Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2011-2012 (archived)

Module COMP51415: PERVASIVE COMPUTING: MOBILE, WIRELESS AND DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS

Department: Computer Science

COMP51415: PERVASIVE COMPUTING: MOBILE, WIRELESS AND DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS

Type Open Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Available in 2011/12 Module Cap
Tied to

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • The objective is to address an application of distributed computing which is currently growing very rapidly in importance. The advanced principles will be covered, taking a strong architectural perspective, and these will be illustrated and motivated by current and future applications.

Content

  • Introduction: research challenges in mobile and wireless computing
  • Fundamentals and concepts
  • Underlying technologies
  • System architectures
  • Mobile code and mobile agents
  • Analysis and comparison: mobile systems
  • Transaction and recovery management in pervasive computing
  • Security and fault tolerance in mobile wireless applications
  • Seminar and further case studies
  • The way forward

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Specialist knowledge: ten lectures, seminars and discussion sessions, and projects
  • Practical design skills: wireless communication protocols; practical system analysis; case studies
  • Management: data management in mobile and pervasive applications
  • Design integration: system analysis and comparison; case studies; module projects
  • Engineering of software systems: design and engineering of mobile e-commerce systems
  • Professional skills: social implications of pervasive computing; and presentations of the module projects
Subject-specific Skills:
    Key Skills:

      Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

      • The module comprises 1 week's intensive directed reading and laboratory exercises; 5 days of lectures, tutorial, and reading, and two weeks undertaking a major laboratory assignment. The overall workload conforms to the standard SLAT requirement of 150 hours equivalent to 15 credits.

      Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

      Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
      Lectures 10 2 per day in week 2 1 hour 10 ■
      Tutorials 4 weekly 1 hour 4 ■
      Practicals 5 daily in week 1 6 hours 30 ■
      Laboratory 10 daily in weeks 3 and 4 6 hous 60 ■
      Preparation and Reading 46
      Total 150

      Summative Assessment

      Component: Laboratory report Component Weighting: 100%
      Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
      Laboratory report 2500 words 100%

      Formative Assessment:

      Written drafts of chapters and feedback on software tool experiments with written feedback.

      ■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University