DT080 Student Handbook

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
B.Tech (Ordinary Bachelor Degree - NQAI L7) in Networking Technologies

Programme Reference: DT080
STUDENT HANDBOOK VERSION 0.0 FEBRUARY 2011
DT080
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1.1 1.2
1.2.1 1.2.2
1 1 2
2 2
Welcome Introduction to the Institute

Introduction to the School History of the School
Programme Details 2.1 2.2 2.3

2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3
4 4 4 6
7 8 9
Programme Timelines Staff Listing Programme Structure

Summary of Modules - Stage 1 Summary of Modules - Stage 2 Summary of Modules - Stage 3
2.4
2.4.1
Class Timetables
Stage 1 Semester 2
10
10
2.5
Textbooks
11
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13
2.5.1 Stage 1 Essential Reading 2.5.1.1 ELEK1101/ ELEK1201 Physical Computing 1 and 2 2.5.1.2 COMP1101 Computer Hardware & Security 1 2.5.1.3 ELEC1101 Electronics 2.5.1.4 DTEC1101 Digital Age Technology 1 2.5.1.5 NETW1101 Network Fundamentals 1 (CCNA1) 2.5.1.6 COMP1201 Web Development 1 2.5.1.7 COMM1201 Applied Data Networking 1 2.5.1.8 PROJ1201 Information Literacy Project 2.5.1.9 NETW1201 Routing Protocols and Concepts (CCNA2) 2.5.2 Stage 2 Essential Reading 2.5.2.1 MICR2101/ MICR2201 Microcontrollers and Electronics 1 and 2 2.5.2.2 PROJ2101 Project 2.5.2.3 NETW2101 LAN Switching & Wireless (CCNA3) 2.5.2.4 COMP2101 Operating Systems 2.5.2.5 SOFT2201 Problem Solving with C 2.5.2.6 NETW2201 WAN Technologies (CCNA4) 2.5.2.7 PRJM3602 Project Management 2.5.3 Stage 3 Essential Reading 2.5.3.1 COMP3101 Server-side Web Development 2.5.3.2 NETW3205 Network Management 2.5.3.3 BUS3101 Financial Management 2.5.3.4 NETW3201 Fundamentals of Network Security (CCNA Security) 2.5.3.5 NETW3203 Fundamentals of Wireless Technologies (CCNA Wireless) 2.5.3.6 NETW3202 Advanced IP Routing (CCNP Route) 2.5.3.7 SOFT3201 Programming for Networked Systems 2.5.3.8 MICR3201 Networked Embedded Systems
2.6
2.6.1 2.6.2 2.6.3
Examinations and Assessments

General Schedule of Examinations and Assessment Module List and Weightings of Modules Re-Checks and Appeals
13
13 13 15
2.7 2.8
Progression, Module Exemptions and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) CISCO Certification
15 16
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Programme Management 3.1 3.2

3.2.1 3.2.2
18 18 18
18 18
Programme Committee Examination Board

Module Board Progression and Award Board
3.3 3.4 4
Internal and External Examiners Programme Quality Assurance and Enhancement Procedures
18 19 20 20
20
Guidance to Student 4.1

4.1.1
Planning study programme and study techniques

Time Management
4.2
4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.2.6 4.2.7 4.2.8 4.2.9 4.2.10 4.2.11 4.2.12 4.2.13 4.2.14 4.2.15 4.2.16 4.2.17 4.2.18
Support for Individual Student Needs

Maths Learning Centre Student Services Office Disability Service Counselling Service Chaplaincy International Student Office Mature Student Support Office Careers Service Access Office Health Service Webcourses and e-Learning Students Union Cafeteria Mentoring Programme The Engzone (http://engzone.dit.ie/) WAVES (Women A Voice in Engineering Society) School Website and Network drives http://www.electronics.dit.ie/ Industrial Work Placement
21
21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 24 24 25 25
4.3
4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3 4.3.4
Safety Information and Regulations

Specific Safety Rules for Laboratories Student Assessment Regulation Regulation for Usage of Computer Facilities Regulation for Usage of Library Facilities
25
25 26 26 27
4.4
4.4.1 4.4.2
Teaching Locations
Plan of the School Laboratories
27
27 27
4.5
4.5.1
Relevant Student Clubs

Electronics Society
28
28
Appendices 5.1 5.2

5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3
29 29 33
33 35 37
Laboratory Assessment Project Assessment

Marking Scheme Project Weekly Report Card Report Check List
5.3
5.3.1
Community Based Learning Documents

Guidelines for Student
39
39
5.4
Work Placement Documents

ii
41
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5.4.1
Guidelines for Student
41
5.5
Academic Calendar
42
List of Tables and Figures

