Unit rationale, description and aim

In today’s digital age, nearly every piece of technology we use relies on a crucial component to function effectively: the operating system. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles of operating systems. Students will delve into various types of operating systems and explore essential topics such as process and thread management, memory management, file systems, and input/output systems. Through this course, students will build on their programming and systems knowledge to gain a deep understanding of both the theoretical and practical challenges involved in designing, implementing, and utilizing operating systems. The aim of this unit is to assist students to support organisations to function effectively through developing understandings of operating systems. 

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

COMP110 Introduction to Computer Science AND COMP120 Data Structures and Algorithms

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain the role of the operating system as a high...

Learning Outcome 01

Explain the role of the operating system as a high-level interface to the hardware
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC10, GC11

Evaluate strategies used by an operating system in...

Learning Outcome 02

Evaluate strategies used by an operating system in managing system resources and running applications efficiently
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC10, GC11

Assess operating system security and privacy mecha...

Learning Outcome 03

Assess operating system security and privacy mechanisms for ensuring system integrity and user trust.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC7, GC8, GC11

Evaluate the performance of different operating sy...

Learning Outcome 04

Evaluate the performance of different operating systems under load, and determine design trade-offs inherent in operating system implementation
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC11

Content

Topics will include:

·        Operating System Structures

·        Process Management

·        Memory Management

·        File systems

·        Input and Output systems

·        Concurrency and Synchronization

·        Security and protection

·        Virtualisation

·        Distributed Systems

·        Mobile and Cloud Operating Systems

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessments are designed to ensure students gain theoretical and practical knowledge of operating systems. Assessment 1 has been designed to ensure that students gain a comprehensive understanding of the commonalities and differences of key elements of operating systems, focusing on what they are commonly used for and how users interact with the system. Assessment 2 focuses on the practical application of that knowledge, exploring the way operating systems work under load. Assessment 3 provides students an opportunity of critically exploring and evaluating operating system security and privacy strategies, which has a direct impact on user security and privacy. Assessment 4 builds upon previous assessments and draws together all of the learning outcomes as it challenges students to critically apply their knowledge to determine appropriate operating systems for different load situations and justify their choices. This series of assessments scaffolds students learning by progressively increasing the complexity of tasks and requiring progressive integration of unit learning outcomes.

 To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit.

Overview of assessments

Type – Report Purpose – Compare and contrast a ...

Type – Report

Purpose – Compare and contrast a Windows-based operating system with a Linux-based one, focusing on the way users interact with the system

 This is an individual assessment

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC10, GC11

Type – Practical Report Purpose – Monitor and r...

Type – Practical Report

Purpose – Monitor and record memory usage statistics of a chosen operating system over a period of time, analyse the collected data and explain the memory usage changes.

 This is an individual assessment

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC10, GC11

Type – Report Purpose – Conduct a comprehensive...

Type – Report

Purpose – Conduct a comprehensive security audit of a virtual environment, identifying potential vulnerabilities and recommending mitigation strategies.

 This is an individual assessment

Weighting

25%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC7, GC8, GC10, GC11

Type – Practical Report Purpose – Evaluate diff...

Type – Practical Report

Purpose – Evaluate different types of operating systems to determine the most suitable for various workloads and applications such as productivity applications, computationally intensive tasks, and data visualisation applications.  

 This is an individual assessment

Weighting

25%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC10, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The teaching approach within this unit puts the student at the centre of their learning. This is achieved by using a blended learning approach that integrates asynchronous interactive online elements with face-to-face learning experiences and practical exercises. Access to fundamental knowledge is provided through online resources that enable students to build their understandings in a flexible manner. Students are given the opportunity to build upon this knowledge through social learning experiences conducted in face-to-face classes and practical activities such as tutorials and workshops. These opportunities enable students to build more complex understandings through peer interactions and structured learning experiences. This blended learning approach allows students to develop problem solving skills which align to vocational practices in computer science. 

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Silberschatz, A., Galvin, P.B. & Gagne, G. (2021) Operating Systems Concepts. 11th edn. Wiley.

 

Tomsho, G. (2021) Guide To Operating Systems. 6th edn. Cengage

 

Stallings, W. (2021) Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles. 9th edn. Pearson.

Locations
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