COMP2100/2500 Software Construction in 2009
Assessment

The assessment for COMP2100 in 2009 will be in three parts:

• Two assignments, done in pairs, as described in the Labs and Assignments Page.

• A mid-semester written exam.

• A practical lab exam, to be held during the examinations period.

• A final written exam, also during the examinations period.

For COMP2500, there will be an additional component of assessment:

• A short oral presentation (done in small teams), with a follow-up written report.

The weightings of the different assessment items will be slightly different for COMP2100 and COMP2500.

Assessment Weighting

The weighting of the various items of assessment will be:

Final Marks

Your final mark will be the sum of all your marks for the different components, except that:

1. You must get at least 40% on each of the final exams (practical and theory) to pass the course.

2. Note: it may be necessary to scale some of the raw marks for the different components.

COMP2500 Seminar Attendance

COMP2500 is run in 3 additional classes called "seminars and presentations", in the Wednesday 1pm lecture slot (2 hours) in weeks 4, 9, and 10 (this timeslot is also used in the other weeks for lectures for the whole Software Construction class).
COMP2500 students are required to attend all of the 3 sessions. Failure to do so will result in a grade of NCN (Incomplete). The roll will be marked. Absences will only be excused with a letter from a doctor or other health-care professional. The standard of proof is the same as that required for an extension on an assignment.

The 2 seminar slots will be given by guest lecturers. The other one will be used for COMP2500 student groups to do their group presentations (group size approximately 5).

Assignment schedule COMP2100 and COMP2500

The assignments will be handed out, due in, and returned according to the following timetable:

Return dates are estimates only. We will do our best, but it may not always be possible to return assignments within two weeks.

You should make an effort to collect your marked assignments from your tutor in your lab class. They will contain useful feedback in comments, as well as the simple feedback contained in the mark. Your tutor will keep uncollected assignments until the end of semester, after which they will be available from the department office.

Policy on Late Assignments

Special consideration will be considered for illness, family emergencies, and similar unpredicatable events. You have to apply in writing on the Special Consideration form available at the department office. If you can't come into campus then an early email, online aplication, or phone call to me is the best thing to do.

Late assignments will otherwise be accepted only up to one week after the due date. They will be marked according to the same marking scheme as assignments that are submitted on time, but a penalty of 20% will be deducted for lateness.

This means that if you can't submit on time, the immediate time pressure is off. Once your assignment is late, the 20% penalty will be deducted, so it's up to you how much more time you put into it in the quest for quality. Of course you also need to think about the deadlines for the next assignment and your other work, which will be approaching fast.

Midsemester Exam

The midsemester exam will run in Week 8 (after the break). It will be a traditional sit-down written exam administered by the Examinations Section. It will probably be one and a half hours in length. I will make details available to you with plenty of time to spare.

Final Examinations: prcactical and theory

The final examinations will be held during the examinations period. As that time approaches, the Exam Timetable will have more information on the exact dates of examinations.

Since everyone always wants copies of past exams, they are linked from the course home webpage in a directory at

COMP2100 midsemester and final Exams

Be warned however that the 2006 exam changed the pattern established over the previous five years. In 2006 for the first time, there was a midsemester theory exam, and the final exam was a practical lab exam, held in the CS&IT building computer labs. It lasted four hours, and tested both your practical skills and your knowledge and understanding of the subject.

The pattern will be similar in 2009. The 2009 assessment will include a midsemester exam and one or two final practical/theory exams.

Supplementary Exams

ANU Policy states that Supplementary exams will be awarded to those students who meet the following criteria:

• You must have obtained a final mark in the range 45 to 49.

• You must have needed to score just 50% on the final exam to pass the unit.

Special Exams

The opportunity for a Special exam may be granted to students who are unable to sit the final exam. Note however that there is no guarantee. If you miss the final exam without an adequate excuse, you risk failing the course with a grade of NCN (Incomplete). You had better be seriously ill or have suffered a major disaster.

Access to your marks

You can check the marks we have recorded for you using the Streams system.