Faculty of Science

First Year

COL100: Computer Literacy for Science (New Syllabus)

Course Code: COL 100
Course Title: Computer Literacy
Credit Value: –
Hourly Breakdown Theory Practical Independent Learning
5 30 35
Objectives: Provide knowledge and practical experience on ICT tools and techniques required in the present learning and working environment. Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Describe the functions of computers and communication network components
  • Create documents using word processing software
  • Design slides using presentation software
  • Make use of spreadsheet application software  for data manipulation and data visualization
  • Apply Internet tools effectively for learning, communication and personal organization
Syllabus Outline
Contents
  • Fundamentals to ICT: Definition of ICT, Data and Information Components of Computers and their functions, Software, Computer networks, Revolution in Computers & Communications, Challenges of Information Technology.
  • Word processing application: Navigating the word Document Window, Toolbar, creating, editing, formatting a document, indents, Tabs and Tables, documents with multiple columns, formatting pages, previewing and printing documents, Automating tasks, Tracking Changes, Mail merging
  • Presentation application: Creating a presentation, applying design templates, viewing and formatting, Adding and modifying slide text, animating text and objects, inserting multimedia, drawing and modifying shapes, delivering a slideshow, printing a presentation
  • Spreadsheet application: Cells and addresses, formatting cells and worksheets, formulas and functions, Creating and modifying charts, page setup and printing
  • Applications on the Internet: Websites and effective searching, learning with the aid of the Internet, Online services for effective communication, file sharing, collaboration and meetings. Enhance digital skills for seamless workplace integration.
Teaching / Learning Methods:Lecture, laboratory practical, Discussion, tutorial classes
Evaluation Criteria:End of Course Examination (Practical)
(A completion certificate may be awarded to those who complete all the practical assignments and obtain a final mark of 40%).
Third Year

ITE 301G2: Software tools for scientific calculations

Course Code ITE 301G2
Course Title Software tools for scientific calculations
Credit Value 2
Core / Optional Supplementary
Hourly Breakdown Theory Practical Independent Learning
0 60 40
Objectives:
Provide an introduction to the scientific computing using software such as MATLAB, R, and other free tools for scientific calculations, design, statistical analysis, and decision making in research.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Design simple algorithms to solve problems
  • Solve variety of computational problems like scientific and mathematical problems
  • Choose and conduct appropriate statistical analyses
  • Review a variety of advanced statistical techniques
  • Discuss situations in which each technique would be used, the assumptions made by each method, how to set up the analysis, and how to interpret the results
  • Critically evaluate results of statistical analyses, and to draw appropriate conclusions
Syllabus Outline
Course Contents:
  • MATLAB basics, Visualization and Programming, Solving Equations, Curve Fitting, and Numerical Techniques, Advanced Methods, Various Functions and Toolboxes, Hands-on session
  • Introduction to IBM SPSS Statistics, Selecting cases for analyses, Transforming variables, Using functions to transform variables, Setting the unit of analysis, Merging data files,  Summarizing individual variables, Basic descriptive statistics, Graphs, Describing the relationship between variables, Advanced statistical procedures
  • Introduction to R, Basic concepts of Object Orientation and Programming, Data manipulation, Data analysis, Machine Learning
Teaching and Learning Methods:
Laboratory practical, Tutorials discussions
Assessment Strategy:
In-course Practical Assessments                                                                  30%·

End-of-course Practical Examination                                                          70%

ITE302G2: Computational and Scientific programming using Python

Course Code ITE 302G2
Course Title Computational and Scientific Programming using Python
Credit Value 2
Core / Supplementary Supplementary
Hourly Breakdown Theory Practical Independent Learning
0 60 40
Objectives:
Provide the fundamental concepts of computing programming, how to solve simple problems using Python, with a specific emphasis on data manipulation, transformation, and visualisation of scientific data.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Explain what an algorithm is and its importance in computer programming
  • Recognize and construct common programming idioms: variables, loop, branch, subroutine, and input/output
  • Describe the principles of structured programming and be able to describe, design, implement, and test structured programs
  • Design and implement a program to solve a real-world problem using the language idioms, data structures, and standard library
Syllabus Outline
Course Contents:
·

