Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Offered

Overseas First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)
Overseas Second semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Leader(s): Dr Kevin Korb

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
South Africa First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to a variety of issues, concepts, methods and techniques associated with IT research. Skills developed and knowledge acquired from this unit will prepare students to conduct their own research, as well as to be knowledgeable consumers of others' research.

Objectives

After completing this unit, students should have knowledge and understanding of:

1. Basic research concepts, major philosophical foundations (theory, framework, paradigm, scientific method and methodologies in general)
2. Research methods and techniques relevant to IT research.
3. Key issues in IT research.
4. Methods of argument analysis.
5. How to design research.
6. How to evaluate research and peer review procedures.
7. The process of reviewing research literature on a specific topic.
8. Ethical research practices.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

1. Confidence in themselves as informed consumers of published research, able to critically evaluate the relative quality and merits of reported research findings.
2. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research and to complete a thesis.
3. Awareness of the ethical issues that arise in the design and implementation of research.

After completing this unit, students should have the skills to:

1. Match research tools and methods with research needs.
2. Write effective research papers.
3. Evaluate research ideas and designs.
4. Collect and analyse relevant data.

After completing this unit, students should be able to:

1. Communicate research ideas effectively in oral and written form.
2. Assess research ideas and designs.

Assessment

Assignments: literature review, assignment relevant to topic, and class exercises.

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in an FIT Honours degree, Masters degree or Research degree. Foundation knowledge in computer science, business information systems or information technology and systems fundamentals is assumed.

Prohibitions

BUS5000, CSE4650, CSE4910, GCO4010, IMS4036, IMS5036, ITW4001

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4005/

Leader(s): Professor Ron Weber (Clayton); Mr Jan Meyer (South Africa)

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
South Africa Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit will develop students' capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field. Students will learn various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used. Students will learn to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers. Students will also develop an understanding of some of the exciting, leading-edge research in the information systems field. This understanding may enable students to identify research topics that they would like to pursue, perhaps in an honours, masters, or PhD thesis.

Objectives

The objective of this unit is to develop students' capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field. They will learn various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used. They will learn to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Seminar Participation: 15%; Assignments: 35%

Contact hours

2 hrs/week

Co-requisites

FIT4005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4007

Leader(s): Jan Meyer

Offered

South Africa First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Methods from Artificial Intelligence (AI) form the basis for many advanced information systems. These techniques address problems that are difficult to solve or not efficiently solvable with conventional techniques. Building on the undergraduate curriculum this unit introduces the student to advanced AI methods and their applications in information systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. achieved an overview of different technologies that form the basis of intelligent information systems;
2. understood the capabilities of these methods;
3. learned to recognise tasks that can be solved with these methods;
4. the ability to judge the limitations of these methods.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

1. apply the standard techniques in the chosen sub-fields of intelligent information systems to the construction and design of such systems;
2. critically evaluate the performance of these approaches;
3. compare these techniques to alternative approaches;
4. appreciate the practical relevance of intelligent information systems.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report. This variability is designed to give flexibility to the lecturer to decided the most appropriate form of examination for a given choice of topics.

Contact hours

Lectures and laboratory classes: 3hrs/week

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4009

Leader(s): Associate Professor Bernd Meyer/Professor Kim Marriott

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Algorithms are the most fundamental area for all aspects of computer science and software engineering. Discrete structures, such as those treated in graph theory, set theory, combinatorics and symbolic logic form the mathematical underpinning of the study of algorithms. As well-designed algorithms and data structures are essential for the good performance of an information system, an in-depth understanding of the theoretical properties of algorithms is essential for any computer scientist. As importantly, the theoretical investigation of algorithms leads to a deeper understanding of problem structures and classes of problems and the knowledge of a large variety of algorithm types enables the designer to approach a new problem from different angles. Topics for this unit include: Computability and Complexity Automata Theory Advanced Analysis and Design of Algorithms Parallel and Distributed Algorithms Numerical Algorithms Cryptographic algorithms Spatial/geometric algorithms

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. have an improved understanding of the issues involved in designing algorithms in the chosen specialisation area(s) and in analysing their performance;
2. understand the mathematical formalisms that are relevant for these algorithms;
3. have learned to recognise tasks that can be solved with these algorithms;
4. be able to judge the limitations of these methods;
5. be able to choose and apply algorithms and data structures in the chosen specialisation area(s);
6. be able to evaluate the performance of algorithms using formal approaches;
7. will be able to design modified algorithms in the chosen area to suit particular problem structures.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report. This variability is designed to give flexibility to the lecturer to decided the most appropriate form of examination for a given choice of topics.

Contact hours

Lectures and laboratory classes: 3hrs/week

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4010

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit covers topics in programming languages and systems. Topics for this unit include: Optimization and constraint solving, constraint programming and modelling, programming paradigms, program language semantics, program language design, parallel architectures and parallel languages.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit the students will have an understanding of:

1. the role of alternative programming paradigms and specialized programming languages for particular problems;
2. at least one alternative programming paradigm;
3. issues involved in the implementation of this paradigm;
4. the process of computer architecture design and its different phases;
5. the interaction between different levels of computer architecture;
6. the different architectural models in the chosen sub-domain;
7. the ramifications of different architectures for effective computation.

At the completion of this unit students will have the skills to:

1. use at least one programming and/or modelling language within the chosen paradigm effectively to solve practical problems;
2. design and specify architectures in the chosen domain;
3. use relevant software packages effectively in the specification and design of computer hardware (where appropriate);
4. critically evaluate the impact of alternative designs on computational performance and reliability of a computer system.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report. This variability is designed to give flexibility to the lecturer to decided the most appropriate form of examination for a given choice of topics.

Contact hours

Lectures and laboratory classes: 3hrs/week

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4011

Leader(s): Alan Dorin/Jon McCormack

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

All sciences are increasingly relying on computational support and the growth of many branches of science has only become possible due to the availability of efficient computational methods. The common basis of such methods are numerical methods and high performance computing. Topics for this unit include: Numerical Methods, High Performance and Parallel Computing, Optimization and Operations Research Bioinformatics, Simulation, Visualization and Modelling

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students be will be able to:

1. compare and contrast alternative computational approaches in this domain;
2. critically evaluate the limits and capabilities of these methods;
3. select, design and test computer programs in the domain;
4. where appropriate, use the standard computational packages in the chosen domain effectively for practical problem solving.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report. This variability is designed to give flexibility to the lecturer to decided the most appropriate form of examination for a given choice of topics.

Contact hours

Lectures and laboratory classes: 3hrs/week

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4012

Leader(s): Jan Meyer

Offered

South Africa First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The first component of this unit looks at digital communication technologies such as: local area networks; metropolitan area networks; satellite networks; ISDN; modem techniques; digital networks. The second component covers protocols including: the structure, coordination and management of the Internet; Internet standards development process; Internet link layer protocols; IP (V4 and V6) and ICMP protocols; TCP and UDP; the Internet addressing structure, including domain naming and the DNS/LDAP systems and protocols; bridging systems and spanning-tree protocols; Internet packet routing techniques and protocols; mobile IP; Real Time Protocols; the major common applications.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. understand the general architecture of the Internet, the interworking of the key protocols, and the underlying services required for the operation of the network;
2. understand the standards development process for protocols and applications operating in the Internet;
3. describe the characteristics of the key protocols in the Internet, and the roles they play;
4. understand the key quality of service and security issues applying to the Internet;
5. knowledge of local area network design and implementation techniques.

Upon successful completion of this uit, the students will be able to:

1. Identify appropriate standard internet protocols for various networking functions;
2. select suitable local area network architecture to meet user requirements;
3. select appropriate telecommunications products to meet user requirements.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Examination (2 hours): 60%.

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

CSE3821, CSE4881, CSE4882, CPE3004, ECE4411, ECE5411, ECE4044, ECE5044, FIT5173

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4015

Leader(s): Mr Braam van der Vyver

Offered

South Africa Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit looks at a range of security problems in information systems, namely physical security, network security and software security. Within these areas, topics covered include risk analysis, authentification, access control, and crypto techniques. It looks at various management issues, including disparate application examples, distributed systems authentication, contingency planning, audit and review. A range of security applications are used as examples.

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit students will:

1. have knowledge of risks, threats and goals of information security;
2. understand various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation;
3. be able to evaluate the effectiveness (both in terms of performance and limitations) of individual control techniques;
4. match the risk against controls and evaluate their applicability.

Upon completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

1. appreciate the importance of information security in an organisation;
2. appreciate the importance of the use of various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation.

Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. carry out an investigation into the selection and deployment of particular security measure and application technologies based on risk analysis as applied to information security in an organisation;
2. use tools for counteracting risks and threats to information security.

Upon completion of this unit students will have gained experience in:

1. communicating information on threats to information security and key appropriate controls and counter measure techniques in written and/or oral form;
2. working individually or in a small group on an advanced topic related to information security in an organisation.

Assessment

Assignment/Test: 40%
Examination (2 hours): 60%.

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

CSE4892

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4016

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will cover network strategy development; network design principals; Telecom services; network performance; network topologies; network implementation; case studies ; case studies; traffic models; limitations of traffic models; network management protocols.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will be able to understand:

1. network strategy development;
2. network design principles;
3. network performance;
4. network topologies;
5. network implementation.

In addition, students will be able to:

1. analyse the requirements of a networking systems;
2. evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of particular networking systems and technologies in specific situations.

Upon completion of this unit, students will have an appreciation of:

1. the importance of systematic design in networks;
2. the importance of management protocols and philosophy in networks.

Upon completion of this unit, students will have the ability to:

1. perform basic design tasks for a network;
2. devise a management model and system for a network, using established protocols.

Upon completion the students have gained experience in:

1. communicating on issues in design and management of networks;
2. appreciating the organisational and social impact of poor design and management in networks.

Assessment

Assignments: 50%; Examination: 50%.

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4017

Leader(s): Dr Dengsheng Zhang

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Hong Kong Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit examines the principles and practice of modelling and analysis of business systems as a support for the decision making activities. At the completion of the subject the student should understand some of the most commonly used computer modelling techniques used in business and industry and be familiar with the applications of these techniques to business related problems. Topics will include breakeven analysis, linear programming models, various aspects of decision making, waiting lines systems and simulation, network problems, and forecasting techniques.

Objectives

Students will have understanding of:

1. Principles and application of computer based business and decision support systems
2. Cost analysis using breakeven technique
3. Main approaches to deal with decision making problems in business
4. Business decisions with multiple criteria
5. Widely used linear programming tools
6. Carrying out sensitivity analysis using relevant computer software on a series of problems
7. Queuing theory and simulation techniques
8. Concepts of different types of forecasting
9. Common optimisation methods for business applications
10. Methodology to solve typical network problems using network flow models
11. Efficiency and productivity gains through the use of technologies
12. Develop strong interests in formalising real world problems and solve them by computer models
13. Application of spreadsheets such as EXCEL in solving common business decision problems
14. Use of dedicated software such as Excel QM, TreePlan, CrystalBall program
15. Sensitivity analysis by use of computer models
16. Meet peer students and professionals with variety of business expertise
17. Participate in group discussion and team work solutions to business problems

Assessment

Assignments: 30%
Examination:70%

Contact hours

This unit has no on campus requirements

Off-campus attendance requirements

There are no mandatory attendance requirements for this unit

Prohibitions

BUS5570, BUS4570, GCO4802

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4022/

Leader(s): Dr Phil Rayment

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

Introduction to quantitative methods and statistics in business and commerce. Topics include presentation of business data, index numbers, financial and economic performance indicators, accessing and using Australian Bureau of Statistics data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, marginal analysis, frequency and probability distributions, regression and correlation, simple hypothesis testing, sampling methods and applications, statistics in quality management with applications in service and production industry.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. depict and interpret business data in a chart or table;
2. explain the characteristics, uses, advantages and disadvantages of various statistical summary measures;
3. describe the classical, the relative frequency, and the subjective approach to probability;
4. determine which probability distribution to use in a given situation;
5. explain why in many situations a sample is the only feasible way to learn something about a population;
6. construct and test a hypothesis;
7. discuss the role of statistical quality control in evaluating the quality of service or production; and
8. utilise the Excel spreadsheet software to implement a range of data analysis techniques.

Assessment

Assignments: 30%
Examination:70%

Off-campus attendance requirements

There are no mandatory attendance requirements for this unit

Prerequisites

Normal entry to the Master of Business Systems course will ensure a suitable level of quantitative skills. Students should be familiar with the operation of a personal computer and a basic calculator.

Prohibitions

Translation set GCO4807

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4024

Leader(s): Gour Karmakar

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Hong Kong First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

Distributed database systems: clients, servers, application servers, database servers, clusters of servers. Distributed database architectures: single-tier, two-tier, multi-tier. Implementation issues: performance, security, transactions. Enterprise application server capabilities: hot deployment, clean shutdown, clustering, farming, load balancing, automatic fail-over. Enterprise application coding: DBMS access, distributed components, messaging services, authentication, authorization, encryption, transactions. Exterprise application software development tools. Access to the University's computer systems through an Internet service provider is compulsory for off-campus students.

Objectives

Students should be able to understand the various ways in which a database application may be scaled to the enterprise level, including:

1. applications being split between clients and servers;
2. servers being split between application servers and database servers;
3. application servers being split into clusters of application servers.

Students should be able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of single-tier, two-tier and multi-tier architectures.

Students should be aware of some of the pitfalls (and ways to avoid or minimise them) of distributed applications, including:

1. performance problems due to network latency and bandwidth;
2. security problems when transmitting data over an untrusted network;
3. transactional problems when transactions must be distributed over multiple servers.

Students should be able to evaluate when it is appropriate to use enterprise programming techniques, and when simpler solutions will suffice.

Students should be able to configure an enterprise application and application server to take advantage of advanced capabilities such as:

1. hot deployment;
2. clean shutdown;
3. clustering;
4. farming;
5. load balancing;
6. automatic fail-over.

Students should be able to design and implement an enterprise application that makes appropriate use of the following:

1. DBMSs;
2. distributed components;
3. messaging services;
4. security (authentication, authorization and encryption);
5. transactions;
6. fat clients;
7. thin (web) clients.

Students should be familiar with a selection of software tools (both GUI and command-line) to speed enterprise application development.

Students should be able to deploy applications in at least two different enterprise application servers.

Students should be able to accept the importance of client and server operating system platforms other than Windows, and therefore the need for technologies that support multiple platforms.

Students should be able to appreciate the value that an application server adds to an application with remarkably little additional coding effort.

Students should develop an interest in the various compatible yet competing enterprise application servers, and an appreciation of their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%
Examination: 60%

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week, One x 2 hr computer lab/week

Prerequisites

GCO9808 or FIT9013 or equivalent

Prohibitions

CSE3450, GCO3823/FIT3011, Translation set GCO4823

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4026

Leader(s): Joarder Kamruzzaman

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

OSI security architecture, common information risks and requirements, operation of encryption techniques, digital signatures, public key infrastructure, authentication and non-repudiation; intrusion detection and response, firewall defense; wireless security, privacy and ethics issues, security configurations to PC based applications, design of information systems with security compliance and security standards and protocols.