Figure 4-1 Plan of the School......................................................................................................................27
Table 2-1 List of lecturing staff, modules taught, contact details and areas of interest ................................6 Table 2-2 Stage 1, Semester 1 .......................................................................................................................7 Table 2-3 Stage 1, Semester 2 .......................................................................................................................7 Table 2-4 Stage 2, Semester 1 .......................................................................................................................8 Table 2-5 Stage 2, Semester 2 .......................................................................................................................8 Table 2-6 Stage 3, Semester 1 .......................................................................................................................9 Table 2-7 Stage 3, Semester 2 .......................................................................................................................9 Table 2-8 Stage 1, Semester 2 Timetable ....................................................................................................10 Table 2-9 Stage1, Semester 1 ......................................................................................................................13 Table 2-10 Stage 1, Semester 2 ...................................................................................................................14 Table 2-11 Stage 2, Semester 1 ...................................................................................................................14 Table 2-12 Stage 2, Semester 2 ...................................................................................................................14 Table 2-13 Stage 3, Semester 1 ...................................................................................................................14 Table 2-14 Stage 3, Semester 2 ...................................................................................................................15 Table 4-1 Laboratories in the School ..........................................................................................................28
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1 Introduction
1.1 Welcome Welcome to the School of Electronic and Communications Engineering at the D.I.T. You are now starting to take a further step in a career in one of the most exciting and rapidly changing industries in the world. During your time in the School we will prepare you for your career by helping you to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for success. The School is proud of its graduates, many of whom are leaders within industry, both in Ireland and abroad. During your time in the School you will also develop new friendships with your fellow students that will serve you well in your career and beyond. The staff of the School welcomes you and wish you every success in your chosen programme and career. Prof. Gerald Farrell Head of School
Welcome to the DT080 programme. As Programme Committee Chairperson I have responsibility for coordinating the activities of the staff, ensuring that the programme aims and objectives are realised and, monitoring the operation of the programme. This handbook will provide you with most of the information which you might require this year. I will be your main adviser during your period with us. So, if there is any additional information you require please dont hesitate to contact me at 4022893 or call to my office (KE-4-030).
Lejla Rovcanin Programme Committee Chairperson
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1.2
Introduction to the Institute
1.2.1 Introduction to the School The School is located on the DIT campus at Kevin Street in Dublin and is one of the nine Schools within the College of Engineering and Built Environment. The School consists of three departments: Electronic Engineering, Communications Engineering and Computer Engineering. The School currently has a total academic staff complement of 35, inclusive of the Head of School and the Heads of Department. There are a further 10 technician support staff and two administrative staff. The School offers a variety of engineering programmes at higher certificate, ordinary degree, honours degree and taught masters level. A number of part-time programmes are also available. The School is active in research in areas such as Antennas, RF & Microwave, Pervasive Computing, DSP, Liquid Crystals, Optical Communications and VLSI. Opportunities for research at Masters, Doctoral and Post-Doctoral levels are available. 1.2.2 History of the School The School of Electronic and Communications Engineering is the oldest school of electronic engineering in Ireland, with the first programmes in wireless telegraphy inaugurated in 1911. Other programmes in Radio Communications were established prior to 1918 and were directed primarily at the requirements of Marine and Aircraft Radio Officers. In the late 1930s professional and more broadly based programmes in Electronics and Radio Engineering were established. These professional programmes prepared students for external examinations conducted by the British Institution of Radio Engineers (Brit IRE), which was re-named the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers IERE) and finally merged in the 1980s with The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). The Technician Programmes were mainly directed towards qualifications of the City & Guilds of London Institute. In the 1960s it was recognised that the existing City and Guilds programmes did not fully meet the requirements of the developing electronics industry in Ireland and abroad. This resulted in the decision of the Institute to confer its own Ordinary degree awards. The first Ordinary degrees were awarded in 1971 and up until 1995 two technician ordinary degree programmes were run. In 1995 both of these ordinary degrees were replaced by a new ordinary degree, entitled the "Ordinary degree in Applied Electronics" (Programme DT287). This programme was a three-year technician ordinary degree with options in electronic engineering or communications engineering.
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In the 1980s there was an increasing demand for technicians who had followed a shorter "systems approach" general electronics programme. In response to this demand a two-year ab-initio programme commenced in 1985, entitled "Higher certificate in Electronic & Computer Systems" (Programme reference DT089). In 2009, due to changing demands, this was re-designed as a Higher Certificate in Networking Technologies. In 1996 a one-year programme entitled "Ordinary degree in Electronic Systems" (Programme reference DT080) was added to the suite of programmes operated by the School, intended for graduates of programme DT089, or equivalent. In 1999 the School began to offer a four-year degree programme in Computer Engineering (DT081), which is aimed at providing graduate engineers for the computer and telecommunications industries. Finally in 2003 the School began to offer for the first time a three-year ordinary degree in Electronic and Communications Engineering (DT008). In 2006-2007 the School launched a new taught masters programme in Electronic and Communications Engineering (DT086). In 2008, DT089 was totally restructured and renamed into Higher Certificate in Networking Technologies. In 2010-2011, DT080 was review and merged with DT089 into an ab initio Bachelor of Technology in Networking Technologies. This student handbook is prepared by DT080 Programme Committee for distribution (electronically or in hard copy) among the students of the programme.
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2 Programme Details
2.1 Programme Timelines This section indicates the duration of the programme and minimum and maximum periods of registration. The programme is delivered over 3 stages. Minimum period of registration is 2 years. Each academic year is divided into two semesters, with each Semester containing a number of modules. Exact dates for the start of Semester I and Semester II and their associated exams periods are contained in the DIT Academic Calendar, available on the DIT website http://www.dit.ie/services/academic/calendar/. The calendar can be found in Section 5.5. Currently, the first Semester starts in the third week of September with lectures finishing before Christmas. Semester I continues with an exam period in January, starting in second week of January. You will be informed of the outcome of the Semester I exams soon after the exams are complete. Semester II starts in early February, continuing until May, with an exam period in May. You will be informed of the outcome of the Semester II exams in mid-June. 2.2 Staff Listing This section contains the list of staff teaching on programme, the modules taught by each of them and their areas of interest and contact details. Name/email Module Room Phone extensi on 4799
Areas of Interest
Dermot Clarke Dermot.clarke@dit.ie
Niall Coakley Niall.coakley@dit.ie Ruth Coffey Ruth.coffey@dit.ie Thomas Freir Thomas.freir@dit.ie
Network Fundamentals CCNA 1 Routing Protocols and Concepts CCNA 2 LAN Switching & Wireless CCNA 3 WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Computer Hardware & Security 1 Project Problem Solving with C Applied Data Networking 1
KE-3-025
PC hardware CISCO and Ntworking
KE-4-002 KE-4-027 KE-4-002
2895 4960 4659
Electronics Software Development Electronics and Telecomms
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Derek Gillmor Derek.gillmor@dit.ie Tony Grennan Anthony.grennan@dit.ie
Project Microcontrollers & Electronics 1 Microcontrollers & Electronics 2 Networked Embedded Systems Web Development 1 Server-Side Web Development Work Placement Programming for Networked Systems
KE-3-024 KE-4-002
4793 4574
Instrumentation and Test Systems Microcontrollers and Embedded Systems
Joseph Kellegher Joseph.kellegher@dit.ie
KE-3-025
4801
Networking and Web Development Software Development and Distributed Systems Electronics, Community Based Education Operating Systems and Software Development Entrepreneurship and Project Management Electronics Software Development, Telecommunicati ons Software and Web Development Electronics Electronics and Infinity Project Economics
Paula Kelly Paula.kelly@dit.ie
KE-4-002
2896
Sen O'Fearghail Sean.ofearghail@dit.ie
Martin O'Hanlon Martin.ohanlon@dit.ie
Electronics Information Literacy Project Network Management Operating Systems 1
KE-4-027
4959
KE-4-027
4962
Brendan OSullivan Brendan.osullivan@dit.ie Yuri Panarin Yuri.panarin@dit.ie Barry Redmond Barry.redmond@dit.ie
Project Management
KE-4-015
4658
Projects Projects
KE-4-027 KE-4-030
4963 2894
Lejla Rovcanin Lejla.rovcanin@dit.ie Tom Scarff Tom.scarff@dit.ie Michael Tully Michael.tully@dit.ie Richard Heywood Jones Richard.heywood.jones@
Web Development 1 Server-Side Web Development Physical Computing 1 Physical Computing 2 Digital Age Technology 1 Financial Management
KE-4-030
2893
KE-3-024 KE-3-024 A-3-049
4791 4790 7042
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dit.ie Marc Gallagher Marc.galagher@dit.ie Eugene Lynch Eugene.lynch@dit.ie
Business Management 1 Business Management 2 CCNA Security CISCO Option Module
A-4-071 KE-3-025
7054 4081
Business Management Business and CISCO Education
Table 2-1 List of lecturing staff, modules taught, contact details and areas of interest
2.3 Programme Structure Each academic year is divided into two semesters. The duration of each semester is determined by the current DIT Academic Calendar. The current version of the Academic Calendar is provided in Section 5.5 of this handbook. The class contact time over the three years is on average 21 hours per week. You will take a total of 28 modules. One Stage 3 module is an option, while the other modules are core modules. All modules are one semester long except: o the Project (Stage 2). For more details on Project assessment see Section 5.2, o Project Management and Server Side Web Development (Stage 3, Semester 1) and o Work Placement module that will be of 4 to 7 months of duration, as described in DT080 Work Placement Document.
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2.3.1 Summary of Modules - Stage 1 Module code Module Title Weekly Hours
Lecture
ECTS
Laboratory , tutorial 2 2 2 2 3 11 5 5 5 5 10 30 ECTS
ELEK1101 COMP1101 DTEC1101 ELEC1101 NETW1101
Physical Computing 1 Computer Hardware & Security 1 Digital Age Technology 1 Electronics Network Fundamentals (CCNA 1) Total in Semester Module Title
2 2 2 2 2 10
Assessment Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n questions (hours) 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 50% 50% 100% 67% 50% 50% 2 2 3 out of 3 3 out of 3
Pre requisite
33%
Table 2-2 Stage 1, Semester 1
Module code
Weekly Hours
Lecture
COMP1201 ELEK1201
COMM1201
PROJ1201 NETW1201
Web Development 1 Physical Computing 2 Applied Data Networking 1 Information Literacy Project Routing Protocols and Concepts (CCNA 2) Total in Semester Total in Year
2 1 2 2 2 9
Laboratory , tutorial 2 3 2 2 3 12
5 5 5 5 10 30 60
Assessment Pre requisite Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n (hour) questions 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 100% 2 3 out of 3 ELEK1101 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 100% 100% NETW1101 83% 75% 17% 25%
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2.3.2 Summary of Modules - Stage 2 Module code Module Title Weekly Hours Lectu re 1 2 Laboratory , tutorial 3 2 4 2 3 14 ECTS Pre Assessment requisite Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n (hour) questions 70% 30% 2 3 out of 3 ELEC1201 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 See Sem 2 100% 100% 80% 20%
SOFT2201 MICR2101 PROJ2101 BUS2101 NETW2101
Problem Solving with C Microcontrollers & Electronics 1 Project Business Management 1 LAN Switching & Wireless (CCNA 3) Total in Semester
5 5
2 2 7
5 10 30
Module code
Module Title
Weekly Hours Lectur e 2 2 Laboratory , tutorial 2 2 4 2 3 13
ECTS
COMP2101 MICR2201 PROJ2101 BUS2201 NETW2201
Operating Systems 1 Microcontrollers & Electronics 2 Project Business Management 2 WAN Technologies (CCNA4) Total in Semester Total in Year
5 5 10 5 10 30 60
Assessment Pre requisite Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n (hour) questions 80% 20% 1.5 2 out of 2 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 MICR2101 100% 100% 100% 86% 83% 14% 17%
2 2 8
BUS2101 NETW2101
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2.3.3 Summary of Modules - Stage 3 Module code Module Title Weekly Hours Lectu re 2 2 4 Laboratory , tutorial 2 2 4 ECTS Pre Assessment requisite Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n (hour) questions 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 COMP1201 100% 100% 92% 8%
COMP3101 PRJM3602 WKPL3602
Server-side Web Development Project Management Work Placement Total in Semester
5 5 20 30
Module code
Module Title
Weekly Hours Lectu re 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 10 Laboratory , tutorial 2 2 2 4 4 2 0 14
ECTS
NETW3201 NETW3202 NETW3203 MICR3201 SOFT3201 NETW3205 BUS3201
CCNA Security CCNP Route option CCNA Wireless option Networked Embedded Systems Programming for Networked Systems Network Management Financial Management Total in Semester Total in Year Total in Programme
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 30 60 180
Assessment Allocation Examination Format Continuous Exam Duratio No of n (hour) questions 100% 100% 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 100% 50% 50% 2 3 out of 3 50% 50% 75% 83% 80% 50% 50% 25%1 17% 20% 2 2 3 out of 3 3 out of 3
Pre requisite
NETW2201 NETW2201 NETW2201 MICR2201 SOFT2201
The percentage is correct when NETW3202 Option is running