  • Installing Python; basic syntax, interactive shell, editing, saving, and running a script.
  • The concept of data types; variables, assignments; immutable variables; numerical types; arithmetic operators and expressions; comments in the program; understanding error messages;
  • Conditions, Boolean logic, logical operators; ranges Control statements: if-else, loops (for, while); short-circuit (lazy) evaluation
  • Strings and text files; manipulating files and directories, os and sys modules; text files: reading/writing text and numbers from/to a file; creating and reading a formatted file (csv or tab-separated).
  • String manipulations: subscript operator, indexing, slicing a string; strings and number system: converting strings to numbers and vice versa.
  • Lists, tuples, and dictionaries; basic list operators, replacing, inserting, removing an element; searching and sorting lists; dictionary literals, adding and removing keys, accessing and replacing values;
  • Design with functions: hiding redundancy, complexity; arguments and return values; formal vs actual arguments, named arguments. Program structure and design. Recursive functions.
  • Simple Graphics and Image Processing: “turtle” module; simple 2D drawing – colors, shapes; digital images, image file formats, image processing. Simple image manipulations with ‘image’ module (convert to black and white, greyscale, blur, etc.).
  • Object Oriented Programming, An introduction to classes and objects, define a class, work with object composition, work with encapsulation, and work with inheritance, override object methods, Illustrative programs.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
 Laboratory practical, Tutorial discussions.
Assessment Strategy:
In-course Practical Assessments                                                                 30%

End-of-course Practical Examination                                                          70%

ITE303G2: Web Development Technologies

Course Code ITE 303G2
Course Title Web Development Technologies
Credit Value 2
Core / Supplementary Supplementary
Hourly Breakdown Theory Practical Independent Learning
0 60 40
Objectives:
Provide hands-on training in web application development techniques on client side (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS) and server-side programming (PHP, MySQL database connection).
Intended Learning Outcomes:
·

  • Describe a variety of ways that web-sites may be developed
  • Create dynamic web pages using HTML, CSS and JavaScript
  • Demonstrate skills to upload websites to a web server
  • Design and Develop fully functioning web-sites using sever side scripting languages to enable interaction
  • Validate web pages according to W3C standard considering the need of clients and users
Syllabus Outline
Course Contents:
·

  • Describe a variety of ways that web-sites may be developed
  • Create dynamic web pages using HTML, CSS and JavaScript
  • Demonstrate skills to upload websites to a web server
  • Design and Develop fully functioning web-sites using sever side scripting languages to enable interaction
  • Validate web pages according to W3C standard considering the need of clients and users
  • Introduction to WWW: Protocols and programs, secure connections, application and development tools, the web browser and server,
  • Web Design: Web site design principles, planning the site and navigation,
  • Introduction to HTML: The development process, Html tags and simple HTML forms, web site structure
  • Style sheets: Need for CSS, introduction to CSS, basic syntax and structure, using CSS
  • JavaScript: Client side scripting, What is JavaScript, How to develop JavaScript, simple JavaScript, variables, functions, conditions, loops and repetition
  • XML: Introduction to XML, uses of XML, simple XML, XML key components
  • PHP: Starting to script on server side, Arrays, function and forms, advance PHP.
  • MySQL: Basic command with PHP examples, Connection to server, creating database, selecting a database, listing database, listing table names creating a table, inserting data, altering tables, queries, deleting database, deleting data and tables, PHP myadmin and database bugs.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
Laboratory practical, Tutorial discussions
Assessment Strategy:
In-course Practical Assessments                                                                    30 %·End-of-course Practical Examination                                                             70%