Objectives

Students should be able to:

1. describe OSI security architecture
2. describe common security standards and protocols for network security applications, e.g., electronic mail, web and network management
3. understand common information risks and requirements
4. explain the operation and algorithms of private and public-key encryption techniques
5. describe the concepts and techniques for digital signatures, authentication and non-repudiation
6. understand wireless security protocols
7. understand privacy and ethical issues

Students will be able to:

8. appreciate the need for the digital certificates and public key infrastructure
9. appreciate the importance of system security against intruders and malicious software using firewalls
10. appreciate the relevance of privacy and ethic issues to organisations and individuals

Students should be able to:

11. apply simple security configurations to PC based applications e.g. email, Internet, computer administration
12. design information systems with security compliance

Assessment

Assignments: 40%
Examination: 60%

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week, One x 2 hr computer lab/week

Prerequisites

GCO9802 or Equivalent unit

Prohibitions

Translational set GCO4831

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4028

Leader(s): Mr Jay Zeal

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit investigates the use of object-oriented languages to implement application software. Topics covered are aspects of object-oriented design, object-oriented programming, styles and idioms related to the C++ programming language, memory management, exception handling, the C++ standard library, performance and efficiency. Typical application areas studied include graphical user interfaces, event driven systems, simulations, and distributed systems

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Understand object-oriented design and programming with C++ for large software development
2. Achieve sound knowledge of concurrent design and programming with programming languages which do not have built-in features to support concurrency like C++
3. Know how to develop high performance software with programming languages that do not support concurrency such as C++
4. Achieve sound knowledge and good experience of network and distributed programming using C++

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%, In-semester assessment: 50%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

FIT9017

Prohibitions

CSE4530

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4033/

Leader(s): Ms Sue Foster

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

The Case Study provides the opportunity for students to focus their skills of system analysis and development, software design and development, documentation development and quality, system and software quality, interpersonal relationships and formal and quality documentation in the development of a solution to the Case Study project. Working as members of supervised teams, students undertake the analysis, design, documentation and implementation of an appropriate software system to assist with the resolution of a realistic business problem. As part of their success, teams will decide their methodology, and demonstrate quality planning and project planning skills.

Objectives

1. Implementing system analysis skills
2. Implementing quality planning and project planning skills
3. Providing resolution of a realistic business problem.
4. Implementing software design and development skills
5. Implementing software implementation skills
6. Documentation development

Assessment

Practical work: 100%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019 and FIT9030.

Must be enrolled in course 3309, 0366, 0539, 0360 or 1772

Prohibitions

CSE3900, CSE9020, FIT3015, FIT3048, FIT3119, GCO9800, GCO3500

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4037/

Leader(s): Associate Professor David Taniar

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit looks at the design and implementation issues of database management systems. Advanced database design using the object-relational approach and multi-dimensional database design are explored. Record, file and index structures are dealt with at the basic level. Higher level details of consistency, atomicity and durability are introduced along with modern trends in databases.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. understand object-relational database design;
2. understand multi-dimensional database design;
3. understand query optimisation and its impact on programming;
4. understand the database management systems recovery, concurrency, and transaction management mechanisms;
5. understand database trends and current research directions in database management;
6. use design a complex database system;
7. use a database programming language to access a relational database system.

Assessment

Assignment: 30%, Class Test: 10%, Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

FIT9019 or FIT9003
Knowledge of relational database principles, including SQL

Prohibitions

FIT3118, CSE3000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4038/

Leader(s): Dr Trent Mifsud

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

Handheld computing, "Lite" Application Development, Architecture, User Interaction. Handheld Operating Systems, Application development environments, Handheld - database connectivity. Use of emulators and test suites. Construction of handheld applications, desktop synchronisation and the separation of computing tasks. Use of modems, cameras, infrared, serial communcation and TCP/IP. Contexts for deploying handheld computing, user interaction, modality, screen design, and desktop integration.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will:

1. be familiar with the various technologies associated with handheld/portable computing devices
2. be competent in producing software for such devices by event-based programming techniques, using an industry relevant Object-Oriented language
3. be familiar with a GUI-oriented Integrated Development Environment (MS Visual Studio. NET)
4. be familiar with a subset of the Microsoft .NET framework and the various facilities it provides, in particular those relating to handheld devices

Assessment

Assignments: 40%, Exam: 60%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prohibitions

CSE3211, FIT3027

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4039/

Leader(s): Janet Fraser

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

Server-side scripting: PHP structure, syntax and implementation. PHP scripting techniques for building dynamic web page interfaces for accessing server-side data stores. Implementing state-handling in a stateless environment. Strategies for enforcing data integrity, data security principles and techniques. Database and web page design concepts and their importance in commercial applications. Asynchronous Javascript and XML (Ajax)
Client-side scripting: scripting language structure and syntax, scripting events and event handlers, creating objects and using built-in objects, objects and navigation, browser objects.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, students should: have knowledge of

1. the structure of XML and its uses, particularly in a web environment
2. constructing, validating and processing XML documents
3. processing XML documents using XSLT and XPATH
4. current server side scripting technology, performing a variety of Internet based
5. functions, including access to data storesan approach to web based security using these technologies
6. utilisation of asynchronous technologies in Internet applications
7. developing server side applications to perform a variety of Internet based tasks, including access to data stores, security methods, and asynchronous technologies.
8. developing client side scripting, including cross-browser support, objects (DOM) and navigation

Assessment

Assignment, Exam (3 hours)

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

FIT9017; Knowledge of web page construction.

Prohibitions

CPE3003

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4041/

Offered

Australia (Other) First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking Cisco Certified Network Associate modules. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking this unit. Students will require Course Director approval to enrol.

Assessment

Final Practical Exam: 30%; Chapter Tests: 20%; Final Theory Exam: 50%

Offered

Caulfield Winter semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking Cisco Certified Network Associate modules. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking this unit. Students will require Course Director approval to enrol.

Assessment

Final Practical Exam: 30%; Chapter Tests: 20%; Final Theory Exam: 50%

Contact hours

40 hours/4 weeks

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Australia (Other) First semester 2009 (Off-campus Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking Cisco Certified Network Associate modules. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking this unit. Students will require Course Director approval to enrol.

Assessment

Final Practical Exam: 30%; Chapter Tests: 20%; Final Theory Exam: 50%

Contact hours

40 hours/10 weeks

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Winter semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking Cisco Certified Network Associate modules. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking this unit. Students will require Course Director approval to enrol.

Assessment

Final Practical Exam: 30%; Chapter Tests: 20%; Final Theory Exam: 50%

Contact hours

40 hours/5 weeks

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield); Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee (Clayton)

Offered

Berwick Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

FIT5000 is an administrative extension unit for all FIT coursework masters minor thesis degrees, where appropriate. FIT5000 is a '6' credit point enrolled, '0' credit point achievable (administrative) unit. FIT5000 is taken in the final stage of the degree and students are not permitted to enrol in this unit more than once.

Objectives

On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
2. A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
3. Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

4. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
5. Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:

6. Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
7. Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
8. Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
9. Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:

10. Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
11. Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis (normally 15,000 - 20,000 words): 100%

Contact hours

Varies according to remaining requirements. To be determined by Supervisor/Co-ordinator.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT coursework masters degree. Enrolment in this unit may be permitted only after completion of 24 points of minor thesis for a 24-point Minor Thesis degree or 36 points of minor thesis for a 36-point Minor Thesis degree. Course Co-ordinator approval is required.
Prerequisite Knowledge: Research methods and a sound understanding of the research topic area.

Prohibitions

Students are not permitted to enrol in this unit more than once.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5000/

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the important area of software security. Principles of secure application development are examined, including threat modelling, software authorisation and authentication, malicious software, and exception management. Students gain practical experience in secure software development through projects and assignments.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. a detailed knowledge of the importance of secure software systems;
2. understanding of various ways software can be compromised;
3. understanding of the techniques and tools used to discover compromised systems;
4. practical experience with building secure applications;
5. understanding that security is of foremost importance to software design and should not be considered after the fact;
6. confidence in being able to identify software security development pitfalls;
7. being able to take a systematic approach to secure software development;
8. ability to develop secure software; identify common software security hazards;
9. ability to be able to integrate a secure software system as part of a larger networked environment.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%
Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

2 hrs lecture/week, 2 hrs tutorial/week.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037
Prerequisite knowledge: Programming experience, preferably in C or C++

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5003/

Leader(s): Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The Digital Communications project requires a student to carry out a significant individual task in the Digital Communications field under academic supervision. The project can be conducted in a variety of topic areas, which may include: the design, development, prototype construction and testing of a significant protocol or device item in software or hardware an in-depth investigation and report of a relevant topic in information technology an in-depth investigation and report of an employment based topic with innovative and/or creative solutions. The project topic and summary must be approved by the project coordinator prior to its commencement.

Objectives

At the completion of the unit students will be able to understand:

1. a field of consolidated knowledge in digital communications;
2. the technology and development in the project topic area;
3. the concept of a significant individual task that involves research and innovation in digital communications.

On completion of the unit students will have knowledge of:

1. standards and protocols for the topic area;
2. trends and developments in the topic area.

On completion of the unit students will have the skills to:

1. analyse some specific protocols and technologies in the topic area and their operations;
2. evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of particular technologies in specific topic area.

Upon completion of this unit, students will have an appreciation of

1. the importance of carrying out a reasonably large piece of individual research, investigation and development and reporting under supervision;
2. the importance of report writing and its related skills.

Upon completion of this unit, students will have the ability to:

1. carry out an investigation into the selection and deployment of particular digital communications technologies;
2. describe the characteristics of the key technologies in the topic area, and the role they play.

Upon completion of this unit students will have gained experience in:

1. communicating information on one or more advanced topics in digital communications area in written and/or oral form;
2. working individually on one or more advanced topics in digital communications technology.

Assessment

The project will be assessed mainly by the project supervisor and the result approved by the course coordinator.

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

At least four units from the list of specified electives for the Master of Digital Communications.

Prohibitions

Other graduate project subjects.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5008

Leader(s): Professor Bala Srinivasan

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
South Africa Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

In-depth coverage of the protocols used to operate the Internet and intranets, and a selection of major applications, including specific implementations of the protocols and systems. The topics include: Advanced Internet Addressing: IPv6, subnetting, supernetting. TCP Performance and Enhancements: Reno, New-Reno, Fast Retransmit and Recovery, etc. Unicast and multicast routing protocols: BGP4, OSPF, MOSPF, DVMRP, etc. Messaging systems: SMTP, MIME, POP3, IMAP, World Wide Web systems: client-server implementations, HTTP, Real Time Protocols: RTP, RTCP,RSVP. Security and Firewall. Quality of Service issues: DiffServ and IntServ. Network management and Remote File activities.

Objectives

At the completion of this units students will:

1. have a well-developed conceptual framework, enabling them to keep pace with developments in the rapidly changing field of network computing;
2. have a thorough understanding of one or more specialised areas of study within network computing;
3. be familiar with using current technology, systems and software relevant to network computing;
4. be able to practise professionally as a network computing specialist.

Assessment

Class Test: 25%; Assignment: 25%; Examination: 50%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CSE5803

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5010

Leader(s): Dr. Carlo Kopp

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will cover network design, performance modelling and analysis. Queuing models (M/M/1, M/M/k, M/M/k/k, M/G/1), networks of queues. Multi-access systems (splitting, reservation, carrier sensing), routing techniques (shortest path, Bellman-Ford, Dijkstra, adaptive routing, flooding). Quality of service (QoS) aspects, flow control, connection admission control and other traffic management functions - ATM, IntServ and DiffServ models. Network topology design and performance modelling.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have the understanding of:

1. the general concepts of queuing theory and its application in network design;
2. traffic dimensioning for circuit and packet switched networks;
3. network performance modelling and analysis;
4. traffic characterisation and modelling;
5. network topology and routing techniques;
6. key Quality of Service (QoS) measures and functions;
7. analysis and evaluation of the operation of a local or wide area telecommunications network;
8. major design aspects of a local or wide area network, including cable and wireless networks.

Assessment

Written assignment: 25%; Mid-semester Test (2 hours): 25%; Exam - Department (3 hours): 50%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 2 hours of tutorials/week.

Prerequisites

MAT4003. For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020, FIT4037 and MAT4003.

Prohibitions

ECE4045, ECE5045, CSE5805, CSE5808.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5011

Leader(s): Peter Tischer

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit enables students to acquire knowledge on the fundamental concepts, theory and techniques of digital image, video and audio signal coding, quantisation, motion estimation and compensation, vector quantisation and variable-length coding techniques. It also covers the international standards for audio-visual compression, including JPEG, H.26X and MPEG.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. understand the fundamental concepts, theory and techniques of audio-visual signal coding and compression;
2. understand the nature of psycovisual/psychoacoustic redundancy found in natural audio-visual signals represented digitally;
3. understand the requirements and issues involved in transmission of digital audio/visual signals;
4. recognise the complexity versus performance trade-offs for audio-visual compression;
5. be familar with standards for representing audio-visual data digitally;
6. design and implement compression algorithms using hardware and/or software.

Assessment

Practical Report: 30%; Assignments/Demonstration: 20%; Exam (3 hours): 50%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 1 hour of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

MAT4003. For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: knowledge of how to program in a C/C++ environment.

Prohibitions

CSE5302

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5012

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield ; Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee (Clayton); Dr Iqbal Gondal (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit is an optional research/thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken over a single semester. It is also possible to take the 24-point Minor Thesis over more than one semester by enrolling in units that collectively comprise 24 points, ie FIT5016 (6 points); FIT5017 (12 points); and FIT5018 (18 points).

Objectives

Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
2. A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
3. Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

4. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
5. Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:

6. Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
7. Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
8. Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
9. Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:

10. Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
11. Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5014 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leader's approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional courses and Master of Information Technology, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5014

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will provide students with an opportunity to enhance their software engineering design and implementation skills by designing and implementing multimedia applications for the entertainment industry, such as game applications. The major topics apply directly to the entertainment applications which include: analysis and design modelling techniques, multimedia programming techniques, commonly used data structures and algorithms and some Artificial Intelligence techniques that can be used to build entertainment applications.

Objectives

At the completion of FIT5015 students will:

1. acquire the design and implementation techniques commonly used to build entertainment applications, e.g. games.
2. be able to competently design and implement a medium-sized entertainment application.
3. be able to make judgements on what makes a good entertainment application.
4. appreciate the diverse ways a good entertainment application can be built
5. find their individual strengths and weaknesses in the development of an entertainment application and be able to use these to help them build a good application
6. be able to competently use a Computer Assisted Software Engineering (CASE) tool to design an entertainment application
7. be able to competently use an Integrated Programming Environment (IDE) to built an entertainment application

Assessment

Assignments: 80%
Research/Essay paper: 20%

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Skill in one object-oriented programming language.
Knowledge in object-oriented systems analysis and design

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5015

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield; Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee (Clayton); Dr Iqbal Gondal (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

FIT5016 is an optional research/ thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5016 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester, along with FIT5018 or FIT5017.

Objectives

Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
2. A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
3. Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

4. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
5. Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:

6. Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
7. Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
8. Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
9. Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:

10. Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
11. Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis : 100%

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5016 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leader's approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5016

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield; Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee (Clayton); Dr Iqbal Gondal (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

FIT5017 is an optional research/thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5017 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester.

