Extended Courses

Beginning in 2005, the School of Computer Science and Engineering will offer some courses at levels 2, 3, and 9 in two formats, for example COMP3231 Operating Systems, and COMP3891 Extended Operating Systems.

Extended courses aim to extend able students laterally by offering lectures in additional topics in place of a tutorial.

Entry to Extended courses requires a mark of 70 in the prerequisite course (and either the regular or extended version of the prerequisite course is acceptable).

Extended courses are identified by having the word "Extended" in the course title :-).

The assessment in an Extended course shares some components with the corresponding regular course, so that it is possible to scale marks to ensure that students in Extended courses are not assessed more harshly (or more leniently) than those in regular courses.

It is possible to get grades of credit, distinction and high distinction in regular versions of courses, but less common, perhaps primarily because many of the brighter students take the Extended version of the course.

Having Extended courses allows us to concentrate the tutorials, and to a lesser extent the (shared) regular lectures, on the needs of the less able students, so both groups benefit.