Programming for Design (11055.1)

Please note these are the 2025 details for this unit
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Programming for Design
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
Online self-paced
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Arts And Design
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
School Of Design And The Built Environment Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
In the past Programming for Design was the domain of software engineers, but in the world of digital design, the ability to understand and exploit code as a way to produce and enhance design and media experiences is an essential skill. This unit will introduce students to core programming concepts, tools and techniques that are applicable across a wide range of programming languages. Through practice-based assessment, students will be provided with an introduction to creative coding languages which will allow them to gain a strong understanding of how code can be used to produce engaging forms of interactive media for a wide range of contexts. Students will build interactive, visual design applications through programming assignments.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Identify and critique various programming languages and how they can be utilised within the field of design;

2. Analyse and apply computer programming techniques through the use of features including loops, variables, functions and objects; and
3. Create engaging interactive media for different various contexts.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Raghavendra Gudur
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Online self-paced Dr Ben Ennis-Butler
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Online self-paced Dr Ben Ennis-Butler
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Dr Raghavendra Gudur
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Recommended readings and other materials will be available on Canvas.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Use of AI in This Unit

The use of AI tools, such as large language models or code assistants, is permitted in this unit as part of the modern web development workflow. However, students must adhere to the following guidelines:
  1. Transparency: All use of AI tools must be clearly documented in your submissions. This includes specifying which parts of your work were created with AI assistance and which tools were used.
  2. Critical Evaluation: Students are required to critically evaluate the AI-generated content. This means reviewing, testing, and potentially modifying the AI suggestions to ensure they meet the project requirements and follow best practices.
  3. Reflection: For each assessment, include a brief reflection (200-300 words) on how you used AI tools. Discuss the benefits and limitations you encountered, any challenges in implementing AI suggestions, and how the use of AI impacted your learning process.
  4. Original Contribution: While AI can be used for idea generation, code snippets, or problem-solving assistance, the overall design, implementation, and integration of your project must demonstrate your own understanding and decision-making.
  5. Learning Outcomes: Remember that the unit's learning outcomes focus on your ability to analyse, implement, and evaluate web technologies. Your work should clearly demonstrate these skills, regardless of AI usage.
The ability to effectively leverage AI tools while maintaining critical thinking and problem-solving skills is a valuable competency in modern web development. This approach aims to prepare you for real-world scenarios where you may use similar tools professionally.
 
Note that we reserve the right to request further explanation or demonstration of your understanding of any part of your submitted work.

Special assessment requirements

Time management, extensions and late assignments

We recognise that you have other units and many others factors impacting your time.  Meeting deadlines is an important skill, but being able to negotiate new deadlines and manage workload in a healthy way is a much more important skill.

In this unit, we encourage you to be proactive about your work, to recognise early if you are not going to be able to meet a deadline and to negotiate an extension if necessary. At the discretion of the lecturer, extensions will be granted to anyone who applies at least three days before the due date.  You do not need to supply medical or other documentation (simply write "managing workload" as the reason for extension), but you must nominate an alternate reasonable due date. Generally, an extension of up to one week is considered reasonable.

This is a more authentic, industry-standard approach to dealing with deadlines and is intended to give you some flexibility and control of your workload.  You should not feel overwhelmed or stressed about the assessment in this unit.  If you do, talk to your tutor or lecturer: they are there to help.

Late penalties

Late assigments are assignments that are submitted after a due date, noting that the due date may be amended as a result of extension as above.  Assignments submitted late will attract significant penalties in line with the university's assessment policy.

Resubmission

This unit has substantial opportunities for feedback and self-assessment, so students who have fully participated in the unit activities are unlikely to fail. In some cases, resubmission of a failed assignment will be possible if the assessment item can feasibly be brought up to a pass level. A typical example might be an assignment that fails due to a missing component that can readily be supplied in a resubmission. The maximum grade for a resubmitted assessment item is 50%. Resubmissions are given at the discretion of the unit convenor and must be applied for in writing (via email) within one week of the assessment grade being released.

Please take careful note of academic integrity requirements.  Copying of code and presenting others code as your own (including code generated by a machine learning agent) is every bit as serious as copying an essay or asking someone else to do an assignment for you.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

While this is a self-paced unit, regular engagement with unit resources and learning activities is required to succeed in this unit.

Participation requirements

Active engagement in all online modules enhances your learning and is strongly advised, and students must submit assessment items. There is no mandatory attendance requirement.

Required IT skills

Students are expected to possess a sound computer literacy. 

Whilst there is no assumed knowledge, this is a practical unit and students will be required to write their own code.  Some familiarity with HTML/CSS is required, but may be achieved through additional online study through the course of this unit.

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None.

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