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INFO5001: System Analysis and Modelling (2014 - Semester 2)

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Unit: INFO5001: System Analysis and Modelling (6 CP)
Mode: Normal-Day
On Offer: Yes
Level: Postgraduate
Faculty/School: School of Computer Science
Unit Coordinator/s: Dr Chung, Vera
Session options: Semester 2
Versions for this Unit:
Site(s) for this Unit: http://learn-on-line.ce.usyd.edu.au
Campus: Camperdown/Darlington
Pre-Requisites: None.
Prohibitions: ELEC3610 OR ELEC5743 OR INFO2110.
Brief Handbook Description: This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to the analysis of complex systems. Key topics are the determination and expression of system requirements (both functional and non-functional), and the representation of structural and behavioural models of the system in UML notations. Students will be expected to evaluate requirements documents and models as well as producing them. This unit covers essential topics from the ACM/IEEE SE2004 curriculum, especially from MAA Software Modelling and Analysis. Note: The lectures of this unit are co-taught with INFO2110.
Assumed Knowledge: experience with a data model as in COMP5212 or COMP5214 or COMP5028 or COMP5138
Lecturer/s: Dr Chung, Vera
Tutor/s: Feng Sha - [email protected]

Angus Ma - [email protected]

Felix Lo - [email protected]
Timetable: INFO5001 Timetable
Time Commitment:
# Activity Name Hours per Week Sessions per Week Weeks per Semester
1 Independent Study 9.00 1 13
2 Lecture 2.00 1 13
3 Tutorial 1.00 1 12
T&L Activities: Lecture: Lectures include presentations, demonstrations of how to carry out analysis and related activities and active-learning participation by students. Summaries available on the UoS web site.

Tutorial: Students will work in groups to practice systems analysis activities, and the discuss how the concepts can be applied.

Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.

Attribute Development Method Attribute Developed
Problem investigation and analysis. Identifying and evaluating alternative solutions. Design (Level 3)
Requirements Capture, and conceptual Data and Process modelling - essential skills in the ICT disciplines. Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3)
Identifying information needs. Gathering and evaluating information from varied sources. Information Seeking (Level 3)
Producing clear well-constructed technical documents and diagrams. Undertaking an oral presentation. Communication (Level 3)
Appreciation of the organisational context of information systems development. Awareness of professional responsibilities for systems analysts. Professional Conduct (Level 3)
Working in project teams with clearly differentiated roles and responsibilities. Awareness of planning issues and methods. Ability to work with project planning methods and documents. Project and Team Skills (Level 3)

For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table.

Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.

Design (Level 3)
1. An awareness of the tasks involved in identifying alternative system solutions and assessing their feasibility
Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3)
2. Experience of requirements discovery based on a substantial realistic context, eg through joint requirements planning, carrying out or watching interviews, questionnaires; Ability to work with requirements documents, to identify aspects of requirements including functional, performance and usability conditions
3. Experience of data modelling based on a substantial realistic context; An awareness of the tasks involved when working with conceptual data model documents, along with the ability to create, interpret and evaluate UML class structure diagrams.
4. Experience of process modelling based on a substantial realistic context; An awareness of the tasks involved when working with process model documents, along with the ability to create, interpret and evaluate UML message sequence diagrams, collaboration diagrams, activity diagrams and statechart diagrams.
5. Ability to relate different diagrams (e.g. to identify inconsistencies between them)
Communication (Level 3)
6. Ability to produce clear well-constructed technical documents and diagrams. Ability to produce and deliver an oral presentation.
Professional Conduct (Level 3)
7. An understanding of the stages in the process of developing an information system, and the relationship to the organisational context (especially the role of systems analysts interacting with other stakeholders); understanding of the way the process uses documents such as requirements descriptions and analysis models.
Project and Team Skills (Level 3)
8. An awareness of risk issues, and of methods of dealing with them, including cost-benefit analyses, project planning and management. Ability to work with project planning documents including Gantt charts and detailed Work Breakdown Structures
Assessment Methods:
# Name Group Weight Due Week Outcomes
1 Assignment 1: System requirements No 15.00 Multiple Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8,
2 Assignment 2: System model No 15.00 Multiple Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
3 Quiz 1 No 3.00 Week 6 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
4 Quiz 2 No 3.00 Week 8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8,
5 Quiz 3 No 4.00 Week 10 2, 3, 4, 5,
6 Final Exam No 60.00 Exam Period 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8,
Assessment Description: Assignment: Assignment 1: System Requirements (in teams). Elicit and document system requirements; deliver/explain these in oral presentation.

