School of Information Technologies
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School of Information Technologies
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A reminder that cheating is academic misconduct. Academic misconduct can lead to failing a course or being excluded.
2007-11-01 There is no sample examination paper but if you review your lecture notes and tutorial materials and your assignments then you should be well-prepared for the examination.
2007-10-31 The tutorials page has been updated with a list of discussion points for most questions and selected answers.
This unit of study is a core requirement for the Software Engineering stream in the Bachelor of Engineering, and also for the major in Software Development in the Bachelor of Computer Science and Technology degree. It assumes that you already have considerable experience as a developer of object-oriented software, for example, in C++, Python, Java and similar languages. Its goal is to improve your ability to evaluate the quality of software through thorough testing by improving your ability to write test scripts to implement test suites and understanding testing methodology. You will gain an understanding of black box testing, white box testing, regression testing and stress testing and the ability to design test suites for each type of test. You will also gain an awareness of mechanisms to prove the correctness of programs, or sub-pieces of programs; and an awareness of the complexity of determining the correctness of a software system.
Material will be presented in a mixture of C++, Python and Java and where possible you will be free to work in these languages. You will be given the opportunity to practice programming in order to demonstrate your testing skill.
To enrol in SOFT3302, you need full Passes or better in one of SOFT2130 or COMP2160 or their equivalents and also at least a Pass in INFO2110 (or equivalent). Students with an alternative background (especially those without INFO2110) can seek special permission through the School of IT office. In particular, we will assume that students in the unit have development coding skills and an understanding of the software development process, and that they are skilled programmers with four semesters of experience including at least a year of OO.
You will be expected to be able to read well-structured code in 'clean' OO languages such as C++, Python and Java; recognising ideas no matter which syntax is used and be able to compare and contrast the particular idioms of OO languages. Where possible you will be free to complete assignments in these languages.
There is an alternative Advanced unit of study called SOFT3602. Entry to this is limited to students with a Distinction in at least one second or third year unit in SOFT or INFO. The Advanced and normal units share some material, but the lab sessions may cover different material, as well as the assessment being different. SOFT3602 will cover some sophisticated content, and have more challenging assignments. Marks in SOFT3602 will be scaled at the end of semester, so that results are fairly comparable between the two units. Any student who qualifies for SOFT3602 and wishes to change their enrolment should do so as soon as possible, and in any case by the appropriate semester cut-off date.
The Unit Coordinator is Associate Professor Judy Kay (tel: 9351 4502, email: judy(AT)it.usyd.edu.au, room: SIT Building J12, Room 318). Associate Professor Judy Kay is available to any student at her consultation times.
Lectures will be given by Dr James Farrow, who has extensive industry experience in developing object-oriented software development in C++, Python, Java and other OO languages, and design. Dr Farrow is a graduate of the University of Sydney. Dr Farrow is not the administrative contact for this course. All administrative issues (such as dispute about assessment results, requests for special consideration, difficulty with enrolment, etc.) must be directed to Associate Professor Judy Kay. Other requests for explanation and assistance should be directed first to tutors and then if necessary to Associate Professor Judy Kay.
If Associate Professor Judy Kay can't resolve an issue to your satisfaction, you should contact the Third year Advisor, Dr Ying Zhou (email: zhouy(AT)it.usyd.edu.au).
Each student is scheduled for 4 hours per week on class activities for SOFT3302. This is a 2 hr lecture, on Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Madsen Lecture Theatre in Electrical Engineering 351. There is also a 2 hr lab session.
The lecture is used to outline some key concepts for the week; this will guide you in reading from the books listed as references, and provide the impetus for your work on the lab exercises. Here is a plan of the intended lecture content, week by week.
Online and other supplied resources are not intended to replace your own note-taking. In particular, absence of material from the plan or notes does not imply its absence from the assessment. In addition, the SOFT3602 labs will discuss some sophisticated aspects of these topics, beyond the immediate focus of the lectures.
The lab session each week is used to provide some structured learning experiences; they also give the tutor an opportunity to give you feedback on your work. The tutor will be present for one hour per week out of the lab session, but you are required to attend for the whole period. Toward the end of the semester, the lab sessions provide time for you to meet as a group and work on your projects.
You are expected to attend for all 4 scheduled hours, in the times listed on your official MyUni timetable. If for some reason these times are not suitable, then you need to change your official timetable.
