Undergraduate Course: Professional Issues (Level 10) (INFR10022)
Course Outline
| School | School of Informatics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | There are many commercial, engineering and professional issues, complementary to the necessary scientific knowledge and technical skills, that impinge on the work of the computing professional. The Professional Issues course aims to provide a general awareness of these issues and to cover some of them in depth. The course will involve lectures from members of staff and visitors and directed reading. |
| Course description |
* Personal Attributes: study skills, personal development, interpersonal skills; employers' views and expectations of graduates; study skills, writing skills, presentation skills.
* The Computing Profession: professional bodies; codes of conduct and practice.
* Social and ethical issues: security, privacy, software ownership
* Legal Issues: legal and regulatory frameworks; software contracts and liability; intellectual property, copyright and patents; computer misuse, data protection; health and safety.
* Commercial Issues: organisational structures; finance, accounting, audit; resource management.
* Computing Projects: design, prototype and product; product development cycle; marketing and market research; project management and team working; change management.
* This course consolidates complements and assesses the students appreciation and understanding of Professional Issues introduced across our curriculum.
Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections: Professionalism
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Informatics Research Proposal (INFR11071) AND
Informatics Research Proposal (INFR11137)
|
Other requirements | This course is open to all undergraduate Informatics students including those on joint degrees. For external students where this course is not listed in your DPT, please seek special permission from the course organiser (lecturer). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students are required to have comparable background to that assumed by the course prerequisites listed in the Degree Regulations & Programmes of Study.
If in doubt, consult the course organiser (lecturer). |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
56 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
85 %,
Coursework
15 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The examination will involve essay-style questions. The assessed coursework will also be an essay to allow practice in essay writing. All essays will be assessed on their quality of English as well as content.
You should expect to spend approximately 15 hours on the coursework for this course.
If delivered in semester 1, this course will have an option for semester 1 only visiting undergraduate students, providing assessment prior to the end of the calendar year. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- describe the desirable attributes of graduates in computing, and explain the importance of professionalism in computing
- identify how and where social, ethical and legal issues relate to computing
- describe the structure and operation of commercial computing organisations
- describe and explain the relationships between scientific, technical & engineering issues and real world issues in computing
- construct a well-written essay
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Reading List
Professional Issues in Information Technology, 2nd Edition, Frank Bott, BCS Learning & Development Limited, 2014.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Mike Fourman
Tel: (0131 6)51 5615
Email: Michael.Fourman@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Victoria Swann
Tel: (0131 6)51 7607
Email: Vicky.Swann@ed.ac.uk |
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