Objectives

Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
2. A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
3. Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

4. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
5. Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:

6. Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
7. Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
8. Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
9. Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:

10. Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
11. Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis : 100%

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5017 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leader's approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5017

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield); Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee (Clayton)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

FIT5018 is an optional research/ thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5018 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester (generally with FIT5016).

Objectives

Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

On completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Thorough knowledge of their research topic and the wider research domain.
2. A sound understanding of research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
3. Well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

After completing this unit, students should have developed attitudes of:

4. Confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
5. Appreciating the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

After completing this unit, students should be able to plan and undertake rigorous independent research, and in particular have the skills to:

6. Locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings.
7. Identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic.
8. Develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule.
9. Communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. After completing this unit, students should be able to:

10. Communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts.
11. Collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5018 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leader's approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5018

Leader(s): Dr Iqbal Gondal

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

The unit provides both a theoretical and practical overview of processes involved in managing large projects, with particular emphasis on projects common to the information technology industry. Topics include the project life cycle, problem definition, project evaluation, high and low level planning, team building and people management, monitoring and control, reporting and communication, termination and assessment and researching advance topic.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, students will:

1. Understand the fundamentals of projects
2. Know the range of roles of people involved in a development
3. Know the different phases of project planning, scheduling and controlling
4. Understand network techniques for managing projects
5. Understand and apply estimation techniques
6. Understand the quality aspects of an IT project.
7. Appreciate the need for structure and organisation in project management
8. Apply network techniques for managing projects
9. Apply estimation techniques to practical cases
10. Use a range of commercial software tools to implement software project management techniques
11. Evaluate software project management tools
12. Undertake research into topics and techniques associated with project management
13. Understand the importance of team work in managing projects
14. Recognise the importance of leadership and problem solving skills

Assessment

Assignment: 40%
Examination (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

This unit has no on campus requirement

Prohibitions

BUS5150, Translation set GCO5807

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5022/

Leader(s): Kai Ming Ting

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit will provide students with the motivation and the need for data mining, an understanding of the major components of the data mining process, the basic principles of various methods and operations for data mining, knowledge of key and emerging application areas, case studies to bridge the connection between hands-on experience and real-world applications, practical skills in solving data mining problems, and expose students to the current major research issues in this area.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will have knowledge of:

1. the motivation and the need for data mining
2. characteristics of major components of the data mining process;
3. the basic principles of methods and operations for data mining;
4. case studies to bridge the connection between hands-on experience and real-world applications;
5. key and emerging application areas;
6. skills in using data mining tools to solve data mining problems;
7. understanding of current major research issues.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%
Examination (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week

Prohibitions

COT5230 or translation set GCO5828

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5024

Leader(s): Asad Khan

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

Layered structure of networks, security threats in an open network environment, and basic security. Detailed exposition of major tools and protocols used in VPNs, including firewalls, IPSec, Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP), Internet Key Exchange (IKE), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP), Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol (L2TP), Terminal Access Control Access Control System (TACACS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and SOCKS. Exposition of principles and methodologies for the design and implementation of Intranets and Extranets using VPNs.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. Develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of all major protocols used for VPN
2. Detailed knowledge and understanding of VPN architectures including interaction with firewalls
3. Develop an understanding of major issues in implementing the protocols
4. The knowledge and skills to objectively compare and contrast various VPN protocols (eg. L2TP with IPSec and the platform specific variations)
5. The knowledge and skills to enable them to design and implement standard and non-standard VPNs

Assessment

Assignments: 60%, Labwork and Test: 40%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CPE5006

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5027/

Leader(s): Shonali Krishnaswamy

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the Service Oriented Computing paradigm and web services technology. Students will be exposed to the motivations that led to the emergence of web services from middleware and Enterprise Architecture Integration (EAI). The unit will introduce the fundamental concepts of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA), web services and the key standards that underpin web services: SOAP, WSDL and UDDI. The unit will evaluate and compare various service discovery protocols. The unit will provide students with skills to program and deploy web services as well as to access and consume/use web services.

Objectives

At the successful completion of this subject students will:

1. have knowledge of the Service Oriented Computing paradigm, its evolution and the emergence of web services;
2. understand the Service Oriented Architectures and the various key standards that enable the realization of web services such as SOAP, WSDL and UDDI;
3. compare and evaluate various Service Discovery Protocols;
4. have the skills to build and deploy web services using a range of current technologies;
5. be able to access, invoke and use publicly available web services in application development (e.g. Google Web Service);
6. have an understanding on emerging issues, trends and topics in web services research

Assessment

Assignments: 60 %, Examination: 40 %

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this subject are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of an object oriented programming language, such as Java, C++, C#, or Eiffel.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5030/

Leader(s): Dr Shonali Krishnaswamy

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit focuses theoretical concepts, applications and research issues of mobile software agents. Students will learn techniques to design and develop mobile agent applications. A number of different toolkits/development environments will be discussed and used for the practical component of the unit. The unit analyses mobile software agents technology with respect to their use in different application domains - focusing on pervasive applications, electronic commerce/web services and distributed data/network management. Advanced research issues/topics such as communication, coordination, security and trust for mobile agent systems will also be presented.

Objectives

At the completion of this subject, the students will have:

1. The motivations and scope of mobile software agents in distributed applications
2. The principles and theoretical concepts of mobile software agents
3. Models and approaches to building mobile agent systems
4. Different mobile agent toolkits and development environments
5. Techniques for achieving mobile agent communication and coordination
6. Security issues in mobile agent systems
7. Current research trends in the field
8. Select and apply appropriate tools for a particular application
9. The subject is designed to foster critical and independent analysis of how mobile agents can be applied to distributed computing applications.

Assessment

Reading Component:15 %, Research paper and presentation: 50 %, Project/practical assignment: 35 %

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended Knowledge: It is assumed that all students have a working knowledge of fundamental Java programming.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5031/

Leader(s): Ms Janet Fraser

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit has been designed to provide students with skills to develop Internet Applications with a focus on enabling web page functionality through scripting. The unit presents an overview of multi-tier web applications and the technologies that operate in different layers of typical web architectures. The unit teaches a range of web application development technologies focusing on state-of-the-art object oriented scripting languages for mobile and conventional web applications. Techniques for scripting on the client side (e.g. JavaScript) and scripting on the server side.

Objectives

At the successful completion of this subject students will have:

1. an understanding of web environments and their components,
2. an understanding of the principles of object oriented scripting and the knowledge of the various uses to which scripting may be put;
3. the knowledge and skills to implement web applications, in an applications development environment
4. the skills to write scripts to perform a variety of tasks in WAP and conventional web page environments; and
5. an understanding of the principles of large scale, and small scale, web site development including an understanding of advanced design principles,
6. an understanding of the uses of mark-up languages and meta-languages in structuring data, particularly in a web context,
7. the knowledge and skills to implement web sites varying size and complexity, using XHTML, and XML
8. a professional attitude towards the development of web based information systems

Assessment

Assingments: 60%, Final examination: 40%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: It is assumed that all students have a strong knowledge of Java programming

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5032/

Leader(s): Jeff Tan

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The unit will provide students with fundamentals and theoretical foundations of network administration, management and documentation. Specific areas include local, wide area, and real-time networks. Related protocols such as TCP/IP, ICMP, IPSEC, CSMA/CD, token-passing, frame relay, ATM, SAN and VoIP. The network administrator's function and responsibilities relating to network issues such as planning, implementation, fault diagnosis fine tuning and recovery. Standards for network management - SNMP, RMONs, Protocol analysers, CMIP, ITU / TMN standards, MIBs, DMI, remote management in-band and out-of-band.

Objectives

This unit will:

1. Expose the students to a wide range of contemporary networking protocols and technologies at a level required from network management perspective.
2. Provide in-depth understanding of key network management concepts, protocols, technologies, protocol analysis and practices.
3. The students develop an understanding of the role of a network administrator through theory and hands-on work involving the use of software tools, simulations, and configuring core networking hardware.
4. Adopt a problem solving approach
5. Develop communications skills and accept the code of professional conduct and practice through short presentations and group work.

Assessment

Assignment: and Project work: 70%, Tutorial Exercise and Test: 30%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CPE5013

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5034/

Leader(s): Dr Phu Dung Le

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with an advanced knowledge of network security. Topics to be covered include the design and implementation of some important public key systems: RSA and Elliptic Curve algorithms; concepts of quantum cryptography; quantum computing and cryptography; wireless computing and cryptography; design, implementation and configuration of firewalls in depth; design, implementation and configuration of intrusion detection systems; prevention systems; advanced network security architectures; advanced wireless security: principle and practice; security in trusted-based computing environments; and quantum cryptography.

Objectives

1. Understand the design and implementation of advanced cryptographic algorithms for wired and wireless computing environments including the design and implementation of RSA and ECC
2. Achieve sound knowledge of network security components including the design, implementation, and configuration of Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (static and dynamic checking of programs, anomaly detection, large-scale (Internet-wide) distributed intrusion detection, early sensing, complex attack scenario analysis, and automated response), Prevention Systems, Firewalls, IDSs, VPNs and prevention systems together
3. Develop knowledge of advanced network security architectures to allow better network protection, load balancing and recovery from attacks
4. Achieve sound knowledge of wireless network security
5. Understand security in trusted-based computing environments
6. Understand Quantum cryptography

Assessment

Two assignments: 40%; Lab exercises and group assignments: 30%; Theoretical test: 30%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 2 hours of tutorials/week.

Prerequisites

FIT5044.
For MAIT students: FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020, FIT4037 and FIT5044

Prohibitions

CPE5021

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5037/

Leader(s): Arkady Zaslavsky

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit presents component architectures for the construction of enterprise-scale software systems that operate and interact with each other via the Internet. Due to the widely distributed nature of these systems, they are inherently heterogeneous. Therefore these architectures must integrate and inter-operate with objects written in different programming languages often executing on different platforms. These architectures also need to provide facilities and services in a consistent manner across all these boundaries.

Objectives

At the completion of this subject a student should:

1. Have gained an understanding of the component technologies and their role in Internet applications development;
2. Understand the issues involved in implementing a web-based component system;
3. Understand the issues of interoperability in widely-distributed and heterogeneous component systems;
4. Understand the relationship between component technologies and enterprise architectures for the web;
5. Study the interfacing of component technologies with service oriented systems;
6. Have developed skills to build a web-based component system relevant to current commercial standards

Assessment

Practical work: 50%, Written work: 50%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this subject are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of an object oriented programming language, such as C++, C#, Eiffel, Java or Python, and to be familiar with the concepts and techniques used in object oriented program design.

Prohibitions

CSE5000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5041/

Leader(s): Mr Eric Pau (Caulfield); Dr Gour Karmakar (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the design and development of systems that support the large enterprise in a web-based environment. Students will learn of the theoretical issues that need to be considered by the enterprise and how they can affect the development of the enterprise application. A number of techniques will be introduced as the technological means to build such an application with specific emphasis on the Java EE technology.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will:

1. Understand various issues pertaining to enterprise software architecture on the web.
2. Acquire techniques to develop enterprise applications using the Java programming language
3. Discover various advanced Java technologies used to build web applications for the enterprise.
4. Learn to competently use the advanced Java libraries to build a medium-size web application for the enterprise.

Assessment

Assignments: 100%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020, FIT4037 and FIT4041.
Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this subject are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of the object oriented programming language, Java.

Prohibitions

CSE5060

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5042/

Leader(s): Mr Mohamed Gaber

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit focuses on designing, developing and deploying distributed database systems. The unit introduces various contemporary issues including data model partitioning, fragmentation, replication issues, query optimisation, concurrency control, restart and recovery, distributed database design, client-server and distributed database applications. Particular attention will be paid to detailed consideration of distributed database management issues.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

1. be familiar with the currently available models, technologies for and approaches to building distributed database systems;
2. have developed practical skills in the use of these models and approaches, so that they will be able to select and apply the appropriate tools for a particular case;
3. be aware of the current research directions in the field and their possible outcomes

be able to carry out research on a relevant topic, identify primary references, analyse them and come up with meaningful conclusions;

4. be able to apply learned skills to solving practical database related tasks.

Assessment

Assignments/Tutorial exercises and attendance: 90%; Presentation: 10%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students: FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5043/

Leader(s): Phu Dung Le

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with fundamental knowledge of network and information security. Topics to be covered include network components and services, network computer systems and security policy, security at different system layers, basic cryptography and information security, intrusion detection system, malicious code and detection and prevention systems, authentication systems, and wireless security.

Objectives

At the conclusion of FIT5044 students will have knowledge and understanding of:

1. The fundamentals of Network Security issues including possible vulnerabilities in a computer system, software and hardware applications
2. Basic symmetric and asymmetric cryptography including symmetric and asymmetric crypto systems such as DES, RSA, RC4
3. Authentication systems
4. Computer malicious codes such as viruses, logic bombs, etc.
5. Security design at different levels of OSI model,IPSec, SSL, and security at application layer
6. Firewalls and detection and prevention systems

Assessment

Assignments: 80%, Theoretical test: 20%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CPE5002, CSE5210

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5044/

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Modern methods of discovering patterns in large-scale databases are introduced, including classification, clustering and association rules analysis. These are contrasted with more traditional methods of finding information from data, such as data queries. Data pre-processing methods for dealing with noisy and missing data and with dimensionality reduction are reviewed. Hands-on case studies in building data mining models are performed using a popular software package.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Be able to differentiate between supervised and unsupervised learning;
2. Know how to apply the main techniques for supervised and unsupervised learning;
3. Know how to use statistical methods for evaluating data mining models;
4. Be able to perform data pre-processing for data with outliers, incomplete and noisy data;
5. Be able to extract and analyse patterns from data using a data mining tool.

Assessment

Unit Test: 20%; Assignment: 20%; Examination (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

+ Sound fundamental knowledge in maths and statistics
+ Basic database and computer programming knowledge

Prohibitions

CSE5230, FIT5024

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5045/

Leader(s): Arkady Zaslavksy

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

Theoretical foundations of mobile computing systems, wireless networks, advanced mobile applications. Architectures of mobile distributed computing systems; wireless network classification and management; mobile distributed file systems; failure recovery, fault tolerance and reliability of mobile computing systems; replication in mobile distributed systems; case studies for distributed mobile database systems; mobile information systems; advanced mobile computing applications and the Internet; research trends; synchronisation and global time concepts; transaction management mechanisms for mobile computing.

Objectives

This course will develop student knowledge of the approaches and methods for building distributed and mobile computing systems. On completing the course students will:

1. be familiar with the currently available models and approaches to building mobile and distributed computing systems;
2. have developed practical skills in the use of these models and approaches, so that they will be able to select and apply the appropriate tools for a particular case;
3. also be aware of the current research directions in the field and their possible outcomes.

Assessment

Research paper and literature survey: 50%, Oral presentation:15%, Practical work: 35%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended background in Data Communications, Networking, Databases, Java Programming.

