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). There are ten (10) tasks, one for each week: these are detailed below and in the template. This assignment can (and should!) be completed progressively (i.e. one task each week).
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 how Central Processing Units (CPUs) function but is silent on another processing component of modern computers, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Find and summarise ONE resource that describes what a GPU is and how it differs from a CPU. The resource (and your summary) should discuss at least one non-graphics related use for GPUs.
2 One of the potential next advances in Operating Systems (OSes) will be Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. Find and summarise ONE resource that discusses how AI could change the way OSes function and/or interact with users.
3 The text discusses how Netflix uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Find and summarise ONE resource that describes ONE other commercial IaaS provider that is NOT Google. The resource and your summary should describe how the IaaS differs from AWS.
4 IPv4 is discussed in the text, yet the emerging IPv6 protocol is only mentioned briefly. Find and summarise ONE resource that describes the IPv6 protocol. The resource and your summary should describe how IPv6 differs from IPv4.
5 WannaCry and NotPetya were two of the most significant malware attacks of 2017. Find and summarise ONE resource that describes how ONE of these pieces of malware work. Note that the resource should focus on ONE of these, NOT both.
6 OpenFlow is a protocol that enables Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Find and summarise ONE resource that describes how OpenFlow works and/or how it enables SDN.
7 Historically, organisations have been able to improve business processes by implementing Information Systems. However, as these systems age they can negatively impact on organisational agility and can ultimately prove problematic. Such systems are broadly referred to as Legacy Systems. Find and summarise ONE resource that discusses the impacts of legacy systems on organisations. The resource and your summary should clearly identify problems with maintaining legacy systems.
8 With the advent of mass data collection and storage has come the use of these datasets for data mining and analysis. Recently, Cambridge Analytica and Facebook have come under intense scrutiny for their use of user data, allegedly in order to influence the US 2016 election. Find and summariseONE resource that describes what Cambridge Analytica did and why their services were so controversial.
9 Load (or performance) testing is a critical step in the information systems development process. The purpose of this testing is to simulate the peak expected load on a system to ensure both hardware and software can operate effectively and meet key metrics. To do this, specialised performance testing tools are used. Find and summarise ONE resource that describes ONE such tool. The resource (and your summary) should include information on the principle uses and features of the tool.
10 While information systems and technology deliver many benefits to society, there is a high incidence of failure in attempting to implement them. These IS/IT implementation project failures frequently result in substantial financial losses. Find and summarise ONE resource that describes ONE example of an Australian IT/IS project that has failed. Note that the resource should focus on ONE single example and it and your summary should clearly explain the cause(s) of the failure.
Hints
Hint 1: Do a bit every week
This assignment is not onerous, especially if you complete each weekly section as you complete each week of the unit – that means writing around 300 words per week. However, it will be much harder if you try to complete all ten sections in week eleven!
Hint 2: Choose interesting and relevant resources
You will be assessed on the relevance of resources. Choose specialised, specific resources that helped you gain a deeper understanding of the topic area. Do not use generic web pages from sites like (but not limited to) Wikipedia, Techtarget and “How-Stuff-Works”. Web sites like these list and define topics and technologies and they are not appropriate. Slide-shows or PowerPoint presentations are also unsuitable. Make sure the resource can be linked to/accessed directly – i.e. it is a public resource on the web. Links/permalinks to CQU Library online resources such as journal papers, conference papers and textbooks are not suitable as they are not publicly accessible resources. Read more about choosing resources via this link.
Hint 3: Look at these examples.
Note the reasons why the excellent response gets the marks. Pay special attention to why the second examplewould result in an academic misconduct case and the potential for you for fail the assignment or the unit!!!
Hint 4: Ask!
If something in this assignment description is unclear, or you are just not 100% sure about something, please ask for help. Your teaching team really do not mind if you ask us to clarify something. We do mind when we have to fail you because you haven't submitted what was asked or met the assignment requirements
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.
Plagiarism Checking Information
On uploading your assignment for the first time you will be able to immediately see your similarity score. However, a 24 hour delay exists for the release of similarity scores for the submission of successive items (drafts).
To be clear, the delay will not apply to your first draft which will receive a Turnitin similarity score as soon as possible.
This mandatory delay was implemented by Turnitin to minimise misuse of the similarity-checking service by students who were simply modifying their submissions to avoid match detection and without citing sources appropriately.