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2.4
Class Timetables
Current timetables for each stage and semester are available on the notice board. Timetables are also available online. Log on through your Internet Browser (Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Chrome, etc), type in the following address: http://webtimetables.dit.ie Username: Password: students timetables
A short Timetabling Guide is available at: http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/registrations2010/Quickguide Timetables.pdf Sample timetable (current DT089/1 Semester 2 timetable) is provided below. 2.4.1 Stage 1 Semester 2
Monday
to
viewing
Student
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Table 2-8 Stage 1, Semester 2 Timetable

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2.5
Textbooks
This section indicates recommended and reference textbooks. 2.5.1 Stage 1 Essential Reading 2.5.1.1 ELEK1101/ ELEK1201 Physical Computing 1 and 2 Noble, Joshua J., (2009) Programming interactivity: a designer's guide to processing, Arduino, and open Frameworks, O'Reilly. Banzi, Massimo, (2009) Getting started with Arduino, O'Reilly Arduino homepage http://www.arduino.cc/ 2.5.1.2 COMP1101 Computer Hardware & Security 1 CompTIA A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, 2nd Edition Mike Meyers, McGraw-Hill, 2007 2.5.1.3 ELEC1101 Electronics John Bird, (2001) Electrical Circuit Theory and Technology, Newnes, Oxford, England Peter H. Beards, (1991) Analogue and Digital Electronics (A First Course), Prentice Hall 2.5.1.4 DTEC1101 Digital Age Technology 1 Orsak, G.C., Wood, S., Douglas, S., C.,(2004). Engineering Our Digital Future. 1st Ed., Pearson Publications. Wood, S. L., Christensen, M. P.,(2008) Laboratory Manual 2.5.1.5 NETW1101 Network Fundamentals 1 (CCNA1) Odom & Knott (2006) Networking Basics CCNA 1 Companion Guide, Cisco Press McReynolds (2007) Networking Basics CCNA 1 Labs and Study Guide, Cisco Press 2.5.1.6 COMP1201 Web Development 1 Duckett, Jon (2009) Beginning HTML, XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Wrox Programmer to Programmer 2.5.1.7 COMM1201 Applied Data Networking 1 Robert Shimonski, Richard Steiner, Sean Sheedy, (2006), Network Cabling Illuminated, Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 2.5.1.8 PROJ1201 Information Literacy Project Andrew Northgate, Jeff Thomas, Andrew Lane, Alice Peasgood (2002) The Sciences Good Study Guide, The Open University 2.5.1.9 NETW1201 Routing Protocols and Concepts (CCNA2) Odom & McDonald (2006) Routing Protocols and Concepts CCNA 2 Companion Guide, Cisco Press
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2.5.2 Stage 2 Essential Reading 2.5.2.1 MICR2101/ MICR2201 Microcontrollers and Electronics 1 and 2 Katzen, S.J. (2008) The Quintessential PIC Microcontroller Springer Verlag 2.5.2.2 PROJ2101 Project Dependent on the technical content of the project. Details of the technical area are given to the student by the project supervisor in question, who will also propose all essential and supplemental reading material. 2.5.2.3 NETW2101 LAN Switching & Wireless (CCNA3) Lewis (2008) LAN Switching and Wireless CCNA 3 Exploration Companion Guide, Cisco Press 2.5.2.4 COMP2101 Operating Systems William Stallings (2009) Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles, 6/E, Prentice Hall 2.5.2.5 SOFT2201 Problem Solving with C Delores M. Etter, (2005) Engineering Problem Solving with C, 3rd Ed, Prentice Hall 2.5.2.6 NETW2201 WAN Technologies (CCNA4) Reid (2006) WAN Technologies - CCNA 4 Companion Guide, Cisco Press 2.5.2.7 PRJM3602 Project Management Meredith, J. (2006) Project Management A Managerial Approach (6th Ed.), Wiley 2.5.3 Stage 3 Essential Reading 2.5.3.1 COMP3101 Server-side Web Development Robin Nixon, (2009) Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript, O'Reilly Media 2.5.3.2 NETW3205 Network Management Clemm, Alexander (2007) Network Management Fundamentals, Cisco Press 2.5.3.3 BUS3101 Financial Management C. Gowthorpe (2005) Business: Accounting and Finance for non Specialists, Thomson 2.5.3.4 NETW3201 Fundamentals of Network Security (CCNA Security) Watkins & Wallace (2008) CCNA Security, Cisco Press 2.5.3.5 NETW3203 Fundamentals of Wireless Technologies (CCNA Wireless) Carroll (2009) CCNA Wireless, Cisco Press 2.5.3.6 NETW3202 Advanced IP Routing (CCNP Route) Odam (2010) CCNP Route, Cisco Press 2.5.3.7 SOFT3201 Programming for Networked Systems Paul Deitel & Harvey M. Deitel (2009) C: How to Program (6th Edition), Prentice Hall
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2.5.3.8 MICR3201 Networked Embedded Systems E-learning tools in laboratory 423 from Matrixmultimedia (see link also) http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/LearningCentre/index.php RFID Solution Student Course Notes (from Matrixmultimedia) ZIGBEE Solution Student Course Notes (from Matrixmultimedia) 2.6 Examinations and Assessments This section is based on General Assessment Regulations 2009 (June 2009, effective from September 2009) and provides the general schedule of examinations and assessments, relative weightings of modules, re-checks and appeals. 2.6.1 General Schedule of Examinations and Assessment The final marks are based on both continuous assessment and final exam performance. The programme is structured so that 82% of all module marks are obtained through continuous assessment and 18% though written examination. Continuous assessment is carried out in accordance with the School of Electronic and Communications Engineering general laboratory assessment procedures as defined in the latest version of the document Laboratory Assessment Procedures, see Section 5.1 of this handbook. These procedures are reviewed at the start of each academic year and are thus liable to change during the lifetime of the programme. The students will be informed of such changes. Written examinations are held at the end of each semester, in January and in May. Repeat written examinations take place in August. Exact examination dates will be circulated by post and published on the Exams notice board (opposite the main entrance to Kevin St building). 2.6.2 Module List and Weightings of Modules Tables 2-1 to 2-6 list the modules of the programme and their weightings: Code ELEK1101 Title Physical Computing 1 Links ELEK1201 ECTS 5 5 5 5
COMP1101 Computer Hardware & Security 1 DTEC1101 ELEC1101 Digital Age Technology 1 Electronics
NETW1101 Network Fundamentals (CCNA 1) NETW1201 10

