COMP SCI 3303 - Engineering Software as Services I

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2022

The objectives of this course are to provide students with the knowledge and skills required for engineering Software as a Service, SaaS. Students will learn and use state of the art industry practices from the Agile software development paradigm such as Scrum, Behaviour Driven Development, Test Driven Development and Continuous Deployment, to build SaaS applications. The course will use technologies such as Ruby on Rails, GitHub, Cucumber and RSpec to aid development. This course will cover both the theoretical concepts and practical implementation details required to engineer SaaS in Cloud based web applications. There will be a strong focus on collaborative coding and team projects.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code COMP SCI 3303
    Course Engineering Software as Services I
    Coordinating Unit Computer Science
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites One of COMP SCI 1103, COMP SCI 1203, COMP SCI 2103, COMP SCI 2202 or COMP SCI 2202B
    Incompatible COMP SCI 3006, COMP SCI 3015A, COMP SCI 3017, COMP SCI 3310, COMP SCI 3311, COMP SCI 3312, COMP SCI 3313
    Restrictions Available to BE(Software) students only
    Course Description The objectives of this course are to provide students with the knowledge and skills required for engineering Software as a Service, SaaS. Students will learn and use state of the art industry practices from the Agile software development paradigm such as Scrum, Behaviour Driven Development, Test Driven Development and Continuous Deployment, to build SaaS applications. The course will use technologies such as Ruby on Rails, GitHub, Cucumber and RSpec to aid development. This course will cover both the theoretical concepts and practical implementation details required to engineer SaaS in Cloud based web applications. There will be a strong focus on collaborative coding and team projects.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Aufeef Chauhan

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

     
    1 Discuss different concepts and mechanisms underpinning Software as a Service, Service Oriented Architecture, Agile Approaches, and Cloud Computing.
    2 Explain the new challenges, opportunities, and open problems of Software as a Service.
    3 Take a Software as a Service project from conception through planning, development, assessment/testing, deployment, and operations, experiencing the attendant challenges of each stage, using Ruby on Rails for development and Cloud Computing for deployment.
    4 Explain and use agile development methodologies and tools, including lo-fi UI sketching, user stories, behavior-driven development, version control for team-based development, and management tools for cloud-computing environments.
    5 Develop both technical and collaboration skills for working in "one-pizza" software teams.
    6 Explain and apply fundamental programming constructs and techniques including design patterns for software architecture, higher-order functions, metaprogramming, reflection, etc. to improve the maintainability, modularity and reusability of their code.

     
    The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer.
    The course is designed to develop the following Elements of Competency: 1.1   1.2   1.3   1.4   1.5   1.6   2.1   2.2   2.3   2.4   3.1   3.2   3.3   3.4   3.5   3.6   

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 2, 6

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    2, 3, 6

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    3, 4, 5

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    3, 5

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    3, 4, 5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    The text book for the course is: Armando Fox and David Patterson, Engineering Software as a Service: An Agile Approach Using Cloud Computing, 1st Edition, Strawberry Canyon LLC., ISBN-13: 978-0984881246.
    • All students are expected to have their own copy of the textbook.
    • A Kindle version is available on the Australan Amazon site and is automatically updated.
    Online Learning
    All lectures, assignment descriptions and links to on-line resources are available on the course website.

    This course uses the School of Computer Science's GitHub Enterprise Server rather than subversion for all assignment work:
            https://github.cs.adelaide.edu.au

  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Workshops & Service Engineering Labs
    Workshop Style, Flipped Classroom, SPOC, Project Based, Learning by doing.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    You are expected to spend 10 hours per week on this course including attending all scheduled classes.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The topics taught in this course can be broadly classified as shown below:

