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End-of-module assessment
See the Module Guide and Writing in your own words for further guidance on these issues.
Part 1 Short-answer questions (15 marks)
a. Briefly describe the ping and trace route commands. If you were experiencing difficulties in connecting to a remote service, how might you use the ping command to check whether the problem is within your local network?
Write no more than 150 words.
(5 marks)
b. Drawing on what you have learnt from the robotics block, do you think the development of advanced robots and AI algorithms have had a positive or negative impact on human society?
Consider both the positive and negative impacts, and come to a justified conclusion.
Write no more than 150 words.
(5 marks)
c. The table below shows a list of processes for a processor, the order in which they have arrived at the processor, and how many cycles of the processor each process will take to complete.
Task ID
Using a first-come first-served scheduler, how many cycles will it take until Process B is completed?
Using a round-robin scheduler with each process getting 2000 cycles in turn, how many cycles will it take until Process B is completed?
Suggest a kind of scheduler to use when an operating system requires a lot of input/output from a user. Give a brief justification for your answer.
Write no more than 100 words.
(5 marks)
Part 2
Question B (30 marks)
As robots and AI algorithms continue to improve, they will be increasingly used in many domains. In
a 2019 report, the World Economic Forum has noted that this will include education, including at university level.
Write a short article about the current state of robotics used in the context of education. This can include education at any age, from nursery school children to university, or informal learning outside
of the classroom. You may include robots that are commercially available or that exist as prototypes.
You may also wish to comment on any market failures and explain why such services may have
failed.
Write no more than 700 words.
Your article should be based on the following plan.
Give three examples of robots designed for use in education. For each example, you should outline the tasks the robot can complete.
(3 marks)
Give a brief description of each robot, referring to concepts and topics discussed in the robotics block. You should cover four elements for each robot, such as the level of autonomy,
the sensors used, the actuators used, how the robot is powered or how ‘intelligent’ the robot is.(12 marks)
Briefly discuss how a student is intended to interact with each robot. Among these robots, highlight one form of interaction you feel would benefit the learner, and one you feel would be
a shortcoming.
(5 marks)
Briefly discuss any social, legal, economic or ethical issues associated with using robots in the context of education.
(4 marks)
Give references to the sources of your information. Use the Cite Them Right Harvard style.
(3 marks)
Marks will also be allocated for the overall quality of your writing in this question (including clarity,structure, spelling, punctuation and grammar).
(3 marks)
Question C (30 marks)
Before Linux existed, an operating system named MINIX was developed by Andrew Tanenbaum.
Although over 30 years old, the MINIX operating system is still running.
Read the following article (and watch the associated video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eKYh0wjhXJk&list=PLn0nrSd4xjjbIHhktZoVlZuj2MbrBBC_f) by Prof Tanenbaum that discuss this project: Lessons Learned from 30 Years of MINIX.
Using this article, write a report on MINIX. Write no more than 700 words.
You may have to find and use additional source material to answer the question; if you do so, then you must provide references.
In your report, you should do the following.
Explain what MINIX was designed for. Discuss the relationship between MINIX and Linux.
(3 marks)
State four lessons learnt regarding the development of MINIX that are identified in the article.
For each lesson, discuss its relevance to the development of operating systems today.
(12 marks)
Describe what a microkernel is and how it differs from a monolithic kernel. Discuss one advantage and one disadvantage of using a microkernel.
(6 marks)
Discuss whether you believe the MINIX project was a success. Justify your answer.
(4 marks)
Provide a reference for the article provided in the question, and for any other sources you have used. Use the Cite Them Right Harvard style.
(2 marks)
