Computer Science for Cyber Security (with Integrated Foundation Year)

Teaching, learning and assessment

At Foundation level, cognitive and personal skills are developed in more open-ended problem solving and design exercises, often tackled by working in small groups supported by members of academic, technical, and library staff. Project work is used to bring various aspects of the programme together.

Typically, each module will involve students in 72 hours of scheduled contact except Mathematics, for which students will have 96 hours of scheduled contact for each module. An expected weekly attendance commitment will be around 21 hours.

Students will experience a wide range of teaching and learning environments and a consistent balance between direct academic delivery, and individual and group study. Concepts, principles and theories are generally explored in formal lectures, practiced in associated tutorials and seminars, and demonstrated and experimented in laboratory classes. Practical skills are developed in laboratory sessions.

The programme includes a number of innovative and active learning methods. For example, Team Based Learning (TBL) strategies are integrated within a number of modules. In addition, we endeavour to use team teaching methods where lecturing staff are able to contribute their highly specialised research and knowledge into the curriculum.

Throughout the programme, we make use of case studies so that students can apply their theoretical understanding to real-world issues. In this way, abstract concepts are brought to life through practical activities.

In addition to the standard technology enhanced learning approaches, we embed technologies to deliver key concepts in an interactive environment that strongly links theory with practical skills. For example: in programming lectures, a remote desktop application allows lecturers to demonstrate coding in an environment identical to that in our cutting-edge labs; our stage 2 Enterprise-Pro module requires and supports students to develop their projects using an industry standard tool for collaborative team-based software development. This allows them to develop industry standard skills based on real working practice.

In the Enterprise Pro module, the students work on a project for external clients or our collaborators in industry and academia. The projects are specifically tailored to be aligned with the studies and the topics that the students have studied.

Through these projects, the students gain crucial industry knowledge and experience to improve their employability prospects and professional skills as well as knowledge of industry developments and their needs, which helps enhance their skills. The clients end up with software products that could be potentially used by their organisations.

The students working in small groups are closely supervised and supported through laboratory practical sessions to ensure they have the right technical input to support the project and are delivering on time and keeping on track. Their interactions within the teams and with the external clients are continuously monitored by a group tutor.