Volume Two - Academic Conferences

Abel Nyamapfene
As stated on the course homepage on the University of Exeter Moodle virtual learning environment,
the aim of the course is to provide an in-depth introduction to the fundamental principles underlying
modern communication and network technologies. The course places an emphasis on the study of
networking and communication protocols, and specifically uses the Internet as a vehicle to study
these protocols. The course module comprises 20 lecture periods of one-hour each. Lecture
attendance is encouraged, but not mandatory. All the lecture notes as well as assignments are posted
on the university’s Moodle virtual learning environment.
Assessment of the module is carried out through two tutor-marked assignments (TMA1 and TMA2),
each worth 10% of the module overall mark, one network study project worth 20% of the module mark
and a two-hour, closed-book/note examination at the end of the course worth 60% of the module
mark. The two tutor-marked assignments and the project are both summative and formative, with
students required to explore and investigate subject material that goes beyond that covered by the
lecture notes. TMA1 lays the groundwork for the project whilst TMA2 acclimatises the students to the
final examination at the end of the semester. In this study we will focus primarily on TMA1 and the
network study project.
3. Design and management of TMA1 and the network study project
The objective of TMA1 and the project is to develop and extend a key concept in the course module
beyond what would be possible through lectures and tutorials alone. For instance, in the academic
year 2009/10 these two pieces of assignment were used to enhance students’ knowledge and
appreciation of the application and importance of standards in communication and networking
systems. In TMA1 students researched on telecommunications and networking standards and
submitted an individual report. In the ensuing project, students designed a local area network for
Harrison Building, the main administrative and teaching building for Engineering, Mathematics and
Computing disciplines at the University of Exeter.
For the academic year 2010/11, the objective of TMA1 and the project was to enhance students’
knowledge and appreciation of computer and networking security. This is an important topic for IT
professionals worldwide, and given the widespread coverage of cybercrime in the popular press, it is
a very popular topic to would-be IT professionals. However, computer and networking security is a
complex subject area that would require several lecture sessions if it is to be dealt with adequately.
The high interest in computer and networking security, coupled with current student interest in the
topic, makes it an ideal candidate for learning through authentic assessment methods.
In TMA1 students researched on distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS) and submitted an
individual report. The project extended the work covered in TMA1 by requiring the students to develop
a risk assessment document for the IT network infrastructure in Harrison Building in accordance with
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) risk assessment methodology outlined in
Special Publication 800-30. For both the TMA1 and the project, students were issued with
instructional rubrics describing in detail the various levels of quality, ranging from poor to excellent,
that a student can attain in the assignment. The TMA1 rubric was based on the critical thinking rubric
by the University of Washington, whilst the project rubric was based on the risk assessment
requirements listed in the NIST Special Publication 800-30 document. In addition to serving as
standards-referenced assessment tools, instructional rubrics are designed to support student learning
and development through features such as (Goodrich Andrade, 2000):
Being written in language that students can understand
Referring to common weaknesses in students' work and indicating how such weaknesses can be
avoided
Enabling students to evaluate their works-in-progress and thereby guiding revision and
improvement
Both assignments were issued out on the first day of lectures. TMA1 was to be accomplished in three
weeks whilst the project had a time limit of eight weeks. Throughout the duration of the assignments,
time was set aside during lectures to look at and discuss online articles associated with cyber crime.
These ranged from news articles to technical and scientific journal papers posted on the Internet. All
these articles were evaluated using the instructional rubric for TMA1. In this way students learnt to be
comfortable with the process of analysing technical and scientific writings.
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