Mark Dixon Page 1 Tech043 01 – Module Introduction
Mark Dixon Page 1
Tech04301 – Module Introduction
Mark Dixon Page 2
Web site
• All material (slides, handouts, etc.)available before session:
mdixon.soc.plymouth.ac.uk
Mark Dixon Page 3
About Me• Contact Details
Mark [email protected] 586225Portland SquareRoom B316
• Availability
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu – School of Computing Communications and Electronics (main campus)
Fri – other work (usually off-campus)
Mark Dixon Page 4
Driving, IT, and Computing
Driver Mechanic Designer
User IT Support Developeruse
technologyinstall + fixtechnology
create + buildinvent
technology
SchoolICT GCSE/A level
UniversityComputing Degrees
use car fix car invent car
Mark Dixon Page 5
Dynamic-Interactive Web-sites
Mark Dixon Page 6
Module Aims
• This module aims to teach you, how to:– learn
• surface learning (memorisation of isolated facts): hacking• deep learning (interrelated concepts)• includes interacting with others (lecturers, students, …)
– develop software:• fundamental programming concepts (e.g. events,
procedures)• how to combine these to solve problems
– use Visual BASIC
Mark Dixon Page 7
Module Admin• Lectures and tutorials:
– start at 5 minutes past the hour, and– aim to end at 5 minutes to the hour– if no lecturer - wait until 15 minutes past the hour
then you may leave– Turn mobile phones off.– Ask questions or comment at any time– Feel free to talk quietly amongst yourselves– No need to ask to leave (for toilet, doctor's, etc.)
• Lectures:– Don’t come in after 15 minutes past the hour.
Mark Dixon Page 8
Module FormatThe module is delivered as follows:• Lecture: 1 hr per week, all groups• Tutorials / Practical Session: 2 hr per week
lots of these (please check timetable)• Private study (as much as it takes – typically 3
hours/week)• 1 to 1 sessions (my office or labs) as needed at your
request
• Teaching Evaluation (timely and specific)– Student Perception Questionnaire– Continuous Informal Feedback (talk to me)
Mark Dixon Page 9
Timetable09:05 - 09:55 10:05 - 10:55 11:05 - 11:55 12:05 - 12:55 13:05 - 13:55 14:05 - 14:55 15:05 - 15:55 16:05 - 16:55
Mon
TueLecture BGB006
Tutorial 2SMB109
WedTutorial 1SMB109
ThuTutorial 3SMB109
Fri
Mark Dixon Page 10
Schedule (subject to change)Term Lecture Start Title Assessment
No. Date- 29-Sep -1 06-Oct Module Introduction & HTML2 13-Oct VBS: VB Script (client-side)
4 27-Oct VBS: Conditional Execution1 5 03-Nov VBS: Constants & Variables
6 10-Nov Coursework 1 (in-lecture test) C1 TestVBS: ProceduresCoursework 2 brief (tutorials) C2 out
8 24-Nov VBS: Iterative Execution9 01-Dec VBS: Arrays & Classes
10 08-Dec VBS: Procedure Parameters11 15-Dec VBS: Functions C2 in
12 12-Jan VBS: Modules13 19-Jan Coursework 2 debrief14 26-Jan Coursework 3 (in-lecture test) C3 Test15 02-Feb ASP: Intro
ASP: StateCoursework 4 brief
17 16-Feb ASP: Databases – ADO 2 18 23-Feb ASP: Databases – SQL
19 02-Mar ASP: Databases – Multiple tables20 09-Mar ASP: Databases – Writing to tables21 16-Mar ASP: Modular Design C4 in22 23-Mar ASP: Object Oriented Programming23 30-Mar VB: IDE, Graphics, Sound24 Revision
16 09-Feb C4 out
7 17-Nov
3 20-Oct VBS: Expressions
Mark Dixon Page 11
Reading List 1
The following book is recommended reading:– Robbins J (2006) HTML & XHTML Pocket Reference
(3rd edition). O'Reilly. ISBN: 978-0-596-52727-3 – Childs M, Lomax P, & Petrusha R (2001) VBScript
Pocket Reference. O'Reilly. ISBN: 978-0-596-00126-1
– Gennick J (2006) SQL Pocket Guide (2nd edition). O'Reilly. ISBN: 978-0-596-52688-7
– Kingsley-Hughes, Kingsley-Hughes, and Read (2004) VBScript (2nd Edition). Wiley Publishing Inc.ISBN: 0-7645-5993-1
Mark Dixon Page 12
Reading List 2Additional reading (the following are referred to occasionally, borrow
from library):• Pressman, R (2000) Software Engineering: a practitioner's
approach. 5th edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 0-07-709677-0. • Sommerville, I (2001) Software Engineering. 6th edition. Addison-
Wesley. ISBN: 0-201-39815-X. – Overview of Software Engineering: Chapter 1, especially page 4.
