COS2601/101/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024

Theoretical Computer Science II

COS2601

Year Module

School of Computing

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and make sure that you have regular
access to the myUnisa module website, COS2601-24-Y.

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, only available on myUnisa.

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CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 4

2 MODULE OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Purpose.................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Outcomes ................................................................................................................................................ 6

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ................................................................................................ 6

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS ............................................................................................ 6

4.1 Lecturer(s) ............................................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Department ............................................................................................................................................. 6
4.3 University................................................................................................................................................. 7
4.4 Osprey web server................................................................................................................................... 7

5 RESOURCES.................................................................................................................................. 7
5.1 Prescribed books ..................................................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Recommended book ............................................................................................................................... 7
5.3 Electronic resources ................................................................................................................................ 7
5.4 LIBRARY SERVICES AND RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 8

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ....................................................................................................... 8

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme ........................................................................................................... 9

7 STUDY PLAN .............................................................................................................................. 10

7.1 Suggested study programme for 2024 ..................................................................................................10

8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE ............................................................................................................. 11

8.1 What does it mean to study fully online? .............................................................................................11
8.2 myUnisa tools ........................................................................................................................................11

9 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 11
9.1 Assessment plan ....................................................................................................................................11
9.2 Due dates...............................................................................................................................................12
9.3 Submission of assignments ...................................................................................................................13
9.4 Types of assignments and descriptions .................................................................................................14
9.5 The assessments ....................................................................................................................................14
9.6 The examination ....................................................................................................................................15
9.7 Invigilation/proctoring...........................................................................................................................15

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10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY............................................................................................................. 16
10.1 Plagiarism ..............................................................................................................................................16
10.2 Cheating.................................................................................................................................................16
10.3 More information ..................................................................................................................................16

11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ......................................................................................... 16

12 IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................ 16

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Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student

Welcome to COS2601. Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education
institution. The comprehensiveness of our curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly
vocational to strictly academic certificates, diplomas, and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance
eLearning character result in many students registering at Unisa who may not have had an opportunity to
enrol in higher education. Our CODeL character implies that our programmes are carefully planned and
structured to ensure success for students ranging from the under-prepared but with potential to the
sufficiently prepared.

Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involve multiple modes of delivery ranging from blended learning
to fully online. As a default position, all post graduate programmes are offered fully online with no printed
study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered in a blended mode of delivery where printed
study materials are augmented with online teaching and learning via the learner management system –
myUnisa. In some instances, undergraduate programmes are offered fully online as well.

Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission, and values of the University. Unisa's
commitment to serve humanity and shape futures combined with a clear appreciation of our location on
the African continent, Unisa's graduates have distinctive graduate qualities which include

• independent, resilient, responsible, and caring citizens who can fulfil and serve in multiple roles in
their immediate and future local, national, and global communities
• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent with its histories, challenges,
and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts
• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information and data
from multiple sources in a globalised world with its ever-increasing information and data flows and
competing worldviews
• how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically, and creatively to solve real-
life problems
• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential

This is a year module presented by the School of Computing. In this tutorial letter you will find out about the
prescribed book, the work that you are expected to study from it, and the assignments that need to be done.
It is important that you check the assessment and study plan page, as here you will find a guide to getting
through all the material in the allotted time (and submitting the assignments on time).

In COS2601 we will discuss a simple abstract model of a computer, namely a finite automaton (FA). We will
familiarise ourselves with the simple languages that finite automata can accept as input, namely regular
languages. You will also be introduced to two very useful mathematical tools: induction and recursion. Non-
regular languages together with the pumping lemmas will also be dealt with.

Your familiarity with basic set theory, relations, functions, proof techniques, and logic, acquired via your
COS1501 module, will be useful, thus keep the COS1501 study material close at hand. COS2601 prepares you
for COS3701 in which more realistic models of computers are investigated and some limitations of computers

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are discovered. This module does not involve practical work on a computer. However, there is a strong
emphasis on practising the skills acquired by doing the exercises provided in the study guide as well as the
assignments. By completing all the assignments, you are preparing for the examinations. It is very important
to work consistently throughout year to master the contents of this very interesting module.

This module is accompanied by a study guide available both in PDF format and online which will guide you
through the work that has to be studied as part of this module. On the module website the guide is presented
as units, and you can use the table of contents to move to the unit that you want to view.

Because this is a blended module (that is, only study guide will be in printed format), you need to use myUnisa
to study and complete the learning activities for this module. You need to visit the website on myUnisa for
COS2601 frequently. The website for your module is COS2601-24-Y.

