1. Introduction to Conversion MSc IT James Gain jgain@cs.uct.ac.za

2. Course status • In the beginning was the MSc… • completed by research • Then came the taught MSc • completed by teaching • Then came the conversion MSc • taught to domain non-experts

3. Masters in IT • Started life in 1993 as the MSc BIT (Business Information Technology) at Middlesex, London • Gary Marsden, taught at Middlesex and brought his experience with him • Developed and sponsored by EU for ‘continuing education’ • Residential modes: • Regular, Fast-Track and Evening

4. Masters on holiday • Egyptian government wanted IT education • Taught in Cairo • Developed materials for self-study • Huge success • UK government praised course as future for education

5. On-line Masters • Due to demand and having to develop for self-study, started conversion to on-line materials • Attempts to overcome failings in distance education • materials developed with Open University • accountability at regional centres • human contact / student status

6. Global campus • Middlesex write material • Egyptian government convert to electronic format • Regional centres apply and are awarded/denied membership • Quality audit • Students awarded Middlesex degree

7. Masters IT @ UCT • Gary Marsden was part of development team of MSc BIT since 1996 • This course is part of the next iteration where we build on Middlesex material, but award local institution degrees (UCT) • There will be material in this course taught no where else, but still compatible with degree world-wide

8. Consequences • Material excellent – costs spread across many institutions • UCT degree has local and international currency • Can complete course overseas (UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Fiji…)

9. Who is the course for? • Traditionally IT has been split • Computer Science, Electronic engineering, Information Systems • Now there is a new category • Knowledge worker • Few places seem to cater for this category

10. What can I do at the end of the course? • Very hard to say. • You will have an excellent feel for core elements of CS and IS • much, much more so than a training course • All the UK students who graduated well found jobs

11. How the course will run • Nine courses in total • possible exemption from 9th course • Three courses per semester

12. Structure • At the end of the taught part you can exit with PG Dip • Completing a 6 month project will give you an Masters • Please note that if your original degree was a BA, you will be awarded an MPhil

13. Evaluation • Each course will have an examination and a practical component • exam worth 70% (in mid June) • coursework worth 30% • Assignments • One or two pieces of coursework per module • Submitted electronically to Teaching Assistant • First hand-in for April

14. Who are we – Support staff • I am responsible for pretty much everything to do with the course • There is a teaching assistant to help out • Rudi Neeser: rneeser@cs.uct.ac.za • Can be consulted face-to-face in the Research Lab • general: • pgadmin@cs.uct.ac.za • Please, please send any feedback about the course to me

15. Who are you – Status as student • To all intents and purposes, you are considered a student of the university • access to library • access to computer labs • The only difference is that (many of) you are not here physically

16. Material • Learning material will be delivered as CDROMs with HTML files • All the books mentioned in the course material are available in the library. Some you can get from me. • We also have institutional access to a number of digital libraries (speak to the librarians)

17. Learning material • Developed from Open University • Comes in five sections • Introduction: Self explanatory • Content: The actual material to read and understand • Apply: Examples to apply material to • Reflect: Questions about the material • Extend: Further work

18. Sample unit – will cover more later

19. Programming • A basic introduction to programming • Java language: • Good for internet applications • Simple yet powerful • You will be taught how to create simple applications in the object-oriented paradigm.

20. Software Engineering • Introduce a range of techniques suitable for both structured and object-oriented methods • Enables you to analyse and design well engineered software solutions • CASE tools explored in modelling and documenting analysis and design specifications • Different life cycle models will also be discussed • Install CASE software from the Select CD

21. Databases • A perspective on database management system structure and function is provided. • Topics introduced include: • architecture of databases • data models • Normalisation • front-end system • Security • recovery and concurrency • object-oriented database systems; • client-server and distributed database systems • Install DBMS software from the Oracle CD