Data Structures and Algorithms

VPDS
Computer Programming and Web
Development

MODULE GUIDE (VENDOR)

2025
Semester 1

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1 Contents
2 Module information ........................................................................................................ 3
3 How much time should I be spending on my studies ...................................................... 3
4 Module Purpose and Outcomes ..................................................................................... 4
5 Planning and pacing ...................................................................................................... 5
6 Assessment Structure .................................................................................................... 8
6.1 External certification .............................................................................................. 8
6.2 Important information related to internal assessment ............................................. 8
6.3 Formative assessments: tests ............................................................................... 8
6.4 Internal summative examination ............................................................................ 8
6.5 International examination. ...................................................................................... 9
6.6 Mark and assessment structure ............................................................................. 9
6.7 Assessment disputes and appeals......................................................................... 9
7 Technology you will need ............................................................................................. 10
8 Key concepts ............................................................................................................... 10
8.1 Learning Unit 1 .................................................................................................... 10
8.2 Learning Unit 2 .................................................................................................... 10
8.3 Learning Unit 3 .................................................................................................... 10
8.4 Learning Unit 4 .................................................................................................... 10
8.5 Learning Unit 5 .................................................................................................... 10
8.6 Learning Unit 6 .................................................................................................... 11
8.7 Learning Unit 7 .................................................................................................... 11
8.8 Learning Unit 8 .................................................................................................... 11
8.9 Learning Unit 9 .................................................................................................... 11
8.10 Learning Unit 10 .................................................................................................. 11
9 Where to get help......................................................................................................... 11

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2 Module information
Module name as on EMC Data Structures and Algorithms
Module code as on EMC VPDS
Semester 1
Lectures Total: 128 Per week: 16hrs
Prescribed reading Data Structures and Algorithms: by Knowledge Flow. (2015).
Pathan
Recommended Reading Books:
https://www.amazon.com/Grokking-Algorithms-illustrated-
programmers-curious/dp/1617292230/?tag=javamysqlanta-20
Sedgewick and Wayne (2011). Algorithms. 4th Edition.

Websites:
https://www.w3schools.in/data-structures/intro
https://techdevguide.withgoogle.com/paths/data-structures-
and-algorithms/
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/data-structures/?ref=shm

3 How much time should I be spending on my studies

You should invest time and effort into thoroughly understanding the content and developing
practical skills. During teaching weeks, there are approximately 16 hours of dedicated
teaching, and we encourage you to spend additional hours on independent study. This
includes practicing skills, reviewing content, reading, preparing for tests, and ultimately getting
ready for your summative examination. Success in your external examination is something
employers will value and you are more likely to be successful in these examinations if you
have invested the time and energy to be sure you are competence in the content and skills.
Practice is the only way to do this.

Some students may need a little more and others a little less but if you are not spending at
least 25 hours per week working independently you are placing your success at risk.

To complete a full year load, you should be studying as if you are in full-time employment –
between 40 and 45 hours a week during the semesters.

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 4 Module Purpose and Outcomes

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this module is to provide students with skills and knowledge of data structures and
algorithms to establish skills in efficient problem-solving, data organisation and optimisation
techniques. Students will gain a strong foundation in various data structures (such as arrays, linked
lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs) and algorithmic techniques (including sorting, searching)
to solve complex computational problems effectively.

The module provides a comprehensive understanding of fundamental data structures and

algorithms, enabling students to develop efficient solutions to computational problems. It equips
students with the practical skills to implement and optimise these techniques, fostering critical
thinking and problem-solving abilities that are essential in various fields of computer programming.

On completion, students who achieve well in this module will be prepared to design, implement and
optimise efficient algorithms and data structures for solving real-world problems.

OUTCOMES
• Understand core concepts and the importance of efficiency in problem-solving using data
structures and algorithms.
• Learn to implement and manipulate arrays, lists, stacks, queues, and linked lists for efficient
data storage and management.
• Master tree and graph structures, applying traversal and search algorithms to handle
hierarchical and networked data.
• Utilise hash tables for fast data retrieval, understanding hashing techniques and collision
handling.
• Apply and analyse various sorting and searching algorithms to organise and find data
efficiently.
• Use algorithms to solve optimisation problems, avoiding redundant calculations and making
efficient choices.