Prohibitions

CSE5501

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5046/

Leader(s): Ingrid Zukerman/Oshadi Alakhoon

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This is the foundation unit for the Intelligent Systems specialisation. It introduces the main problems and approaches to designing intelligent software systems including automated search methods, reasoning under uncertainty, planning, software agents, recommender systems, machine learning paradigms, natural language processing, user modelling and evolutionary algorithms.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit student will:

1. Have knowledge of the applications of intelligent software systems in the domains of Pervasive Computing, Web Services and Business Intelligence;
2. Be familiar with the principles and theoretical underpinning of intelligent software systems;
3. Understand models and approaches to building intelligent software systems;
4. Understand different software toolkits and development environments;
5. Have an understanding of current research trends in the field;
6. Critically and independently analyse how intelligent techniques can be used to enhance software applications and the development of smart environments;
7. Be able to design and develop intelligent applications particularly in the domains of Pervasive Computing, Web Services and Business Intelligence.
8. Be able to select and apply appropriate tools for a particular application.

Assessment

Assignments: 50%, Exam (3 hours): 50%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prohibitions

CSE3309, CSE5610

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5047/

Leader(s): Dr Joze Kuzic

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit focuses on a holistic approach to project management. It provides students with a high level of understanding of the processes of project management, as well as sound skills in use of project tools. Proficiency in using key tools and concepts could give students a significant competitive advantage in the market place. The content deals with: concepts and definitions; organising and staffing the project office and team; planning, scheduling techniques; cost control; risk management; contracts and procurement; etc. Case studies, articles of interest that may appear in current media, and students' own work experiences with project management, will be discussed in the class to optimise the learning opportunity in the unit. After completing this unit students are eligible to sit the exam for PMP and CAPM organised by PMI (Melbourne Charter) at no additional cost to them (apart from the administrative fee for sitting the exam).

Objectives

The aim of this unit is for students to:

• Examine and describe the concepts, techniques, and decision tools available to project managers.
• Demonstrate the importance of strategy and prioritizing for effective resource allocation and balancing a portfolio of projects.
• Assess and synthesise diverse information for an integrative project management.
• Create and critically evaluate innovative ideas and strategies within ambiguous and uncertain business environments.

Assessment

Assignment: 40%; Participation (in problem solving and case studies): 10%;
Examination: 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a post graduate course at Monash university to undertake this unit.

Prohibitions

BUS5150, FIT5022, MBA9052, GCO5807

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5057/

Leader(s): Associate Professor David Taniar

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit is designed for students who wish to extend their programming abilities in developing relatively large database applications. An integrated system of significant size will be developed using the current industry standard software. Topics covered include the principal aspects of database development and applications, advanced queries, customising forms and professional reporting, business graphics, importing and exporting data, internet applications, debugging and error-handling security and system documentation, as well as theory and practice of concurrency, recovery protocols and transaction management

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able:

1. to create a database system for practical application utilizing forms, reports and graphics;
2. to understand the principal aspects of setting up a complete database application system;
3. to write complex queries using database query language;
4. to experience group work in building a complex database application system;
5. to produce a database system of professional quality.

Assessment

Examination (3hours): 60%; Assignment: 30%; Class Test: 10%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003 or FIT9019 or equivalent.
For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Required Knowledge: knowledge of relational database principles, including SQL

Prohibitions

FIT3107, BUS5410, BUS4410, BUS3010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5059

Leader(s): Mr Daswin De Silva

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit extends students knowledge and skills to make use of current technologies in developing business applications on the internet platform. The unit provides an opportunity for students to explore net centric computing focusing on business applications development. The unit has been designed to equip future web application developers and managers of business solutions. Thus practical exercises will be illustrative with industrial strength and technology issues will be given equal coverage with technology details. The primary aim of the unit is to familiarise students with the currently popular web technologies so that their design and implementation decisions in the future will be informed and therefore produce successful systems with a high degree of probability. Topics coverage include data and messages using XML, architecture, scripting and programming in .NET platform

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, students will::

1. understand the concept of revenue modelling in eBusiness context;
2. understand OOP as principles of component based software systems;
3. appreciate technology architecture that underpin the deployment of e-business systems, including data formats and various programming solutions;
4. appreciate the use of the internet for commercial purposes;
5. realise the challenges in the planning stage of an e-business venture;
6. realise the challenges in the implementation stage of an e-business venture;
7. appreciate the dynamics of the e-business modelling;
8. appreciate the rapid advancement of enabling technologies and its impact on e-business implementation;
9. be able to identify and communicate issues in the planning, implementation and management of the e-business system;
10. be able to adopt object-oriented paradigm and implement e-business solutions using the three tier architecture;
11. be able to implement simple e-business applications for displaying catalogs and processing transactions;
12. be able to experiment with various technologies in the design and implementation of e-business applications;
13. understand the various roles of e-business professionals (analysts, designers, systems developers, programmers) and how they work together in the current e-business context.

Assessment

Test/assignments: 40%
Exam 60%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or CSE9000 or BUS9520

Prohibitions

BUS5960

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5077

Leader(s): Ms Piyanga Edirisinghe (Caulfield); Dr Iqbal Gondal (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit will cover wireless network technologies as well as fundamental data communication and network issues. Main topics will include: wireless communication technology, Antenna and prorogation for wireless systems, wireless networking, spread spectrum, cordless system, WiMax, Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards, wireless local area networks, wireless applications, mobile IP, WAP, Blue tooth and IEEE802.15. Unit will also cover advanced topics in wireless communications.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. describe the basic characteristics of OSI model and digital mobile systems;
2. understand architecture and signal characteristics of cellular communication systems;
3. understand wireless technologies for signal encoding, spread spectrum and error control;
4. understand architectures of cordless, wireless local loop and mobile IP systems;
5. apply wireless local area network and bluetooth standards;
6. analyse advance topics in communications.

Assessment

Assignment/Lab: 40%; Exam Central - closed book (3 hours): 60%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 2 hours of tutorialsweek.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037. Recommended knowledge: fundamental knowledge of computer and communication systems.

Prohibitions

CPE4002, CSE4881, CSE4882, GCO4824.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5083

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of multimedia development practices for highly interactive projects, such as multimedia games. Students will gain skills in authoring highly interactive multimedia applications and simple animations using a current web and animation authoring environment with a strong emphasis on OO programming, e.g. via ActionScript. The unit will also enable students to integrate a wide variety of media files in order to enrich their projects.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. be able to competently design highly interactive multimedia products, e.g. multimedia games;
2. acquire techniques to develop web-based multimedia applications and simple animations using Adobe Flash CS3 powered by an object-oriented scripting language ActionScript 3.0 for interactivity;
3. be able to coherently integrate various multimedia resources in an interactive multimedia project;
4. be able to demonstrate the formal process undertaken for preparing and documenting the various development stages of a multimedia application;
5. be able to demonstrate a range of special effects which are commonly required for advanced interactive design in multimedia applications;
6. learn fundamental programming techniques and how to carry this knowledge across multiple languages.

Assessment

Practical work: 100%

Contact hours

2 hour lectures/week, 2 hour tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037

Prohibitions

MMS5940

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5084

Leader(s): Henry Linger

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit aims to present a coherent view on the role of knowledge and knowledge management in organisations from a multidisciplinary perspective. Students gain an appreciation of the sources of unstructured and semi-structured knowledge and learn current techniques which permit this knowledge to be applied to perform organisational activities. The unit presents a comprehensive model of the knowledge management process from organisational and technological perspectives. Students will have an opportunity to explore current approaches to knowledge management in the context of a variety of case studies.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge and understanding of:

1. The meanings applied to the terms knowledge and knowledge management;
2. A range of approaches that may support knowledge management;
3. The stages and processes that define good knowledge management practice;
4. The techniques from artificial intelligence for representing and manipulating knowledge;
5. The techniques from document management for evaluating procedural knowledge and representing this in workflow controls;
6. The concepts from records management to support evaluating ownership of knowledge and validity of knowledge processes;
7. The extent to with modern technology can support knowledge management processes;
8. Possible socio-technological solution to satisfy the knowledge management requirements of the organisation.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion (or electronic equivalent): 25%; Practical exercises - individual assignment: 25%; Formal supervised assessment: 50%.

Contact hours

2 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003 and FIT9006 or IMS9001 or BUS5021

Prohibitions

IMS5027

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5086/

Leader(s): Sue McKemmish

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit relates to the fundamental role of recordkeeping professionals in society - to provide access to recorded information in the form of essential evidence of social and organisational activity for business, commercial, governmental, social, and cultural purposes. It covers the role of recordkeeping in society and organisations, functional requirements for evidence, the formulation of recordkeeping policy, strategies and tactics, the establishment of recordkeeping regimes, business functional analysis, appraisal and disposal, the development of metadata schemas and their implementation in recordkeeping systems.

Objectives

At the conclusion of FIT5087, students will:

1. Understand the role of records and archives in organisations and society;
2. Understand and apply theories and models relating to recordkeeping and archiving;
3. Be able to specify recordkeeping requirements relating to the creation, management, and accessibility of records as evidence of social and organisational activity in a range of business and social contexts;
4. Have the skills to develop appraisal and metadata management programs in relation to contemporary and historical recordkeeping systems, including electronic recordkeeping systems; and
5. Be able to formulate appraisal and metadata management policies, strategies, tactics and tools with reference to international and national standards and best practice.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion (or electronic equivalent): 25%
Practical exercises: 25%
Formal supervised assessment: 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

FIT3121, IMS3610, IMS5010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5087/

Leader(s): Associate Professor Frada Burstein

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with the skills and knowledge relating to the use of latest technologies for managing knowledge, electronic documents and records to meet the needs of individuals, work groups and organisations. The unit aims to build a general understanding of technologies for managing personal and organisational structured and unstructured information and knowledge and the methods of developing systems to handle it. Students study the business context, requirements analysis techniques and implementation issues for electronic document management, recordkeeping, content and other information and knowledge management systems.

Objectives

By the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding:

1. of organisational contexts of technological infrastructures and emerging technological frameworks for electronic information and knowledge management systems, including intranet and Internet environments;
2. and appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of many products on the information and knowledge management systems market and how to use implementation strategies to maximise their strengths and minimize their weaknessess;
3. to identify and select from appropriate strategic options for designing and implementing an information and knowledge management system;
4. to participate in electronic document lifespan management, involving document creation within systems and the use of documents for workgroup, organisational and social purposes, appreciating how these aspects interrelate and influence each other;
5. of conduct requirements identification, design and deployment of information and knowledge management systems.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

(FIT9003 and FIT9006) or IMS9001 or BUS5021

Prohibitions

IMS5033, IMS5330

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5088/

Leader(s): Dr Steve Wright

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with a critical understanding of the impact of information technology (IT) within contemporary social relations. Using case studies drawn from different social spheres, the unit explores the ways in which the diffusion of IT has reshaped thinking and practice concerning social collaboration, the production of knowledge and community infomatics, and the implications that this field holds for the work of information and knowledge management professionals.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Understand the nature and operation of information communities within contemporary society;
2. Have an understanding of community informatics as an emerging discipline and professional practice;
3. Be familiar with contemporary debates concerning the social impact of information technology use;
4. Gain understanding of the collaborative behaviours and interdependencies which contribute to notions of community;
5. Demonstrate the ability to analyse and critique cases from the information industry

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Assignments: 50%;

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prohibitions

IMS5023

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5090/

Leader(s): Dr Linda Dawson

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit provides an introduction to e-business and how e-business relates to broader enterprise issues. The unit explores e-business from a management as well as technology perspective covering, the major issues facing business and managers in effectively managing e-business in contemporary organisations. It examines the evolving nature of e-business, its impacts on organisations, and how managers can effectively harness the potential of e-business investments to achieve organisational goals. The unit also involves study of the main theoretical and practical issues of e-business, e-business solutions in various environments, emerging patterns and their potential impacts on e-business.

Objectives

The unit introduces students to e-business in the context of organisations today. The unit provides an opportunity for students to explore e-business from a management as well as technology perspective.

At the completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Understand the key issues in the area;
2. Understand the issues relating to the selection of the most appropriate model for an organisation;
3. Understand the different technologies and e-business solutions from both a B2B and B2C perspective;
4. Understand the key issues in the design, development and implementation of e-business from the perspective of both large and small organisations.

Assessment

Active participation in tutorials: 10%; Two assignments: 15% and 25%; Examination (2 hours): 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prohibitions

IMS5007, BUS5960

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5092

Leader(s): Mr Peter O'Donnell

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit is intended to provide students with a framework for understanding business intelligence reporting systems with particular focus on the evolutionary process of developing an OLAP-based business intelligence system.

Objectives

At the conclusion of FIT5093 students will:

1. Understand the scope and application of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems;
2. Have knowledge of the major approaches to the development of business intelligence and reporting systems;
3. Be able to design simple multi-dimensional databases;
4. Be able to develop a simple business intelligence system using an OLAP tool;
5. Be able to develop a simple reporting system;
6. Be able to communicate and foster realistic expectations of the role of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems in management and decision support.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003 or BUS5071 or IMS9003 or an equivalent unit

Prohibitions

IMS5004

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5093/

Leader(s): David Arnott

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the development and use of information systems that support managers, especially their decision-making tasks. Students will learn of the nature of management work and decision theory and how this affects the development of decision support systems. A number of commonly used decision support methods and techniques will be explored. Students will be introduced to personal decision support systems, group support systems, negotiation support systems, data warehousing, executive information systems and business intelligence.

Objectives

At the completion or this unit students will:

1. Understand the scope and application of IT for decision support;
2. Have an understanding of the nature of managerial decision-making;
3. Be familiar with the major approaches of IT-based decision support;
4. Be able to choose the appropriate decision support approach for a particular project;
5. Be able to undertake systems analysis for management support projects.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%
Two assignments: 25% each

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week
One x 2 hr lab/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003

Prohibitions

SYS4210, BUS5502, IMS5005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5094/

Leader(s): Dr Rob Meredith

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

Managerial decision-makers often require information held in various organisational information systems to make improved strategic decisions. A data warehouse is designed to provide high quality data from a number of sources both inside and outside the organisation an is an example of a large-scale decision system. This unit presents students with coverage of several important aspects of data warehousing. These include the purpose of data warehouse, data warehouse design, data warehouse architecture, data sourcing, implementing the data warehouse, organisational issues involved with designing and implementing a data warehouse governance and case studies of data warehousing practice.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. the knowledge of theories and principles of data warehousing;
2. the potential benefits of data warehousing;
3. the techniques and tools used to design a data warehouse;
4. the theories and principles of data warehousing with regard to the practice of decision support;
5. and be able to design multi-dimensional data structures;
6. and appreciation of how to interact effectively with managers, consultants, and vendors in the development of a data warehouse.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003

Prohibitions

IMS5026

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5095/

Leader(s): Ms Poh Hong Lim

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the principles, techniques and applications of computer-based decision support models for business and industry. Topics include: decision trees; linear programming and optimisation; other mathematical programming methods; waiting lines and queues; time series analysis and forecasting; inventory modelling and discrete-event simulation. Models will be built and solved using spreadsheets or other computer applications as appropriate.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

1. have knowledge of a variety of techniques for modelling business decision problems;
2. be able to choose the appropriate decision model for a particular problem;
3. have skills in setting up simple models and solving with hand calculations;
4. have skills in setting up mathematical models for solution in a spreadsheet or other application software;
5. have skills in the validation of models and conducting a sensitivity analysis;
6. have skills in analysing a real problem and reporting the results;
7. understand the difficulty of applying models to real situations, which often requires that approximations, simplifications and generalisations be made;
8. understand that the approximate nature of some types of business modelling means that a sensitivity analysis be conducted.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 70%; Assignments: 30%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

At least one quantitative unit (such as Mathematics or Statistics) in an undergraduate degree.

