In Progress
Please note that this Unit Profile is still in progress. The content below is subject to change.Overview
This unit will provide you with the foundation knowledge of computer and network infrastructure that underpins Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in modern organisations. You will study networking essentials including virtualisation, wireless networks, cloud computing, cyber security, and risk management. By the end of this unit, you will be able to build and manage basic computer networks. You will conduct hands-on practical activities with industrial-grade networking equipment and cyber security tools to enhance the security of built networks.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Anti-requisite: If students have undertaken COIT11233 Information and Communication Technology Foundations, then this unit should not be taken.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Discipline Lead and Head of College.
The 3-hour tutorial classes are challenging for students to maintain attention.
Review the tutorial activities and adjust the tutorial classes to a 2-hour format instead of the current 3-hour sessions.
Feedback from Teaching Team.
Late enrolled students struggle with tutorial tasks in the early weeks.
Start tutorial activities from Week 02 and use the Week 01 tutorial class for learning guidance.
- Explain the role of hardware and software components in computer networks
- Recognise the importance of protocols, standards, and layered architectures in building computer networks
- Explain the selection of network components, topologies, and technologies to meet business requirements
- Describe challenges and solutions in securing computer networks and infrastructure
- Interpret the use of forwarding and encapsulation to deliver data securely in computer networks
- Discuss techniques for managing cyber security, documenting, and troubleshooting computer networks.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments, and individuals in many countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile.
This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 8 (the SFIA code is included):
- Network Support (NTAS)
- IT Infrastructure (ITOP)
- Security Administration (SCAD)
- Systems Installation/Decommissioning (HSIN)
- Problem Management (PBMG)
- Information Security (SCTY).
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Framework defines knowledge, skills and tasks needed to perform various cyber security roles. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NICE Framework is used by organisations to plan their workforce, including recruit into cyber security positions.
This unit helps prepare you for roles such as Systems Security Analyst, Network Operations Specialist and Systems Administrator, contributing to the following knowledge and skills:
- K0001 Knowledge of computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies.
- K0010 Knowledge of communication methods, principles, and concepts that support the network infrastructure.
- K0011 Knowledge of capabilities and applications of network equipment including routers, switches, bridges, servers, transmission media, and related hardware.
- K0029 Knowledge of organization's Local and Wide Area Network connections.
- K0050 Knowledge of local area and wide area networking principles and concepts including bandwidth management.
- K0053 Knowledge of measures or indicators of system performance and availability.
- K0060 Knowledge of operating systems.
- K0061 Knowledge of how traffic flows across the network (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol [TCP] and Internet Protocol [IP], Open System Interconnection Model [OSI], Information Technology Infrastructure Library, current version [ITIL]).
- K0071 Knowledge of remote access technology concepts.
- K0077 Knowledge of server and client operating systems.
- K0108 Knowledge of concepts, terminology, and operations of a wide range of communications media (computer and telephone networks, satellite, fiber, wireless).
- K0111 Knowledge of network tools (e.g., ping, traceroute, nslookup)
- K0113 Knowledge of different types of network communication (e.g., LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN, WWAN).
- K0136 Knowledge of the capabilities of different electronic communication systems and methods (e.g., e-mail, VOIP, IM, web forums, Direct Video Broadcasts).
- K0137 Knowledge of the range of existing networks (e.g., PBX, LANs, WANs, WIFI, SCADA).
- K0138 Knowledge of Wi-Fi.
- K0332 Knowledge of network protocols such as TCP/IP, Dynamic Host Configuration, Domain Name System (DNS), and directory services.
- S0033 Skill in diagnosing connectivity problems.
- S0035 Skill in establishing a routing schema.
- S0041 Skill in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting LAN and WAN components such as routers, hubs, and switches.
- S0073 Skill in using virtual machines. (e.g., Microsoft Hyper-V, VMWare vSphere, Citrix XenDesktop/Server, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, etc.).
- S0151 Skill in troubleshooting failed system components (i.e., servers)
- S0154 Skill in installing system and component upgrades. (i.e., servers, appliances, network devices).
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 40% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||