Table 2-9 Stage1, Semester 1
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Code COMP1201 ELEK1201
Title Web Development 1 Physical Computing 2
Links ELEK1101
ECTS 5 5 5 5
COMM1201 Applied Data Networking 1 PROJ1201 NETW1201 Information Literacy Project Routing Protocols and Concepts (CCNA 2)
NETW1101 10
Code SOFT2201 MICR2101 PROJ2101
Title Problem Solving with C Microcontrollers & Electronics 1 Project 2) (Continues in Semester
Links ECTS COMP2101 5 MICR2201 5
BUS2101
Business Management 1
BUS2201
NETW2101 LAN Switching & Wireless (CCNA 3)

NETW2201 10
Code Title COMP2101 Operating Systems 1 MICR2201 PROJ2101 BUS2201 Microcontrollers & Electronics 2 Project (Continued from Semester 1)
Links SOFT2201 MICR2101
ECTS 5 5 10
Business Management 2
BUS2101
NETW2201 WAN Technologies (CCNA4)

NETW2101 10
Code PRJM3602 COMP3101 WKPL3602
Title Project Management Server Side Web Development Work Placement Direct entry to Stage 3 students A number of modules selected from the list of option modules
Links
ECTS 5
COMP1201 5 20 20
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Code NETW3201 NETW3202 NETW3203 MICR3201 SOFT3201 NETW3205 BUS3201
Title Fundamentals of Network Security (CCNA Security) Advanced IP Routing (CCNP Route) option Fundamentals of Wireless Technologies (CCNA Wireless) option Networked Embedded Systems Programming for Networked Systems Network Management Financial Management
Links NETW2201 NETW2201 NETW2201 MICR2201 SOFT2201
ECTS 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
2.6.3 Re-Checks and Appeals A candidate wishing to have an examination paper rechecked should make a formal request (on form A/R 1) which should be returned together with the requisite fee to the Examinations Office within three working days of the publication of provisional examination results. A candidate who has discussed his/her examination script with an examiner or member of the examination office may seek a re-mark of the examination paper by submitting form A/R 2 together with the requisite fee to the Examinations Office. An appeal must be lodged with the relevant Faculty Administrator on the Appeals Form (Form A/A 1) within seven working days of the publication of the provisional examination results. The application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee which shall be refunded if the appeal is successful. The appeals process provides for appeal by a candidate against a decision of the Examination Board on the grounds specified here: 1. that the Regulations of the Institute have not been properly implemented; 2. that circumstances exist which may not have been specifically covered by the Regulations; 3. that there is new, attested, documented and relevant information, that was not made available to the Examination Board for justifiable reason, and therefore not considered. These are the only grounds on which an appeal may be made. 2.7 Progression, Module Exemptions and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Progression from Semester 1 to Semester 2 in either Stage is automatic. Progression from Stage 1 to Stage 2 normally requires the students to have successfully completed all Stage1
DT080
assessments. Similarly, progression from Stage 2 to stage 3 normally requires the students to have successfully completed all Stage 2 assessments. The option of carrying modules is regulated with the current version of DIT General Assessment Regulations. For more details refer to the General Assessment Regulations (June 2009) available online at: http://www.dit.ie/media/documents/academicregistrar/academicregistrar/studentassessmentre gulations/gar_june09.doc If you fail a Semester I exam, you are allowed to continue into Semester II. However you must repeat any module exams failed in either Semester I or Semester II at the Supplemental exam session, starting at the end of August each year. If you fail to pass any exam at the Supplemental exam, you are not allowed to continue into the next academic year. 2.8 CISCO Certification This section contains details on the recognition of the programme by appropriate professional bodies. The programme includes several modules from the Cisco Networking Academy. The Cisco Networking Academy is a global education program that teaches students how to design, build, troubleshoot, and secure computer networks for increased access to career and economic opportunities in communities around the world. Networking Academy delivers a comprehensive, 21st century learning experience to help students develop the foundational ICT skills needed to design, build, and manage networks, along with career skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. Cisco Networking Academy courses are taught at more than 9000 academies in 165 countries worldwide. More than 900,000 students world wide develop ICT skills through the program each year. The modules are supported by an online learning system. Courses are supported by classroom instruction, hands-on learning activities, and online assessments that provide personalized feedback. Students complete hands-on learning activities and network simulations to develop practical skills that will help them fill a growing need for networking professionals around the world. All of our Cisco modules courses are taught by Cisco Certified Instructors. This program will use modules mainly from the Cisco Certified Network Academy (CCNA) Exploration curriculum. The CCNA Exploration curriculum provides an integrated and comprehensive coverage of networking topics, from fundamentals to advanced applications and services, while providing opportunities for hands-on practical experience and soft-skills development. The curriculum teaches networking based on technology, covering networking concepts using a top-down, theoretical, and integrated approach from network applications
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to the network protocols and services provided to those applications by the lower layers of the network. CCNA Exploration is designed for students with advanced problem solving and analytical skills. The curriculum offers a comprehensive and theoretical learning experience for analytical students, and uses language that aligns well with engineering concepts. Interactive activities are embedded in the curriculum, along with detailed, theoretical content. Advanced labs build critical thinking and problem solving skills and encourage exploration and research. Students who successfully complete the Cisco modules will be entitled to Cisco Course Completion Certificates which will make them eligible to take various Cisco professional examinations which award the CCNA qualification, validated by CISCO Systems Inc. At present the School of Electronic and Communications does not offer these professional exams, however there are several exam centres in Dublin region.
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3 Programme Management
3.1 Programme Committee The programme control and organisation is in accordance with the latest version of the DIT Handbook on Quality Enhancement. It is managed by a Programme Committee comprising: a. Programme Committee Chairperson; b. Head of the School of Electronic and Communications Engineering (or nominee); c. Head of the Department of Computer Engineering; d. Heads of the Departments of Communications and of Electronic Engineering, as ex officio members; e. appointed Year Co-ordinators; f. representatives from each of the Schools, which service the programme; g. other named coordinators (RPL, CBL, Project, Work placement); h. student representatives from each stage of the programme. The Programme Committee meets at least once per semester. 3.2 Examination Board The approval of marks and grades and the agreement of awards is the responsibility of the appropriate Examination Board of the Institute. The Institute has a two-tiered examination board structure consisting of the Module, and Progression and Award Board 3.2.1 Module Board The purpose of the Module Board is to review the marks awarded to each student whose performance in the module has been assessed and to agree a final mark for each student. In addition, in the case of a failure by a student to achieve a pass in any module, the Board will agree and specify any re-assessment that might be required. 3.2.2 Progression and Award Board The purpose of the Progression and Award Board is to review the overall performance of each student and to make a decision on progression between the stages of the programme of study. It is also the purpose of the Board to consider the performance of candidates for awards to determine whether an award will be made and the classification of such an award. 3.3 Internal and External Examiners The role of internal and external examiners is defined by DIT General Assessment Regulations. Internal Examiners are members of Academic staff appointed by the Institute on the
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recommendation of the Head of School, and approved by the College Board. Internal Examiners prepare and assess assessment materials as are required by the Institute for the proper conduct of modules(s) assigned to them. The programme has two external examiners a representative from industry and a representative from academia. Both examiners are presented with continuous assessment assignments, exam questions, examination and project work and final results. Typically, the external examiners will visit School in early Autumn, when the collected evidence is reviewed over a day or two-day period. The external examiners also meet teaching staff and student representatives and participate in student assessment and award. Therefore the examination for each module is normally set and marked by the lecturer who teaches that module on your programme. If there are two or more lecturers for a module, the paper is jointly set and corrected by both lecturers. In the final year of the programme one or more external examiners approve the questions set and reviews the marks awarded. 3.4 Programme Quality Assurance and Enhancement Procedures The programme quality assurance and enhancement procedures are defined by DIT Handbook for Academic Quality Enhancement. To provide regular academic quality assurance and enhancement of each programme, an annual monitoring report (Q5) on the functioning of the programme in the previous academic year is prepared by the Programme Committee based on the feedback from students, internal and external examiners. Each module is evaluated through the completion of a Q6A (Student Feedback) form by each student on that module. The lecturer responsible for that module then summarises this feedback on the Q6B form, which is submitted to the Programme Committee. As a part of the Q5 process, an action plan is drafted with the view to further improve the learning process and environment.
