Unit 4 Assignment Brief

STUDENT NAME AND ID

NUMBER
Qualification Pearson BTEC Higher National Diploma in Digital
Technologies (General)

Academic Year 2022-2023

Unit Number & Name Unit 4: Programming

Unit Leader Marzieh Farahani

Unit Lecturer Teza Soe, Kayode Adenuga, Marzieh Farahani,
Hamidreza Bagheri, Rajitha Jayasinghe

Assignment Title Understanding core concepts of programming:

algorithms, coding, debugging and paradigms

Type of Assignment Report and e-Portfolio

Weighting 100%
Issue Date Week Commencing 12/12/2022

Summative Submission Date 19/02/23

Sunday 19th February 2023 at 23.59,
Using Summative submission link on Moodle.
Assessor Teza Soe, Kayode Adenuga, Marzieh Farahani,
Hamidreza Bagheri, Rajitha Jayasinghe

IV name Kayode Adenuga

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 1
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Student Declaration

This is to confirm that this submission is my own work, produced without any external

help except acceptable support from my lecturer. It has not been copied from any

other person’s work (published or unpublished) and has not previously been

submitted for assessment either at GBS or elsewhere. I confirm that I have read and

understood the ‘GBS Academic Good Practice and Academic Misconduct: Policy

and Procedure’ available on Moodle.

I confirm I have read and understood the above Student Declaration.

Student Name (print)

Signature

Date

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 2
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Assignment Submission Format (Structure)

The submission is in the form of a written report:

1. Design and Algorithms (1000 words)

2. Implementation of Applications and reflection on their programming paradigms (1000
words)
3. Debugging and Evaluation (500 words)

Assignment Guidelines:

✓ Use a cover page, Title Page, Contents’ page for the report.
✓ The main body of the report should be concise, formal academic style.
✓ Use at least 1.5 spacing and Times New Roman/ Arial font size 12.
✓ Use headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate.
✓ Support the work with research, in-text citations, as well as statistics when relevant
✓ Provide Conclusion, evaluation, and recommendation.
✓ Use Appendices (program listings with design flowcharts and screenshots from
testing)
✓ Use the Harvard Referencing Style for intext citation and reference list.
✓ Provide a reference list using the Harvard referencing system.
✓ Respect the word limit of 2,500 words (+/- 10%) excluding the cover page, contents
page, list of references and appendices, although you will not be penalised for
exceeding the total word limit.

Note: Your submission will be word-processed, written work with clear indication of: the unit
number and title, your name and registration number, the student declaration.

✓ Attach the front sheet of this assignment brief to your work for assignment submission
with signatures on the statement of authenticity.
✓ Assignments submitted after the deadline will not be accepted unless Extenuating
Circumstances Form is submitted with third party evidence.

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 3
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Define basic algorithms to carry out an operation and outline the process of programming
an application.
LO2 Explain the characteristics of procedural, object-orientated and event-driven programming.
LO3 Implement basic algorithms in code using an IDE.
LO4 Determine the debugging process and explain the importance of a coding standard.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

• The ability to critically evaluate and analyse complex problems.

• Computational thinking.
• Understand and meet the needs of individuals, business and the community.
• Understanding of the scientific method and its applications to problem solving.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of essential concepts.
Assignment Brief and Guidance:

Scenario:

You are employed as a software developer for Soft Solution Ltd company which is part of
the Business Support Services Industry. One of their client Kamran Plastic Factory have
urgently had a need to ensure that their manual method of tax payment to the government is
automated. This is to reduce paperwork and ensure that all staff are well informed on what they
need to pay as Tax.

Soft Solution Ltd company, a reputable software solution company in England have been
contacted to handle this project. The IT manager for Soft Solution has informed you, as a junior
software developer, to coordinate this project from design to the implementation phase.

Software Application requirements:

The software would accept income and follow the latest tax calculation rules from UK
government which apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The rules will be given by the
lecturers in the separate handout.
Other features the software application should have, includes:

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 4
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Welcoming the user to the software, asking the full name of an employee, the organization they
work for, asking them to input the employee’s income, the system should read the income and
calculate what they are to pay annually depending on their respective income, print a payslip
showing employees data, their income tax band, income tax and net pay. The system can ask
if the user wants to add another employee or stop the program. Finally, the system should end
the process by thanking the user and having a good day.

Task 1: Define basic algorithms to carry out an operation and outline the process of
programming an application (LO1)

Your first task is to investigate algorithms for the scenario above.

You are required to provide an evaluation of the process of turning an algorithm into working
program code. You will need to include in your evaluation why a particular programming
language is suitable together with an explanation of the relationship between the algorithm and
that code variant. Part of this will involve setting out a detailed determination of the individual
steps that need to be taken between writing the code to the final execution of the program.

• You will also need to include a definition of an algorithm and a clear outline of the
processes involved in building an application.

• You should use appropriate diagrams showing algorithms along with related program
code to illustrate your written report.

Task 2 - Explain the characteristics of procedural, object-orientated and event-driven

programming (LO2)

Your second task follows on from the first given above. You will look deeper into the paradigm
options available for developing an application and the suitability of each for different purpose.
There are several parts to this task:

• Your final product must demonstrate how to conduct a critical evaluation of the source
code of an application in terms of the code structure and characteristics of the paradigm
used.
• The proposed program needs to demonstrate elements of event driven, procedural and
object- orientated paradigms.