Prohibitions

BUS5570

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5097

Leader(s): Sue Foster

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an overview of enterprise systems and is designed to describe the role of enterprise systems as part of the larger IT infrastructure of large scale organisations. Emphasis will be placed on benefit realisation through the use of specific measurement tools to help manage and deploy these packages. Additionally SAP R/3 will be used to introduce students to the complexity of enterprise wide systems through tutorial workshops where appropriate. This will include the addition of process modelling software tasks in practical sessions using ARIS toolset (SAP R/3 reference model).

Objectives

At the end of this unit students should be able to:

1. Identify the role of business wide systems to support the business strategy
2. Identify the main suppliers, products and application domains of enterprise wide packages
3. Understand the scale and complexity of enterprise system packages
4. Understand the integrative role of enterprise systems for information within the organisational context
5. Describe the role of enterprise systems as part of the larger IT infrastructure of large scale organisations
6. Identify the implementation variables, individual variables and contextual variables that interact to influence a successful enterprise system implementation
7. Use a process modelling tool to model processes

Assessment

Assignments: 70%; Exam (2 hours): 30%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9006

Prohibitions

IMS5052, BUS5700

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5101/

Leader(s): Dr Kerry Tanner

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit develops understanding of information technology and information and knowledge management governance frameworks and strategy perspectives, with particular emphasis on the regulatory environment, legislative and organisational controls, audits, standards, professional certifications, and issues associated with measuring performance, demonstrating value and minimising risk. The unit builds on intellectual capital theory, augmented by insights from social capital and emotional capital. It draws on case studies to differentiate strategies focused primarily on people, business processes, and content, and considers the supporting technologies that can facilitate each approach.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. the characteristics and limitations of different IT and IKM governance frameworks and strategy perspectives, and how competing perspectives can be reconciled in practice;
2. the concepts underpinning the dominant intellectual capital perspective on IT and IKM strategy, the strengths and limitations of this approach, and how social capital and emotional capital insights can augment this view of strategy;
3. the distinct features, the functional/disciplinary origins, and the key drivers of IT and IKM strategies focused primarily on
   1. people,
   2. business processes, and
   3. content and technology, and the supporting technologies that can facilitate each approach;
4. links between strategy, performance and measurement, and the issues associated with demonstrating the value and benefits of IT and IKM;
5. the nature of the IT and IKM regulatory environment and approaches to controlling risk;
6. the importance of marketing, leading and championing IT and IKM within the organisation, and of reflective practice.

Assessment

Practical assignment: 50%
Exam: 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9006 or 24 points of Graduate units from the Faculty of Information Technology

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5102/

Leader(s): Dr Tom Denison

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

Students are introduced to the practical environment where theory of information management and systems is applied and helps prepare students for entry into the professional workplace. Through a fieldwork placement, students gain in-depth understanding of information agencies and the organisational environment in which they operate. It encourages analysis of links between theoretical concepts of information management, knowledge management and systems, to professional practice in the workplace. The unit evaluates issues in information management and information systems currently identified by practitioners, managers, researchers, organisations, and academics as being of professional concern.

Objectives

By the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of and will be able to:

1. demonstrate practical skills at a professional level in an information agency or function;
2. work effectively under supervision with both staff and clients in the workplace;
3. analyse current issues relating to the information industry;
4. plan career opportunities within the information

industry; evaluate the world of work, career opportunities and professional network;

5. assess the role of ethical codes, professional literature, and professional associations.

Assessment

Supervised professional placement and host supervisor's report (PGO grade), Fieldwork placement report: 30%; Presentation: 20%; Exam (3 hours): 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

LAR3654, LAR3672, LAR4672, LAR4654, LAR4110, LAR4634, LAR3634, IMS3615, FIT3124, IMS5015

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5104/

Leader(s): Graeme Johanson

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the major categories of information resources in all media and how they may be accessed through a variety of common user interfaces. Consideration is given to the provision of reference and information services in a variety of information settings, and to the information needs and seeking behaviour of different user groups. The process of satisfying these needs either through the reference interview and the application of skilled search strategies or the provision of online instruction is explored.

The ways that information resources are procured information repositories through purchase or licensing, and supplied to users on a cost-effective, efficient basis are examined. The unit covers the conduct and policy of the selection, purchase, and licensing functions of repositories; the management of collections; provision of lending, document supply and photocopying services; preservation of resources; and the impact of co-operative frameworks such as reciprocal borrowing and co-operative last-copy stores. The unit explores the emergent concept of the virtual library, through which eligible users should be able to gain access to any information whether currently in analogue or digital form, wherever held, aided by a common user interface for identifying and requesting appropriate information items.

This unit introduces students to the major categories of information resources in all media and how they are accessed through a variety of common user interfaces from anywhere in the world. The process of satisfying these needs through the reference interview and the application of skilled search strategies is explored. The ways that information resources are procured by libraries and e-repositories through purchase or licensing, and supplied to users on a cost-effective, efficient basis are examined. Access and authentication, intellectual property law and professional duty of care are described.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Implement decisions about applying organisational policies for reference and collection services, justify the principles of collection management strategies, and evaluate them;
2. Manage networked access for users in the case of electronic resources;
3. Develop information literacy programs; and
4. Select the best source of knowledge for a practical information need

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

Lectures: 2hrs/week, tutorial/labs: 1hr/week

Prohibitions

IMS3616, IMS5016, FIT3123

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5105/

Leader(s): Dr Kerry Tanner/Dr Tom Denison

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit develops understanding of the fundamental principles, concepts and standards that guide the development of information organisation and retrieval systems and web-based information architectures. It deals with standards governing description, distribution and access to information locally and globally cataloguing, indexing, thesaurus construction, classification and metadata for knowledge discovery. It examines the effects of economic, social and technological factors on the development of bibliographic networks and cataloguing operations. Practical sessions deal with the use of major bibliographic tools, schemes and systems for information organisation.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Understand the key principles, concepts and standards that guide the development of information organisation and retrieval systems and web-based information architectures;
2. Have skills in applying standard cataloguing, classification, indexing, thesaurus construction, and knowledge discovery metadata schemes and tools;
3. Have developed experience in interacting with selected bibliographic utilities/ networks, and in using bibliographic software; and
4. Be able to develop systems for organising information and facilitating access to information resources in physical collections or digital/web-based repositories.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%
Practical Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

Lectures: 2hrs/week, tutorial/labs: 2hrs/week

Prohibitions

IMS3617, IMS5017

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5106/

Leader(s): Dr Joanne Evans

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit relates to managing the creation, storage, recall and dissemination of business records within organisation-wide frameworks. Topics cover: socio-legal and business requirements for evidence; knowledge bases for representing functions and activities; managing access; designing and implementing recordkeeping policies, strategies and systems in accordance with industry and professional standards, including the International Standard for Records Management, and using recordkeeping business analysis tools (workflow, risk management, identification of vital records, functional analysis).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Understand the business processes that recordkeeping activities support, and the evidential requirements for evidence of business activities that exist in the work place;
2. Understand how systems are designed and implemented to meet business needs and evidential requirements;
3. Have the skills to undertake various forms of business analysis in support of records management activities;
4. Be able to collaborate effectively with other professionals in the design and implementation of electronic recordkeeping systems in a large organisation, or to undertake these activities alone in a small organisation; and
5. Be able to advise team members and function managers on records management systems for business purposes.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion (or electronic equivalent): 25%
Practical exercises - individual assignment: 25%
Formal supervised assessment: 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

IMS3007, IMS5047, FIT3072

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5107/

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir (Caulfield); Dr Rod Martin (Clayton)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit enables students to read widely in a relevant topic within the fields of information technology, information systems or information management, under supervision. It may be an area not offered in any other fifth-year level unit, or involve building more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity. Students enrolling in this unit must have the approval of the Head of School or their nominee. Details for the reading unit will be defined and approved individually for each student and will include objectives, assessment and an initial reading list. Assessment comprises a research paper or review (6000-10,000 words), project report, or equivalent.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will have:

1. Gained in-depth understanding of a relevant topic of interest that enhances their prior studies;
2. Developed their ability to analyse and synthesise and construct arguments from a range of published sources;
3. Developed skills at critiquing and evaluating others' ideas, opinions and arguments;
4. Learnt to work effectively in a close, cooperative relationship with a supervisor;
5. Enhanced their skills as independent learners, demonstrating self-reliance and effective time management.

Assessment

Research assignment: 100%

Contact hours

Students meet weekly with their supervisors for approximately 30 minutes to set goals and report on achievements and difficulties.

Prerequisites

24 points of Graduate units from the Faculty of Information Technology

Prohibitions

IMS5021, BUS5010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5108/

Leader(s): Dr Kerry Tanner

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit enables students to pursue a particular topic of research in the fields of information technology, information systems or information management. The research is done under supervision, and provides a chance for a student to pursue a topic of interest that has not been covered in other coursework units, or to build more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity but desire more knowledge and expertise. Students enrolling in this unit should have the approval of the Head of School or their nominee. Assessment comprises a research paper, project report, or equivalent.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will have:

1. Gained an in-depth understanding of a relevant topic of interest that enhances their prior studies;
2. Developed their ability to analyse and synthesise and construct arguments from a range of published sources;
3. Developed skills at critiquing and evaluating others' ideas, opinions and arguments;
4. Enhanced their skills in project planning, collecting and evaluating data and presenting findings;
5. Learnt to work effectively in a close, cooperative relationship with a supervisor;
6. Enhanced their skills as independent learners, demonstrating self-reliance and effective time management.

Assessment

Research paper, review, project report or equivalent: 100%

Contact hours

Students meet weekly with their supervisors (in person or by phone) for approximately 30 minutes to set goals and report on achievements and difficulties.

Prerequisites

24 points of Graduate units from the Faculty of Information Technology

Prohibitions

IMS5037

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5109/

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will place information system security at the forefront of IT Security Governance. Students will develop an holistic approach to security within the larger context of the organisation. This approach will be developed by using a Security Governance framework which will adopt Risk management as the strategy of choice. Students will identify the major security impacts on the organisation. Security policies will include links to Sarbanes Oxley Act and Australian security standards such as ISO17799. Security audits provide an iterative process to the framework. Future security issues and trends will contribute to the student's overall understanding of security governance.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of information systems security concepts and philosophies to contemporary organisations
2. Identify developments in security control technologies and techniques to manage threats and vulnerabilities to an organisation's information assets
3. Have developed attitudes which allow you to adopt a critical approach to the analysis and design of information systems security systems
4. Have developed attitudes which allow you to understand the ethical implementations of security issues
5. Apply risk management techniques to the planning and management of information systems security systems

Assessment

Assignment work: 40%, Presentations: 20%, Exam (2 hours): 40%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037

Prohibitions

FIT4016

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5110/

Leader(s): Ms Gail Bourne

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of a range of tools and techniques for systems development and knowledge of a number of specific systems development methodologies. The main topics include the tools and techniques for systems development, the evaluation of the tools and techniques, evolution of development methodologies, the organisational context in which systems development takes place and a number of systems development approaches. These include participative development, soft systems approaches, object-oriented development, structured systems development approaches, data and information-oriented approaches and rapid application development.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

1. Understand the evolution of systems development methodologies;
2. Understand the tools and techniques that are used in the development of information systems;
3. Be able to select appropriate tools and/or techniques for the development of information systems;
4. Understand the strategies that are used to improve productivity and quality during systems development;
5. Understand the organisational context within which systems development takes place;
6. Be able to evaluate and critique different system development methodologies

Assessment

Examination (2 hour): 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003

Prohibitions

SYS4230, SYS3230, IMS5006, IMS5024, IMS3230

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5111/

Leader(s): Dr Henry Linger

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit explores core disciplines that inform the project management function and their contribution to the concepts and principles that are the basis of project management practices. Building on this foundation, a knowledge based view of project management is presented with particular emphasis on reflective practice. Project management maturity models, competencies and organisational capabilities, in particular the approach to organising the project management function into projects, programs and portfolios, are examined from this perspective. Case studies will illustrate the theoretical foundations and demonstrate how theory can be incorporated into organisational practices.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Understand project management as knowledge based and reflective practice;
2. Have knowledge of the core disciplines that underpin project management;
3. Understand how the core disciplines inform the fundamental principles, concepts and standards that guide project management practices;
4. Be able to formulate the organising principles of the project management function;
5. Be able to specify the organisational capabilities to support project management;
6. Have the skills to design and develop an appropriate management structure for the project management function.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion: 25%; Practical exercises and individual assignment: 25%; Examination: 50%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9006 or IMS9001 or BUS5021 or 24 credit points of PG level study
In addition, students should have a good understanding of organisational contexts, structures and processes and be aware how work is organised and conducted by different organisations in the commercial, industrial, government and voluntary sectors and in civil society.

Prohibitions

BUS5150

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5150/

Leader(s): Dr Grace Rumantir

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of programming in the object-oriented environment with an emphasis on the development of simple business applications. It concentrates on the development of basic object-oriented programming and software engineering skills. Students gain experience with developing object-oriented implementation solutions to simple business related problems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will:

1. Understand and appreciate basic software engineering principles;
2. Have fundamental programming skills in the object-oriented environment;
3. Be able to develop object-oriented application solutions to simple business-related problem specifications

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%
Two practical assignments: 20% each

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003 and FIT9004 or IMS9001 and IMS9003 and CSE9000 or BUS9520 and BUS5071

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5151/

Leader(s): Associate Professor Julie Fisher (Caulfield); Dr Dengsheng Zhang (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Summer semester B 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Singapore Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit provides detailed understanding of user interface design principles and practices for computer-based systems. The principles, guidelines and standards for incorporating human factors in computer interface design are explored. The unit examines issues in interface design from various perspectives and how to manage this during systems development. It explores contemporary issues including: background and underpinning theories, guidelines and standards, design processes and implementation in practice, user interface evaluation methods, interface styles and componential design. The application of HCI design in other environments such as virtual reality and mobile devices will be covered.

Objectives

The unit introduces students to the theories and principles behind interface design from the perspective of human computer interaction. At the completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Understand from a management as well as technology perspective how the theories, guidelines and standards can be incorporated into the design of user interfaces;
2. Apply these principles in practice;
3. Develop and conduct a usability evaluation;
4. Understand the difference design considerations for deciding for the Web and mobile devices.

Assessment

Examination: 40%; Tutorial participation and attendance and participation in online discussion: 25%; Assignments: 35%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT Students FIT9017, FIT9019 and FIT9030.