Because all the learning material except for the Study Guide is online, you need to go online to see your study
materials and read what to do for the module. Go to the website here: myUnisa and login with your student
number and password. Select myModules 2024 and you will see COS2601-24-Y in the dropdown list of
modules.

All study material for this module will be available on myUnisa. It is thus very important that you register on
myUnisa and access the module site on a regular basis. You must be registered on myUnisa to be able to access
your learning material, submit your assignments, gain access to various learning resources, “chat” to your
lecturer and fellow students about your studies and the challenges that you might encounter, and to
participate in online discussion forums. Importantly, myUnisa contains the Lessons tool from which you will
only be able to access the study material for this module if you have registered and have access to myUnisa.
It is also important that you regularly check your myLife email account as this is the way that the University
will be contacting you, and the channel we use in this module when sending out important announcements
concerning the module. Remember that it is possible to forward mail sent to your myLife account to another
email address that you use more regularly. Please activate your myLife email address and obtain access to the
myUnisa module site.

Once you have been registered for this module, you will be allocated to a group of students under the support
of an e-tutor who will be your tutorial facilitator. We strongly encourage you to use your e-tutors: do the
exercises that they post online, email them when you have problems, and discuss the module content on the
e-tutor discussion forums. The point of the e-tutor is to help you, and it would be a pity if you were not to use
this valuable resource. Of course, you can still contact the module lecturer if you need to.

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 MODULE OVERVIEW
2.1 PURPOSE

Qualifying students can apply fundamental knowledge and skills from Applied Mathematics (like set theory)
to computing fields such as programming to assist in the development of correct algorithms that can be
implemented as computer programs. Students will use set theory and other relevant applied mathematical
tools, to define regular expressions that generate regular languages. Students must construct regular language
acceptor machines (finite automata, Moore and Mealy machines, transition graphs and nondeterministic finite
automata), which are simple abstract models of computers. Students will also use mathematical tools
(induction and recursion techniques) to provide mathematical evidence (proof) of a statement.

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This module forms part of the theory of a computer science major, supporting further studies and applications
in the sector of computer programming, bioinformatics, and linguistics. These concepts and skills contribute
to the development of the computing field in southern Africa, Africa, and globally.

2.2 OUTCOMES

Specific outcome 1: Define regular languages (as formal mathematical presentations) using a variety of
defined mathematical tools for evidence (including definitions, theorems, and operators).

Specific outcome 2: Construct mathematical proofs concisely using abstract-mathematical reasoning

techniques like direct proofs (induction) and proof by contradiction (pumping lemma).

Specific outcome 3: Construct regular language machine acceptors by drawing these machine acceptors
through applying the relevant definitions and theorems.

Specific outcome 4: Critically analyse and synthesise regular expressions, regular languages, and
machines that accept regular languages.

Specific outcome 5: Apply algorithms on machines by performing algorithms on transition graphs to obtain the
regular expressions that define the language accepted by the transition graphs and by performing an algorithm
on finite automata (to obtain a product, intersection, sum, Kleene closure) of a maximum of two finite
automata (to construct new language acceptors from old language acceptors). If applied in real life, problems
which can be solved include pattern matching problems within the context of security, bioinformatics as well
as linguistics.

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In response to
this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum
transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of
teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African
epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at both programme and
module levels as a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked change in the teaching and learning strategy
implemented by Unisa, together with how the content is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you
to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of
transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 LECTURER(S)

You are welcome to contact the COS2601 lecturer. The lecturer for COS2601 for 2024 will be announced on
the module webpage.

You will also find this information on the home page of the module on myUnisa. Note that the lecturer may
not be available at the time of the query. The response time for emails is generally fast, we try to respond
within 48 hours.

4.2 DEPARTMENT

You can contact the Department of Computer Science as follows:

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Telephone number: 011 670 9200

E-mail: computing@unisa.ac.za
Remember to provide your student number together with the relevant module code.

4.3 UNIVERSITY

Visit www.unisa.ac.za and follow the link Contact us to obtain information on how to communicate with the
University. Information about Unisa’s regional centres is also listed here.

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website: Student enquiries
(unisa.ac.za).

4.4 OSPREY WEB SERVER

The School of Computing also uses the Osprey web server (http://osprey.unisa.ac.za/). The purpose of this
server is to provide information about the School of Computing. It does not offer student administration
services. There is also a discussion forum here that can be used.