Quiz: Mid-session Quiz. Knowledge of UML and other notations, project management techniques, interface design.

Assignment: Assignment 2: System Modelling. Following on from the previous assignment, will assemble descriptions of the system using appropriate notations, design the mobile interface using HTML & Android simulator.

Final Exam: Written Examination. Covering all aspects of the unit. Duration two hours.
Grading:
Grade Type Description
Standards Based Assessment Final grades in this unit are awarded at levels of HD for High Distinction, DI (previously D) for Distinction, CR for Credit, PS (previously P) for Pass and FA (previously F) for Fail as defined by University of Sydney Assessment Policy. Details of the Assessment Policy are available on the Policies website at http://sydney.edu.au/policies . Standards for grades in individual assessment tasks and the summative method for obtaining a final mark in the unit will be set out in a marking guide supplied by the unit coordinator.
Special Conditions to Pass UoS It is a policy of the School of Information Technologies that in order to pass this unit, a student must achieve at least 40% in the written 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.
Policies & Procedures: IMPORTANT: School policy relating to Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.

In assessing a piece of submitted work, the School of IT 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.

Other policies

See the policies page of the faculty website at http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/student-policies/ for information regarding university policies and local provisions and procedures within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.
Prescribed Text/s: Note: Students are expected to have a personal copy of all books listed.
Recommended Reference/s: Note: References are provided for guidance purposes only. Students are advised to consult these books in the university library. Purchase is not required.
Online Course Content: available in WebCT: http://learn-on-line.ce.usyd.edu.au

Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp

Week Description
Week 1 Reading: Dennis Ch 1
Course Introduction; Overview of SDLC.
Week 2 Reading: Dennis Ch 2
Project Proposal (Business Need and Value); Introduction to Project Planning and Management.
Week 3 Project Management & Emerging trends in IT

Warren Raynor: Guest Lecture from IBM
Reading: Dennis Ch 2
Week 4 Requirements (Functional & Non-functional).
Reading: Dennis Ch 3-4
Week 5 Reading: Dennis Ch 11
Physical & System Architecture Design
Week 6 Reading: Dennis Ch 10
Human Computer Interaction layer design

Ronnie Taib: Guest Lecture from NICTA HCI team
Assessment Due: Quiz 1
Week 7 Modelling of Rule based system
Introduction to HTML
Week 8 Structural Models in Analysis; Class and object diagrams.
Reading: Dennis Ch 8
Assessment Due: Quiz 2
Week 9 Reading: Dennis Ch 5
Structural Models in Analysis, using CRC cards in analysis.
Week 10 Reading: Dennis Ch 6
Behavioral models (interaction diagram)
Assessment Due: Quiz 3
Week 11 Reading: Dennis Ch6-7
Behavioral models (state diagram)
Validation of models
Week 12 Construction (Testing and documentation)

The Professional, Ethics and Professionalism
Reading: Dennis Ch12
Week 13 Review
Exam Period Assessment Due: Final Exam

Course Relations

The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.

Course Year(s) Offered

Course Goals

This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:

Attribute Practiced Assessed
Design (Level 3) Yes 11.15%
Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 3) Yes 58.84%
Information Seeking (Level 3) Yes 0%
Communication (Level 3) Yes 4.64%
Professional Conduct (Level 3) Yes 14.25%
Project and Team Skills (Level 3) Yes 11.15%

These goals are selected from Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.