For all other students FIT9003 and FIT9004.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5152/

Leader(s): Dr Rod Martin

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Services science draws from the social sciences, business, and engineering technology and applies scientific methods to the design and management of services. The use of IT is a crucial and essential part of services science and an understanding this area is of major importance to IT students. In the current business environment IT techniques and skills have become essential to successfully manage operations, services and projects. The focus of this unit is to provide students with sufficient knowledge of modern services science and business operations, concepts, and modern software, to work effectively in service operations roles in industry and government.

Objectives

At the conclusion of FIT5157 students will:

1. Understand how service businesses operate and evolve;

2. Understand the management principles, concepts and standards that guide service operations and project management practices;

3. Be able to specify the organisational capabilities to support service operations management;

4. Have the skills to design and develop an appropriate management structure for service operations and the management of service projects.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%
+ Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

Students are expected to have a background in IT, Engineering or Science.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5157/

Leader(s): Professor Geoff Webb

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit provides an understanding of the business value of customer relationship management and how data mining technology can be used to improve organizational interaction with customers. Building a business around the customer relationship is the aspiration of many modern organizations. Customer relationship management and data mining has been combined together to provide the required concepts, techniques, technology and tools to achieve this goal. The unit discuss how IT and IT based techniques can be used for customer segmentation, clustering and classification, market basket analysis and association rule mining in addition to traditional CRM.

Objectives

At the conclusion of FIT5158 students will be able to:

1. Use software tools and techniques for identifying business opportunities, plan direct marketing campaigns and product introductions;

2. Analyse and understand customer churn with data mining tools;

3. Create stable and accurate predictive models and interpret results

4. Provide advise to management on CRM;

5. Advise management on data mining techniques and tools.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%
+ Assignments: 40%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or CSE9000 or BUS9520

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5158/

Leader(s): Associate Professor Vincent Lee

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the development and use of IT tools and techniques for modelling and decision support in the field of finance. The unit is designed to give students a broad understanding of the financial subsystems confronting business enterprises. The main focus, besides the traditional modelling of finance decision making process using spreadsheet tools, will be IT tools and related techniques that can aid in the analysis and interpretation of real financial problems confronting an enterprise. This unit will look at business related financial issues in the context of specific case studies.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the unit students will:

1. Understand the core foundations of finance, as appropriate to key financial analysis and decision making;

2. Understand the core technologies that support financial analysis and decision making;

3. Understand quantitative techniques supporting financial analysis and decision making;

4. Be able to apply the technologies and techniques studied to solving financial issues;

5. Be able to analyse financial solution requirements and select appropriate technical and quantitative decision aids;

6. Be able to interpret outputs from quantitative and technology based finance tools to aid in decision making.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 60%; Assignments: 40%

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or CSE9000 or BUS9520

Basic descriptive and inferential statistics.

Prohibitions

BUS5030

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5159/

Leader(s): Dr Yen Cheung

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Business processes must be designed to ensure that they are effective and meet customer requirements. A well-designed process will improve efficiency and deliver greater productivity. This unit will introduce students to analytical tools that can be used to model, analyse, understand and design business processes. Students will also gain hands-on experience in using simulation software as a tool for analysing business processes.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

1. Have a thorough understanding of business organisations, their functional structure and the advantage of considering the process oriented view of organisations;
2. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of business processes, their structure and how processes fit in to the overall organisation objectives;
3. Be able to use analytical tools for modeling, analysing, understanding and designing business processes;
4. Have acquired skills to use simulation software as a tool for analysing business processes;
5. Be able to report to and advise management on business process design and re-engineering issues.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; Assignments: 40%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

FIT9003 or IMS9001 and IMS9003 or BUS9520 and BUS5071

Prohibitions

BUS5502

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5160/

Leader(s): Nandita Bhattacharjee

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will introduce communication protocol engineering and the software implementation of communication protocols using finite state machines as a communications protocol specification and their software implementation. Students will also learn software implementation of protocol data unit encoders and decoders using the Unix/C programming environment to manage buffer space, handle real-time communications protocol constraints and manage interrupts and polling of communications hardware.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. knowledge of design, role of software and implementation of communication protocols;
2. understanding of description and implementation of finite state machines;
3. implement protocol data unit encoders, decoders and circular buffers in software;
4. handle polling and interrupt dispatch mechanisms and real time constraints on communications software performance;
5. structure multithreaded and multiprocess communications software;
6. analyse real-time and resource demands of communications protocols to determine appropriate implementation structures;
7. evaluate communications software to determine that it meets the protocol and specifications;
8. use the UNIX/C operating system environment for programming simple communication protocols using a finite state machine implementation;
9. use operating system kernel facilities in their programs to ensure real-time protocol constraints are met by their communications software;
10. test and verify that their software implementation meets the protocol specifications.

Assessment

Practical assignments: 70%; Exam: ( 2 hours): 30%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: basic knowledge of networks, data communications and programming.

Prohibitions

CSE4883, FIT4014

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5162/

Leader(s): Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

In depth coverage of a range of security problems in information systems, namely physical security, network security and software security. Within these areas, topics covered include risk analysis, authentication, access control, and a range of crypto techniques. It looks at various management issues, including use and abuse of encryption, distributed systems authentication, contingency planning, auditing, logging and integrity management. A range of security applications are used as examples.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. Have knowledge of risks, threats and goals of information security
2. Understand various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation
3. Be able to evaluate the effectiveness (both in terms of performance and limitations) of individual control techniques
4. Match the risk against controls and evaluate their applicability.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; Assignments/Class tests: 40%.

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students: FIT9018 and FIT9020

Prohibitions

FIT4016, CSE4892

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5163/

Leader(s): Dr Asad Khan

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

E-Research provides means to harnessing contemporary ICT capabilities for solving challenging problems in science, medicine, and engineering. Computer grids play an pivotal role in E-Research; providing a seamless (web-like) access to a variety of networked resources, e.g. large data stores and information repositories, expensive instruments, high-speed links, sensors networks, and multimedia services for a wide range of applications. Topics covered include: Computational and Service-Oriented Grids, Grid-enabled Applications,. Gridservices, OGSA, Webservices, WSDL, Clustered Computing, GridMPI, Instruments and Sensors, Parametric Computing, P2P, and Data Grids.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. To be able to evaluate enabling technologies such as high-speed links and storage area networks for building computer grids.
2. To be able to utilise grid computing and clustering middleware, such as Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM), Message Passing Interface (MPI), HPC Portals, and Peer-to-Peer networks for implementing virtual super computing resources.
3. To be able to design a grid computing application in one of the key application areas e.g. Computer Animation, E-Research.
4. To be able to install a grid computing environment.
5. Develop communications skills and accept the code of professional conduct and practice through short presentations and group work.

Assessment

Assignment work: 30%, Lab work: 10%, Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of turorials/week

Prerequisites

FIT1002 or equivalent.
For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Required knowledge: Some experience with a C like programming language or Java.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5164/

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to provide a broad but sufficiently thorough practical understanding of the theoretical and implementation aspects of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) principles in the multimedia industry. Students will gain experience in building multimedia applications that implement core HCI principles. Students will also be given the opportunity to explore current research issues in HCI and build multimedia prototype as a solution to an issue of their choice.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. have the knowledge of fundamental concepts in Human Computer Interaction (HCI);
2. be able to construct multimedia products and systems using principles of user-centred interface design suitable to both content and context;
3. have an appreciation of the breadth of current research in human-computer interaction for multimedia applications;
4. have experience in designing and building an interface (software and/or hardware) for a multimedia application prototype as a solution for a contemporary issue in HCI.

Assessment

Group work: 30%, Practical work: 45%, Exam (2 hours): 25%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 1 hour tutorial/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5165

Leader(s): Campbell Wilson

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit presents students with the theory and practice underlying computerised information retrieval. Topics covered include: history and context of information retrieval systems, retrieval models: Boolean, vector space and probabilistic, evaluation strategies and test collections, web search engines, very large databases, indexing, content-based multimedia retrieval, relevance feedback.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit students will:

1. appreciate the context and application of information retrieval systems.
2. understand the different models of information retrieval and their comparative advantages and disadvantages.
3. understand how objective and subjective evaluation strategies are used with information retrieval systems.
4. be conversant with the issues and challenges of managing very large databases of heterogeneous data for information retrieval.
5. understand how web search engines and search algorithms are constructed, utilised and deployed
6. appreciate the different indexing strategies that can be used for the retrieval of information across different modalities.
7. understand how information retrieval systems can be used for the retrieval of audio-visual information.
8. appreciate the utility of and understand the theoretical and practical underpinnings of relevance feedback in information retrieval systems.

Assessment

Practical work: 50%, Exam (2 hours): 50%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Basic familiarity with file organisation theory and UNIX

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5066/

Leader(s): Andrew Paplinski

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit looks at the development and application of biologically inspired models of computation. We study: basic components of a natural neural systems: synapses, dendrites and neurons and their computational models; fundamental concepts of data and signal encoding and processing; neural network architectures: pattern association networks, auto associative networks, feedforward networks, competitive networks, self organizing networks and recurrent networks; plasticity and learning. Hebb rule, supervised learning, reinforced learning, error-correcting learning, unsupervised learning, competitive learning, self-organization.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. understand basic computational principles underlying the operations of biological neural systems;
2. have knowledge of computational methods of simulating biological and artificial neural systems;
3. have knowledge of supervised, unsupervised and self-organizing neuronal learning systems;
4. be able to use computer software to simulate behaviour of neurons and neural networks.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Exam, department-closed book (3 hours): 60%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 1 hour of tutorials/week.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CSE5301

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5167

Leader(s): Maria Indrawan

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

Management of semi-structured data. The unit looks at the limitation of current relational based DBMS in handling XML. Explore the concept of modelling XML using XML Schema and retrieving it using XSLT. Design issues in creating native XML database. Exploring the approaches taken by current relational DBMS in storing and retrieving XML-based data.

Objectives

1. Have the knowledge of managing data that may not be appropriately modelled and implemented as relational model.
2. be able to design data repository for XML documents
3. be able to apply appropriate technology to manage XML data
4. be able to use current DBMS to store and retrieve non-relational data such as XML and multimedia
5. Appreciate the strength and weaknesses of several approaches such as object relational, native XML and object oriented DBMS in handling the XML and multimedia database

Assessment

Assignment: 50%; Exam: 50%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 2 hours of tutorials/week.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Knowledge of relational database

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5168/

Leader(s): Kevin Korb

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit provides an understanding of current methods of automated probabilistic reasoning in graphical models and their application in building expert systems. Techniques for data mining graphical models will also be surveyed. A theoretical background in deterministic and stochastic probability propagation in Bayesian networks is joined with a case study of application development in a domain such as ecological risk assessment or meteorological modeling.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. be able to design and build probabilistic expert systems;
2. understand the application of probability theory to reasoning under uncertainty;
3. be able to apply automated decision analysis tools;
4. be familiar with the main Bayesian network tools and their capabilities;
5. understand how to data mine graphical models;
6. be able to knowledge engineer Bayesian networks.

Assessment

Bayesian network modeling: 25%; Data mining Bayesian networks:25 %;
Exam, Department-Open book (3 hours): 50 %.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 1 hour of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5169

Leader(s): Chris Ling

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the design and programming techniques essential for developing distributed software systems and applications - with Java as the teaching language. The unit presents concurrent programming primitives and concepts for distributed systems. The unit also focuses on application of concurrent techniques in distributed system designs. Programming and implementation issues and techniques of distributed applications are studied. Enabling techniques for building distributed systems are analyzed and evaluated. Distributed Software Patterns are presented. The unit also includes case studies of distributed programming paradigms and their applications (e.g. JINI, JavaSpaces).

Objectives

1. understand the concepts and characteristics of distributed and concurrent software;
2. identify and evaluate common distributed and concurrent software designs.
3. design distributed software applications using typical distributed software architectures;
4. write distributed and concurrent software programs;

Assessment

Assignment 1: 40%; Assignement 2: 40%; Research Paper: 20%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week; 2 hours of tutorials/week.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: Some exposure to multithreading. Knowledge of all Java language constructs such as loops, conditionals, methods, classes, inheritance and core Java packages. Use of O/O models such as UML diagrams.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5170/

Leader(s): Sita Ramakrishnan

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit covers the core software engineering disciplines concerned with managing and delivering quality software. Topics include processes, tools and techniques for system validation and verification, including major commercial tools used in industry. It shows how to predict, analyse and control defects in complex software systems. Inspection and testing methodologies, analysis of artefacts, robustness, performance analysis configuration management, quality assurance plan and standards including ISO9000/AS39000, compliance, assessment, certification issues are covered.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit student will:

1. have knowledge and understanding of the role of validation & verification methods in the system life cycle;
2. have gained practical experience in using commercial validation tools to help detect software system defects;
3. appreciate how assertion mechanisms impact reasoning;
4. be able to analyse and control defects in complex systems;
5. have an understanding of inspection & testing methods, configuration management, performance and quality standards issues.

Assessment

Assignments: 80%; Written report and presentation: 20%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week.

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037. Recommended knowledge: programming in C, C++ and Java; OOSE, Analysis, Design and Programming; OO Method - UML notation, method and SE process; Project Management.

Prohibitions

CSE4431, FIT4004, FIT4014.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5171/

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit provides students with a thorough grounding in the theory and application of computer forensic techniques. Topics covered will include: the role of computer forensics in computer crime detection and prosecution, legislative frameworks, phases of a computer forensic investigation, techniques involved in data recovery from volatile and non-volatile storage media, intrusion detection, computer forensic tools.

Objectives

Students who successfully complete the unit will:

1. be conversant with the types of applications that benefit from computer forensic analysis
2. appreciate the interrelationship between computer forensic techniques and the general principles behind rules of evidence.
3. understand the tasks involved in the acquisition, analysis and presentation phases of computer forensic investigations.
4. understand the methods involved in the recovery of data from various volatile and non-volatile storage media.
5. develop and utilise audit trails and intrusion detection techniques
6. deploy open-source tools and analyse the results of such deployment in particular application contexts
7. appreciate the various technical aspects of computer forensic investigations

Assessment

Assignment work: 70%, Unit test: 30%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: computer architectures, principles of data communication and networks, experience with operating and file systems

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5172

Leader(s): Andrew Paplinski

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The first component of this unit looks at digital communication technologies such as: local area networks; metropolitan area networks; satellite networks; ISDN; modem techniques; digital networks.
The second component covers protocols including: the structure, coordination and management of the Internet; Internet standards development process; Internet link layer protocols; IP (V4 and V6) and ICMP protocols; TCP and UDP; the Internet addressing structure, including domain naming and the DNS/LDAP systems and protocols; bridging systems and spanning-tree protocols; Internet packet routing techniques and protocols; mobile IP; Real Time Protocols; the major common applications.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. understand the general architecture of the Internet, the interworking of the key protocols, and the underlying services required for the operation of the network;
2. understand the standards development process for protocols and applications operating in the Internet;
3. have knowledge of the characteristics of the key protocols in the Internet, and the roles they play;
4. understand the key quality of service issues applying to the Internet;
5. knowledge of local area network design and implementation techniques.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.

