Higher National Diploma in Computing Level 5

Unit Overview

Cyber Security

Unit Aims: Develop an understanding of the importance of cyber security to organisations, understand industry standards, and recommend improvements to a client’s network.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the impact of cyber security threats to organisations.
Understand industry standards of cyber security.
Recommend improvements to secure a network against cyber attacks.

Assessment Criteria:

Analyse current cyber security risks.
Evaluate the vulnerability and impact of cyber security on an organisation.
Evaluate controls and strategies against industry standards.
Recommend network security improvements and develop a training plan.

Database Design and Development

Unit Aims: Extend understanding of database design and development, research database management systems, and design and implement a complex database.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand database management systems.
Design a relational database in line with a client brief.
Implement a database design.
Review the process of design and implementation.

Assessment Criteria:

Evaluate the role and design process of databases.
Plan and design a complex relational database.
Construct and test the database.
Critically evaluate design documentation and review the implementation process.

Web Based Development

Unit Aims: Understand web-based development, research technologies for dynamic websites, investigate e-marketing and SEO techniques, and develop a website with a backend database.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand client-side and server-side technologies.
Understand e-marketing techniques.
Create a web-based solution to a business problem.
Review a web-based solution.

Assessment Criteria:

Compare client-side and server-side technologies.
Evaluate e-marketing techniques and legal, ethical, and social issues.
Construct a web-based solution, integrate e-marketing, and create a backend database.
Evaluate implemented technologies and propose improvements.

Network Design

Unit Aims: Learn IT network design fundamentals and design a network for a client according to a design brief.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand networking fundamentals.
Design an IT network in accordance with a design brief.
Build a network to meet a client brief.

Assessment Criteria:

Evaluate network protocols, hardware, software, and management tools.
Analyse business needs, evaluate solutions, and design a structured network.
Build, test, and evaluate the network, and recommend security requirements.

Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues and Professional Responsibilities in IT

Unit Aims: Develop understanding of ethical, legal, regulatory issues, and professional responsibilities in IT.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand ethical issues in IT.
Understand legal and regulatory issues in IT.
Understand professional responsibilities in IT.

Assessment Criteria:

Evaluate current ethical issues and practices.
Evaluate legal and regulatory issues and their impact.
Explain contracting processes and assess legislation impact.
Explain professional standards and assess self against required competencies.

Strategic Management Information Systems

Unit Aims: Understand the importance of integrating organisational strategy with information systems and analyse business processes to recommend improvements.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand links between information systems and organisational strategy.
Analyse the links between strategy and information systems.
Formulate an information systems strategy.
Understand the implementation process of an information systems strategy.

Assessment Criteria:

Explain and evaluate tools and frameworks for integrating IS with strategy.
Evaluate an organisation’s strategy and assess IS integration.
Recommend IS options and formulate a strategy.
Plan and evaluate the implementation process, considering risks and priorities.

Innovative Technologies in Computing

Unit Aims: Understand innovative developments in technology and their impact on the computer industry.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand innovative developments in technology.
Understand impacts of technological innovations on the computer industry.

Assessment Criteria:

Evaluate environments utilising innovative technologies and their impact.
Explain impacts on computer systems, evaluate ethical issues, and assess legislative impacts.

Computing Research Methods

Unit Aims: Understand different computer-based research methods, plan and carry out a research project in computer science.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand computer-based research techniques.
Plan a computer-based research project.
Carry out research on a topic within computer science.

Assessment Criteria:

Analyse research techniques and evaluate sampling methods.
Develop a research proposal and plan data collection.
Collect and analyse data, and report findings.

Managing a Computing Project

Unit Aims: Learn about project management tools and techniques for managing a computing project, and use them to plan, implement, and review a project.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand how to manage a computing project.
Manage a computing project.
Review a computing project.

Assessment Criteria:

Analyse project planning methods and evaluate management tools.
Follow a project plan, manage risks, and report progress.
Review the project against success criteria and recommend improvements.

Software Development Methodologies

Unit Aims: Learn about using software development methodologies to develop an information system.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the role of methodologies in software development.
Design an information system using a software development methodology.

Assessment Criteria:

Explain differences between systems and application software.
Evaluate software development methodologies and explain development phases.
Select and justify a methodology, design an information system, and evaluate the methodology.

Level 5 HND in Computing

Level 5 HND in Computing