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 5 Planning and pacing
DATES TOPICS/ UNITS AND CONTENT MATERIAL
1 24/02 – 28/02 Unit 1: Introduction to Data Structures Unit 1:
• About data structures pp. 1 – 3
• Types of data structures
• Operations of data structures

Unit 2: Data structure for string and pattern matching Algorithm Unit 2:
• Strings Sequence pp. 4 – 9
• Storing of strings
• Fixed-length storage
• Variable-length structure with maximum limit set
• Linked storage
• Operations of string and its data type
• Word processing
• Pattern matching algorithms

2 03/03 – 07/03 Unit 3: Arrays and Pointers Unit 3:

• Linear Arrays pp. 10 – 14
• Traversing of linear arrays
• Inserting and Deleting
• Sorting
• Searching in data structure
• Linear search
• Binary search
• Multidimensional Arrays
• Pointers Arrays

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 DATES TOPICS/ UNITS AND CONTENT MATERIAL
3 10/03 – 14/03 Unit 4: Linked Lists Unit 4:
• Traversing a linked list pp. 16 – 20
• Searching a linked list
• Insertion into a linked list
• Deletion of linked list
• Header linked list

Unit 5: Stacks and Queues Unit 5:

• Stacks pp. 21 – 24
• Recursion
• Queue
• Priority Queues
• Procedure for deleting and processing the first element in a priority queue

Test 1 on all the work from Week 1 and 2 – Units 1 to 3

4 17/03 – 20/03 Unit 6: Trees Unit 6:

• Terminology pp. 25 – 32
• Use of the binary tree
• Traversing binary tree
• Pre-order
• In-order
• Post-order
• Binary search tree
• Searching and insertion in binary search tree
• Insertion in binary tree
• Deletion in binary search tree

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 DATES TOPICS/ UNITS AND CONTENT MATERIAL
5 24/03 – 28/03 Unit 7: Graphs in Data Structures Unit 7:
• Undirected and directed graph pp. 33 – 36
• Traversing of graph
• Breadth-first search
• Depth-first search
6 31/03 – 04/04 Unit 8: Sort and Search Unit 8:
• Sorting pp. 38 – 41
• Complexity in sorting of data
• Merging
• Searching
• Hashing
• Hash function
• Collision resolution

Test 2 on all the work from Week 3, 4 and 5 – Units 4, 5, 6 and 7

7 07/04 – 11/04 Unit 9: AVL Search Trees Unit 9:
• Representation of an AVL search tree pp. 42 – 43
• Insertion in an AVL search tree
• Deletion in an AVL search tree

8 14/04 – 17/04 Unit 10: Warshall’s Algorithm and shortest path Unit 10:
• Shortest path algorithm pp. 45 – 47

Test 3 on all the work from Week 6 and 7 – Units 8 and 9

9 21/04 – 25/04 Revision Unit 1 – 10
Exam on all the work from Weeks 1 to 8 – Units 1 to 10

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6 Assessment Structure

6.1 External certification

The purpose of this programme is to ensure you are sufficiently skilled to successfully write
external certification exams. The NGI certificate of completion/ competence is a measure of
the learning you do while you are with us, but the greatest value of this programme is you
being ready to achieve external, international certification.

Some of these exam costs are built into your programme fee – please be sure to make use of
the opportunity they provide. Other exams (or repeat attempts if you fail an exam) are
available at a discounted price if you book them through us.

If you achieve 70% for your examination with us, you have a reasonably good chance of
passing the external examination. Exams will be scheduled within specific date ranges, and
NGI will ensure that vouchers are prepared and available for those dates. For optional exams,
students can inform us when they are ready to write, and we will arrange to procure the
voucher for them.

6.2 Important information related to internal assessment

The purpose of internal assessment is to enable you and NGI to monitor and support your
progress towards the competency level required for the external examination and to give us
the information required to provide you with an internal competency certificate to verify what
you have learned. Full participation in the assessment is thus required.

You are always subject to the requirements of the Intellectual Integrity and Assessment
Policies – please make sure that you are familiar with them. They are on myNGI.

You will be required to complete both formative (tests) and summative (exams) assessments.
The dates for each are in the planner above – remember that tests and exams are written on
the same date across all campuses.

