Assignment 1 (Written Assessment)
Written Assessment (30%)
General Information
The purpose of this assignment is to select and discuss relevant online resources that exemplify the application of the topic(s) nominated each week (1 - 10). This assignment can (and should!) be completed progressively (i.e. each week). There are ten (10) tasks, one for each week: these are detailed below and in the template.
The assignment is marked out of 30 and forms 30% of your total unit marks.
Note that late penalties apply (5% of the total available marks per calendar day late or part thereof). Assignments received 14 days or more after the due date will not be marked and will receive zero. Students may apply for extensions but must provide documentary evidence to support their request (for example, a medical certificate). Short extensions of one to two days may be considered if students include their nearly completed assignment (i.e. one or two tasks to yet be completed) in their extension request.
It will be necessary for students to use online resources to complete this assignment, so please ensure you cite and reference any such materials using the Harvard format. Plagiarism detection will be used in this assessment.
It is VERY important that you do not copy content directly from either the text or Internet resources: this assignment is to be in your own words. You will lose marks if you do not use your own words! Suspected plagiarism will result in the instigation of the student misconduct process.
What do I need to do?
Download the template. There are ten (10) tasks, one for each week: the tasks are detailed below (and in the template file).
Each task requires you to collect and summarise one (1) publicly available online resource. The resource summaryshould be around 200-300 words. You should collect interesting and relevant resources that address the task. The resources should be easy to read and describe the topic/technology concisely and simply. The resources must be specific to the topic (i.e. just focus on a single technology or topic and not be about multiple topics). These can include (but are not limited to) online magazine/news articles, technical reports or documentation.
Important - Academic resources such as journals, conference papers or books will generally be unsuitable for this assignment as they are generally not publicly available, are not concise, are not necessarily easy to read and often don’t focus specifically on the assignment topic(s). The resources should be substantial (producing a 300 word summary from a 400 - 500 word resource is inappropriate) and only contain information directly pertinent to the task. You cannot use the resource more than once in the assignment. The textbook and sites such as, but not limited to, Wikipedia, Techtarget, and HowStuffWorks are not suitable resources.
Your summary should briefly explain:
• What the resource is about
• Why you selected it
• What are the main points or key information covered in the resource
• Why the resource was useful.
For each task, there is a table to complete in the template. Please fill in the information required and submit the document via this page by the due date.
Week Task
1 The text discusses the elements of modern computing architecture however is largely silent on the individuals who played a role in its development. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE such individual. The individual should have had a significant influence on the development of computers and/or components of modern computing architecture.
2 The text discusses the components and activities of operating systems however is largely silent on the individuals who played a role in their development. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE such individual. The individual should have had a significant influence on the writing or development of operating systems.
3 The Internet didn’t just appear – it was an evolution from earlier networks. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE of the networks that led to the development of the modern Internet.
4 Ethernet is an example of a Layer Two (L2) data link protocol that is discussed in the text. Find and summarise a resource that describes the features and uses ofONE other L2 protocol that is not discussed in the text (i.e. NOT Ethernet).
5 The text mentions the role of hackers in attacks on networked infrastructure. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE famous or well-known hacker.
6 Society is increasingly reliant on networks and network technologies but they are evolving at a rapid pace. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONEexample of a future networking technology or trend that will impact society.
7 The text mentions social business and the impact of the use of social networking platforms. Find and summarise a resource that describes the history of the development of ONE such social media platform.
8 With the advent of mass data collection and storage has come data mining. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example where data mining has been used successfully by a business. You should not use any examples covered in the textbook.
9 One of the greatest success stories in application development in recent times has been the popularity of mobile apps. Find and summarise a resource that describes the story of ONE successful mobile app developer.
10 While information systems and technology deliver many benefits to society, they can also result in (sometimes inadvertent) negative effects and outcomes. Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example of where the use of an information system or technology has led to negative consequences for humans.
What do I need to submit?
You are required to submit a single document in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). Use the template as the basis for your submission. Apart from providing your response to the weekly tasks, do not modify the document - especially do not delete the marking sheet.
Marking Criteria
A detailed tabular marking criteria is provided as part of your submission template - please ensure you read it before attempting the assignment. You will be assessed on the relevance of the resources you select as well as the clarity and detail of your discussions.