SOFTENG 762 : Robotics Process Automation
Engineering
2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Explain what RPA is, how it works and it can be utilised in an organisation (Capability 1.1)
- Assess a business problem for an organisation to decide whether an RPA solution is applicable (Capability 1.1, 2.2 and 3.2)
- Propose an RPA solution to an organisation and explain the benefits and costs of the solution (Capability 1.1, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Build an RPA solution for a business problem and explain how the solution would solve the problem (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Propose a technical infrastructure for an organisation that will allow a long-term adoption of RPA (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2)
- Assess how RPA technology will impact an industry and how jobs in that industry will change in response (Capability 4.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Articles and Peer Reviews | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Practical Project | 60% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Problem Analysis Report | 15% | Group Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Articles and Peer Reviews | ||||||||||
| Practical Project | ||||||||||
| Problem Analysis Report | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For each week in this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a 2 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including labs and presentations will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
There are no prescribed textbook or coursebook for this course. There will be online readings and videos assigned on Canvas. All course material will be available for you in Canvas, including lecture notes, laboratory work and links to readings and videos. There is also an online discussion forum (Piazza) where you can discuss course topics and seek assistance from staff and other students. The software package you will use in the course (UiPath) is available to students free of charge.
Health & Safety
Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.
For the labs, you can use either university computers or your own computers. You will need to follow the health and safety rules around computer equipment.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Students found the following aspects of the course helpful for their learning:
- The online video content was perceived as valuable. It allowed the students to learn and review the content in their own time and was seen as engaging.
- The content articles and reviews helped the students review the course materials regularly. Reading other students' work provided different perspectives of the content, often pitched at a different level from the lecturers.
Things that we intend to change as a consequence of student feedback:
- We will change some technical content to include deploying and supporting RPA rather than just covering a high-level range. While this will increase the course content, students have asked for more practical-based content that matches the lab content.
- We will update the content in the labs, including an assessed element. While students found the labs helpful, they mentioned that UiPath had been updated, and some of the content was no longer valid. While we do not have control over the release cycle of UiPath, we will ensure that the content matches the most up-to-date version at the start of the course. Including assessed content will increase motivation for the students to attend the lab sessions.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.