Unit 3

AOS 1: Programming

• Learn the main concepts of programming (including OOP & GUI)

• School-assessed Coursework (SAC): Develop a sequence of working modules from teacher provided designs

Key knowledge

1. emerging trends in programming using artificial intelligence, including: 
   • using prompts to generate code
   • automated debugging and testing of modules
   • code optimisation
   • responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence tools
2. characteristics of functional and non-functional requirements, constraints and scope
3. design tools for representing modules, including: 
   • data dictionaries
   • mock-ups
   • object descriptions
   • input-process-output (IPO) charts
   • pseudocode
4. characteristics of data types, including:
   • text (character, string); 
   • numeric (integer, floating point, date/time)
   • Boolean
5. characteristics of data structures, including:
   • one- and two-dimensional arrays
   • records (varying data types, field index)
6. characteristics of data sources (plain text (TXT), delimited (CSV) and XML files), including:  
   • structure and reasons for use
7. principles of OOP, including: 
   • abstraction
   • encapsulation
   • generalisation
   • inheritance
8. features of a programming language, including:
   • local and global variables, and constants
   • data types
   • instructions and control structures (sequence, selection, iteration/repetition)
   • arithmetic, logical and conditional operators
   • graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
   • functions and methods
   • classes and objects
9. purposes and features of naming conventions for solution elements (variables, interface controls, code structures), including:
   • Hungarian notation
   • camel casing
   • snake casing
10. validation techniques for data, including:
    • existence checking
    • type checking
    • range checking
11. purposes of internal documentation, including:
    • explaining and justifying data and code structures
    • code maintenance
    • placeholder comments for future development (stubs)
12. algorithms for sorting and searching, including:
    • selection sort
    • quick sort
    • binary search
    • linear search
13. types of errors, including:
    • syntax
    • logic
    • runtime (overflow, index out of range, type mismatch, divide by zero)
14. debugging and testing techniques for checking modules function correctly, including:
    • use of breakpoints
    • use of debugging statements
    • construction of relevant test data
    • test cases comparing expected and actual output in testing tables.

Key skills

1. interpret solution requirements and designs
2. use a range of data types, data structures and data sources
3. use and justify appropriate features of an OOP language to develop working software modules
4. develop and apply suitable naming conventions and validation techniques within modules
5. document the functioning of modules using internal documentation
6. develop and apply suitable debugging and testing techniques using appropriate test data.

AOS 2: Analysis and Design

• Learn and apply the Analysis and Design parts of the PSM to Software Solutions

• School-assessed Task (SAT) – Part 1 (Analysis & Design)

  • Create a project plan and Gantt chart

  • Analyse and Document a need or opportunity for a software solution

  • Generate design ideas and design a software solution 

Key knowledge

1. reasons why individuals and organisations undertake software development projects, including:
   • increasing productivity and efficiency
   • reducing costs
   • identifying opportunities to address gaps in the market
   • meeting organisational objectives or needs
2. features of a brief that documents a problem, need or opportunity, including:
   • problem/need/opportunity outline
   • proposed users
   • programming languages to be used
   • feasibility
   • originality 
3. features of project management using Gantt charts, including:
   • identification of tasks
   • sequencing of tasks
   • time allocation
   • dependencies
   • milestones
   • critical path
   • monitoring and documenting the progress of projects
4. methods for collecting data to determine needs and requirements, including:
   • interviews
   • observations
   • surveys
   • reports
5. characteristics of functional and non-functional requirements
6. constraints that influence solution development, including:
   • economic
   • legal
   • social
   • technical considerations
7. characteristics of solution scope, including:
   • version/solution boundaries
8. analytical tools for depicting the relationships between users, data and systems, including:
   • context diagrams (Level 0) with the components of a system, and entities and data flows
   • data flow diagrams (Level 1) with the components of processes, entities, data stores and data flows
   • use case diagrams with the components of a system boundary, actors, associations, relationships (includes and extends) and use cases
9. purpose and features of software requirements specifications, including: 
   • defining requirements
   • constraints
   • scope
   • user characteristics
   • technical environments
   • analytical tools depicting existing processes and systems
10. key legal requirements relating to the intellectual property and ownership and privacy of data used, including:
    • Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth)
    • Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth) (APP 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11)
    • Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (IPP 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
11. 
    

Key skills