School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies

Unit Outline

COS30008
Data Structures and Patterns
Semester Jan, 2024

Please read this Unit Outline carefully. It includes:

PART A Unit summary

PART B Your Unit in more detail
PART C Further information
PART A: Unit Summary
Unit Code(s) COS30008
Unit Title Data Structures and Patterns
Duration One semester
Total Contact Hours 48 hours
Requisites:
COS20007 Object-Oriented Programming, or
COS30016 Programming in Java,
Pre-requisites
or COS20011 Software Development in Java

Co-requisites Nil
Concurrent pre-requisites Nil
Anti-requisites Nil
Assumed knowledge Nil
Credit Points 12.5
Campus/Location Ho Chi Minh City
Mode of Delivery Blended

Assignments (individual) 25%,

Assessment Summary Midterm (individual) 25%,
Final Examination (individual) 50%

Aims
COS30008 – Data Structures and Patterns studies the design, implementation, and application of
data structures as a means for algorithmic problem solving. Each problem exhibits specific
characteristics with respect to resource requirements, data representation, and software
architecture. The study of data structures is primarily concerned with the following questions:
• How can a given problem be effectively expressed?
• What are suitable data representations for specifying computational processes?
• What is the impact of data and its representation with respect to time and space consumption?
• What are the recurring structural artifacts in software and how can we identify them in order to
facilitate problem solving?
Unit Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit should be able to:
1. Solve problems using object-oriented design and implementation techniques.
2. Interpret the trade-offs and issues involved in the design, implementation, and application of
various data structures with respect to a given problem.
3. Design, implement, and evaluate software solutions using behavioral, creational, and
structural software design patterns.
4. Explain the purpose and answer questions about data structures and design patterns that
illustrate strengths and weaknesses with respect to resource consumption.
5. Assess the impact of data structures and algorithms.
6. Evaluate algorithm designs and perform best-, average-, and worst-case analysis.

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 Swinburne Engineering Competencies for this Unit of Study
This Unit of Study will contribute to you attaining the following Swinburne Engineering
Competencies:
• Basic Science: Proficiently applies concepts, theories and techniques of the relevant natural and
physical sciences.
• Math and IT as Tools: Proficiently uses relevant mathematics and computer and information
science concepts as tools.
• Discipline Specific: Proficiently applies advanced technical knowledge of the specific discipline
within that context.
• Emerging Disciplinary Trends: Interprets and applies current or emerging knowledge from inside
and outside the specific discipline.
• Professional Practice: Appreciates the principles of professional engineering practice in a
sustainable context.
• Engineering Methods: Applies engineering methods in practical applications.
• Problem Solving: Systematically uses engineering methods in solving complex problems.
• Design: Systematically uses engineering methods in design.
• Communication: Demonstrates effective communication to professional and wider audiences.

Graduate Attributes
This unit may contribute to the development of the following Swinburne Graduate Attributes:
§ Communication skills
§ Teamwork skills
§ Digital literacies
Content
• Introduction
o Basic concepts and data type construction in C++
o Sets, arrays, indexer, and iterators
o Asymptotic algorithm analysis
• Fundamental Data Structures
o Dynamic arrays
o Single-linked lists
• Data Types and Abstraction
o Abstract data types
o Design patterns
o Pointers
o Memory management
• Basic Container Types
o Stacks
o Queues
o Ordered lists
o Hash tables
• Hierarchical Data Types
o Trees
o Graphs
o Tree traversals
• Algorithmic Patterns and Problem Solvers
o Basics
o Performance analysis
o Greedy algorithms
o Backtracking
o Divide-and-Conquer

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PART B: Your Unit in more detail
Unit Improvements

Feedback provided by previous students through the Student Survey has resulted in improvements
that have been made to this unit. Recent improvements include:
• The contents and assessment material is being continuously revised to incorporate selected
features of the latest C++ standard into the unit. Presently, C++17 is now supported by all
mainstream C++ compilers and C++ standard libraries. Hence, COS30008 uses C++17 a
reference standard.

Unit Teaching Staff

Consultation
Name Role Email
Times

Dr Bao Nguyen Unit Coordinator [email protected] Appointment by Email

Learning and Teaching Structure

Total Hours per Teaching Period
Activity
Hours Week Weeks
Lecture 24 hours 2 hours Weeks 1 to 12
Tutorial 24 hours 2 hours Weeks 1 to 12
Independent Learning 102 hours 8.5 hours Weeks 1 to 12

Resources and Reference Material

• Stanley B. Lippman, Josée Lajoie, and Barbara E. Moo: C++ Primer. 5th Edition.
• Jeffrey S. Childs: C++ Classes and Data Structures.
• Kurt Mehlhorn and Peter Sanders: Algorithms and Data Structures – The Basic Toolbox
• Kenneth H. Rosen: Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications.
• Scott Meyers: Effective Modern C++
• Anthony Williams: C++ Concurrency in Action
• Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein: Introduction to
Algorithms. 3rd Edition.
• Nicolai M. Josuttis: The C++ Standard Library - A Tutorial and Reference.
• Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides, Design Patterns.
• Frank Buschmann, Regine Meunier, Hans Rohnert, Peter Sommerlad, and Michael Stal,
Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture: A System of Patterns.
• Kenneth A. Berman and Jerome L. Paul: Algorithms: Sequential, Parallel, and Distributed.
• Russ Miller and Laurence Boxer: Algorithms Sequential and Parallel - A Unified Approach. 2nd
Edition.
• Gary J. Bronson: Program Development and Design Using C++, 3rd Edition.
Additional references will be given occasionally during the semester.

