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FIT5111 IS development practices - Semester 2 , 2008

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Unit leader :

Helana Scheepers

Lecturer(s) :

Caulfield

  • Helana Scheepers

Introduction

Unit synopsis

ASCED Discipline Group classification: 020300 Information systems

This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of a range of approaches to systems development and knowledge of a number of specific systems development methodologies. The main topics include the evolution of systems development methodologies, frameworks for evaluating and selecting methodologies, the organisational context in which systems development takes place, tools and techniques for systems development, productivity and quality improvement strategies, and a number of systems development approaches. These include participative development, soft systems approaches, object-oriented development, structured systems development approaches, data and information-oriented approaches, and rapid application development.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

At the conclusion of FIT5111 students will:

  • Understand the evolution of systems development methodologies;
  • Understand the tools and techniques that is used in the development of information systems;
  • Select an appropriate tool or technique for the development of information systems;
  • Understand the strategies that is used to improve productivity and quality during systems development;
  • Understand the organisational context within which systems development takes place;
  • Perform evaluation of methodologies and select an appropriate methodologies.
  • Workload

    Workload commitments for FIT5111 are:

    • 2 hour lecture
    • 1 hour tutorial
    • 9 hours of personal study in order to satisfy the reading ans assignment expectations 

    Unit relationships

    Prerequisites

    Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

    FIT9003, or equivalent.

    Relationships

    FIT5111 is a core unit in the Enterprise systems speciliasation of the Master of Information Systems and Management.

    Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed FIT9003, or equivalent.

    You may not study this unit and SYS4230, SYS3230, IMS5006, IMS5024, IMS3230 (translation set IMS5006) in your degree.

    Continuous improvement

    Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education' and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. Two of the formal ways that you are invited to provide feedback are through Unit Evaluations and through Monquest Teaching Evaluations.

    One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. It is Monash policy for every unit offered to be evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to "have their say". The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

    Student Evaluations

    The Faculty of IT administers the Unit Evaluation surveys online through the my.monash portal, although for some smaller classes there may be alternative evaluations conducted in class.

    If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to http://www.monash.edu.au/unit-evaluation-reports/

    Over the past few years the Faculty of Information Technology has made a number of improvements to its courses as a result of unit evaluation feedback. Some of these include systematic analysis and planning of unit improvements, and consistent assignment return guidelines.

    Monquest Teaching Evaluation surveys may be used by some of your academic staff this semester. They are administered by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and may be completed in class with a facilitator or on-line through the my.monash portal. The data provided to lecturers is completely anonymous. Monquest surveys provide academic staff with evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching and identify areas for improvement. Individual Monquest reports are confidential, however, you can see the summary results of Monquest evaluations for 2006 at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/evaluations/monquest/profiles/index.html

    Unit staff - contact details

    Unit leader

    Dr Helana Scheepers
    Senior Lecturer
    Phone +61 3 990 31066
    Fax +61 3 990 44124

    Lecturer(s) :

    Dr Helana Scheepers
    Senior Lecturer
    Phone +61 3 990 31066
    Fax +61 3 990 44124

    Teaching and learning method

    Tutorial allocation

    Students should register for tutorials using Allocate +.

    Communication, participation and feedback

    Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

    It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

    Unit Schedule

    Week Topic Key dates
    1 Introduction, Overview of systems development concepts  
    2 Comparing, selecting and adopting ISD methodologies  
    3 The traditional SDLC and structured analysis and design  
    4 Structured systems analysis and design (SSADM) and Information engineering  
    5 Object-oriented development approaches  
    6 Soft systems methodology  
    7 Effective Technical Human Implementation of Computer Systems  
    8 People themes in information systems development; Organisational themes  
    9 Productivity tools in IS development: Prototyping and automated tools  
    10 Other approaches and productivity tools: application packages, outsourcing  
    11 Other approaches and productivity tools: RAD and Agile methods  
    Mid semester break
    12 Quality and productivity issues in information systems development: Web development  
    13 Summary and revision  

    Unit Resources

    Prescribed text(s) and readings

    Avison, D.E. & Fitzgerald, G. (2006). Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools (4th edn). London: McGraw-Hill.

    Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

    Recommended text(s) and readings

    Avison, D.E. & Fitzgerald, G. (2006). Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools (4th edn). London: McGraw-Hill.

    Required software and/or hardware

    Students will be required to use word processing to finalise their assignments.

    Equipment and consumables required or provided

    Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to n hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

    Study resources

    Study resources we will provide for your study are:

    • Unit guide
    • The FIT5111 website on Muso where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications and supplementary material will be posted.

    Library access

    The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

    Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

    All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

    You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

    Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

    In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

    For example:

    • Blackboard supported browser
    • Supported Java runtime environment

    For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

    You can contact the MUSO Support by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903 1268

    For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

    Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

    Assessment

    Unit assessment policy

    • achieve at least 40% of the marks available for the examination component,
    • achieve at least 40% of the marks available for the assignment component: i.e. the assignments and any other assessment tasks (such as presentations) taken as a whole
    • achieve at least 50% of the total marks for the unit

    Where a student gains less than 40% for either the examination or assignment component, the final result for the unit will be no greater than ‘44-N’.

    Assignment tasks

    • Assignment Task

      Title : Assignment 1: Evaluating ISD methodologies

      Description :

      The assignment will utilise a case study and will be a group assignment.

      Weighting : 20%

      Criteria for assessment :

      Due date : 19 August 2008

    • Assignment Task

      Title : Assignment 2: Critical review

      Description :

      This will be an individual assignment.

      Weighting : 20%

      Criteria for assessment :

      Due date : 23 September 2008

    Examinations

    • Examination

      Weighting : 60%

      Length : 3 hours

      Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book

    Assignment submission

    Assignments will be submitted by paper submission to your tutor on the designated dates, with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached.

    Assignment coversheets and assessment policy for the Caulfield School of Information Technology can be found at:

    http://infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments/

    Assignment coversheets

    Assignment coversheets can be found via the "Student assignment coversheets" (http://infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments/) page on the faculty website.

    University and Faculty policy on assessment

    Due dates and extensions

    The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

    Request for extensions must be made to the unit lecturer at your campus at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide othe forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

    Late assignment

    Assignments in this unit are no less important than those of other units. Your inability to manage your time or computing resources will not be accepted as a valid excuse. (Several assignments falling due at the same time is an unavoidable fact of university life.)

    Hardware failures are not normally recognised as a valid reason for obtaining an extension or handing in a late assignment.

    Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted up to one week late at the discretion of your lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends).

    Example:

    Total marks available for the assignment = 100 marks

    Marks received for the assignment = 70 marks

    Marks deducted for 2 days late submission (20% of 100) = 20 marks

    Final mark received for assignment = 50 marks

    Return dates

    Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

    Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

    We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

    Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

    Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

    In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

    When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

    Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

    Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

    Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

    Register of counselling about plagiarism

    The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

    Non-discriminatory language

    The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

    Students with disabilities

    Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

    Deferred assessment and special consideration

    Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.