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4 Guidance to Student
4.1 Planning Study and Study Techniques As a new student you may confront difficulties with third level education. There is, however, a well-developed infrastructure for helping students within the Institute and it is important to remember that you should never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Good study skills will allow you to learn material thoroughly. You should learn how to organise and plan your time. Start by working out how much time you have and then plan a realistic schedule. Dont leave practical work assignments to the last minute, this is a recipe for disaster in college and will put you under a lot of unnecessary pressure. Get assignments done early and out of the way. If you come across material that you dont understand, make a note of it and then ask your lecturer / tutor to explain it to you. If you have difficulty concentrating when reading, get in the habit of asking yourself questions about the text. If you cant think of any, then turn the headings into questions and this will help you to concentrate. 4.1.1 Time Management Your success or failure in college largely depends upon how you use your time. Therefore time management is an excellent skill to master. You should pay careful attention to the following: Study notes soon after lectures as it aids retention When an assignment is long and seems overwhelming, divide it into smaller units that you can work on immediately Plan your time into blocks 50 minutes studying and 10 minutes break Study your difficult or most tedious topic when you are at your best Start jobs ahead of time. This avoids discovering that you cannot produce a 1500 word report in three hours the evening before it is due Dont jump from topic to topic or from subject to subject Make a list of things that need to be done and give some priority over others. Try to achieve your high priority goals every week For more information see: http://studyskills.dit.ie/Survival Guide/Survival Guide/Home/Homepage.html.
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4.2 Support for Individual Student Needs This section lists School/College support and Institute-level support for individual student needs, ie mature students, students with disabilities etc. For more information wee the following link: http://www.dit.ie/campuslife/ 4.2.1 Maths Learning Centre The Students' Maths Learning Centre (SMLC) is an initiative to provide additional mathematical support to DIT students from the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Business. A maths learning centre is located within Kevin Street Library and provides 9 contact hours per week which can be availed by those experiencing difficulties with any aspect of mathematics. The Students Maths Learning Centre (SMLC) aims to provide mathematical support in a relaxed, non-judgemental environment. The service is available to all students from the College of Engineering, Science and Business. First year students are especially welcome. Support is given through one-to-one tuition offered on a drop-in basis. Times and locations for drop-in sessions can be found by clicking on the relevant menu option (http://www.maths.dit.ie/mlc/). There is no need to make an appointment in advance. Additionally, there is an extensive online support system in operation, consisting of detailed notes on various common areas of difficulty in mathematics, both on this website and on Webcourses. For more information see: http://www.maths.dit.ie/mlc/. 4.2.2 Student Services Office The DIT Student Services Office is located at the Institute headquarters - 143-149 Lower Rathmines Road. It administers a wide range of services in all of the DIT centres, including Kevin Street, and oversees the distribution and expenditure of the Student Services Fund, which is used to provide finance for welfare and medical services, clubs and societies, and the Student's Union. 4.2.3 Disability Service The Disability Services Office provides a range of support services to students with disabilities at DIT. A disability liaison officer is available in every College. Learning Support Tutors are made available to students with specific learning difficulties. A range of Assistive Technology is available, including access to computers and specialised software for students with visual impairments, dyslexia and other disabilities. Also, extra tutorials, and a Sign Language Interpreters Loop system is available to hearing impaired students. Finally, access to Faculty based Disability Advisors allows arrangements to be made to record lectures, allow
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alternative methods of note taking and to make special provision for exams. The nearest Disability Liaison Office is located in Aungier Street building. For more information see: http://www.dit.ie/campuslife/disability/. 4.2.4 Counselling Service The DIT Student Counselling Service is available to all DIT students, full time, part time, undergraduates, post-graduates and apprentices. There is a Counselling Office in each of the main DIT Centres. In addition, telephone support is provided to distance learners. The service provides free access to a team of eight counselling psychologists to confidentially discuss personal concerns and academic difficulties. For more information see:
http://www.dit.ie/campuslife/counselling/. 4.2.5 Chaplaincy The DIT Chaplaincy is an inter-faith ecumenical service. It is made up of men and women from a number of religious traditions and offers spiritual support and guidance to all students and staff of the DIT. For more information see: http://chaplaincy.dit.ie/. 4.2.6 International Student Office The International Student Office provides information, advice and assistance to international students from the time of their initial enquiry until they leave the Institute. The Office can arrange placement with a host family for international students and can arrange collection at the airport. In addition, the Office assists in the provision of Medical Insurance cards, and in the drafting of letters for employers, applications for PPS numbers and visa applications. For more information see: http://dit.ie/study/internationaloffice/. 4.2.7 Mature Student Support Office The DIT has one full-time member of staff dedicated to the particular needs of mature students. The purpose of the Office is to act as a first point of contact for mature students, defined as those over 23, as they adapt to the changes in their financial and personal circumstances as a result of returning to education. For more information see: http://www.dit.ie/study/mature/. 4.2.8 Careers Service The careers service, based in DIT Aungier St., adjacent to the School, offers advice and assistance to students staff and graduates in a range of areas, including changing programme, career decision-making, job seeking, CVs, letters, applications, interview preparation and
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choosing postgraduate study options . They also provide interview and CV training to placement and internship students of this School to help them prepare for interviews for their work experience period For more information see: http://www.dit.ie/campuslife/careers/. 4.2.9 Access Office The Access Office exists to promote third level education in disadvantaged second level schools and to facilitate access to third level for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It offers a programme of visits to schools, visits to DIT, shadowing days, information sessions at parent's evenings, sponsorship of achievement awards and introduction to college activities. It also operates the Higher Education Direct Application Scheme (HEDAS) for disadvantaged students in second level schools. 75 access students enter DIT each year under the programme, which delivers a range of supports to access students including grants, a study skills programme, individual support, tutorials and a peer mentoring programme. 4.2.10 Health Service The DIT health service provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to health, providing oncampus health care to students pursuing full time and apprenticeship courses. The service incorporates physical, psychological and social aspects of student health and health promotion. Health Services for Whole-time Students in the School of Electronics and Communications Engineering are available at the Health Centre in DIT Aungier St., three minutes walk from the School. The Health centre is staffed by Nurses and Doctors also attend the Health Centres each day. If the Doctor advises consultation with a specialist physician or medication is required, schemes are available to provide assistance with the cost. Assistance with the cost of routine Dental and Ophthalmic treatment may be provided to needy students. For more information see: http://www.dit.ie/campuslife/studenthealthservice/. 4.2.11 Webcourses and e-Learning Webcourses (Web Course Tools) is a VLE used by DIT to assist lecturers in making programme materials available for students on the Internet. The package integrates administration, content, assessment and other electronic resources in a single online learning environment, and provides e-mail, discussion and bulletin boards to enhance student-toteacher and student-to-student communication. Students also have access to online study skills & exam tips modules, and other common resources, all from within Webcourses. Students can gain access to Webcourses from college or home. For more information see:
