MS4S21 - Big Data Engineering and Applications 01 Apr 2025 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 3

Associated Module Information

Module Code: MS4S21
Module Title: Big Data Engineering and Applications
Faculty: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science
Faculty Group: Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Faculty Sub Group: Mathematical Sciences
Module Leader: Ieuan Griffiths
Module Team: Sharan Johnstone
First Intended Intake: SEP 2019 Final Year of Intake: 2024
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100403 - mathematics
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 3
Valid From 01 Apr 2025
Valid To 31 Aug 2027

Module Aims

To provide an understanding of the key concepts and techniques associated with the collection, storage and processing of Big Data. To be able to choose between and use various available big data storage, processing, management tools and architectures as needed. To learn how to choose appropriate methods to query large datasets in order to extract information that can be used in big data applications.

Content Summary

Understanding Characteristics of Data in Big Data Environments

The basic Big Data characteristics, models and sources will be examined. Looking at how it is stored and processed, with a focus on the architecture, components, operation and tools.

Fundamental Terminology & Concepts

Key ideas that underpin the theory and application of Big Data solutions will be explored such as: Big data programming models, querying strategies and query optimisation for big data, exploiting high performance computing and cloud computing to serve big data needs.

Big Data applications, processing and management

The application of appropriate tools techniques and algorithms in order to transform and query datasets, use high performance and cloud computing for Big Data requirements. High level tools and programming techniques that are associated with Big Data storage, processing, management and applications will be introduced and used, including Hadoop, Spark, Pig, Hive, R, Python and others.

Adoption and Planning

Exploring Big Data:

  • solutions implemented for IoT such as: SCADA systems; Semantic Big Data and Big-Graphs.
  • challenges such as: ?Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage for Big Data.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 24
Tutorial 8
Independent Study 80
Directed Study 88
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 To appraise and contrast strategies for dealing with Big Data
LO2 To demonstrate an ability to apply Big Data concepts in non-trivial contexts

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 Research, evaluate and report the findings on key concepts and techniques associated with the collection, storage and processing of Big Data for a chosen application. 0 1500 40 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Practical Coursework 1 (Asynch) Identify, manage, access and manipulate a big data source using suitable tools and interpret the results. 0 N/A 60 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1
Practical Coursework 1 (Asynch)

Reading List

Albert Y. Zomaya • Sherif Sakr: ?Handbook of Big Data Technologies, Springer, ?ISBN 978-3-319-49339-8

Michael Frampton: Big Data made easy, A working guide to the complete Hadoop Toolset, Apress, ISBN 978-1-4842-0094-0