Educational aims
Professionals working in the IT sector bring many different kinds of expertise to their work. The aim of this degree is to equip you with the knowledge and skills you will need to underpin a career in this sector. As well as developing your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental technologies and techniques and the issues involved in their application, it will also:
- enable you to keep ahead in a rapidly changing subject area by helping you to develop as an independent learner
- develop relevant skills in communication, numeracy, and collaborative working
- enable you to apply your learning in your private, social and professional life.
And, depending on the pathway you choose through the qualification, you may gain:
- practical experience in the use of information and communication technologies
- an understanding of the types of software and ICT systems that are now being constructed and used, such as distributed internet systems, intelligent systems and databases, and the digital network that underlies the internet itself
- a grasp of the key concepts of computing and of modern computer systems
- skills in the main tasks that are carried out as software is built and maintained, such as analysis, design, programming and evaluation.
Teaching, learning and assessment methods
You will learn independently, using the following types of material, provided by us:
- printed teaching texts
- multimedia packages, on DVD and online
- directed readings from textbooks and papers
- specialised software tools.
We will support your learning with:
- self-assessment questions and exercises, included in the teaching texts
- programming tasks, computer-based investigations and open-ended project work
- feedback and guidance from a tutor, tutorials and revision
- email and online discussion forums
- study guides.
We will assess your learning with
- tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
- multiple-choice computer-marked assignments (CMAs)
- interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs)
- formal examinations
- progress reports.