5 RESOURCES
5.1 PRESCRIBED BOOKS

You need the prescribed textbook:

Cohen, Daniel I. A. Introduction to Computer Theory, 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
You may purchase the 2014 or 2016 custom editions. Please see announcement on myUnisa in this regard.

The prescribed book covers the introduction to automata theory in detail, with many explanatory examples.
In the learning units we will, in the main, restrict ourselves to brief comments that indicate connections with
other modules, to summaries of some of the longer algorithms, and to the odd additional example. The
exception occurs in learning unit 3 that deals somewhat superficially with the idea of recursion. We have
included an in-depth discussion of recursion and induction in the notes in this unit, which you should treat as
important examinable material. Note that we cover only part I of the textbook. (Parts II and III are covered in
COS3701.)

The following parts in Cohen are excluded from the COS2601 syllabus:
• From the section in Chapter 10, “The Myhill-Nerode Theorem” on page 196 up to just before the
problems on page 203.
• All problems based on the omitted sections above.

Note that the solutions to the recommended problems provided at the end of each unit can be found in a file
under Additional Resources.

5.2 RECOMMENDED BOOK

Should you wish to know more about a topic, you may consult the following book. Martin, J. 2013.
Introduction to Languages and the Theory of Computation. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill.

5.3 ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Computer-aided instruction (CAI) tutorials named “Automata” and “Pumping lemmas” are available on the
module website. There is also more information on how to run it, download it (if necessary), and how to solve
typical problems on myUnisa.

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5.4 LIBRARY SERVICES AND RESOURCES

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources. The library has created numerous
library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• For brief information on the library, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed library information, go to http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• Frequently Asked Questions,
visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Frequently-Asked-Questions
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the Information Search
Librarian's Literature
Search Request (on your research topic) service,
visit http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support.
• For library training for undergraduate
students, visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training
• Lending Services https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Lending-
services
• Services for Postgraduate students -
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-Postgraduates
• Support and Services for students with disabilities -
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-students-with-special-needs
• Library Technology Support -https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
• Finding and using library resources and tools -http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• A–Z list of library databases – https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-help@unisa.ac.za

• General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
• Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: libr-ill@unisa.ac.za
• Literature Search Service: Lib-search@unisa.ac.za
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: Study @ Unisa
This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.
If you need assistance about the myModules system, you are welcome to use the following contact details:
• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)
• E-mail: mymodule22@unisa.ac.za or myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to access module
content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment and how to participate in
forum activities via the following link: UNISA : myModules: Log in to the site

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Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices and updates
are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for your account to be
activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after registering at Unisa, by following this
link: myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence with the
university and will remain the official primary e-mail address on record at Unisa. You remain responsible
for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful. This is also true in the
case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university, and all our
programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. It is for this reason that we
thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them seamlessly navigate
the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We therefore offer a specialised
student support programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time – this is Unisa’s First-Year
Experience (FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful information about services
that the institution offers and how you can access information. The following FYE services are currently
offered:

Email Support
FYE Website
fye@unisa.ac.za
www.unisa.ac.za/FYE

FYE1500
Post Registration myUnisa; Study
Skills; Academic &
Orientation Referrals to
Digital Literacies;
other support
etc
services i.e.
Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops

To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication from the SRU,
please check your myLife inbox regularly.

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7 STUDY PLAN
We provide two study programmes. You can follow the programme for the year. The study program can serve
as a guideline assisting you to work through the syllabus at a steady pace and should enable you to submit the
assignments on time.

Note: According to the study program provided, you need to complete the assignments some time before the
due dates. No extension can be given. Assignment 1 is compulsory to acquire examination admission and
should be submitted by the due date.

7.1 SUGGESTED STUDY PROGRAMME FOR 2024

The first column presents the weeks. The starting week will be given at a later stage for you to fill in and
populate the table.

Activity: Cover chapter /

Week Week starting Actions
Do assignment or self-test
1 Chapter 1
2 Chapter 2
3 Chapter 2
4 Chapter 3
5 Chapter 3
7 Chapter 4
8 Chapter 4
9 Assignment 1
10 Chapter 5
11 Chapter 5
12 Chapter 6
13 Chapter 6
14 Chapter 7
15 Chapter 7
16 Chapter 7
17 Chapter 8
18 Chapter 8
19 Assignment 2
20 Chapter 9
21 Chapter 9
22 Chapter 10
23 Chapter 10
24 Chapter 11
25 Chapter 11
26 Assignment 3
Assignment 4

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8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE

8.1 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO STUDY FULLY ONLINE?

