This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

FIT1045 - Introduction to algorithms and programming

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Information Technology

Offered

Clayton

First semester 2016 (Day)
Second semester 2016 (Day)

Malaysia

First semester 2016 (Day)
Second semester 2016 (Day)
October intake 2016 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit introduces programming fundamentals and the Python language to students. The unit provides a foundational understanding of program design and implementation of algorithms to solve simple problems. Fundamental programming control structures, built in and complex datatypes and mechanisms for modularity will be presented in Python.

Topics covered will include basic input and output, program control structures, basic data structures and modular program structure. Problem-solving strategies and techniques for algorithm development, iteration and recursion, algorithm efficiency and the limitations of algorithms will be introduced.

Outcomes

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

recognise the relationship between a problem description and program design;
implement problem solving strategies;
demonstrate how basic data structures (list, graphs, trees, sets, tables) function;
investigate different strategies for algorithm development and evaluate these to select an appropriate solution to a given problem;
decompose problems into simpler problems;
determine the complexity of simple algorithms;
recognise the limitations of algorithms.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 70%; In-semester assessment: 30% (Semester 1)
Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40% (Semester 2)

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

Two hours lectures
Two hours laboratories
Two hours tutorials

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

A minimum of 2-3 hours of personal study per one hour of lecture time in order to satisfy the reading, tute, prac and assignment expectations.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Kerri Morgan

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Computer networks and security
Computer science
Creative computing
Cybersecurity
Mobile apps development
Software engineering
Web development

Prerequisites

VCE Mathematics Methods or Specialist Mathematics units 3 & 4 with a study score of 25 or MTH1010.
Note: For 2016 Further Mathematics with a study score of 35 will be accepted.

Prohibitions

FIT1029

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

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