CSC Stage 3

Unit 3ACSC: Stage 3

Unit Description

The unit description provides the focus for teaching the specific unit content.

The focus of this unit is the design and development of computer systems and database applications. Students understand the design concepts and tools used to develop relational database systems.  They consider the complex interactions between users, developers, the law, ethics and society when computer-based systems are used and developed.

Unit Content

It is recommended that students studying Stage 3 have completed Stage 2 units.

The unit includes knowledge, understandings and skills to the degree of complexity described below.  This is the examinable content and 60 percent for managing data content.

Systems Analysis and Development

  • + System development methodologies – Rapid Application Development (RAD), Waterfall/Cascade
  • + System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) – tools, stages, strategies, documentation
  • + Context Diagrams as part of the SDLC
  • + Data Flow Diagrams as part of the SDLC
  • + Apply project management Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools – Gantt charts, Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) charts
  • + Apply tools used in a System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) – feasibility studies, data gathering techniques, implementation strategies, system and user documentation
  • + Apply Context and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) as part of the SDLC – detect errors in diagrams, define system boundaries, create accurate diagrams
  • + Create Context Diagrams – Level 0 DFDs, Level 1 DFDs
  • + Selection of appropriate hardware components for a computer system designed for a specific purpose
  • + Standard Operating Environment (SOE)
  • + Roles of an Operating System – scheduling, managing concurrency, managing memory, managing devices, files systems
  • + Role of drivers
  • + Types of Operating Systems – embedded, stand-alone server
  • + Role of components in the Central Processing Unit (CPU) – Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), Control unit (CU), registers, program counter, system clock, data bus, address buss, and control bus
  • + Machine Cycle (Fetch-Execute Cycle)
  • + Purpose of different processor architectures for different types of systems
  • + Types of processing – distributed, sequential, parallel and multicore
  • + System performance using benchmarking for – Software, Hardware, Operating Systems
  • + Role of disaster recovery plans
  • + Disaster recovery tools – online storage, snapshop imaging, incremental backup, full backup, RAID (Level 0, 1, 10), Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
  • + Platform virtualisation with application virtualisation – desktop virtualisation, personal computer virtualisation, server virtualisation, storage virtualisation
  • + Cloud computing – purpose, advantages, disadvantages
  • + Convergence of technologies – mobile devices
  • + Disposal of computer components - environmental issues
  • + Secure disposal of data
  • + Role of law and ethics in the development of ICT systems – Intellectual Property
  • + Role of law and ethics in the use of ICT systems including – code of conduct, software and information piracy

 

Managing Data

  • + Physical storage of databases – online, local
  • + Types of Databases – distributed, centralised
  • + Data Warehouses, data marts and data mining – ethical implications
  • + Terms and functions of a database management system – data dictionary, data definition, data duplication, data integrity (referential integrity, domain integrity, entity integrity), data redundancy, data anomalies including insert, delete and update, data manipulation, data security
  • + Normalisation of data to 3NF
  • + role for open systems in database interconnectivity, development and management – data driven websites
  • + user database documentation
  • + role of law and ethics in the storage of personal data – Privacy laws, Freedom of Information Act, disposal of data
  • + Create entity relationship (ER) diagrams to plan a database solution – detect errors in existing ER diagrams, create accurate ER diagrams based on updated information
  • + Create data dictionary
  • + Create visual interface and navigation systems to assist users of a database
  • + Normalisation of data to 3NF
  • + Resolve complex many-to-many (M:N) relationships in a multi-table relational database system (three or more entities)
  • + Create a working relational multi-table database which includes –  data types, relations, primary and foreign keys, referential integrity, relationships, cardinality (1:1, 1:M, M:1, M:N), validation rules, forms, reports, simple queries using SQL (up to two tables), queries across multiple tables using appropriate database tool
  • + Apply simple programmed control structures, including IF statements, and calculations within the database

 

 

Unit 3BCSC: Stage 3

Unit Description

The unit description provides the focus for teaching the specific unit content.

The focus for this unit is the design and development of communication systems and software solutions using the software development cycle. Students gain the knowledge and skills to create software that solves a range of problems.  They use algorithms and structured programming to design and implement software solutions.  The students examine attitudes and values that lead to the creation and use of computer-based systems and their effect on society. Students consider communication systems, including security and protocols.

Unit Content

It is recommended that students studying Stage 3 have completed Stage 2 units.

This unit includes knowledge, understandings and skills to the degree of complexity described.  This is the examinable content of the course.

Typically 20 percent of the allocated time would be for developing software content, 60 percent for programming content and 20 percent for networks and communications content.

 

 

Developing Software

  • + Software requirements – network (per seat), enterprise, commercial/proprietary, end-user licence agreement (EULA)
  • + Factors affecting the development of software – user needs, user interface, processing efficiency, development time, technical specifications
  • + professional ethics of developers when creating new software
  • + legal obligations of developers when creating new software
  • + legal and ethical responsibilities of users
  • + Software Development Cycle (SDC) in planning and development software solutions – analyse detailed requirements, design data and algorithms, code data structures and instructions, debug syntax and logic errors, test to meet specifications
  • + Document internally and externally
  • + Implement and test with live data
  • + Evaluate performance of the program

 

Programming

Apply the SDC to create prototype solutions using psuedocode and an approved programming language.

  • + Characteristics of simple data types – integer, real (floating point number), Boolean, Character
  • + Characteristics of complex data types – string, one-dimensional arrays, records
  • + Programming concepts – constants, variables (local, global, parameters), stubs, statements, modularisation, functions, scope and lifetime of identifiers – parameter passing (value, reference), difference between source code, byte code and executable code, difference between an interpreter and a compiler
  • + Syntax errors
  • + Run-time errors
  • + Purposes and characteristics of internal and external documentation
  • + Create structure charts
  • + use pseudocode to represent a programming solution
  • + Apply Programming concepts – constants, variables (local, global, parameters), stubs, statements, modularisation, functions, scope and lifetime of identifiers (parameter passing – value and reference)
  • + Apply Control Structures – Sequence, Selection (one-way, two-way, multi-way), iteration (while, repeat until, fixed)
  • + Apply algorithmic and programming techniques – internal and external documentation, interpret and create structure charts with parameter passing
  • + Select and Apply suitable test data and testing techniques
  • + Using trace tables to test for and debug logic errors
  • + Data validation techniques including range checking and type checking

 

Networks and Communications

  • + Role of hardware devices in a variety of network communications – router, switch, firewall, modem, Network Interface Card (NIC), Wireless Access Point (WAP), Bridge, Gateway, Repeaters
  • + Characteristics of Wireless Transmission media – broadcast radio, satellite, microwave, cellular
  • + Characteristics and problems associated with wired transmission media – Twisted Pair (UTP, STP), Fibre Optic (Single-Mode, Multi-mode)
  • + Compare network control protocols CSMA/CD and CSMA/CA
  • + Error detection and correction in digital data transmission – parity bit, checksum
  • + Communication protocols and standards – Wireless (Bluetooth, Ethernet 802.11x, RFId, WAP), Wired (Ethernet 802.3), TCP/IP (IP4, IP6), DHCP and DNS
  • + Purpose of Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network Area Storage (NAS)
  • + Security of Networks – Denial of Service, Back Doors, IP Spoofing, Phishing
  • + Factors influencing the performance of a network such as – Bandwidth, Network Design, Data Collisions, Excess broadcast traffic
  • + Use diagrams to represent network topologies for LAN, WLAN and WAN