2 units for each of Preliminary and HSC

Board Developed Course (Category A)

Exclusions: None

Prerequisites: None

Course Description:

The Preliminary Course introduces students to the basic concepts of computer software design and development. It does this by looking at the different ways in which software can be developed, the tools that can be used to assist in this process and by considering the interaction between software and the other components of the computer system.

The HSC course builds on the Preliminary Course, and asks students to develop and document software using a variety of data structures and language facilities, and through these will learn to solve a number of interesting and relevant software problems.

Main Topics Covered:

Preliminary Course

• Concepts and issues in the design and development of software

• Social and ethical issues

• Hardware and software

• Software development approaches

• Introduction to software development

o Implementing

o Testing and evaluating software solutions

o Maintaining software solutions

o Developing software solutions

HSC Course

• Development and impact of software solutions

• Social and ethical issues

• Application of software development approaches

• Software Development cycle

• Defining and understanding the problem.

• Planning and design of software solutions

• Implementation of software solutions

• Testing and evaluation of software solutions

• Maintenance of software solutions.

• Developing a solution package

One of the following options:

• Programming Paradigms or

• The interrelationship between software and hardware

Particular Course Requirements:

Practical experience should occupy a minimum of 20% of the Preliminary Course, and a minimum of 25% of the HSC course. There are software specifications and methods of algorithm description prescribed.

For more information about this course, please see: Mr Magann