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www.webcourses.dit.ie. 4.2.12 Students Union The DIT Students Union offer advice on Accommodation, Exam appeals and Grants Schemes and financial assistance. The Students Union also acts as a first point of contact for referral to other services and administers over 150 sports and social clubs throughout the DIT. They also run a shop on the Ground floor in Kevin Street, selling snacks and stationary. For more information see: http://www.ditsu.ie/. 4.2.13 Cafeteria A fully equipped canteen, located on the ground floor, serves the Kevin Street campus. The canteen provides full hot meals at mid-day and evening times and snacks and beverages during the day and evening. The cafeteria remains open throughout the year. 4.2.14 Mentoring Programme The School runs a mentoring service for all first year students. Lecturers are assigned to individual students during induction week and the lecturer keeps in contact during the year in an attempt to address or even pre-empt any problems, which can arise during the initial stages of the students academic career. If necessary, the student will be referred on to professional support at Institute level. 4.2.15 The Engzone (http://engzone.dit.ie/) The Engzone induction website http://engzone.dit.ie/ This is a comprehensive Faculty of Engineering resource, developed by the staff of this School, providing information to first year students when entering College for the first time. Induction week timetables, Programme information, the Academic Calendar, DIT locations and transport information, tips on finance and finding accommodation and campus life information are all available on the site. There are links from the site to the Student's Union, Mature Students and International Student Office. 4.2.16 WAVES (Women A Voice in Engineering Society) The Engineering Faculty at DIT introduced the Role Model Day for schoolgirls in 2006 to allow them meet female engineers and find out what a creative and exciting career engineering has to offer. The event has run three times now with over 200 students attending each year and has played a major role in helping female students decide to study at DIT.
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4.2.17 School Website and Network drives http://www.electronics.dit.ie/ The School has an extensive website which acts as a key repository of information for students and staff. Programme information documents, a module catalogue, syllabi, School news, information on research and career information are all available here. There is a staff directory with links to individual staff members pages. On these, many of the staff have made available electronic versions of notes, lab exercises and free software downloads, allowing students to install design tools at home or on the students own laptop. All students have access to a common internal network drive, offering an alternative, more secure, delivery channel for notes and supporting material. In addition, they have the ability to store information on their own personal drive on the School network. 4.2.18 Industrial Work Placement A work placement period of four to seven months begins in the first semester of the third year of the programme. Payment of the student for the placement is a matter of negotiation with the industrial sponsor. The work placement programme is included to offer students the opportunity to put their academic theory into practice and to reinforce the value of their academic subjects. In addition, the experience contributes greatly to the development of communications and interpersonal skills and gives the student real world experience of teamwork. Each placement student is allocated an academic supervisor, usually from the School, and a work supervisor from within the company. For more information refer to Section 5.4 Guidelines. 4.3 Safety Information and Regulations This section contains the information on laboratory safety, production of reports, regulations for usage of computer facilities, library, other DIT facilities. 4.3.1 Specific Safety Rules for Laboratories General Rules of Conduct in Laboratories can be found in Section 5.1 of this Handbook. a. You must not damage or tamper with the equipment or leads. b. You should inspect laboratory equipment for visible damage before using it. If there is a problem with a piece of equipment report it to the technician or lecturer. DO NOT return faulty equipment to a storage area c. You should not work on circuits where the supply voltage exceeds 40 volts without very specific approval from your lab supervisor. If you need to work on such circuits, you should contact your supervisor for approval and instruction on how to do this safely before commencing the work. d. Always use an appropriate stand for holding your soldering iron.
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e. Turn off your soldering iron if it is unlikely to be used for more than 10 minutes. f. Never leave a hot soldering iron unattended. g. Never touch a soldering iron element or bit unless the iron has been disconnected from the mains and has had adequate time to cool down. h. Never strip insulation from a wire with your teeth or a knife, always use an appropriate wire stripping tool. i. Shield wire with your hands when cutting it with a pliers to prevent bits of wire flying about the bench. Safety Statement for the School is available at http://electronics.dit.ie/documents/SafetyStatement2009.pdf. 4.3.2 Student Assessment Regulation An integral part of the Institute's learning and teaching strategy is the learning outcomes associated with programmes and programme modules. In this context the Institute has devised compatible student assessment strategies and regulations. These regulations, together with the relevant forms are available online at http://www.dit.ie/services/academicregistrar/studentassessment-regulations/general/. Assessment regulations specific to this Programme is provided in following sections of this document: 5.1 Laboratory Assessment 5.2 Project Assessment 5.3 Community Based Learning Documents. 5.4 Work Placement 4.3.3 Regulation for Usage of Computer Facilities DIT provides access to a large IT resource for its students comprising computing hardware and software and network systems. Access to the Internet and World Wide Web is provided through HEAnet, which is the national Education and Research Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a third level institute the DIT provides access to range of IT services and infrastructure in an open environment. To sustain this environment however, a set of regulations and guidelines are set out to which all students must adhere. Any student found to be in breach of these regulations will be liable for the legal and disciplinary consequences of that breach. Student regulations governing the use of computer resources can be found online at
http://www.dit.ie/services/is/governance/regulations/studentregulations/.
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4.3.4 Regulation for Usage of Library Facilities All registered students of DIT are entitled to use library services. All users must have a current DIT identity card and are responsible for all material borrowed on that card. All Library regulations are available online at http://www.dit.ie/library/a-z/regulations/. 4.4 Teaching Locations
4.4.1 Plan of the School The School of Electronic and Communications Engineering is located on the fourth floor of D.I.T. Kevin St. All of the teaching laboratories are located on the 4th floor. Most staff offices are located on the fourth floor, but two staff offices are located on the third floor, while on the fifth floor there is a further staff office and a research centre. The plan of the fourth floor is shown in Figure 1 below
Stores (Room 417)
Lecture Theatre
JUNE 2004 GF
409
410
Research Lab
411
Electricity & Circuits Lab
412
Network Comms Lab
413
Head of School
414
Electronics Lab
415a
415
416
418
Satellite & Microwave Lab
408
Staff Office
Computer Lab Office
Staff
419
Staff Room
Project Lab
407
Xilinx Computer Lab
Lift
NW 430 RM
Communications Engineering Lab
Work Shop
Staff Office
Staff Research Lab Office
Electronic Engineering Lab
Microproc. Lab
Blue Room Lift
429
428
427
426
425
424
423
406
Photocopy Room
Computer Lab
Gents Toilets Staff Office
405
4N
Computer Lab
Unix Computer Lab
439
School Office 439A
403
Staff Room
402
Ind. Elect Lab
Project and Electr. Lab
440
441
401
Figure 4-1 Plan of the School
4.4.2 Laboratories The School has a wide range of laboratory facilities, many of which you will make use of during your time in college. The room numbers of the laboratories and their functions are shown in Table 4-1 Laboratories in the School below. The School stores are located in room 417.
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Room Function 401 403 405 406 407 410 411 412 414 Industrial Electronics and Research Computer Lab: Unix Computer Lab: CAD & PCB design Computer Lab: Programming Xilinx Projects Research Lab Electricity and Circuits Network Communications Lab Intermediate Electronics
Room Function 415 418 423 424 425 429 439 440 Computer Lab: Microprocessor Systems Satellite Communications & Microwaves Digital Electronics & Microprocessors Electronic Engineering Research Lab Communications Engineering Computer Lab: Simulation & Programming Project and Electronics
Table 4-1 Laboratories in the School
4.5
Relevant Student Clubs
4.5.1 Electronics Society The Electronics Society was set up in 2009. The Electronics Society is a discipline based society, a number of which exist in DIT (e.g. Nutrition Society and Physics Society). Like all DIT societies it is run by a committee of its student members. As a School based Society it has a member of Staff from its School as a 'Champion' who will assist and give direction. The Society meets regularly (Laboratory available were students meet during gaps in their time table) to work on various electronics projects. Past projects include a 'Laser Harp', 'remote controlled vehicles', 'Solar powered sun tracker', and 'LED displays'. The society also holds a number of team bonding events throughout the year (some of these events take place during induction week) to engage students in engineering, such as an annual engineering table quiz, field trips and expert talks. The events organised this and last year were social, and got the students interested in Electronics involved.
See this link for more information on other DIT societies http://socs.dit.ie.
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5 Appendices
5.1 Laboratory Assessment
Student Laboratory Assessment

