SWEN326 (2024) - Safety-Critical Systems
Prescription
This course addresses the concepts, techniques and tools required for developing computer systems that are applicable where safety and reliability is paramount. Topics include: the concepts and principles underlying safety-critical systems & standards (e.g. DO178C and IEC61508); techniques for design validation (e.g. model checking); and implementation techniques for ensuring software correctness (e.g. coding guidelines, testing, static analysis, etc). Practical work will involve the design, implementation, and analysis of simple safety critical applications (e.g. for industrial, embedded and healthcare systems).
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course should be able to:
- Describe the key principles of safety critical systems and the implications of these for software design and implementation.
- Select and apply appropriate standards and processes to develop safety critical systems, for example IEC 61508 and DO-178C.
- Analyse potential risks, hazards, threats, and failure modes in the designs of safety critical systems.
- Design and construct software following safety critical standards, processes, and design techniques.
- Evaluate system designs and software against safety critical standards.
Course content
We’ve designed this course for in-person study, and to get the most of out it we strongly recommend you attend lectures on campus. Most assessment items, as well as tutorials/seminars/labs/workshops will only be available in person. Any exceptions for in-person attendance for assessment will be looked at on a case-by-case basis in exceptional circumstances, e.g., through disability services or by approval by the course coordinator.
If you started your programme of study remotely and can only study remotely, please contact the School so we can help and confirm what courses are available.
Withdrawal from Course
Withdrawal dates and process:
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/course-additions-withdrawals
Lecturers
Dr Stuart Marshall (Coordinator)
- stuart.marshall@vuw.ac.nz
- CO 338 Cotton Building (All Blocks), Gate 7, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn
Teaching Format
This course will be offered in-person. It will also be possible to take the course entirely online for those unable to attend campus, with components made available online.
There will be weekly lectures and individual assignments during whole course. The assignments will build on the material presented in lectures.
Dates (trimester, teaching & break dates)
- Teaching: 26 February 2024 - 31 May 2024
- Break: 01 April 2024 - 14 April 2024
- Study period: 03 June 2024 - 06 June 2024
- Exam period: 07 June 2024 - 22 June 2024
Other Classes
One-hour lab most weeks (optional).
Set Texts and Recommended Readings
Required
There are no required texts for this offering.
Mandatory Course Requirements
There are no mandatory course requirements for this course.
If you believe that exceptional circumstances may prevent you from meeting the mandatory course requirements, contact the Course Coordinator for advice as soon as possible.
Assessment
SWEN 326 will have a 54% test during the teaching weeks that students can sit up to three times, with the best performance out of those three attempts counting towards the final mark. The test will assess understanding of core concepts in safety-critical systems, and will be a multi-choice test during lecture time in weeks 6, 8 and 11.
It is expected that all engaged students will be able to score highly on this test and should be able to score the 50 / 54 required to get a bare minimum pass in the course.
The group project will be practical and targeted at those students aiming to get either a B or an A in the course, and is not mandatory for those who are happy to pass with a C-.
SWEN 326 will have a final test in the assessment period once teaching has finished, and this is targeted at students seeking to get an A grade, with all questions being set at that level. It is not mandatory for students to attempt the final test in the assessment period.
| Assessment Item | Due Date or Test Date | CLO(s) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test 1 | Students may sit at the Friday lecture in weeks 6, 8 or 11. | CLO: 1,2,3,4,5 | 54% |
| Group Project | 31-05-2024 | CLO: 4,5 | 30% |
| Test 2 | To be scheduled in the assessment period. | CLO: 1,2,3,4,5 | 16% |
Penalties
Late submissions will incur an automatic penalty of 10% of the final mark per day. Submission between 0 and 24 hours late will be counted as one day late; those betwee 24 and 48 hours late will be counted as two days late, etc. Any request for an extension must be made to the course coordinator prior to the due date.
Extensions
An individual extension to the project deadlinewill only be granted in situations where a student has - due to personal circumstances as described in section 13 of the Assessment Handbook - had materially less time to complete the work than their peers, and cannot be granted if the extension would provide a material advantage over their peers. Extensions should be negotiated with the course coordinator before the deadline. Supporting evidence (eg, medical certificate) may be requested for extensions longer than one week.
Submission & Return
All work is submitted through the ECS submission system, accessible through the Nuku course site. Marks and comments will be returned through the ECS marking system.
Student submitted work may be used during the formal Engineering NZ re-accreditation visit to VUW scheduled for 2024, as part of the evaluation process for the programme.
Group Work
The project will be undertaken as a group, although students will be assessed individually.
Workload
Although the workload will vary from week to week, you should expect to spend approximately 10 hours per week on the course to give a total of 150 hours study time for the course.
Teaching Plan
The teaching plan will be published on Nuku prior to the start of the course.
Communication of Additional Information
All online material for this course can be accessed via Nuku/Canvas, while project work will be submitted through the ECS submission system.
Links to General Course Information
- Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/exams/academic-integrity
- Academic Progress: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/progress/academic-progess (including restrictions and non-engagement)
- Dates and deadlines: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/dates
- Grades: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/progress/grades
- Special passes: Refer to the Assessment Handbook, at https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/documents/policy/staff-policy/assessment-handbook.pdf
- Statutes and policies, e.g. Student Conduct Statute: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/governance/strategy
- Student support: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/support
- Students with disabilities: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/st_services/disability/
- Student Charter: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/learning-teaching/learning-partnerships/student-charter
- Student Feedback on University courses may be found at: http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/feedback/feedback_display.php
- Terms and Conditions: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/study/apply-enrol/terms-conditions/student-contract
- Turnitin: http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/index.php/Turnitin
- University structure: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/governance/structure
- The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy:
Victoria University values te reo Māori. Students who wish to submit any of their assessments in te reo Māori must refer to The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy
He mea nui te reo Māori ki te Whare Wānanga o te Ūpoko o te Ika. Ki te pīrangi koe ki te tuhituhi i ō aro matawai i roto i te reo Māori, tēnā me mātua whakapā atu ki te kaupapa here, The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy - VUWSA: http://www.vuwsa.org.nz
Offering CRN: 30042
Points: 15
Prerequisites: (NWEN 241 or SWEN 225), 15 further 200-level AIML, CGRA, COMP, CYBR, EEEN, NWEN, SWEN pts
Duration: 26 February 2024 - 23 June 2024
Starts: Trimester 1
Campus: Kelburn