Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Advanced Professional Development

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COSC2615

City Campus

Postgraduate

140H Computer Science & Information Technology

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2014,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 2 2016

COSC2615

City Campus

Postgraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2019,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 1 2021

COSC2615

City Campus

Postgraduate

175H Computing Technologies

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 2 2023,
Sem 1 2024,
Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: David Eccles

Course Coordinator Phone: -

Course Coordinator Email: david.eccles@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: -

Course Coordinator Availability: by email


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Recommended Prior Study 

You should have satisfactorily completed or received credit for the following course/s before you commence this course:

 

If you have completed prior studies at RMIT or another institution that developed the skills and knowledge covered in the above course/s you may be eligible to apply for credit transfer.

Alternatively, if you have prior relevant work experience that developed the skills and knowledge covered in the above course/s you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.

Please follow the link for further information on how to apply for credit for prior study or experience.


Course Description

This course provides a practical and theoretical introduction to what it means to be an IT professional today. You should encounter a range of issues relevant to professional practice in the workplace, as well as an understanding of the wider responsibilities that professionals are called upon to uphold in society. This course covers these topics within a larger societal context of computing to develop an understanding of the relevant social, ethical, legal and professional acumen.

The topics covered in this course include:

  • social implications of computing in a digital world;
  • impact of social media;
  • ethical theories and principles within IT context;
  • IT professional ethics;
  • intellectual property;
  • professional communication;
  • computer crime; and
  • ethics of sustainability (including global social and environmental impacts of computer use and disposal).


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

This course contributes to the program learning outcomes for the following program(s):

GC188 - Graduate Certificate in Information Technology
MC208 - Master of Information Technology

PLO 1    Enabling Knowledge
PLO 2    Critical Analysis
PLO 3    Problem Solving
PLO 4    Communication
PLO 5    Responsibility
PLO 6    Teamwork
PLO 7    Research and Scholarship

For more information on the program learning outcomes for your program, please see the program guide.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. discuss social impact and professional issues in the realm of Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT)
  2. analyse, discuss and evaluate computing practice scenarios including interpreting abstract theoretical propositions/scenarios, choosing methodologies, and justifying conclusions, in both written form and oral presentations using the correct language of the field justifying professional decisions in the technical documentation with appropriate tables, figures, and references
  3. work effectively in a small group of peers to analyse computing practice scenarios, and to assess the work of peers
  4. use research principles and methods to investigate, analyse, theorise and present on new situations in CSIT professional practice
  5. identify, discuss and address intellectual property, privacy and ethical issues that arise in software development applying ethical responsibility to ensure software correctness, reliability and safety
  6. describe and investigate socio-environmental impact of the new technology and develop sustainable systems


Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are:

  • key concepts will be explained in lectures where course material will be presented and the subject matter will be illustrated with case studies, video demonstrations and relevant news items
  • tutorials will cover the practical aspects of the lecture material where the scenario analysis and group discussions; projects and problem solving will provide practice in the application of theory and procedures, allow exploration of concepts with teaching staff and other students, and give feedback on your progress and understanding
  • labs focus on gaining workplace attributes necessary to work in the IT industry, such as interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral), critical reasoning and analytical skills, etc.
  • assignment work requires application of skills such as research, critical analysis, problem solving, active team participation and effective communication
  • private study requires a high level of accountability for your own learning and applying professional judgement, including interpreting course learning materials, and gaining practice at solving conceptual and technical problems.


Overview of Learning Resources

The course is supported by the Canvas learning management system which provides specific learning resources. See the RMIT Library Guide at http://rmit.libguides.com/compsci


Overview of Assessment

Note: This course has no hurdle tasks.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Individual Professional Report and Presentation
Weight: 25%
This assessment supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 6

Assessment Task 2: Group Business Case and Presentation
Weight: 30%
This assessment supports CLOs 1,2,3,4,5,6

Assessment Task 3: Review Assessments
Weight: 45%
This assessment supports CLOs 1,2,3,4,5,6

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.