Studying fully online modules differs completely from studying some of your other modules at Unisa.
• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to be delivered online
on myUnisa.
• All your assignments must be submitted online. This means that you will do all your activities and submit
all your assignments on myUnisa. In other words, you may NOT post your assignments to Unisa using the
South African Post Office.
• All communication between you and the University happens online. Lecturers will communicate with
you via e-mail and SMS, and use the Announcements, the Discussion Forums and the Questions and
Answers tools. You can also use all these platforms to ask questions and contact your lecturers.

8.2 myUnisa tools

The main tool that we will use is the Lessons tool. This tool will provide the content of and the assessments
for your module. At times you will be directed to join discussions with fellow students and complete activities
and assessments before you can continue with the module.
It is very important that you log in to myUnisa regularly. We recommend that you log in at least once a week
to do the following:
• Check for new announcements. You can also set your myLife e-mail account so that you receive the
announcement e-mails on your cell phone.
• Do the Discussion Forum activities. When you do the activities for each learning unit, we want you to
share your answers with the other students in your group. You can read the instructions and even prepare
your answers offline, but you will need to go online to post your messages.
• Do other online activities. For some of the learning unit activities you might need to post something on
the Blog tool, take a quiz or complete a survey under the Self-Assessment tool. Do not skip these activities
because they will help you complete the assignments and the activities for the module.

We hope that by giving you extra ways to study the material and practise all the activities, this will help you
succeed in the online module. To get the most out of the online module, you MUST go online regularly to
complete the activities and assignments on time.

9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 ASSESSMENT PLAN

All information about when and where to submit your assessments will be made available to you via the
myModules site for your module. Due dates for assessments, as well as the actual assessments are available
on the myModules site for this module.

You will be assessed in several ways in this module.

• There are four assignments to submit and three self-test assignments, called formative assessment.
o The 1st assignment is a multiple-choice assignment, counting 20% of the year mark.
o The 2nd assignment is a written assignment and counts 40% towards the year mark.
o The 3rd assignment is a multiple-choice assignment, counting 20% of the year mark.
o The 4th assignment is a multiple-choice assignment, counting 20% of the year mark.

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o These should be done individually and not in groups.

o These must be submitted to Unisa for marking.
o Together, these four assignments count 20% towards the final module mark.

• There are three self-test assignments.

o These should not be submitted.

• There is one final exam.

o This exam counts 80% towards the final module mark.
o You must submit at least the first assignment by the due date to obtain admission to the exam.

Your final mark will be calculated as follows:

Year mark (out of 100) × 20% + Examination mark (out of 100) × 80%

To pass this module, a final mark of at least 50% is required.

Example: The following example shows how the assessment system works, if all three assignments were
submitted.

Contribution to
Assignment Mark × Weight
year mark
01 80% × 0.20 16%
02 90% × 0.40 36%
03 60% × 0.20 12%
04 80% × 0.20 16%
80%

The resulting year mark is 80%.

Suppose you obtain 80% in the examination. The final module mark will be calculated as follows:
(80 × 0.20)% + (80 × 0.80)% = (16.0 + 64.0)% = 80%.

Note: The year mark will not contribute towards the results of students writing a supplementary examination.

Why do assignments? In the first place, we need to provide proof to the Department of Higher Education and
Training that you are an active student. Therefore, it is compulsory to submit Assignment 01 by its due date.
Furthermore, experience has shown that a student who does not work systematically during the year is likely
to give up and does not even attempt to write the examination.

9.2 DUE DATES

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing page for this module. We
envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.
• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for the submission
of the assessments.

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9.3 SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS

• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards becoming an
online institution. You will therefore see that all your study material, assessments and engagements with
your lecturer and fellow students will take place online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where learning material
will be available online and where assessments should be completed. This is an online system that is used
to administer, document, and deliver educational material to students and support engagement between
academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via myUnisa. Click on the myModules 2024 button to access the
online sites for the modules that you are registered for.

• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to ensure that you
obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning management system. Please access
the announcements on your myModules site regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important
information to be shared with you.

• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will see a welcome
message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will see the assessment shells for the
assessments that you need to complete. Some assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others
written assessments, some forum discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the
assessment shells available on the respective module platforms.

• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to complete the
assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1, Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a
date on which the assessment will open for you. When the assessment is open, access the quiz online
and complete it within the time available to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this
tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter 101) and are only made available online. You must therefore access the quiz
online and complete it online where the quiz has been created.