Prohibitions

CSE3821, CPE3004, ECE4411, ECE5411, CSE4881, CSE4882, ECE4044, ECE5044, FIT4015

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5173/

Leader(s): Dr Asad Khan/Mr Quazi Mamun

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Modern computer systems contain parallelism in both hardware and software. This unit covers parallelism in both general purpose and application specific computer architectures and the programming paradigms that allow parallelism to be exploited in software. This unit examines both shared memory and message passing paradigms in both hardware and software; concurrency, multithreading and synchronicity; parallel, clustered and distributed supercomputing models and languages.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. knowledge of a variety of parallel architectures, such as bus-based, massively parallel, cluster, vector, a variety of parallel programming paradigms, synchronization and parallelization primitives, message passing, data parallel, tuple space;
2. understanding of concurrency, synchronicity and parallelism, and the design issues of parallel systems;
3. skills in designing, developing and debugging parallel programs using a variety of paradigms.

Assessment

Assignments: 100%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037. Recommended knowledge: operating systems, including synchronization and interprocess communication mechanisms; advanced computer architecture, including pipelining techniques.

Prohibitions

FIT4001, CSE4333

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5174/

Leader(s): Dr Rob Meredith (Caulfield); Ms Suryani Lim (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts necessary for the analysis, design, use and implementation of business information systems using relational database management systems. The main topics covered include requirements elicitation, systems analysis and design informed by a lifecycle based methodology, motivation for the database approach to managing information, conceptual modelling, coverage of logical process and data models (hierarchical, network and relational data models), and the use of SQL and other facilities provided by database management systems.

Objectives

To develop student knowledge of the techniques for functional analysis of a business problem, requirements specification of a database application system, and planning, designing, implementing and manipulating a database within a methodological framework.

Assessment

Examination: 50%; Assignments: 50%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prohibitions

CSE9002, BUS3112, BUS4112, IMS9001, IMS9003, GCO9804, BUS9003, CSE4430, BUS5071, FIT1004, FIT2010, FIT9012, FIT9019

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9003/

Leader(s): Ms Oshadi Alahakoon

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit provides an introduction to the principles and practice of programming for business applications. This includes an overview of spreadsheet modelling and a detailed introduction to programming with Excel including general programming concepts, the syntax and semantics of a current business programming language, design and development of graphical user interfaces.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will have:

1. a knowledge of the fundamentals of spreadsheets which will provide them with an understanding of spreadsheet modelling presentation and analysis using Excel;
2. learnt the fundamentals of OO concepts;
3. gained an understanding of the Excel object model;
4. learnt how to create Excel macros;
5. learnt the basics of programming including variables, data types, control structures, subroutines and functions;
6. learnt to create custom dialog boxes and custom forms using VBA.

Assessment

Practical Assignments: 40%; Examination (2.5 hours): 60%.

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

BUS4520, BUS5520, BUS9004, BUS9520, CSE9000, GCO4801, GCO8019, GCO9801

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9004

Leader(s): Associate Professor Andrew Paplinski/ Dr Suttisak Jantavongso

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)
Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to fundamentals of computer hardware and software, and networking. The unit provides knowledge of computer structure and operation including Arithmetic-Logic Unit, computer registers, internal bus, memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards. Fundamentals of computer networking and data communication will be also provided.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. understand basic computer structure and operation and demonstrate use of the associated vocabulary;
2. demonstrate knowledge of Arithmetic-Logic Unit, computer registers, internal bus, memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards;
3. describe the operation of the CPU and explain how it is used to execute instructions;
4. demonstrate an understanding of the basics of operating systems software using examples from file systems, user Interfaces and software development tools;
5. discuss network architecture standards for open systems;
6. describe TCP/IP network protocol;
7. understand the fundamental functions and architectures of LAN and WAN.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

1. adopt a problem solving approach;
2. accept the code of professional conduct and practice;
3. act in accordance with best practice, industry standards and professional ethics.

At the completion of this unit students will demonstrate the communication skills necessary to:

1. cooperate effectively within small groups;
2. present their work in various forms.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; Assessments: 40%.

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prohibitions

BUS4150, BUS5112, CPE4002, CSE4884, CSE9801

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9005

Leader(s): Dr Mahbubur Rahim (Caulfield); Mr Mortuza Ali (Gippsland)

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit presents IT management as a project-based activity, oriented to fulfilling corporate goals, meeting business operational requirements and delivering value for an organisation. Core concepts are established: strategic contexts of IT management, systems, information systems, systems development, business processes and modelling, and IT as support for core business processes. An overview of project management processes, tools and techniques used for software development projects follows. IT-related issues and trends posing complex challenges to management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations are explored. Ethics in IT management is a central theme.

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, students will have had the opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of:

1. The strategic contexts of IT management, including: the strategic value and impacts of IT; the strategy process; the need to effectively align business strategy and IT strategy; the value of a portfolio approach to managing IT investments and mitigating risk; the critical importance of a customer-centric approach to IT strategy; and key management roles and relationships (eg CEO-CIO).
2. The more common business processes, and the role that IT can play in managing these processes and in providing information systems that are appropriate for an organistion's operational needs.
3. The technical processes of a generic SDLC model, contract development, outsourcing and package purchase as alternative approaches to providing information systems.
4. The project management processes related to in-house and contract software development, software outsourcing, package acquisition and implementation.
5. The requirements for ongoing management of the IT infrastructure of an organisation that takes appropriate advantage of technological innovation to address the short-term and long-term objectives of the business.
6. IT professional ethics, and ethical issues in the management and use of IT within organisations.

Assessment

Practical Assignments: 40%; Examination: 60%. A pass in both components is required in order to pass the unit.

Contact hours

Lectures and tutorials: 3 hrs/week

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9006

Leader(s): Dr Madhu Chetty

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit will provide students with an overview of programming and its role in problem-solving and strategies for meeting user requirements and for designing solutions to programming problems. The fundamental programming concepts of the memory model, data types, declarations, expressions and statements, control structures, block structure, modules, parameters and input and output will be applied within the context of objects, attributes, methods, re-use, information-hiding, encapsulation, event-handling and message-passing. Software engineering topics include maintainability, readability, testing, documentation and modularisation.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. The relationship between a problem description and program design;
2. The management of problems using recognised frameworks;
3. The use of design representations;
4. The semantics of imperative programs;
5. The object oriented paradigm as represented by Java;
6. Event-driven programming;
7. The sequence of steps that a computer takes to translate source code into executable code;
8. Primitive data types and basic data structures.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

9. Adopt a problem-solving approach;
10. Recognise the importance of programming and documentation conventions;
11. Appreciate quality parameters in program development;
12. Accept the code of professional conduct and practice;
13. Act in accordance with best practice, industry standards and professional ethics.

At the completion of this unit students will have the practical skills to:

14. Use diagrams to design solutions for programming problems;
15. Apply problem solving strategies;
16. Use pseudo-code to design algorithms;
17. Design object oriented solutions to simple problems using multiple user-defined classes;
18. Create and test programming solutions to problems using the Java programming language;
19. Edit, compile and execute a computer program;
20. Analyse and debug existing programs;
21. Write a test plan.

At the completion of this unit students will demonstrate the communication skills necessary to:

22. Produce formal documentation for a program;
23. Explain an existing program.

Assessment

Tutorial/Laboratory based practical exercises: 40%
Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week, One 2 x hr tutorial/week

Prohibitions

CPE1001, CSE1202, GCO1811, FIT1002, MMS1801 and MMS1802, GCO9805

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9008/

Leader(s): Kai Ming Ting

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit will introduce students to basic computer hardware and operating systems software with emphasis on the concepts required to understand the low-level and internal operations of computer systems. In particular, this includes study of data representation, simple digital logic, computer organisation including CPU, memory and input/output devices, as well as machine-level and assembly language programming, and operating system concepts with examples of process management, file system structures and user interfaces.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. understand basic Computer Structure and Operation and demonstrate use of the associated vocabulary.
2. demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of Data Representation, Computer Arithmetic and Boolean Algebra using appropriate methods of implementation.
3. demonstrate detailed knowledge of Internal Bus, Memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards.
4. describe the internal operation of the CPU and explain how it is used to execute instructions.
5. differentiate between machine language and assembly language and write assembly language programs to solve simple problems.
6. demonstrate an understanding of the basics of operating systems software using examples from File Systems, User Interfaces and Software Development Tools.
7. identify factors that affect computer performance.
8. use various simulators to demonstrate the operation of simple computer architectures.

Assessment

Tutorial/Laboratory Assignments and class test: 40%
Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Prohibitions

translation set GCO9802

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9010

Leader(s): Madhu Chetty

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will provide students with an introduction to systems analysis and design. It will provide a broad overview of the main techniques commonly used for carrying out the analysis and specification of the design for an computer system. The unit will examine the nature of systems analysis and design as a problem-solving activity and the nature of modelling as an analytical and a communicative process. Major topics covered include: systems analysis and design in context, analysis and problem-solving, fact-finding and data gathering, systems analysis using UML and systems design using UML.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge and understanding of:

1. The roles of systems analysts and designers system development;
2. Various system development methodologies;
3. The processes of systems analysis and design in structured and object-oriented systems development methodologies and life-cycles;
4. Planning and problem definition in simple information technology problems;
5. The principles of systems design, and the relationship of systems design to systems analysis;
6. The criteria that can be used to evaluate the quality of a model of a system;
7. The purpose of different types of models in the UML;
8. The role and application of automated tools in systems modelling.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

9. Appreciate that a range of valid solutions exist for any given problem.

At the completion of this unit students will have the skills to:

10. Model and design logical and physical systems using industry standard object oriented techniques;
11. Interpret and evaluate systems analysis and systems design models created using both structured and object oriented techniques.
12. Create analysis and design models using the main elements of the unified modelling language (UML);
13. Develop and practice the skills and competencies necessary to undertake a requirements analysis for a business application;
14. Apply problem solving techniques at different levels of abstraction and understand the effect this may have on a system specification;

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

15. Explain the interdependence and relationships between all stake-holders in the systems development process.

Assessment

Exam: 60%
Practical assignment work: 40%

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week

Co-requisites

FIT9012

Prohibitions

BUS2021, BUS2071, CPE2003, CSE1204, CSE1205, GCO1813, GCO2601, GCO2852, GCO2826, IMS1001, IMS1002, IMS1805, IMS2071, GCO9803, FIT2001

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9011

Leader(s): Associate Professor Kai Ming Ting

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit will provide an introduction to the principles and concepts of database systems their organisation and management. The issues of physical and logical data description are addressed. Various data models, and a query language, are introduced. This will include planning, designing, using and implementing a data model using an enterprise-scale relational database system. Methods and techniques will also be presented to populate, retrieve, update and implement integrity features on data in the implemented database system.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge and understanding of:

1. the major objectives of database technology;
2. the relational model for databases and competing models;
3. the phases of the database development life cycle and their correspondence to the phases of the system development lifecycle;
4. the techniques and tools to design and implement a database suitable for an information system;
5. a database retrieval and manipulation language;
6. methods to in put place physical structures to permit efficient operation of a database;
7. the relationship of database technology to data warehousing and data mining;
8. the role of a database administrator;

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

9. Appreciate the privacy issues relating to storage of data in a database.
10. Practice ethical behaviour when developing, implementing and using a database.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%
Examination: 60%

Prohibitions

FIT1004, GCO2815, GCO3851, BUS2112, CFR2132, CFR3203, COT2132, COT2138, IMS2112, IMS9003. (translation set GCO9804).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit90112

Leader(s): Mr Shane Moore

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

Following on from FIT9008, this unit introduces more advanced object-oriented programming topics than its prerequisite, such as inheritance and polymorphism. It gives students a deeper understanding of programming and data structures by introducing recursion and dynamic data structures. It also gives more practical skills in designing, building and testing larger computer programs, including ones having graphical user interfaces, and utilising file I/O. Modern software tools to support programming activities of testing and group-based development are also demonstrated.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will:

1. demonstrate an understanding of advanced object-oriented concepts such as inheritance, polymorphism, and abstract classes and interfaces as provided for in Java.
2. be able to create programs that provide a graphical user interface and use event handling.
3. be able to write programs involving abstract and dynamic data structures, and implement algorithms for searching, insertion and deletion.
4. be able to use the collection classes in the Java API.
5. be able to implement algorithms that utilise recursion.
6. have an understanding of design principles for building a multiple-class object-oriented program.
7. be able to implement exception handling techniques
8. be able to use files for persistent storage of data
9. be able to construct test harnesses for multiple-class programs
10. demonstrate an understanding of the range and purpose of modern tools to support the process of programming complex software systems.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; Assignments: 40%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

GCO9805 or FIT9008 or equivalent

Students beginning Programming 2 are assumed to:

+ know the difference between a class and an object.
+ be able to read/explain existing Java code (at a basic level)
+ be able to implement a design in Java using multiple interacting classes and techniques such as sequence, selection, repetition, methods and parameter passing, scoping

Prohibitions

GCO9808

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9013/

Leader(s): Mr Shane Moore

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit examines object-oriented systems modelling/design in greater depth than the prerequisite unit. The key disciplines of the Unified Process will be examined to set a context for analysis and design. Students will learn about static and dynamic modelling of software systems and components, using UML. Some common design patterns will be studied. Some topics about software architecture are examined.

The unit prepares students to be able to design large multi-user systems such as may be implemented in a project unit, or in employment.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit students will:

1. understand object-oriented concepts such as: association, aggregation and composition; polymorphism and generalisation; messaging and object interaction, state and lifespan of objects; encapsulation, connascence, domains, encumbrance, cohesion, coupling;
2. know the finer details of syntax and semantics of the Unified Modelling Language with respect to modelling class diagrams, interaction diagrams, state machine diagrams, package diagrams, activity diagrams, deployment diagrams, timing diagrams, interface and component diagrams;
3. be able to consider advanced topics in relation to use cases and specifications when analysing a system;
4. understand the role of software architecture, and be able to employ several common architectural such as tiered computing, client/server, pipes and filters, P2P, layered implementation, publisher/subscriber, to design systems;
5. understand the role of patterns and pattern languages in designing systems, and be familiar with a range of structural, creational and behavioral patterns;
6. be able to apply theoretical concepts and techniques for problem solving, to design complete software systems in a range of settings;
7. be able to justify system design decisions with reference to a model's quality, limitations, scope for future extension, and to theoretical concepts;
8. utilise IT practitioner tools to support the process and documentation of systems design.
9. be able to communicate the design of a system through electronic documents including UML models, other diagrams, and supporting text.
10. have an awareness of the process by which object-oriented system analysis and design is performed using a framework such as the Unified Process.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; Assessments: 50%.