for all years and programmes
except first year of DT008 and DT089 and the final year of honours degree programmes DT021/DT081 and the taught masters programme DT085/DT086.
NOTE: This document supersedes any previous documents on laboratory assessment issued by this school.
1. Defining Laboratory Assessment

Laboratory assessment is an assessment that applies to practical activities undertaken or set during a defined timetabled period. Activities undertaken in business/communications studies and language modules are not covered by this document.
Laboratory assessment consists of an assessment of three distinct elements. 1. Your attendance at the laboratory is marked as either 0 (did not attend) or 1 (did attend) per laboratory session. 2. Your performance in the laboratory is marked as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. No fractional marks are possible. Typically the following methods may be used to determine your performance in a laboratory session: You may be asked to maintain an individual laboratory log book that is marked. You will normally write up your log book during the assigned laboratory period. You may be asked questions about the laboratory exercise by the laboratory instructor during the laboratory session. Your laboratory work, such as a constructed circuit or a piece of software, may be examined by the laboratory instructor.
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3. Your performance in one or more formal elements is marked as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 per formal element. No fractional marks are possible. Examples of a formal element might include: A report you are asked to write during or outside the assigned laboratory period. A mini-project you are asked to do. An in-lab test that you are asked to undertake.
You are reminded that as attendance and laboratory performance are strictly assessed, missing laboratories will reduce your overall grade and that it is in your best interest to attend and participate fully in laboratory sessions.
The interpretation of the marks for laboratory performance and formal elements is shown in Table 1.
Mark 0
Laboratory Performance Did not perform assigned tasks in any meaningful way during the laboratory session. Unacceptable standard Acceptable (pass) standard Satisfactory standard Very good standard Outstanding standard
Formal element(s) Did not submit/attend a formal element or presented/undertook a formal element of negligible merit. Unacceptable standard Acceptable (pass) standard Satisfactory standard Very good standard Outstanding standard
1 2 3 4 5
Table 1: Interpretation of Marking Grades
Note: In some cases a single laboratory activity may span several timetabled laboratory periods. In these cases your attendance is marked per period, while your performance may be assessed for the activity as a whole over several laboratory periods.
2. Calculating your total laboratory assessment mark for the year

Your final module-end laboratory assessment grade is the weighted sum of the total marks achieved under the headings for Attendance, Laboratory Performance and the Formal
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Element(s) over the module. The weightings of the marks for Attendance, Laboratory Performance and the Formal Elements(s) are shown in Table 2.
Category for Awarding Marks Attendance Laboratory Performance Formal element(s)
% weighting
15% 50% 35%
Table 2: Laboratory Marking Scheme.
3. Late submission
Where assigned laboratory work is to be submitted by a given date you must submit the assigned work by that date. If you miss the assigned date your work will only be accepted one to seven days after the submission date has passed. However while this work will be marked the result will be halved. If marking results in a score of 1.5 it will be rounded down to 1. Assigned work handed in eight days or more after the submission date will not be considered. Individual students can be granted an extension if they are sick and supply a medical certificate or if they can demonstrate some other valid reason. Appeals should be referred to the relevant Head of Department.
4. Plagiarism
Plagiarism (i.e. copying coursework from other students or other sources) is not acceptable under any circumstances. Students found guilty of plagiarism may face serious disciplinary action from the college. Students suspected of plagiarism may be subjected to a viva voce examination at any time, as permitted by the general assessment regulations of the DIT. Any material which is taken from another source must be referenced with a footnote or endnote, which cites the publication, date and author. Any text which is quoted verbatim should be placed within quotes and referenced. It is totally unacceptable for a student to lift material from books, the web, the work of other students without due acknowledgement. Note: Working together on assignments is a useful learning exercise and may be encouraged by lecturers for certain kinds of work. The above comments regarding plagiarism is not intended in any way to discourage collaboration. However, where common assignments are graded individually, it is essential that any work handed up can be clearly identified as the students own effort.
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5. Laboratory Rules and Procedures

1. You are expected to arrive on time and not depart before the end of a laboratory. 2. You must not enter a lab unless you are timetabled for that lab and you have permission from a technician or lecturer. 3. You must not stand on the stools or benches in the laboratory. 4. You must not place coats and bags on the benches in the laboratory. 5. You are expected to take note of any instructions, written or oral, that the laboratory instructor gives you during the course of the laboratory session. 6. You must ensure that at the end of the laboratory session all equipment used in the laboratory session is tidied away where you found it. You must put all rubbish such as wire, broken components and paper outside in the corridor bins. 7. You must not remove test equipment, test leads or power cables from any lab without permission. 8. You must not damage or tamper with the equipment or leads. If there is a problem with a piece of equipment report it to the technician or lecturer. DO NOT return faulty equipment to a storage area. 9. Eating, smoking and drinking in the laboratories, including the computer laboratories, are strictly forbidden. Anyone found eating, drinking or smoking in the laboratory may have the items in question confiscated, along with their student card. 10. The use of mobile phones during laboratory sessions is strictly forbidden. Anyone found using a phone during a laboratory session may have the phone confiscated and their student card taken. 11. The use of email or messaging software for personal communications during laboratory sessions is forbidden. 12. Playing computer games in laboratories is forbidden.
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5.2
Project Assessment
5.2.1 Marking Scheme Marking Scheme: Deadline 6 weeks into Semester 1(10%) End of Semester 1 (30%) DT080 Projects (PROJ2101) are assessed on the following basis Component Initial Report Max possible mark 10%
Attendance Performance and Achievement (Report Card Based) Interim Report Interview
7% 8% 8% 7% 3% 20% 17% 20%
End of Semester 2 (60%)
Attendance Performance and Achievement (Report Card Based) Final Report Project Presentation and Interview
At the start of the project each project team member will be provided with a document detailing the management of the project, the format and structure of the Initial, Interim and Final Reports, and the project timescales.
Initial Report The Initial Report is produced 6 weeks after the start of the semester. It is suggested that it should contain; a. a general description of the technical elements of the project in so far as they are known at this stage b. an overall work plan for the project, consisting of a list of the work elements with approximate dates for their completion. c. identification of background material that has already been studied or is known d. identification of areas where further study is required e. sources of information to progress the project
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Interim Report The Interim Report will detail achievements to date. It will be similar in structure to the Final Report (but less detailed) and will provide the baseline for continued work in Semester 2 and will serve as a first draft of the Final Report.
Final Report The final report must be a properly structured engineering project report. It must be sufficiently detailed to permit another person to reproduce all of the work of the project.
Interview (End Semester 1) This will be a formal interview conducted by a project supervisor not involved with the project, or by the Year Co-ordinator, or by the Programme Chairman, in the presence of the project supervisor. It aims to assess the students level of application to the project, progress and understanding of the technical area of the project. It will also provide formative assessment to the student and may if appropriate suggest new avenues into which to develop the project.
Project Presentation and Interview (End Semester 2) The students give a formal presentation of their work and result to their project supervisor and to one examiner selected from the list of DT080 Project supervisors, Year Co-ordinator and Programme Chairman. The interview component is intended to provide clarification of the technical details of the work and to enable the examiner to determine the students depth of understanding of the project work. Each student in a multi student project is interviewed separately.
Performance and Achievement This is based on : a. a written report card which is completed by the project supervisor at the end of each weekly meeting with the student b. the log book which the student maintains, in which all completed work which has been recorded.
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5.2.2 Project Weekly Report Card
DT080 YEAR 2 SESSION 2010/2011 PROJECT WEEKLY REPORT CARD

Day Time
STUDENT NAME. PROJECT SUPERVISOR. Week Sept 23th Logbook Comment on Progress
Sept 30 Oct 7th Oct 14th Oct 21st Oct 28th Nov 4th Nov 11th Nov 18th Nov 25th Dec 2nd Dec 16th Jan 27th
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Week Feb 3rd Feb 10th Feb 17th Feb 24th Mar 3rd Mar 10th Mar 24th Mar 31st Apr 7th Apr 14th
Logbook
Comment on Progress
Additional Notes:
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5.2.3
Report Check List
Project Report Check List

