COSC101-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Working in a Digital World

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

This course provides students with an understanding of how the digital world is engineered, and exposes them to a range of tools commonly used by knowledge workers. Students will learn to critically evaluate systems from both a technical and human point of view.

This course will give you a deeper understanding of computers by examining how they work, how they interface to the human world, and what the limits of computation are. It focuses on how the technical considerations (hardware and software) impact the other key part of the computer system, the human. This connects technical issues (such as clock speed, colour depth and encryption) with the corresponding human issues (such as reaction times, colour perception and privacy).

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically evaluate interfaces and explain digital systems beyond "screen essentialism" [WA2]
2. Analyse digital systems and their role in society [WA6]
3. Use digital systems efficiently and effectively [WA2]
4. Discuss the impact of a digital system on society, including ethical and privacy considerations, and the impact of digital systems in Aotearoa New Zealand as a bicultural society [WA6, WA7, WA8]
5. Discuss current trends in computing, and the limits of computation [WA6]

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Restrictions

COSC110, DIGI101

Equivalent Courses

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 14:00 - 15:00 E9 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00 Meremere 108 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 13:00 - 15:00 Jack Erskine 131 Lab 1
24 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
02 Tuesday 16:00 - 18:00 Jack Erskine 131 Lab 1
24 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
03 Wednesday 12:00 - 14:00 Jack Erskine 136 Lab 4
24 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
04 Monday 12:00 - 14:00 Jack Erskine 131 Lab 1
24 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun

Timetable Note

• Two lectures per week will provide the platform for learning terminology and the details of how digital systems work and how they impact their users.
• Two hours a week will be scheduled for tutorials; these will vary between hands-on labs where you work with tools and explore how to use them effectively and efficiently, and discussion tutorials where you will gain experience applying the frameworks you have learned to critically discuss issues that arise in digital systems.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Tim Bell

Guest Lecturer

Jeff Paone (Erskine Visitor)

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assignment 15% Assessment of writing about issues in digital systems (using digital publishing tools)
Mid Semester Test 20%
Lab Quizzes 15% Weekly quizzes in tutorials (through the Learn LMS)
Final Exam 50%

Textbooks / Resources

• There is no formal recommended textbook, as we will use online resources and material supplied through Learn.
• We will also make use of Internet sites with relevant material, such as howstuffworks.com and wikipedia.org. References to these sites will be given throughout the course, but you should also use them when you need more detailed explanations of terms used in the course.

Additional Course Outline Information

Grade moderation

The Computer Science department's grading policy states that in order to pass a course you must meet two requirements:
1. You must achieve an average grade of at least 50% over all assessment items.
2. You must achieve an average mark of at least 45% on invigilated assessment items.

If you satisfy both these criteria, your grade will be determined by the following University-wide scale for converting marks to grades: an average mark of 50% is sufficient for a C- grade, an average mark of 55% earns a C grade, 60% earns a C+ grade and so forth. However if you do not satisfy both the passing criteria you will be given either a D or E grade depending on marks. Marks are sometimes scaled to achieve consistency between courses from year to year.

Students may apply for special consideration if their performance in an assessment is affected by extenuating circumstances beyond their control.

Applications for special consideration should be submitted via the Examinations Office website within five days of the assessment.

Where an extension may be granted for an assessment, this will be decided by direct application to the Department and an application to the Examinations Office may not be required.

Special consideration is not available for items worth less than 10% of the course.

Students prevented by extenuating circumstances from completing the course after the final date for withdrawing, may apply for special consideration for late discontinuation of the course. Applications must be submitted to the Examinations Office within five days of the end of the main examination period for the semester.

Computing Equipment

The practical part of this course uses personal computers (Windows PCs), which are available in the COSC110 computer laboratory on level 1 of the Erskine building (room 131). You will be shown where this equipment is located within the laboratory, and will be allocated two hours per week of tutor-assisted lab work. Your student card will provide access for some after-hours work in this lab.
Note that outside of lab times the Computer Science Department’s computers may only be used for assigned course work!
The ICT Services department (ICTS) makes PCs available in various workrooms around campus. Most of these facilities are available 24 hours per day, although some of the workrooms can be booked for classes and access may be limited at certain times. Further information can be found here

Special Consideration Applications for the Final Exam

Please click HERE for the CSSE Department's policy for the academic remedy of applications for a special consideration for final exams.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $998.00

International fee $5,188.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 15 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Computer Science and Software Engineering .

All COSC101 Occurrences

  • COSC101-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025