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 5
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

• Included within this there should be an analysis that compares and contrasts how event
driven, procedural and object-orientated paradigms are used in each application’s source
code.
• You will need to produce an explanation of the characteristics of each of event driven,
procedural and object-orientated paradigms. Then explain the relationships between
them.
•

Task 3 (LO 3 & LO 4) Implementation, testing and evaluation.

For your third and final tasks you will need to produce a full working application of what you
have explained and considered in Tasks 1 & 2 and provide an evaluation of their effectiveness.

First, you will implement an algorithm using an IDE to create it and to manage the development
process, documenting it through the steps you explained previously. You need to evaluate the
use of IDE for development of the application contrasted with not using an IDE.

Second you are required to explain the process of debugging the programs you have developed
and the functions of the tools available to you within the IDE to facilitate this process. Include
actual examples of the process of debugging the program to illustrate this.

When your program is functioning, review the process of debugging it and produce an
evaluation of how this can be used to ensure that applications are robust and secure. In
commercial software development, code is produced to a standard, outline the one you have
used and then produce a critical evaluation of the necessity for both individual developers and
development teams to develop code to a set standard.

• You should produce a functional application following an appropriate commenting and

coding standard, demonstrate it to your assessor, test it with variety of data and
take screenshots and added to your report.

• Finally, you will need to consider Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). Identify
and give a short explanation of the value of the key elements of an IDE with comment on
how they can be enhanced with the addition of advanced text editors in some cases.

*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit.
For further guidance and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 6
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

on HN Global www.highernationals.com

• Collusion and Plagiarism must be avoided.

• Start each section on a new page and pages should be numbered. Highlight each
question clearly.
• Include a Bibliography at the end of the assignment and use the Harvard referencing
style.
• All work should be comprehensively referenced, and all sources must be fully
acknowledged, such as books and journals, websites (include the date of visit), etc.
• In order to pass you need to address all the LOs and meet all the PASS (Ps) criterions
within the LO.
• In order to get a merit, you need to address the characteristics of Pass and then M1, M2,
M3 and M4
• In order to get a distinction, you need to address the characteristics of Pass, Merit and
then D1, D2, D3 and D4.

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 7
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Define basic algorithms to carry out an operation and

outline the process of programming an application
D1 Evaluate the implementation
P1 Provide a definition of M1 Determine the steps taken of an algorithm in a suitable
what an algorithm is and from writing code to execution. language and the relationship
outline the process in between the written algorithm
building an application. and the code variant.

LO2 Explain the characteristics of procedural, object-

orientated and event-driven programming
D2 Critically evaluate the
P2 Give explanations of M2 Compare and contrast the source code of an application
what procedural, object procedural, object orientated, which implements the
orientated, and event and event driven paradigms procedural, object-orientated
driven paradigms are; their used in given source code of and event driven paradigms, in
characteristics and the an application terms of the code structure and
relationship between them. characteristics.

LO3 Implement basic algorithms in code using an IDE

D3 Evaluate the use of an IDE
P3 Write a program that M3 Use the IDE to manage the for development of applications
implements an algorithm development process of the contrasted with not using an
using an IDE. program. IDE.

LO4 Determine the debugging process and explain the

importance of a coding standard
D4 Critically evaluate why a
P4 Explain the debugging M4 Evaluate how the coding standard is necessary in
process and debugging debugging process can be a team as well as for the
facilities available in the used to help develop more individual.
IDE. secure, robust applications.
P5 Outline the coding
standard you have used in
your code.

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 8
 Unit 4 Assignment Brief

Academic Integrity (Note to avoid Plagiarism)

Academic integrity is a fundamental expectation for all college/university students and while it is
acknowledged that mitigating circumstances might be raised as factors in student behaviour, cheating
cannot be disregarded. GBS definition of plagiarism, as contained in GBS Academic Good Practice
and Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure, has been expanded to make explicit that copying
from texts or web sources and copying work from other students constitutes plagiarism.

“Plagiarism is the act of taking or copying someone else’s work, including another student’s, and
presenting it as if it were your own. Plagiarism is said to occur when ideas, texts, theories, data,
created artistic artefacts or other material are presented without acknowledgement so that the person
considering this work is given the impression that what they have before them is the student’s own
original work when it is not. Plagiarism also occurs where a student’s own work is re-presented
without being properly referenced. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is a disciplinary offence.”

Plagiarism is easy to avoid by making sure you reference all of the sources of material that you use in
the completion of your work. Pearson has developed Guidelines on Harvard Referencing which are
available in Academic Support Area for Students on Moodle (VLE) as well as on respective unit pages.

If you are concerned about referencing techniques, please draw the matter to your Unit Lecturer or
Academic Support Team on [email protected] so that you may receive extra
advice.

Group coursework may be designed so that the contribution of each student is identifiable, but
inclusion of plagiarised material is still the responsibility of the whole group. All members of the
group should exercise vigilance to ensure that work is properly referenced; in group-work, students
have a shared responsibility for the assignment.

Textbooks
AHO, A. V. et al. (1987) Data Structures and Algorithms. 1st Ed. Addison-Wesley.
HUNT, A. et al. (2000) The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master. 1st Ed.
Addison-Wesley.
MCCONNELL, S. (2004) Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction. 2nd Ed.
Microsoft Press.

Online Journals, Website

EBSCO Search through GBS library

https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/

https://www.python.org/
https://www.codecademy.com/catalog/language/python
https://www.w3schools.com/python/
YouTube Learn Python - Full Course for Beginners [Tutorial]

U4_DT_AB_SEP 22 9