This is a Report Check List. Before you submit a report you should check it against the contents of each of these boxes. Examples: If your report has a front page put a tick in the box against Front Page. If the front page contains the project title then put a tick against Project Title. If you have used the same font all the way through the report for normal text then put a tick against Format Consistency Font Normal When can put a tick against each of the items in the list below (or mark the items that do not apply to you) then you should submit the report. Even better, get a fellow student to check your report against this list. Attach the completed check list your report. This means that your report will look well and read well, at least. Item Front Page Project Title Student Name Date Programme title Module title and code Check labels. Item Positioning of Check
Format Page Header : Title Programme Page Footer : Page number Date Version Headings: Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Consistency : Font : Normal (10/11 point) Headings Code Bullet Points Numbering Line Spacing
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Referencing Table of Contents Figure Numbering Graph Numbering Table Numbering Captions
Tables Column Heading Units Labels
Graphs x-axis label x-axis units y-axis label y-axis units Grid Lines Data Points Highlighted Trendline Line Connecting Points
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Item Labelling of important points Clarity
Check
Item Correct punctuation (full stop, comma, colon, semicolon, brackets)
Check
Equations Numbered sequentially Indented Brief verbal description
References All sources referenced All quotations in quotation marks and referenced Numbering of references Format: Author Title Edition Publisher Year Long quotations paraphrased Long quotations prcised No long runs of embedded text
Language No Colloquialisms All abbreviations explained Short, clear sentences, with no more than 1 or 2 sub clauses. No sentence fragments New paragraph for each new idea Spelling has been checked No use of first person (I, me, etc.)
Finally Report has been read over Report has been proof read Suggestions for improvement have been included
Structure Abstract Introduction Procedure Results Discussion Conclusion References Appendices
Grammar Grammar has been checked Punctuation has been checked Correct tenses
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5.3
Community Based Learning Documents
5.3.1 Guidelines for Students COMMUNITY BASED LEARNING GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS What is Students Learning With Communities? Its also known as community-based learning, or service-learning. Students studying a particular course work on projects with community groups and organisations, using their subject skills to benefit these groups. Their work will be assessed and marked as part of their coursework. Lecturers work with community partners to design real-life projects to meet the needs of students and those of the community. The community becomes part of the teaching process and benefits from students work and subject knowledge. Learning comes alive for students as they work with real clients. Lecturers guide them in reflecting on the experience as part of their professional development. What are the benefits to a community group? Students will work on a project which community members have been involved in designing with their lecturer, to benefit the community. Students bring their developing subject knowledge and specialized skills to the project, as well as their commitment, energy and enthusiasm. The project should be designed to have real, practical outcomes which will directly benefit the community, and if it runs over several years the benefits can accumulate as the project develops. The community has an opportunity to influence the development of the professionals of tomorrow, by helping to give students a better understanding of their future clients and end-users, and by educating students as to the communitys particular needs and strengths. The community has an opportunity to influence the direction of teaching and research in DIT by building a long-term relationship with the college. What are the challenges for a community group? The work is being done by students, not qualified professionals, so they are still in the process of learning. Any project that has serious potential consequences (e.g. projects focusing on financial affairs or budgeting, projects with health and safety implications, or projects involving legal matters) need input from a qualified professional before the ideas are put into action. The scope of the projects are unavoidably limited by the college timetable (2 thirteen week semesters running from mid-September to December and February to mid-May), and this may be a challenge to getting the project finished projects need to be designed with this constraint in mind. The projects have to match the skill level of the students e.g. postgraduate students will have more detailed subject knowledge and more developed skills than first or second year undergraduates. Often students in the earlier years have a huge amount of enthusiasm, and are under less pressure with their general workload, however, and this can make up for any shortage of knowledge or skills.
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What should you expect as a student? You should have an input into the design of the project, and its outcomes, involving reasonably regular contact with the lecturer/s at the planning stage. The lecturer is limited by the DIT publicized description of what the students should learn on this course, which cant be altered without a formal procedure at the end of the academic year, so you will have to negotiate a project that meets your course needs as well as your learning needs. You should agree with the lecturer and community group when you are to start, and how best to be introduced the community members and to any information or resources which you will need for the project. You should also agree with your lecturer when and where you should have contact with the community during the project. If you encounter any serious problems in any interaction with the community, you should contact your lecturer and expect a reasonably prompt response. You should be involved with your lecturer in arranging how and when you will present the results of your project to the community. You will be given clear guidelines on how to engage in the assessment process of your project. You will be asked to participate in a short evaluation of the project at the end. Depending on the nature of the project, there may be discussion of how best to proceed and develop the project for the following year. If you have any ideas for other projects involving students in other areas, you should contact your lecturer or the staff on the Programme for Students Learning With Communities. They can be contacted on 4027616, or on slwc@dit.ie
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5.4
Work Placement Guidelines
For the duration of the placement, the student is an employee of the company and is expected to conform to all rules and regulations of that company, in particular codes of timekeeping, advance notice of holidays and holiday allowance and dress code. The student must comply with all professional and ethical requirements regarding confidentiality, security and copyright. After an initial familiarisation period the student will be expected to perform all assigned duties as a normal employee. The companies' Health and Safety regulations must be adhered to. It is of prime importance that the student uses their initiative to gain the widest possible experience of the working environment including the organisation context, customer and users, procedure of meetings, project management procedures and resource constraints and social activities. The student must remember that their placement company will become an important source of a personal reference for their future employers and they should make every effort to perform to the best of their ability during their placement. The student is representing the Institute and programme and should make every effort to promote these to the placement company who will be seen as a future employer and provider of placements. Within one week of starting work, the student will complete the Work Placement Contact Form, have it signed by their Industrial Supervisor and forward it to the Work Placement Coordinator. The student will compile a weekly log summarising their work and experience and send it to their Work Placement Academic Supervisor. These logs should be copied to their Industrial Supervisor for authentication who will then forward them to the Work Placement Academic Supervisor. The Work Placement Contact Form and the authenticated weekly logs and monthly learning reports may be emailed to the Work Placement Academic Supervisor by the Industrial Supervisor and this will be considered a signed document. The student is to submit a copy of the Work Placement Report to their Industrial Supervisor before the end of the placement. The Industrial Supervisor will submit a short appraisal of the report to the Work Placement Academic Supervisor. For more details, please refer to DT080 Work Placement document.
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5.5 Academic Calendar Current version of the academic calendar is available online at http://www.dit.ie/services/academic/calendar/
DIT Academic Calendar Session 2010/2011

The total Academic Year will be divided into two Semesters of 15 weeks in which student learning and assessment will take place
SEMESTER 1
September 2010 01/09/10 13/09/10 20/09/10 October 27/09/10 04/10/10 11/10/10 18/10/10 25/10/10 01/11/10 08/11/10 15/11/10 22/11/10 29/11/10 06/12/10 13/12/10 20/12/10 27/12/10 03/01/11 Weeks Session commences 1st Years commence including Orientation, Induction Teaching commences for 2nd & subsequent years 15 Weeks to Include: 12 Lecture Weeks plus 1 Review Week plus Assessment Review Week (unless otherwise arranged)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Christmas Christmas Christmas
November
December
Review week to be used either for revision, reading, field visits, lectures, interim tests, formative assessment feedback etc. To be applied in Week 6 except where otherwise arranged.
January 2011
10/01/11 17/01/11 24/01/11
14 15
Exams commence & marking commences Module Boards: Student feedback and Appeals. Choice of Options & Electives for 2nd Semester.
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SEMESTER 2
January 31/01/11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Easter Easter 12 13 14 15 Exams commence & marking commences Exams Exams Module Boards and Programme Boards Student Feedback and Appeals Semester 2 Teaching commences 15 Weeks to Include: 12 Lecture Weeks plus 1 Review Week plus Assessment February 07/02/11 14/02/11 21/02/11 28/02/11 March 07/03/11 14/03/11 21/03/11 28/03/11 April 04/04/11 11/04/11 18/04/11 25/04/11 May 02/05/11 09/05/11 16/05/11 23/05/11
Review Week (unless otherwise arranged)
Review week to be used either for revision, reading, field visits, lectures, interim tests, formative assessment feedback etc. To be applied in Week 7 except where otherwise arranged.
June
30/05/11 06/06/11 13/06/11 20/06/11
DATES FOR APPRENTICESHIP AND FAILTE EIREANN PROGRAMMES DIFFER FROM THE ABOVE. DETAILS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE RELEVANT SCHOOLS
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DT080 Student Handbook

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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

B.Tech (Ordinary Bachelor Degree - NQAI L7) in Networking Technologies

STUDENT HANDBOOK VERSION 0.0 FEBRUARY 2011

Welcome Introduction to the Institute

Programme Details 2.1 2.2 2.3

Programme Timelines Staff Listing Programme Structure

Examinations and Assessments

Programme Management 3.1 3.2

Programme Committee Examination Board

Guidance to Student 4.1

Planning study programme and study techniques

Support for Individual Student Needs

Safety Information and Regulations

Relevant Student Clubs

Appendices 5.1 5.2

Laboratory Assessment Project Assessment

Community Based Learning Documents

Work Placement Documents

Guidelines for Student

List of Tables and Figures

Lejla Rovcanin Programme Committee Chairperson