01
Software, systems and responsible problem solving
Explain software lifecycles, stakeholders and responsible digital practice.
- Software, systems and responsible problem solving60 min
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SWE-205Intermediate
Software development
Systems Analysis, Algorithms & Software Design
Analyse user needs, model systems and design testable software using algorithms, formal reasoning and project evidence.
Part of these pathways
Course outline: enrolment opens after THNF content and assessment review.
What you will be able to do
Clear outcomes. Practical evidence.
- Elicit and validate requirements
- Model processes and data
- Design and evaluate algorithms
- Plan a software-engineering project
Course structure
Modules and lessons
02
Requirements and user stories
Elicit functional/non-functional requirements and write testable acceptance criteria.
- Requirements and user stories60 min
03
Algorithms, pseudocode and data
Model solutions with decomposition, pseudocode, flow and suitable data structures.
- Algorithms, pseudocode and data60 min
04
Git, collaboration and documentation
Use version control, branches, reviews, READMEs and traceable decisions.
- Git, collaboration and documentation60 min
05
Testing and debugging
Design expected, boundary and failure tests; diagnose defects systematically.
- Testing and debugging60 min
06
Security, privacy, accessibility and ethics
Apply secure-by-design, data-minimisation and inclusive design controls.
- Security, privacy, accessibility and ethics60 min
07
Agile delivery and professional practice
Plan iterations, estimate work, communicate risk and review progress.
- Agile delivery and professional practice60 min
08
Capstone solution proposal
Present a validated solution plan for a Sierra Leone organisation or service.
- Capstone solution proposal60 min
Access and progression
Know what the course requires.
The required capability matters; the learner does not have to personally own every device.
Who it is for
Aspiring developers, technical learners, career changers and practitioners seeking applied computing skills.
Hardware access
Personal 64-bit computer with 4 GB RAM and 20 GB free, or use the required device and software at a readiness-approved THNF centre.
Software and practical access
Course software is available through the text-first pack, an approved offline installer or a readiness-approved THNF centre.
Possible progression
Junior development, data, web, application-support or technical-project progression appropriate to the completed portfolio.
Progression is not a guarantee of employment or external certification.Sierra Leone context
Mobile-first, low-data solutions for Sierra Leonean schools, traders, transport, agriculture, NGOs and SMEs using synthetic local names, districts and NLe values.
Skills in context
Career directions and next steps
These are realistic directions that the skills can support—not promises of employment, job titles or external certification.
- Junior software developer
- Application-support assistant
- Software-testing assistant
- Computing teaching assistant
- Technology-club facilitator
- Curriculum-support practitioner
Possible progression pathways
Programming and software engineering · Computer science and technology education