55-709695 Fundamentals of Computing Level 7 Assessment Brief 2026 | SHU

55-709695 Assessment Brief

Module Learning Outcomes

• Apply the key concepts used in the development of simple imperative and object-oriented applications and algorithms.
• Utilise essential features of a mainstream programming language to write small applications.
• Creatively combine appropriate programming techniques and data structures to develop effective software implementations of relatively complex systems.
• Critically evaluate and reflect on solutions developed, using program testing and validation techniques on small programs.

Introduction

In this assessment you will use Python to programme solutions to a set of simple problems, and you will research aspects of programming and share your findings on Blackboard. The assessment lets you demonstrate that you have learned basic principles of programming, that you can apply those principles, and that you can discuss them with others.

Structure of the task

This assessment task has three parts.

Weekly programming exercises

Your grade will be based on a set of exercises that you complete each week. There are two types of exercise: 

1.Across the first four weeks, and in week six, you will solve small problems that are each worth two marks. 
2.In the seventh week you will complete a larger programming task that is worth 25 marks.

Your solution to each of the small tasks will be evaluated using a set of unit tests. If your code passes all tests, you will be awarded full marks for the task. Each test that your code fails will reduce your mark by a factor of 0.2.  Your work will be graded at the end of each week by a tutor, using the results from the unit tests to assist them.

The unit tests use specific values. We have provided you with a document called Test Data in each week’s Codio material that gives the input values and expected results for each test. Use these values to test your code by running your script in the Codio terminal or on your own machine. 

You can only submit your code once for each exercise. You must thoroughly test the code and ensure that it produces the correct answer before you submit it.

The programming tasks are on Codio in the following sections:

You must complete all exercises by the submission date given in the table on page one of this assignment brief.

Research Topics

Throughout the module we have selected five topics that you must research, and about which you must submit a 300-word response. The discussions cover the following topics:

Full details of the topics are available in the Blackboard area for each week. For each discussion you must submit an original post of your own, citing at least two authoritative sources.  All submissions must be written in English and submitted by midnight UK time on the Sunday of each week.

Your posts will be graded against the following criteria:

1.Appropriateness of the content.
2.Technical correctness.
3.Evidence of evaluation, reflection, or critique (as requested in the Blackboard instruction for the week).

Your grade will be based on the levels that are given in the University Grade Descriptor. For example, and answer that is “balanced towards the descriptive rather than critical or analytical and mostly confined to concepts that are not at the forefront of the discipline” will receive a mark somewhere of 50%, 55%, or 58%, whereas an answer that shows “clear independent insight and critical awareness of relevant concepts” will get mark of 74%, 81% or 89%.

Final Programming Task

Create a program that displays information about planets in our solar system. For each planet your program should hold its:

• Name.
• Mass.
• Distance from the Sun.
• A list of the planet’s moons (be sensible, don’t include all of the moons for the large planets).

All data should be held using appropriate data types. Use Wikipedia to help with values.

A user should be able to query your data by asking questions such as:

• Tell me everything about Saturn?
• How massive is Neptune?
• Is Pluto in the list of planets?
• How many moons does Earth have?

You must write a test plan that covers key parts of your solution. You should include this as a separate file within your solution.

You should bring all your programming knowledge to bear on this task.

• You must use classes throughout your program.
• You should include code to properly validate inputs from the user.
• The raw data may be held in a file.
• You may build a simple menu system.
• You might create a GUI using Tkinter.
• You may want to use a unit testing framework to implement some, or all, of your test plan.

Notes

• You must the Python Programming language.
• You must store your code in your repository on GitHub.
• Do not make a Web-based solution.
• Do not use a relational database.

55-709695 Grading

The final programme will be graded as follows:

Submission

Weekly coding tasks are submitted on the Codio platform. Weekly discussion tasks will be submitted directly to forums on Blackboard. The final programming task should be submitted to the assignment handler on Blackboard. Please submit your code in a single zip file.

You should complete all the exercises and discussions by the deadline shown in the table on page one.
If you need an extension, please email studentsuccess@online.shu.ac.uk from your student email account.

Avoiding plagiarism

If you use algorithms, code samples, or inspiration from sources such as discussions on Stack Overflow or Reddit, or blogposts on sites such as Medium, you must include a citation in your code as a comment. You are expected to use a range of source material of your own when developing your solution. Doing so without citation is plagiarism. Doing so with citation is good practice.

Transparency declaration statements

You must include a transparency statement as an appendix in the submission of your final task in which you identify where and how you used AI tools in creating that submission. Failure to comply with this requirement may be considered a breach of academic integrity under our Academic Conduct Policy. 

Your statement must:

• Indicate the AITS descriptor you are using.
• Briefly describe how AI was used or confirm that no AI was used.

Who do I contact if I have a question?

Ask Dr. Peter O’Neill either via the module’s Team forum or via email using p.o'neill@shu.ac.uk. If you don’t feel that your problem is resolved, then ask your course leader Dr Keith Harris (k.harris@shu.ac.uk). If they cannot resolve your problem, you should contact Dr. Diana Hintea, the Deputy Head of School of Computing and Digital Technologies (d.hintea@shu.ac.uk).

Please note that marks for discussion posts are the subjective opinion of your teaching team and not debatable, but your tutors will be happy to explain the feedback you have been given. Marks for programming tasks are automatically graded, with a sample being moderated by your tutor.

Please let your tutor know straight away if you think there has been a mistake in any assessment procedures.

Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity

It is important you do not use AI tools to generate an assignment and submit it as if it were your own work.  Our regulations state: 

Contract cheating/concerns over authorship: This form of misconduct involves another person (or artificial intelligence) creating the assignment which you then submit as your own. Examples of this sort of misconduct include buying an assignment from an ‘essay mill’/professional writer; submitting an assignment which you have downloaded from a file-sharing site; acquiring an essay from another student or family member and submitting it as your own; attempting to pass off work created by artificial intelligence as your own. These activities show a clear intention to deceive the marker and are treated as misconduct.
Further guidance is available on the MyHallam – Assessment page.

AI Transparency Scale (AITS)

For this assessment, the permitted use of Artificial Intelligence is highlighted in the table below. All students are required to include a transparency declaration statement which can be added as an appendix to the assessment (not included in the word count)