COMP110 - Professional Skills in Computer Science

Year: 2011-12
Originating department: Computer Science
Faculty: Faculty of Science & Engineering
Semester: Whole Session
Credit level: Level One
Credit value: 15
External examiner: Prof David Robertson
Member of staff with responsibility for the module: Dr U Hustadt
e-mail: u.hustadt@liverpool.ac.uk
Board of studies: Board of Studies in Computer Science
Mode of delivery: Lectures/Tutorials
Contact hours: 20 lectures, 5 tutorials, 5 practicals
Pre-requisites: none
Co-requisites: none

Module description

Aims

  • To provide students with the key skills required of a computing professional.
  • To develop the communication and employability skills of students.
  • To provide students with an economic, historic, organisational, research, and social perspective on computing.
  • To introduce students to concepts of professional ethics as well as social and legal aspects of computing.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:

  • effectively retrieve information including the use of library and web sources and the evaluation of information retrieved from such sources);
  • effectively use general IT facilities including organising their filstore, taking advantage of access control and security features of operating systems;
  • effectively use relevant software packages and appreciate different types of software;
  • effectively communicate in writing and orally;
  • manage their own learning and have an awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and the roles of computing professionals.
  • describe and discuss economic, historic, organisational, research, and social aspects of computing as a discipline and computing in practice;
  • appraise professional, ethical, legal and social isssues related to the work of a professional within the IT industry with particular regard to the BCS Codes of Conduct and Practice.

Teaching and learning strategies

Formal Lectures: The module will be delivered over two semesters with one lecture period of about four weeks per semester. Formal lectures will be used to introduce students to the concepts and methods covered by the module.

Tutorials/Practicals: Alongside lectures during the two lecture periods, students will be expected to attend about one hour of tutorials or computer lab practicals per week. Computer lab practicals are intended to allow students to undertake computer exercises and guided self-study of the use of IT facilities with the possibility of immediate feedback. Tutorials will allow students to work in small groups on questions and exercises related to the material covered in lectures.

Private study: Private study will provide time for reflection and consideration of lecture material, background reading and completion of the assessment tasks.

Assessment: Continuous assessment will be used to test to what extent the learning outcomes of the module have been achieved.

Syllabus

  • Directory structures, organising your file store, access control and security, types of software eg systems, applications. (Guided self study)
  • Software packages: eg word processors, spreadsheets, presentation programs. (Guided self study)
  • Overview of Computing as a discipline and Computing in practice: Economic, historic, organisational, research, and social aspects of Computing (4 lectures)
  • Employability skills: Understanding the skills that graduate recruiters look for from Computer Science graduates, managing one's own learning, lifelong learning, time management, project management, working in groups and as individual, study skills. (4 lectures)
  • Information retrieval: effective use of search engines, bibliographic databases, library catalogues; evaluating information sources. (2 lectures)
  • Communication skills: writing reports / documenation (good practice, use of English, referencing and citation), giving presentations (good techniques), other forms of communication. (6 lectures)
  • Legal, ethical, social and professional (LSEP) issues including data protection and standards. (4 lectures)

Recommended texts

  • F. Bott: Professional Issues in Information Technology. British Computer Society (latest edition).
  • W. Hughes, J. Lavery, and K. Doran: Critical Thinking. Broadview Press (latest edition).
  • J. M. Kizza: Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. Springer (latest edition).
  • J. Zobel: Writing for Computer Science. Springer (latest edition).

Assessment weightings

100% continuous assessment

Please report any problems to the email address at the bottom of the page.