6.3 Formative assessments: tests

For this module you will write 3 formative assessments in the format of 3 Tests. This will
normally be ongoing assessments during the module’s classes, in line with the instructions set
out in the module guide.

Your final academic record from us will not give any weighting to these formative assessments
and will only reflect the mark you get for your internal summative examination.

Please note that if you do not average at least 60% for the formative assessments, you are
very unlikely to pass the internal examination and will almost certainly not pass the external
examination.

6.4 Internal summative examination

To pass the module for the purposes of your internal certification, a mark of 70% on your
summative assessment is required. An internal summative exam will take place at the end of
the module. You have a maximum of three opportunities to achieve competence at this level.

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A student who fails to achieve 70% and above after all 3 attempts, will have to re-do the
module or will not receive an internal record of competence in the module. We will also not
issue vouchers for students who do not have the 70% - see below.

6.5 International examination.

For International exam costs built into your programme fees, a student will only receive a
voucher once the student has shown competence by achieving 70% and above in their internal
summative assessment. This is as you are not likely to pass the international examination as
the internal examination is at a similar level and is in a similar structure.

You may purchase a voucher through us at our preferential pricing for modules that you have
not achieved the 70% or where the cost of the international examination is not included.

6.6 Mark and assessment structure

As per the pacing table at the start of the Module Guide you will do three tests (formative) and
one examination for internal purposes. For your internal certification we will calculate your
mark as follows.

Mark structure: Units or topics covered Marks Period Weight

Test 1 Unit 1 - 3 60

10/03/25
Test 2 Unit 4 - 7 60

31/03/25
Test 3 Unit 8 - 9 60

14/04/25
Final Unit 1 -10 100 100%
Examination

25/04/25

Remember that you need all the practise you can get if you are to succeed in the external
examination.

6.7 Assessment disputes and appeals

The turnaround times for marking, the method by which you will receive your results and the
ways in which you can appeal are all part of the Assessment Policy. It is up to you to know
how this works. Ignorance is not a reason for not complying.

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7 Technology you will need

Your module has a “home” on myNGI where additional material is stored and where you can
access module guides, tests and exam preps, additional notes and other materials.

Other technology you need is a computer or laptop and an internet connection.

This is available on campus in the laboratory.

8 Key concepts

Here are some key terms and concepts that might be relevant:
8.1 Learning Unit 1
• Know what data structures and algorithms are
• Know types of data structures
• Know operations of data structures

8.2 Learning Unit 2

• How to store strings
• Know what fixed length storage is
• Variable length structures
• Linked storage
• How to use different operations in strings and data types
• Know what word processing is
• Pattern matching algorithms

8.3 Learning Unit 3

• Know different types of arrays
• Know how to traverse arrays
• How to insert, delete, sort and search arrays

8.4 Learning Unit 4

• Know how to traverse linked lists
• Learn how to sort, delete and search in linked lists

8.5 Learning Unit 5

• Know what stacks and Queues are
• Learn Push and Pop methods
• How to process elements in stacks and queues

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8.6 Learning Unit 6
• Know different types of trees
• How to search, insert and delete in trees
• When to use Pre-order, In-order, Post-order and Level-order

8.7 Learning Unit 7

• Know different types of graphs in data structures
• How to traverse through graphs
• Algorithms in graphs

8.8 Learning Unit 8

• Dive deeper into search and sort methods
• How to sort, merge, search, hash and collision resolution

8.9 Learning Unit 9

• AVL search trees
• How to insert and delete in AVL search trees

8.10 Learning Unit 10

• Warshalls Algorithm and shortest path
• Know the different steps in the shortest path algorithm

9 Where to get help

Your first part of call is this guide and myNGI.

You should also feel free to reach out to your lecturer and your peers.

You are also entitled to engage with the Programme Coordinator on your campus or the
Programme Manager nationally.

Reach out to Student Support by emailing the team to assist you with the following:
For general inquiries on academic processes, campus activities, your academic progress, or
your well-being email [email protected].
MS Office and NGI student email address email [email protected].
For myNGI inquiries email [email protected].
For inquiries related to your results email [email protected].
For disputes, complaints, or appeals email [email protected].
Get assistance from an Information Specialist by emailing [email protected].

Your success is ours – don’t struggle alone.

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