• It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop computer, tablet or
laptop when completing the quiz. Students who use a cell phone find it difficult to navigate the Online
Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle to navigate between questions and successfully
complete the quizzes. In addition, cell phones are more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than
other devices. If possible, please do not use a cell phone for this assessment type.

For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be submitted. Ensure that
you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the assessment. Click on the submission button
on the relevant assessment shell on myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on
the myModules site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double check
that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be allocated for incorrectly
submitted assessments.

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9.4 TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS AND DESCRIPTIONS

All assignments are defined as either optional, mandatory, compulsory, or elective.

• Elective assignments
If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item. The best of the required submissions will
count.
• Mandatory assignments
If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
• Compulsory assignments
If not submitted, the result on the student’s academic record will be absent.
• Optional assignments
You are encouraged as a student to do optional assignment so that it may benefit your learning.

I. Elective assignments
a. the student is given a choice of which assignments within an identified group to submit, only the
best result(-s), the number of which is specified in advance, will contribute towards the year mark.
b. elective assignments must also be grouped into an elective group.
c. for the student to select which assignment to submit, the elective assignments must be grouped
together. For such an elective group, relevant information must be provided to the student, such
as how many of the assignments must be submitted and how many of the assignment marks
should be combined into the year mark.
d. The selection criteria define how marks received for assignments in an elective group are to be
combined into the year mark. Three different criteria may be used for calculating the year mark:
o The best mark should be used, or
o If the student submits fewer than the required number of assignments per group or no
assignment in a group, a mark of 0% will be used.
o 0% is awarded to all non-submitted or unmarked assessments. A best mark is then
calculated from all items.

II. Mandatory assignments

a. contribute to the year mark.
b. If a student fails to submit a mandatory assignment, no mark is awarded and the year mark is
calculated accordingly. The student will therefore forfeit the marks attached to this assignment
when the final mark for the module is calculated.

III. Compulsory Assessment

a. when not submitted, the student will fail a Continuous Assessment module but will be shown as
absent from the examination in the case of other modules.

IV. Optional assignments – You are encouraged as a student to do optional assignment so that it may
benefit your learning.

9.5 THE ASSESSMENTS

As indicated in section 9.1, you need to complete 4 assessments for this module. There are no assignments
included in this tutorial letter. Assignments and due dates will be made available to you on myModules for
this module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

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9.6 THE EXAMINATION

Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to you online via
the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your lecturer and e-tutors (where
relevant) and for communication from the university.

9.7 INVIGILATION/PROCTORING

Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from professional bodies
and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to unlawfully assist them with the completion
of assignments and examinations, the University is obliged to assure its assessment integrity through the
utilisation of various proctoring tools: Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools
will authenticate the student’s identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure credibility of students’
responses during assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of
these in your registered modules:

Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions against internal
and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost writing. Students are expected
to submit typed responses for utilisation of the Turnitin software.

The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identity during their
Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera. Students must ensure
their camera is activated in their browser settings prior to their assessments.

The Invigilator “mobile application-based service does verification” of the identity of an assessment
participant. The Invigilator Mobile Application detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and ensures that the
assessment participant is the registered student. This invigilation tool requires students to download the app
from their Play Store (Google, Huawei, and Apple) on their mobile devices (camera enabled) prior to their
assessment.

IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides for both manual
and automated facial verification. It can record and review a student’s assessment session. It flags suspicious
behaviour by the students for review by an academic administrator. IRIS software requires installation on
students’ laptop devices that are enabled with a webcam.

Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from the invigilation and
proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceeding.

Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine which
proctoring or invigilation tool will be utilised for their formative and summative assessments.

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 COS2601/101/0/2024

10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as your own. It is
a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:
• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

10.2 CHEATING

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another student during
an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate assessment
information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, this forms part of examination guidelines
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).

10.3 MORE INFORMATION

For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:

Student values & plagiarism (unisa.ac.za)

11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an opportunity for staff
to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.

If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for assessments,
you are invited to contact (name and e-mail address of the lecturer must be inserted) to discuss the assistance
that you need.

12 IN CLOSING

We trust that this tutorial letter covers all the basic information that you need to know about completing the
COS2601 module. Should you have any further administrative queries, please contact the relevant Unisa
department; if your query is of an academic nature relating to the content of the module, please contact the
relevant lecturer.

Wishing you well in your studies.

©
UNISA
2024

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