• Preece, J; Rogers, Y; Sharp, H; Benyon, D; Holland, S; and Carey, T (1994) Human-Computer Interaction. Addison Wesley. ISBN: 0-201-62769-8 – Direct Manipulation: Section 13.6, pages 270-272. – Interface Design: Chapter 24, pages 487-499.
• Shneiderman, Ben (1998) Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction. 3rd edition. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-69497-2004.019 SHN
Mark Dixon Page 13
Student Background• Typically wide range of prior experience
A. 10 years programming (professional?)
B. 5 years programming (professional?)
C. 2 years programming (learning?)
D. 1 year programming (learning)
E. no programming
• Can be difficult to cater for allA B C D E
number ofstudents
Mark Dixon Page 14
Attendance
• Attendance is compulsory and essential to pass
• This is not a distance learning course
• portal is supplement (not replacement) for attending lectures and tutorials
Mark Dixon Page 15
Last Year• 36 students
– offered 1 to 1 sessionsafter assignment 1
– all who did this passed
• 14 failed initially (38%)– large number of non-submissions
• everyone who attended - passed
• everyone who submitted - passed
C1 C2 C3 C4 C E Module28.84 26.65 30.83 23.35 44.20 54.68 41.857.26 5.19 7.58 10.17 20.14 18.56 23.44
43.50 37.50 44.50 35.75 80.63 94.00 87.3141.50 35.50 37.00 25.75 69.88 79.00 74.4431.00 30.50 39.00 24.00 62.25 71.00 66.6332.00 30.50 34.50 25.75 61.38 69.50 65.4431.00 30.00 23.25 40.50 62.38 64.00 63.1938.50 25.50 33.50 1.00 49.25 76.00 62.6338.00 24.50 39.75 30.50 66.38 57.00 61.6923.00 27.00 35.50 24.50 55.00 66.00 60.5025.75 24.50 26.50 20.50 48.63 71.00 59.8134.25 23.00 35.25 34.00 63.25 56.00 59.6335.00 24.50 35.25 22.50 58.63 59.00 58.8130.50 27.50 20.00 28.00 53.00 64.00 58.5038.50 30.50 39.00 33.75 70.88 45.00 57.9420.00 29.00 31.75 15.50 48.13 62.50 55.3130.00 25.00 20.00 20.25 47.63 61.50 54.5626.25 32.00 30.50 27.75 58.25 49.00 53.6328.00 27.50 20.50 22.25 49.13 55.00 52.0634.00 25.00 30.00 30.25 59.63 39.50 49.5624.50 22.00 30.50 2.50 39.75 58.50 49.1326.50 27.50 20.00 19.25 46.63 48.00 47.3123.50 32.00 28.75 23.75 54.00 37.00 45.5025.75 32.50 19.25 3.00 40.25 40.50 40.3823.25 22.00 32.25 38.75 38.00 38.3836.50 12.50 26.75 37.88 19.30 28.5937.75 27.50 44.25 54.75 27.3823.75 19.50 29.00 36.13 15.00 25.56
26.00 13.00 26.50 19.7526.00 17.00 27.50 35.25 17.63
27.50 40.00 33.75 16.8821.00 24.50 20.00 32.75 16.3824.00 25.50 24.75 12.3827.00 13.50 6.7520.00 10.00 5.0019.00 9.50 4.7512.50 6.25 3.13
0.00 0.00Everyone who has submitted each component has passed the module Total 36
Passed 22Rate 61.11%
last year: 61.54%
Mark Dixon Page 16
Strategy for Success
• Most failures:– tried to do it on their own
• missed many lectures and tutorials• didn’t ask questions• didn't come and see me with problems
• To pass module– attend lectures and tutorials
(if you miss a session – see me – I will help)– ask questions
Mark Dixon Page 17
Expectancy-ValueTheory of Motivation
• People avoid tasks they see as:– impossible– pointless
• This module is:– challenging, but not impossible– critical to your degree
technical skills foster creativity
Mark Dixon Page 18
Student Feedback• feedback form
– filled in by students– handed in with
assignment
• this student:– failed (low
attendance, low contact with me)
– did referred work (over summer)
– passed
Mark Dixon Page 19
Student feedback (zoom)
Mark Dixon Page 20
Admin – free software• Technicians (Babbage 205) can provide you
with free copies of (bring your own blank CDs):
– MS Windows XP Professional (1 CD), includes• MS Internet Information Services (term 2)
– MS Visual Studio 2005 (4 CDs), includes• Visual Web Developer 2005• Visual BASIC 2005• Visual C++ 2005
Mark Dixon Page 21
Admin – jobs
• Computer weekly (jobs in 7 days)6 Oct 2008 1 Oct 2006 29 Sep
2005
– java 1849 3237 (2234)– VB 1185 1671 (1614)– ASP 1693 1709 (1355)– php 630 551 (215)– flash 463 407 (168)– dreamweaver 98 171 (69)
www.cwjobs.co.uk
Mark Dixon Page 22
Admin – jobs