'. The schedule for 'on track' is included below. Independent study (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11
Weekly Question and Answer Sessions. 3 options weekly depending on students' progress through Ed Lessons. Details via Canvas. Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11
Each lab will feature a group activity and time to work through exercises from the week's Ed Lessons either as a group or individually. The 'on track' focus of each week is outlined below. Further details via Canvas. Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11

Attendance and class requirements

Lab classes are designed to assist students with progressing through the unit and demonstrating competence required to gain marks in this unit. You MUST attend a minimum of 8 out of 13 lab classes. Absence from the class impacts your ability to pass this unit. Failure to meet the attendance requirement will result in a maximum of 45% of the available marks. 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. employ programming style conventions for writing consistently readable code
  • LO2. design and construct new functionality to existing procedural program or function
  • LO3. compose a structured algorithmic design to solve the descriptive problem specification
  • LO4. compose an entire procedural program from descriptive problem specification
  • LO5. demonstrate knowledge of programming principles, data types, variables and operators, control-flow: simple statement sequence, if-then-else, while functions, stack, input/output, reference memory model
  • LO6. compose, analyse and trace procedural code. Scoping/variable lifetime, memory of the stack, references and global's, data types, operations on data types
  • LO7. construct code cliches for input and manipulating arrays, including maximum, minimum, search or traverse, with actions on each element for counting or summation
  • LO8. construct and assess code for recursively-defined numerical functions, and for recursively described array manipulations
  • LO9. apply testing methods and assess programs through debugging and write a set of tests for a small program or function
  • LO10. explain compilation process and debugging mechanism
  • LO11. use standard library functions.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews. This unit has been significantly re-designed during S1C 2024 to be different to most units in response to student feedback. The re-design included rescoping the concepts covered and their ordering, changing the assessment tasks (both type and scope) and adapting the mode of delivery. The re-design has aimed to better support the diversity of student experience with programming (both at the novice and experienced end of the spectrum) and allow for re-submission attempts at most assessments to focus on student learning and continuous feedback.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.