During the year you will be asked to undertake exercises to practice and develop your skill and understanding of Java programming. Some of these exercises need to be lodged in your portfolio for this module. You will be informed which need to be included.

The portfolio will contain a record of your attempt at these exercises AND a personal error log.

It is suggested that you store evidence of your attempts into a series of Word documents ready for submission. You must submit your work as .doc (or .rtf) files. It is requested that you create a separate file for each 'lecture'.

The exercises can be completed with other students: they don't have to be exclusively your own work. However it is essential you personally really, fully understand their solution. Whilst the exercises can be completed collaboratively other assessment for the module must be undertaken individually. With each exercise (or set of exercises) you MUST say who you worked with. Undeclared similarity between submissions will be treated as plagiarism - cheating.

The portfolio will be submitted for assessment at two stages in the year (in November and February). Stage 1 is worth 15% and stage 2 is worth 20% of the module mark (35% together).

Marking of portfolios will comprise 3 aspects:

1. Some marks for making a serious attempt at each exercise.
2. A small number of exercises will be fully marked. The selection of these exercises won't be made until after the submission deadline.
3. The quality of entries in your error log (quality not quantity) - though it is expected to contain a 'reasonable' number of entries

Exercise portfolio entries require you to provide sufficient and appropriate evidence to show you successfully completed the question. For a typical question this might consist of:

• the Java code written (showing sufficient of the provided code to show where yours 'fits in')
• a screen print showing the output (result) evidence
• a list of the methods (and parameter values used) in running the code (or data used to test it works)
• additionally you need to submit the relevant BlueJ project electronically

Every time a new compilation (syntax) error occurs or the Java system tells you that there's been a runtime error you need to record this in your error log (unless you've already recorded an entry for that error).

Building the error log will help you to understand Java but, even more importantly, it will help you to resolve the error next time you get the same error message.

Error log entries should include:

• The error message given
• The 'help' BlueJ provided when that error occured. Press the button
• A description of what you found the problem to be: what you'd done wrong
• How you corrected the problem
• Enough snippet(s) of code for the entry to 'make sense'

A typical entry might be:

The log should be structured to help you use it as a reference document.

Sometimes an error will happen and you can't work out exactly what the problem was. It is still worth recording as much evidence as possible in your log. It may help you next time.

The submitted portfolio can be substantially on CD or floppy disc (not DVD please). Ensure it is carefully packaged AND named. USB keys are okay but be aware that you will not get them back for a few weeks and that they need extra care in packaging. However please provide at least an index to your submission on paper. And don't forget to include on your CD all relevant BlueJ projects.

As with all submitted courseworks include the appropriate signed courswork coversheet.

If you wish, you can upload your module portfolio into your PebblePad PDP portfolio.