Find us +44 (0)113 2837100

COM4003 - Introduction to Tech Stack

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

The module introduces the elements of a technology stack for web and mobile application development and how to choose an appropriate solution for a given task.

It also serves as a foundation for developing students’ understanding of cloud networks and cloud architecture, areas which are further developed through COM6003 Secure Development and Deployment. Along with COM4013 Introduction to Software Development, COM4043 Computing Skills and Employability and COM4015 Technology in Business, students will be encouraged to become ‘cloud native’ in their approaches to software development and solutions architecture.

Across the module, students are introduced to a variety of contrasting technologies which will enable them to justify their solution in response to a business problem.

The content covers:
• client-side programming (HTML, CSS, JavaScript);
• server-side languages (e.g. python);
• web frameworks (e.g. express.js, flask);
• web server technology (e.g. node.js, Nginx);
• database technology (e.g. MongoDB, MySQL);
• operating systems (e.g. Unix and Windows);
• computer networks;
• cloud-based architectural models.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Workshops
Hours: 60
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Guided independent study
Hours: 240

Further details relating to assessment
Project User Interface: In this assignment, students will apply their knowledge of the client side of tech stack, gained during the first semester. The first milestone will consist of a web-based user interface based on a business brief. The project will assess their ability to apply browser technologies to a realistic application. Also in this assignment, students will be asked to produce a document detailing their proposed solution in terms of both its architecture and the languages and tools they will use to develop it, as well as how they would expect to deploy it. What will be assessed is the ability to research and choose their tech stack, consider the compatibility of their choices and aim for consistency and for their stack to ‘gel’.

Final Project: This will assess students’ ability to produce a partial implementation of their application based on their project plan. The partial implementation should succeed in establishing the basic architecture and design pattern of the application while providing minimal functionality. While students are not expected to deploy their application in practice, they should show they can use tools that would help facilitate its deployment according to their project plan.

Unseen/closed book Examination: The alternative assessment outlined above is for use by overseas franchise partners that require an unseen/closed book exam option. In this instance, the exam should assess the student’s general knowledge of topics covered in the module as well as facilitate their critical analysis of approaches taken in their project work. A combination of multiple-choice and essay-based questions will be included.

Formative assessment will be used to support the skills that contribute to the assessment. Formative assessment may include coding labs, design and modelling tasks, case study presentations, short quizzes, or specific research tasks. Formative feedback will be an ongoing process within class sessions.

Full details are available in the Module Handbook.

For students studying at Leeds Trinity campus, there are variations to the Taught Programme Academic Regulations, as required by the accrediting body, and these variations are contained within Additional Regulations.

Assessment:

001 Project plan & user interface; 1,500 word equivalent; end of semester 1 40%
002 Final project; artefact 2,400 word equivalent; end of semester 2 60%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Yashar Baradaranshokouhi
Level - 4
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4YL