Skip to main content
Unit outline_

SOFT2201: Software Construction and Design 1

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

This unit introduces the foundations of software design and construction. It covers the topics of modelling software (UML, CRC, use cases), software design principles, object-oriented programming theory (inheritance, polymorphism, dynamic subtyping and generics), and simple design patterns. The unit aims to foster a strong technical understanding of the underlying software design and construction theory (delivered in the lecture) but also has a strong emphasis of the practice, where students apply the theory on practical examples.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Computer Science
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
INFO1113 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
INFO3220 OR COMP9201
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Ying Zhou, ying.zhou@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
hurdle task
Final Exam
Final Exam
50% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Assignment Software construction stage 1 *
UML Assignment
5% Week 04
Due date: 25 Aug 2024 at 23:59
n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4
Assignment Software construction stage 2 *
Design Pattern Assignment
15% Week 08
Due date: 22 Sep 2024 at 23:59
n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Small continuous assessment Weekly Exercises *
submission on canvas from week 2 to week 12
10% Week 12 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Software construction stage 3 *
Design Pattern Assignment
20% Week 12
Due date: 27 Oct 2024 at 23:59
n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

  • * indicates an assessment which must be repeated if a student misses it due to special consideration.
  • Weekly Exercise: it will cover the lecture/tutorial from the current week. 
  • There may be statistically defensible moderation when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

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.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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

Minimum Pass Requirement

It is a policy of the School of Computer Science that in order to pass this unit, a student must achieve at least 40% in the final examination. A student must also achieve an overall final mark of 50 or more. Any student not meeting these requirements may be given a maximum final mark of no more than 45 regardless of their average.

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 10 calendar days late, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

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.

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 Introduction to software construction and design Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO4
Week 02 OO theory 1: Java knowledge revisited Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO4
Week 03 UML and OO Theory 2: software design principles Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 04 Design pattern 1 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Design pattern 2 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Design pattern 3 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Design Pattern 4 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Testing and Code review Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO5
Week 09 Design pattern 5 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Exercise Revisit and Open Discussion Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 Design pattern 6 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Design pattern 7 Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 13 Unit review Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

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.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Eric Freeman, Elisabeth Robson, Head First Design Patterns,  O'Reilly Media, Inc, USA; 2 edition (5 January 2021)
  • Craig Larman, Applying UML and Patterns (3rd). Pearson
  • Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides, Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. Addison Wesley, 2004. 9780201633610.

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. explain processes and elements in object-oriented design
  • LO2. apply object-oriented design approaches to software design
  • LO3. apply object-oriented design principles to implementation using an OO programming language
  • LO4. demonstrate an understanding of object oriented theory including inheritance, polymorphism, dynamic binding, sub-typing and generics
  • LO5. discuss and apply basic testing techniques and code review to software systems

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.

Adjusted the assignments content and due dates.

IMPORTANT: School policy relating to Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.Inassessing a piece of submitted work, the School of Computer Science may reproduce it entirely, may provide a copy to another member of faculty, and/or to an external plagiarism checking service or in-house computer program and may also maintain a copy of the assignment for future checking purposes and/or allow an external service to do so.

Computer programming assignments may be checked by specialist code similarity detection software. The Faculty of Engineering currently uses the MOSS similarity detection engine (see http://theory.stanford.edu/~aiken/moss/), or the similarity report available in ED (edstem.org). These programs work in a similar way to TurnItIn in that they check for similarity against a database of previously submitted assignments and code available on the internet, but they have added functionality to detect cases of similarity of holistic code structure in cases such as global search and replace of variable names, reordering of lines, changing of comment lines, and the use of white space.

All written assignments submitted in this unit of study will be submitted to the similarity detecting software program known as Turnitin. Turnitin searches for matches between text in your written assessment task and text sourced from the Internet, published works and assignments that have previously been submitted to Turnitin for analysis.There will always be some degree of text-matching when using Turnitin. Text-matching may occur in use of direct quotations, technical terms and phrases, or the listing of bibliographic material. This does not mean you will automatically be accused of academic dishonesty or plagiarism, although Turnitin reports may be used as evidence in academic dishonesty and plagiarism decision-making processes.

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.