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Area of Study 2 - Software Development: Analysis and Design

Overview

Area of Study 2
Software development: analysis and design

In this area of study, students prepare for the development of a software solution that meets a student-identified problem, need or opportunity. This is the first part of the School-assessed Task, involving analysis and design, with the second part undertaken in Unit 4, Area of Study 1.

Students are expected to independently identify a problem, need or opportunity for developing a software solution from within their community. They prepare a project plan that includes both student-determined and teacher-provided milestones in a Gantt chart that includes all stages of the problem-solving methodology covered in Unit 3, Area of Study 2 and in Unit 4, Area of Study 1. Details of the relevant problem-solving methodology specifications are on pages 18-23. Throughout Unit 3, Area of Study 2 and Unit 4, Area of Study 1, students monitor and modify their project plans as required. They do not have to use dedicated project management software.

A range of methods are used to collect data for analysis. Analysis tools and techniques are used to depict the relationships between users, data and systems and to document the solution requirements, constraints and scope as part of a software requirements specification.

Students generate and document two to three design ideas for creating their solution using ideation tools. Evaluation criteria are developed by the students to determine which of the ideas will be used as the basis of the preferred design. These ideas are then fully developed into detailed designs using a range of design tools, addressing the appearance, structure and functionality of the solution. The same evaluation criteria are then used in Unit 4, Area of Study 1 to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the software solution.

Students apply computational thinking skills when analysing a problem, need or opportunity and apply design thinking skills when designing the solution.

Required tools in Area of Study 2

According to the software tools and outcome-specific requirements document, students in Unit 3 Area of Study 2 are required to:

  • study and use Unified Modelling Language (UML) tools to create use case diagrams
  • use an appropriate tool for documenting and modifying project plans
  • use appropriate tools for ideation and generating designs

Dedicated project-management software is not required, but the project plan must still be documented, updated and modified as the SAT progresses.

Analysis and design toolset to revise

The study-design reference expands the core toolset for this outcome:

  • Analytical tools: context diagrams (Level 0), data flow diagrams (Level 1) and use case diagrams
  • Ideation tools: mood boards, brainstorming, mind maps, sketches and annotations
  • Design tools: data dictionaries, mock-ups, object descriptions, IPO charts and pseudocode

See:

Unit 3 Area of Study 2 also connects directly to the legislation named in the study-design reference:

  • Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth)
  • Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth): APP 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11
  • Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014: IPP 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10

Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to document a problem, need or opportunity, formulate a project plan, document an analysis, and generate design ideas and a preferred design for creating a software solution.

To achieve this outcome the student will draw on key knowledge and key skills outlined in Area of Study 2.