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Prerequisites

GCO9803 or FIT9011 or FIT9030

Understanding of the following key computing concepts:
+ data variables
+ method calling semantics
+ Fundamentals of systems analysis and design

Co-requisites

FIT9008 or FIT9017 or equivalent

Prohibitions

GCO9806, GCO2813 and FIT2005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9014/

Leader(s): Associate Professor Manzur Murshed

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

Algorithm analysis. Application and implementation of some common data structures: stacks, queues, lists, priority queues, tables, sets and collections. Data representations including: arrays, linked lists, heaps, trees (including balanced trees) and hashing. Design of application programs making use of common data structures. Design and implementation of new data structures. Study of advanced algorithms in areas such as: graph theory, pattern searching and data compression. Access to the University's computer systems through an Internet service provider is compulsory for off-campus students

Objectives

1. Ability to analyse simple algorithms to work out an order of magnitude estimate of running time and space
2. Familiarity with some of the most common data structures:
• stacks
• queues
• lists
• priority queues
• tables
• sets
• collections
3. Ability to implement these data structures using various common data representations:
• arrays
• linked lists
• heaps
• trees (including balanced trees)
• hashing
4. Ability to evaluate which implementation would be most appropriate for a given data structure and application.
5. Ability to apply the same principles used in implementing the common data structures to implement other data structures.
6. Ability to design and implement new data structures.
7. Understanding of some more advanced algorithms in areas such as:
• graph theory (shortest path etc)
• pattern searching
• data compression
• (precise selection of advanced algorithms will vary from year to year)
8. Ability to design new algorithms to solve new problems.
9. Enjoyment of programming as an intellectual exercise.
10. Appreciation of the elegance of certain data structures and algorithms as a form of art.
11. Interest in understanding how data structures and algorithms are implemented rather than merely using other people's implementations (and consequently a preference for open source software.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%
Examination: 60%

Contact hours

One x 2 hr lecture/week

One x 2 hr laboratory (programming session in PC lab)/week. (Depending on on-campus class size a repeat laboratory may be required.)

Prerequisites

FIT1007 or GCO1812 or FIT9013 or GCO9808

Prohibitions

CSE2304, FIT2009, GCO2817, GCO3512, and GCO9807 (translation set)

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9015/

Leader(s): Mr Mike Smith

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with the basic concepts involved in the development of well structured software using a programming language. It concentrates on the development of problem solving skills applicable to all stages of the development process. Students gain experience with the translation of a problem specification into a program design, and the implementation of that design into a programming language. The subject introduces software engineering topics such as maintainability, readability, testing, documentation, modularisation, and reasoning about correctness of programs. Students are expected to read and understand existing code as well as develop new code.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will :

1. be competent in designing, constructing, testing and documenting small computer programs using Java;
2. be able to demonstrate the software engineering principles of maintainability, readability, and modularisation; and,
3. understand the concepts of the 'object-oriented' style of programming.

Assessment

Assignment work: 40%, Unit test: 10 %, Examination: 50 %

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prohibitions

CSE9000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9017/

Leader(s): Dr Andy Cheng

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of computer systems and the computing environment, using Linux as a case study of a modern operating system. Topics covered include: CPU, memory, storage devices, peripheral hardware, networking fundamentals, operating systems fundamentals, practical Linux considerations including Desktop and Enterprise applications, file systems, shell scripting, client/server applications and system administration.

Objectives

At the completion of the unit, students will be expected to have understanding of:

• basic computer hardware and architectures;
• process management;
• memory management;
• operating systems architectures;
• basic network protocols;
• network topologies;
• the architecture of Linux;
• usage and administration of Linux systems;
• deployment of Linux in personal and enterprise contexts.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 60%; Practical Exercises: 40%

Contact hours

4 hrs/week

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9018/

Leader(s): Dr Linda Dawson

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

Database concepts and models, relational database management systems, semantic data modelling, entities and entity relationship modelling, normalisation, user requirements specification, database specification. Storage media and data organisation, logical data structures: linear and non-linear. Physical database implementation, integrity, backup, recovery, security. Structured Query Language, database administration. Current topics; distributed database, data warehousing, Object-oriented database.

Objectives

At the completion of the unit, students will be expected to:

1. understand the motivations behind the development of database management systems.
2. appreciate the underlying theoretical basis of the relational database model and how this model may be implemented in practice
3. understand the differences between non-relational database models and the relational database mode
4. be able to apply logical and physical database design principles to a database implementation.
5. be conversant with Structured Query Language (SQL).
6. understand the processes involved in database administration, transaction management, concurrency control, restart and recovery.

Assessment

Assignments: 35%, Exam; 65%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

Must be enrolled in the MAIT

Prohibitions

CSE9002

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9019/

Leader(s): Associate Professor Andrew Paplinski

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The unit will introduce students to fundamentals of data and computer communications method and techniques. It covers: ISO and TCP/IP layered protocols; physical layer concepts: data transmission methods, signal encoding and digital data communication techniques; data link control protocol, multiplexing methods; WAN and LAN networking fundamentals; internetworking and transport protocols.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Understand layered ISO and TCP/IP protocols
2. Have knowledge of data transmission technology, signal encoding techniques and data link control protocols
3. Understand multiplexing methods and technologies
4. Understand the functions and architectures of LAN and WAN.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Exam (3hrs): 60%

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials and laboratories/week

Prerequisites

FIT9018

Prohibitions

CSE9801, BUS3150, CSE2318, CSE3318, FIT1005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9020/

Leader(s): Mr William Lay

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit will develop the basic concepts of website authoring, from design to implementation. Students will develop skills in creating digital content which is authored to deal with the particular issues of web publishing. The unit will examine HTML/XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) and JavaScript as the fundamental website authoring suite. In addition HTML embedded script languages, such as ColdFusion, will be used to create dynamic database driven content. The unit will also introduce wider W3C standards, web usability and web design specification.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. the characteristics of commercial web sites and the authoring/management issues associated with them
2. the features and applicability of a range of software tools which are used in the development of websites
3. internet standards and protocols, in particular the impact of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards in this area
4. a web based document as an instance of the W3C Document Object Model
5. website usability issues
6. the role that products such as Macromedia Flash can play in web authoring
7. copyright related issues as they apply to web authoring.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that provide them with:

8. the flexibility required in dealing with clients in a variety of situations encountered in the tendering/authoring process
9. a critical attitude towards assessing the success of websites
10. a recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of information technology in the context of the development and use of web based multimedia systems.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed skills to enable them to:

11. create and manipulate digital content for websites, including basic audio and animation
12. code web pages using standard HTML/XHTML, including tables and forms
13. make use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to add style to web documents
14. use JavaScript to add interactivity to HTML pages
15. access and manipulate DOM objects in a web document
16. write HTML embedded script code (such as ColdFusion) to produce dynamic database driven web documents
17. produce design specification documents applicable to a web site authoring task

At the completion of this unit students will have developed the teamwork skills needed to

18. work as a member of a project team

Assessment

Practical assignments: 60%
Examination: 40%

Contact hours

4 contact hrs/week (comprising 2 hrs lecture, 2 hrs tutorial) plus 8 hrs/week of self-directed study and project work.

Prohibitions

MMS1402, FIT1012 (Translation Set: MMS9401)

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9027/

Leader(s): Ms Cheryl Howard

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit provides a focus on specialist tools and techniques that are used for developing content-rich interactive multimedia systems. This unit will cover fundamental multimedia principles, practical development processes, the integration of mixed-media assets, interactive design and programming for digital media and different technologies for product deployment. Students will create content-rich interactive CD-ROM products using industry standard authoring tools and will gain an understanding of the role of digital media within the broader technology environment.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. information technology and the software tools as they relate to (and are used in) multimedia systems
2. the Adobe Flash and Adobe Director authoring environments for CD-ROM and web based systems development
3. codecs and compression techniques associated with digital video, images and sound and the appropriate application of these for use in ROM development
4. the formal process undertaken for preparing and documenting the various development stages of a multimedia system
5. how to achieve a range of special effects which are commonly required for advanced interactive design in multimedia systems
6. fundamental programming techniques and how to carry this knowledge across multiple languages

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that provide them with:

7. outline strengths and weaknesses of information technology in the context of the development and use of multimedia systems
8. make informed decisions on the most appropriate blend of tools and technologies to support a given multimedia system requirement
9. formulate constructive criticism within the construct of critical analysis.

At the completion of this unit students will have developed skills to enable them to:

10. apply advanced interactive design techniques to a multimedia system using time/frame based authoring environments
11. use a blend of industry standard multimedia tools and products
12. write code to assist in advanced system interaction with the programming languages Lingo and/or ActionScript
13. further enhance and refine user interface and navigational design and creativity skills in multimedia systems
14. specify an appropriate toolset for developing and supporting advanced features/functionality in a multimedia system

At the completion of this unit students will have developed the teamwork skills needed to:

15. build confidence in formal presentation techniques presenting personal ideas, research concepts and developmental progress
16. discuss and share developmental processes and techniques within an informal populated environment

Assessment

Examination: 40%
Practical assignments: 60%

Contact hours

4 contact hrs/week (comprising 2 hrs lecture, 2 hrs tutorial) plus 8 hrs/week of self-directed study, project/assignment work.

Prerequisites

FIT9027

Prohibitions

IMS2402, MMS2402 (Translation Set: MMS9402)

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9028/

Leader(s): Mr Ruben Hopmans

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit will examine the activities integral to the development of a multimedia systems, detailing the techniques of systems analysis and design used in the development process. Fundamental programming concepts will be introduced within a multimedia scripting language framework as a mechanism for system development. Students will be involved in a mixture of individual and group-based work which will require application of the theoretical knowledge gained in lectures to a series of practical problems in multimedia systems development.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

1. a range of systems analysis and design methodologies and their associated tools that can be used in the development of multimedia systems
2. the main participants in the development of multimedia systems and the roles which they perform
3. the key tasks in the multimedia systems development process
4. quality assurance techniques for the analysis, design, implementation and maintenance of a quality multimedia system

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that provide them with:

5. an appreciation of the importance of a thorough understanding of the principles of systems analysis and design so as to support successful development of multimedia systems
6. broadminded awareness of the the advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches in systems analysis and design

At the completion of this unit students will have developed skills to enable them to:

7. undertake a requirements analysis for a business application
8. convert requirement analysis models to design models that represent a workable solution system
9. prepare analysis and design documentation for a multimedia system
10. encode data in XML format
11. apply sound programming principles to the use of a multimedia scripting language such as ActionScript

At the completion of this unit students will have developed the teamwork skills needed to:

12. develop skills to work as part of a project team

Assessment

Practical work (assignments): 60%
Examination: 40%.

Contact hours

12 hrs/week for 13 weeks (comprising 2 hrs lectures, 2 hrs laboratory/seminar and 8 hrs of individual study time).

Prohibitions

CSE1401, GCO1813, IMS1403, IMS2401, IMS5401, IMS9001, MMS1403, MMS2201 Translation Set: MMS9405

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9029/

Leader(s): Ms Chris Gonsalvez

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2009 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Evening)

Synopsis

The unit introduces students to the key principles which underlie the analysis and design of computer-based information systems to support business and other organisational undertakings. It describes the development life cycle of an information system and provides students with an introductory knowledge of the process of information systems development and the techniques used.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will have knowledge and an understanding of

1. the role of information systems in organisations
2. some of the techniques used to analyse and design information systems
3. the framework used to structure information systems development projects
4. when the use of a particular technique is appropriate
5. when the use of a particular technique is appropriate
6. the attitudes to appreciate the capabilities and limitations of an information system
7. the practical skills to apply some of the analysis and design techniques in a systems development situation
8. have the practical skills to communicate requirements for business functionality of an information system in terms of data required, data storage and processing

Assessment

Assignments: 50%, Supervised formal assessment: 50%

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prohibitions

IMS9001, FIT2001

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9030/

Leader(s): Chung-Hsing Yeh

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will cover a wide variety of techniques and computing systems developed for supporting business applications software systems in Chinese language. Specific topics include Chinese-enabling systems, Chinese character sets and encoding methods, Chinese character input methods, Chinese character output, and Chinese computing on the Internet. To enable students to understand the development of global software for all human languages including Chinese, the principles and techniques for multilingual information processing, including universal character encoding methods will be discussed. The unit will be taught in English, but students need to have a good knowledge of written Chinese.

Objectives

1. To familiarise students with Chinese language and multilingual computing environments;

2. To learn the principles and skills of Chinese business computing through the practical use of Chinese software systems;

3. To acquire skills that can easily be translated into using software in non-Roman languages;

4. To understand Chinese and universal character encoding methods for multilingual information processing;

5. To develop ability to understand the techniques used to develop Chinese and global software for business applications.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 70%
+ Assignments: 30%

Contact hours

3 x contact hrs/week

Prerequisites

Familiarity with written Chinese

Prohibitions

BUS3200, BUS4200, BUS5200, FIT3104

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9058/

Leader(s): Dr Shyh Wei Teng

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2009 (Off-campus)
Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

In general, students select a project that involves all aspects of the system development lifecycle; analysis and design, programming, testing and implementation of a solution. Project management aspects of system development are stressed, with the following deliverables required: proposal, definition, feasibility study, project plan, system specification, design report, implementation plan, user documentation, and operational software, to ensure that the project is delivered on time. The student must display a sense of responsibility for the project outcomes and skills for interaction with the client. Requirements include oral presentations to the client and written reports.

Objectives

This subject aims to develop in students:

1. the capacity to apply in a practical setting the theoretical work covered in the course
2. the ability to develop a significant computing application, from the analysis and design stages, through coding and implementation to evaluation
3. the abilities and attitudes required to operate effectively as a member of a development team.
4. skills and knowledge to work with clients and communicate effectively with them
5. the ability to define a problem, and gather data, facts, opinions and information needed to analyse and solve it
6. skills in outlining and evaluating alternative solutions to a system development problem
7. knowledge and skill to perform a feasibility study that includes estimates of costs, time requirements, a schedule for the development, and the benefits expected from the system
8. ability to identify hardware and software requirements for a system
9. skill in documenting a system design using industry standard documentation tools and procedures
10. knowledge, understanding and skill to implement a system, including testing and debugging
11. knowledge and skill in evaluating a system, identifying any weakness or possible enhancements

Assessment

Practical work (project reports, documents and other project deliverables, two presentations and the project supervisor's report: 100%

Contact hours

Students are required to spend a minimum of 12 hours per week working on their projects. Regular meetings with the supervisor are also required.

Prerequisites

GCO9804

Prohibitions

CSE9020

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/gco9800/

Leader(s): Professor Kate Smith-Miles

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit prepares students for many of the more specialised postgraduate units that assume a basic familiarity with key mathematical concepts relating to statistics, calculus, graph theory, and linear algebra, as well as standard mathematical notation. Mathematics is a common language for describing our world - perhaps the only true universal language - and strong foundations in critical thinking, quantitative analysis and problem solving skills are highly relevant for studies and future employment in IT. The unit covers foundations in functions of one and many variables, differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, and graph theory. Applications of these topics to IT are emphasised. Students will also gain hands-on experience using computer-aided tools including MATLAB.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

1. have a common foundation-level knowledge of mathematical concepts relating to functions, linear algebra, differential and integral calculus, probability and statistics, and graph theory, upon which the remainder of their studies can be built;
2. be confident in their use and understanding of mathematical notation and language;
3. have skills to manipulate matrices and solve systems of linear equations, to differentiate and integrate functions of several variables and to find the maximum and minimum of such functions, to understand the basic principles of probability theory and techniques for statistical analysis, and to understand the basic concepts of graph theory;
4. understand the relevance of such methods of quantitative analysis as they apply to the field of information technology;
5. be able to apply their knowledge to solve mathematical problems by hand, as well as using computer-aided tools such as MATLAB and Excel spreadsheets.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Exam (3 hours): 60%

Contact hours

4 x contact hrs/week