As well as the scheduled hours, each student is expected to devote eight (8) extra hours each week to SOFT3302. This includes time spent doing assessment tasks, reading the reference books, trying out ideas on the computer, planning your work, meeting your group, etc. If you can't spare this amount of time, you should reduce your study load, or else reduce the amount of extra-curricular work or play in your life.
Assessment in this unit is based on a range of tasks, described briefly below. Detailed information, including criteria for each level of result in each task, will be posted at least two weeks before the due date.
Note that in order to pass the unit, you must meet all of the following conditions which are general policy of the School of Information Technology, and apply in all its units.
Note that the School of IT policy on special consideration clearly states that you can't use Special Conderation to compensate for poor performance during an exam if you sit for the exam. That is, you only get one attempt at the exam when you must achieve the required exam marks. Please also note the requirements for documentation and deadlines on applications for Special Consideration.
Here is the breakdown of marks among practical assessment tasks. The total marks for SOFT3302 are 100, with 70 from the written exam, and 30 from the practical work described. The total will then be scaled by the School examiners' meeting, to keep final results comparable between normal and Advanced classes, to take account of academic judgement about the appropriate Pass line, and also to adhere to Faculty of Science policy on the number of merit grades awarded. Scaling may lead to students' marks moving up or down. Scaling will not alter the relative order between two students who are enrolled in the same unit of study. Following scaling, any student who does not meet the essential conditions for passing will have their mark changed so that it is at most 45.
Assignments (except where otherwise noted) are to be handed in to the appropriately labelled collection box in the SIT Building. The assignment should be in a folder with the students name, SID and tutor clearly marked on the outside. Assignments must be accompanied by a signed cover sheet. Students are urged to keep a copy of any work they hand in.
Deadlines for assignments are set on the assumption that students may experience minor setbacks caused by sickness, computer breakdown etc. In this context, 'minor' means 'causing a delay of up to three working days'. Extensions will not be granted for minor setbacks. This is another reason why it is important to work steadily on assignments as soon as they are given.
| Practical Assessment | Topic | Due in | Group Marks | Individual Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1
SOFT3302 SOFT3602 (Advanced) | Structured testing | 5 p.m. Friday Week 6 | 10 | |
| Assignment 2
SOFT3302 SOFT3602 (Advanced) | Test management | 5 p.m. Tuesday Week 10 | 10 | |
| Assignment 3
SOFT3302 SOFT3602 (Advanced) | Test Design | 5 p.m. Wed Week 13 | 10 |
In fairness to all students, late work will not be accepted. In exceptional cases where illness or misadventure prevent work being submitted on time, you must make an official application for Special Consideration, in accordance with the policy of the School of Information Technologies. Consult the unit coordinator immediately if you feel that you will not be able to meet a deadline for any assessment.
Plagiarism is where you use the work of another person and present it as your own. This is NOT PERMITTED.
The Academic Board of the University of Sydney has defined plagiarism as 'presenting another person's ideas, findings or work as one's own by copying or reproducing the work without due acknowledgment of the source'. The most common form of plagiarism is presenting written work that contains sentences, paragraphs or longer sections from published work without acknowledgment. In other cases, students reproduce portions of the work of another student and present it as their own. Using the structure of another's argument is a form of plagiarism, even if the wording is changed. It is also plagiarism to copy the work of another student or students and change details such as comments or variable names.
Full text of Academic Board Policy on Academic Honesty in Coursework may be downloaded from the University Policies Online.
Familiarise yourself with the School's policies which includes the School's assessment and plagiarism policies as well as the requirements for submitting a request for Special Consideration.
Since these rules apply, it is in your interests to familiarise yourself with these rules.
All work submitted for assessment must be submitted with one of the following coversheets as appropriate.
Assessment results will be published online when complete.
Students are expected to check their progressive results regularly. Any errors or omissions must be reported to the Unit Coordinator, with appropriate evidence, as soon as possible. Marks are considered to be confirmed ten working days after being published, and they will not subsequently be altered.
The web site for this unit is http://www.it.usyd.edu.au/~cs3/soft3302/.
There is no assigned textbook.
Some reference books have been placed in the library on special reserve. Copies are also available at the Co-op bookshop. You will find it useful to consult these at various times.
There are lots of other textbooks on software testing and test development methodologies, and many web-based resources such as lecture notes. Be aware that these vary a lot in quality and in approach.
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