How to Approach the IMAT1701 Foundations of Computing Portfolio
Treat the IMAT1701 portfolio as two different pieces of writing. Unit 1 is a technical report where every design choice needs a reason, a diagram and a table. Unit 2 is a tightly worded ethical analysis where word limits matter more than length. Plan each separately, then check both against the marking criteria in your brief.
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What the portfolio asks of you
IMAT1701 Foundations of Computing at De Montfort University uses an individual portfolio worth half of the module mark. Unit 1 asks for a design of a secure, scalable network for a campus organisation with several computer labs, together with design documentation and justification. Unit 2 asks you to pick one of several topical cases and analyse its ethics. Always confirm dates, format and referencing rules on your own LearningZone page, since the module team’s version overrides any guide.
Unit 1: what markers want in the network report
| Section | What to include | Common weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Short statement of what the network must do | Copying the scenario |
| Components and roles | Table of devices, what each does and what it connects to | Names with no roles |
| Software and users | Operating systems, applications, user types and permissions | Ignoring the administrator role |
| Diagram | Device positions, link media, IP addresses and subnet masks | Blurry or unlabelled drawing |
| Set-up | Order of installation and configuration | Missing user management steps |
| Justification | Topology, media, strengths, limits, security, performance | Listing features with no reasons |
Step plan for Unit 1
- List the requirements. Turn each sentence of the scenario into a requirement: multiple labs on different floors, shared printing and storage, remote and cloud access, scalability, per-user permissions, external storage, searchable resources.
- Choose logical and physical topology. A star or extended star is the usual teaching answer, but explain why, including its single point of failure and how you reduce it.
- Select media. Say where copper suits and where fibre suits, and state the trade-off between cost, speed and distance.
- Build the component table. Include switches, router or firewall, servers, printers, wireless access and storage.
- Plan addressing. Use private address ranges, one subnet per lab or function, and show the mask beside every network.
- Define users. At least three, with the administrator able to add and remove accounts, change passwords and rights, set login limits and disable accounts.
- Add utilities. Remote desktop, antivirus and firewall each need a stated purpose and location.
- Write the justification last. Tie every choice back to reliability, availability, security, performance and user experience.
Getting the diagram right
A diagram is not decoration. Markers look for devices placed sensibly by floor, line styles or labels that identify the medium, and addresses with masks beside each interface. Use clean drawing software, keep text legible when the page is printed, and refer to the figure by number in your text. A short caption such as “Figure 1: proposed network layout” keeps the report professional.
Keep your IP plan consistent. If your table says the first lab uses one range, the diagram must match exactly. Inconsistent addresses are one of the easiest ways to lose marks.
Need your diagram and tables checked for consistency? Our computer network assignment help team can give feedback on your draft.
Strengths and constraints: be honest
Strong reports do not claim a design is perfect. State that a star layout simplifies fault finding but depends on central equipment, that fibre improves capacity but costs more, and that tight permissions improve security but add administration. Offering a balanced view across reliability, availability, security and performance usually reads as higher-level analysis than pure praise.
Writing the set-up and security sections
The set-up section is a sequence, not a story. Describe the order in which you would install cabling and switches, configure VLANs and addressing, build the server and directory service, create the administrator and user accounts, apply folder permissions, connect printers, and finally install and test antivirus, firewall rules and remote desktop. Ending with testing shows markers that you plan to verify the design works.
For security, name concrete controls: unique usernames with strong passwords, least-privilege access, login restrictions, account disabling when users leave, segmented networks, firewall rules and regular updates. Then say what each control protects against, so the section reads as reasoning rather than a shopping list.
A sensible time plan
| Stage | Suggested focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Requirements list, topology and media decisions, component table |
| Week 2 | IP plan, diagram, user and permission design |
| Week 3 | Justification, set-up, first draft of Unit 2 |
| Final days | Cut to word limits, check consistency, references, PDF export |
Unit 2: the ethical analysis
The template has three parts with strict limits, so treat each as a short, disciplined paragraph block.
| Part | Purpose | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Facts | Present what happened, the technology, who is responsible and who is affected | Research beyond the supplied case, and keep opinion out |
| Ethical principles | Explain at least five issues, such as honesty, fairness, privacy, autonomy and security | Define each in one line, then apply it to the case |
| Addressing the issues | Say what you would do as a leader, what should have been done earlier, and how to put things right | Give specific actions, not general hopes |
Choosing your case
Pick the case where you can find the most reliable information and where the ethical tensions are clearest. A case with a named technology, a clear decision-maker and identifiable affected groups is easier to analyse than one that is vague.
Working to the word limits
Short sections punish waffle. Draft longer, then cut. Prefer one sentence for the principle and one for its application, rather than three sentences explaining what privacy means in general.
A quick way to test each ethical issue
For every issue, write three short beats: the principle in one line, the evidence from the case that engages it, and who is harmed or protected. If you cannot name an affected group, the issue is probably too abstract. This keeps five or more issues inside a tight limit while still showing real analysis, and it leaves room for the final section to propose actions that clearly respond to each one.
Mark-maximising checklist
- All required sections of the brief appear in the order the brief or template expects.
- The component table lists every device with role and connection.
- Every network in the IP plan has an address and a subnet mask.
- The diagram matches the text exactly.
- The report stays inside the page range and the template word limits.
- Strengths and constraints are both discussed.
- At least five ethical issues are addressed, each applied to the case.
- Recommended actions are concrete.
- Material is referenced consistently in the Harvard style your university requires.
- The final file is a single PDF with the required title page and contents list, submitted before the deadline.
Common mistakes
- Describing instead of justifying. Naming a topology without saying why it fits.
- Skipping the administrator. Overlooking account and permission management.
- Unlabelled links. Drawing lines without medium or addressing.
- Thin ethics. Mentioning principles by name with no case application.
- Ignoring limits. Exceeding word counts in Unit 2.
- Weak evidence. Relying on blog posts when the brief asks for academic and peer-reviewed material.
See a worked extract
Our IMAT1701 sample extract shows a component table, an illustrative IP plan and a short ethics analysis, for reference only. The full brief is on the IMAT1701 question page, and more university briefs are in the De Montfort University library.
FAQs
How long should the Unit 1 report be?
The brief points to a short technical report of roughly four to six pages. Use tables and the diagram to carry detail so the text stays focused.
How many users do I need to define?
At least three, including a network administrator. Describe what each can and cannot do, and show how the administrator manages accounts.
Do I need real IP addresses?
You need a sensible, consistent plan using private ranges with correct subnet masks. They are design values for the exercise, not live internet addresses.
Should the ethics section include opinion?
The facts section should stay neutral. Opinion belongs in the final part, where you explain what you would do, supported by the principles you have discussed.
Can I include extra figures and tables?
Yes, if they fit the page limit and add clarity. A component table and a network diagram are especially useful, but each should be referred to in the text.
Is it fine to read a sample before starting?
It is a reasonable way to see structure. Treat any sample as guidance only and build your own design and analysis from your own reading of the brief.
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