Canvas Site for this Unit of Study

Important information concerning this unit of study is placed on the Swinburne course management
system (Canvas), accessible via https://swinburne.instructure.com/ Canvas is updated regularly with
important unit information and communications. It is your responsibility to access
• the Canvas site for your unit of study,
• the Announcements section on Canvas, and
• any emails sent by the teaching staff to your student email address via Canvas.
If you access your email through a provider other than Swinburne, it is your responsibility to ensure
that your Swinburne email is redirected to your private email address.

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Assessment
There will be regularly scheduled problem sets and programming assignments to help you learn the
material and to allow us to evaluate your progress.
a) Assessment Overview
Problem sets will be handed out roughly every week or two. Most assignments will require
laboratory work. You should expect to work on a problem set between two and four hours. If you have
trouble finding a solution, ask for help! All assignments are fair and reasonable. No problem set will
require more than six hours. Handouts for all problem sets will be made available online.

Individual/ Related Learning

Assessment Task Weighting Due Date
Group Task Objective(s)
As specified on the
Problem Set (4) Individual 1-6 25%
assignment handouts
Midterm assessment Week 10
(2h) Individual 1-5 25% (tentatively)
Final Examination
Individual 1-5 50% Exam Period
(2h)

Your grade is independent of anyone else's grade in this class. That is, we do not grade on a curve,
and everyone can get an HD. Our purpose in grading is to uphold a standard of quality and to give
you feedback: it is not to rank students. The final grade is calculated as follows:

Final grade: 25% homework grade

25% mid-term assessment grade
50% final exam grade

All problem sets are equally weighted. In general, every problem set is worth a different number of
points. The maximum number of points equals 100%. You receive one grade for all problem sets,
which calculated as follows:
Homework grade = sum of all homework’s / number of homework’s
Example:
• Problem set 1: 50 out of 75 = 67%
• Problem set 2: 67 out of 80 = 84% • Problem set 3: 89 out of
90 = 99%

Grade: 67% + 84% + 99% / 3 = 83%

Occasionally, you may earn some extra marks for a problem set, if this problem set is particular
challenging. Therefore, the final homework grade may be greater that 100%. Extra marks can help
you to improve your final grade. However, your aggregated final mark cannot exceed 100.

b) Minimum requirements to pass this Unit

There will be one mid-term test and a final exam. The final grade for the course will be weighted
towards exams.
To pass this unit, you must:
• achieve an overall mark for the unit of 50% or more, and
• achieve at least 40% in the final exam
Students who do not achieve at least 40% for the final exam, will receive a maximum of 44% as the
total mark for the unit and will not be eligible for a conceded pass.
Failure to submit assignment work may lead to disqualification from special examinations.
c) Examinations

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If the unit you are enrolled in has an official examination, you will be expected to be available for the
entire examination period including any Special Exam period.
The final examination is a closed book exam.
d) Submission Requirements
Homework problems are due electronically at the date and time specified on the handouts. For
submission, COS30008 uses Canvas and the submission window is timed. In general, problem sets
are due at the start of the lecture. If you have problems with a particular assignment, talk to the
instructor before the deadline. No submissions will be accepted after the lecture, unless
there are unforeseen circumstances outside the control of students.
Every problem set will have its own cover sheet to be used when submitting your assignment. Please
provide your name, student id, and tutorial session where indicated on the assignment
cover sheet.
Students must retain all assessed material that contributes to the final result up until such time as
the final results are published.
e) Extensions and Late Submission
- Late Submissions - Unless an extension has been approved from the Unit Convenor, late
submissions will result in a penalty. You will be penalized 10% of your achieved mark for each
working day the task is late, up to a maximum of 5 working days. After 5 working days, a zero
result will be recorded. For example, if a student achieves 90/100 on an assessment task but the
task was submitted two days late. A late penalty of 20% (of that 90/100 mark) will be applied and
the student’s final mark will be recorded as 72/100 (being 90 less 09 marks/1st day and another 09
mark/2nd day).
- Extension – please check the university policy for obtaining an extension.
f) Referencing
To avoid plagiarism, you are required to provide a reference whenever you include information from
other sources in your work. Further details regarding plagiarism are available in Section C of this
document.
You need to acknowledge the origin and authorship of any code not written by you.
Helpful information on referencing can be found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/studyhelp/harvard-quick-guide.pdf
g) Group work Guidelines
There are no group assessment tasks in this unit.
You can work in groups to tackle problem sets. However, your contribution to the solution must
be original and not just echo group consensus.