    WeekTopic
    1 Introduction to SaaS and Agile Development
    2 The Architecture of SaaS applications
    3 SaaS Framework: Introduction to Ruby
    4 SaaS Framework: Introduction to Rails
    5 SaaS Framework: Advanced Rails
    6 Requirements: BDD and User Stories
    7 Testing: TDD
    8 Project Management: Scrum, pairs and Version Control
    9 to 12 Group Project
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Weighting (%) Individual/ Group Formative/ Summative
    Due (week)*
    Hurdle criteria Learning outcomes CBOK Alignment**
    Assignments 30 Individual Formative 6, 8 1. 3. 4. 6. 1.1 1.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3
    Group Project +
    Individual Report base on Group
    Work
    30 + 10 Group
    +
    Individual
    Formative 12 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1.1 1.2 2.4 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3
    Exam 30 Individual Summative E 1. 2. 4. 6. 1.1 1.2 3.2
    Total 100
    * The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.
     
    This assessment breakdown complies with the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.
     
    This course has a hurdle requirement. Meeting the specified hurdle criteria is a requirement for passing the course.

    **CBOK is the Core Body of Knowledge for ICT Professionals defined by the Australian Computer Society. The alignment in the table above corresponds with the following CBOK Areas:

    1. Problem Solving
    1.1 Abstraction
    1.2 Design

    2. Professional Knowledge
    2.1 Ethics
    2.2 Professional expectations
    2.3 Teamwork concepts & issues
    2.4 Interpersonal communications
    2.5 Societal issues
    2.6 Understanding of ICT profession

    3. Technology resources
    3.1 Hardware & Software
    3.2 Data & information
    3.3 Networking

    4. Technology Building
    4.1 Programming
    4.2 Human factors
    4.3 Systems development
    4.4 Systems acquisition

    5.  ICT Management
    5.1 IT governance & organisational
    5.2 IT project management
    5.3 Service management 
    5.4 Security management

    Following are details of the assessment criteria:

    Assignment 1 (15%)

    Assignment 2 (15%)

    Project  (30%) - including the same subcomponents with the assessment of the product and the process.

    Final Report (10%) - All the students are expected to submit a Final Report based on Project work. The Final Reports are Individual Submissions. The report should cover the explanation on the project, highlighting contribution of the individual
    to the group project and reflections. We shall provide assessment accordingly.

    Written Exam(30%) - The exam will be an individual takehome task. You would be required to demonstrate your learning on a given scenario.

    Note: The final presentations will take place on campus or via Zoom (depending upon the covid situation). We will provide more instructions as getting closer to the date.

    TEAMs - To assess the projects and contribution of individuals more effectively, we limit the size of the Project Teams to 3-4 people. We may need to revise/reform some of the groups.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    **Hurdle Requirement: If your overall mark for the course is greater than 44 F but, your mark for the final written exam is less than 40%, your overall mark for the course will be reduced to 44 F.
    Assessment Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission

    All work will be submitted using a combination of the School's GitHub server and the course website. Submission details will be included in the assignment descriptions that will be published on the course website.

    Penalties for Late Submission of Individual Assignments

    If you hand in your work late, your mark may be capped, based on how many days late it is, as follows:

    • Up to 1 day late — mark is reduced to 75%, marks below 75% are not affected.
    • Up to 2 days late — mark is reduced to 50%, marks below 50% are not affected.
    • Up to 3 days late — mark is reduced to 25%, marks below 25% are not affected.
    • More than 3 days late — mark is reduced to 0.
    Extensions for Individual Assignments

    If you are unable to complete an assessment by the due date because of medical or compassionate circumstances, you must submit a request to the course coordinator prior to the due date. In your request you must attach supporting documentation – a medical certificate and/or a letter from the student counseling service. Work requirements are not considered grounds for extensions. If you are working, please make sure you are available for all activities.

    Penalties for Late Submission of Group Assignments

    The late submission of group assignments is not possible. The assessment will be based on material present in each group's GitHub repository at the due date.

    Final Examination

    The final examination will be scheduled by the examinations office. You will be able to access your exam schedule through Access Adelaide. You must be available during the replacement examination period (check University dates). If you are offered a replacement examination or additional assessment and are unable to attend for any reason, another examination or other form of assessment may not be offered.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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