Module Descriptors
HARDWARE, SOFTWARE SYSTEMS & NETWORKS
COCS40303
Key Facts
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences
Level 4
15 credits
Contact
Leader: Christopher Howard
Email: C.Howard@staffs.ac.uk
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 48
Independent Study Hours: 102
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
  • CLASS-TEST weighted at 30%
  • EXAMINATION - UNSEEN IN EXAMINATION CONDITIONS weighted at 70%
Module Details
Module Resources
Tutorial Room, Lecture Theatre, Electronics or Technology Lab.
Module Special Admissions Requirements
None.
Module Indicative Content
Simple Logic Gates
Structure & components of a typical modern PC, from processors to secondary storage & I/O
Elementary concepts of Data Communications and networks from Modems to Gateways
Structure & role of a modern PC based operating system
Module Additional Assessment Details
1 Class Test 45 minutes 30% and 1 Exam 2 hours 70%.
Class test to assess learning outcomes 3 and 4
Exam to assess outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4. However, there would be greater emphasis on 1 and 2.
Module Learning Strategies
Contact time will be split between lectures that present new material and supervised practicals with access to the required hardware and software.
Independent study will involve reading course notes prior to delivery and attempting exercises designed to demonstrate new theoretical topics
2 lectures and 2 tutorial/practicals per week.
Tutorials/practicals normally delivered in groups of 20 students.
Module Texts
Computer Systems Architecture. A Networking Approach. Rob Williams. 2001 Addison Wesley ISBN0 201 64859 8.
Computer Systems Architecture. Robert M Newman, Elena Gaura, Dominic Hibbs.2002 Crucial.ISBN 1 90333707 0.