PART C: FURTHER INFORMATION

http://www.swinburne.edu.au/student/

Student behaviour and wellbeing

All students are expected to: act with integrity, honesty and fairness; be inclusive, ethical and
respectful of others; and appropriately use University resources, information, equipment and
facilities. All students are expected to contribute to creating a work and study environment that is
safe and free from bullying, violence, discrimination, sexual harassment, vilification and other forms
of unacceptable behaviour.

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The Student Charter describes what students can reasonably expect from Swinburne in order to
enjoy a quality learning experience. The Charter also sets out what is expected of students with
regards to your studies and the way you conduct yourself towards other people and property.
You are expected to familiarise yourself with University regulations and policies and are obliged to
abide by these, including the Student Academic Misconduct Regulations, Student General
Misconduct Regulations and the People, Culture and Integrity Policy. Any student found to be in
breach of these may be subject to disciplinary processes.
Examples of expected behaviours are:
• conducting yourself in teaching areas in a manner that is professional and not disruptive to
others
• following specific safety procedures in Swinburne laboratories, such as wearing appropriate
footwear and safety equipment, not acting in a manner which is dangerous or disruptive
(e.g. playing computer games), and not bringing in food or drink
• following emergency and evacuation procedures and following instructions given by
staff/wardens in an emergency response

Canvas
You should regularly access the Swinburne learning management system, Canvas, which is
available via the Current Students webpage or https://swinburne.instructure.com/ Canvas is
updated regularly with important unit information and communications.

Communication
All communication will be via your Swinburne email address. If you access your email through a
provider other than Swinburne, then it is your responsibility to ensure that your Swinburne email is
redirected to your private email address.

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is about taking responsibility for your learning and submitting work that is
honestly your own. It means acknowledging the ideas, contributions and work of others;
referencing your sources; contributing fairly to group work; and completing tasks, tests and
exams without cheating.
Swinburne University uses the Turnitin system, which helps to identify inadequate citations, poor
paraphrasing and unoriginal work in assignments that are submitted via Canvas. Your Unit
Convenor will provide further details.
Plagiarising, cheating and seeking an unfair advantage with regards to an exam or assessment
are all breaches of academic integrity and treated as academic misconduct.
Plagiarism is submitting or presenting someone else’s work as though it is your own without full
and appropriate acknowledgement of their ideas and work. Examples include:
• using the whole or part of computer program written by another person as your own
• using the whole or part of somebody else’s written work in an essay or other assessable
work, including material from a book, journal, newspaper article, a website or database, a
set of lecture notes, current or past student’s work, or any other person’s work
• poorly paraphrasing somebody else’s work
• using a musical composition or audio, visual, graphic and photographic work created by
another
• using realia created by another person, such as objects, artefacts, costumes, models
• submitting assessments that have been developed by another person or service (paid or
unpaid), often referred to as contract cheating
• presenting or submitting assignments or other work in conjunction with another person or
group of people when that work should be your own independent work. This is regardless of
whether or not it is with the knowledge or consent of the other person(s). Swinburne
encourages students to talk to staff, fellow students and other people who may be able to
contribute to a student’s academic work but where an independent assignment is
required, the work must be the student’s own
• enabling others to plagiarize or cheat, including letting another student copy your work or
by giving access to a draft or completed assignment

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The penalties for academic misconduct can be severe, ranging from a zero grade for an
assessment task through to expulsion from the unit and, in the extreme, exclusion from
Swinburne.

Student support
Swinburne offers a range of services and resources to help you complete your studies
successfully. Your Unit Convenor or studentHQ can provide information about the study support
and other services available for Swinburne students.

Special consideration
If your studies have been adversely affected due to serious and unavoidable circumstances
outside of your control (e.g. severe illness or unavoidable obligation), you may be able to apply
for special consideration (SPC).
Applications for Special Consideration will be submitted via the SPC online tool normally no later
than 5.00pm on the third working day after the submission/sitting date for the relevant assessment
component.

Accessibility needs
Sometimes students with a disability, a mental health or medical condition or significant carer
responsibilities require reasonable adjustments to enable full access to and participation in
education. Your needs can be addressed by Swinburne's AccessAbility Services by negotiating
and distributing an 'Education Access Plan'. The plan makes recommendations to University
teaching and examination staff. You must notify AccessAbility Services of your disability or
condition within one week after the commencement of your unit to allow the University to make
reasonable adjustments.

Review of marks
An independent marker reviews all fail grades for major assessment tasks. In addition, a review of
assessment is undertaken if your final result is between 45 and 49 or within 2 marks of any grade
threshold.
You can ask the Unit Convenor to check the result for an assessment item or your final result. Your
request must be made in writing within 10 working days of receiving the result. The Unit Convenor
can discuss the marking criteria with you and check the aggregate marks of assessment
components to identify if an error has been made. This is known as local resolution.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the local resolution, you can lodge a formal complaint.
Feedback, complaints and suggestions
In the first instance, discuss any issues with your Unit Convenor. If your concerns are not
resolved or you would prefer not to deal with your Unit Convenor, then you can complete a
feedback form. See https://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/feedback/

Advocacy
Should you require assistance with any academic issues, University statutes,
regulations, policies and procedures, you are advised to seek advice from Academic
Department and Student HQ Department.

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