FIT1003 IT in organisations - Semester 1, 2013

The unit will provide students with an introduction and broad overview of the application of IT to the management of information in organisations, and the role of the IT professional in developing and implementing IT-based solutions to information problems. The discussion of the organisational framework for IT and IT professional practice will be set within its broader social context. The opportunities, problems and risks associated with IT will be examined, together with their implications for the rights and responsibilities of IT professionals.

Mode of Delivery

South Africa (Day)

Contact Hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Workload requirements

Workload commitments are:

• two-hour lecture and
• two-hour tutorial (requiring advance preparation)
• a minimum of 2-3 hours of personal study per one hour of contact time in order to satisfy the reading and assignment expectations.

• You will need to allocate up to 5 hours per week in some weeks, for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

CSE1204, ELC1000, IMS1704, BUS1021, CPE1006

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Tutors

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this unit students will have -A theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

• basic concepts of information, including organisational and social issues relating to the ownership and control of information;
• basic concepts of information systems, including their role and importance in organisations and society;
• basic concepts of organisations, including organisational structures, the roles of individuals and groups in organisations, the role of communication in achieving organisational objectives, and the nature of communication in organisations;
• basic concepts of IT as it is used in organisations and society, including the evolution of the role of IT in organisations and society;
• information technologies and information technology infrastructures employed by organisations;
• the business and information management processes and functions for which IT is used in organisations, and in which IT professionals are involved;
• opportunities, risks and liabilities arising from the usage and application of IT in organisations;
• processes of acquiring, developing and managing IT in organisations;
• techniques and tools for describing and analysing information management processes in organisations;
• the roles of IT workers in organisations and the range of ethical and professional rights and responsibilities associated with them; and
• organisational and social issues arising from the use of IT in organisations, including privacy and civil liberties issues.

Developed attitudes that enable them to:

• recognise the importance of information to organisational processes and functions;
• recognise the opportunities and limitations of the role which IT can play in managing information in organisations; and
• appreciate the importance of the IT practitioners role in organisations and society, and the responsibilities it entails.

The skills to:

• document organisational information-related functions and processes;
• assess the potential scope for using IT as part of the solution to an organisational information problem;
• identify and discuss issues, problems and opportunities in using IT in organisations;
• identify and discuss the organisational and social impacts of IT, and the ethical dimensions of IT-related decisions;
• recognise the team skills necessary for successful development and implementation of IT solutions to information problems in organisations; and
• appreciate the importance of the inter-relationships between IT professionals and the stakeholders in IT-based systems in organisations.

Unit Schedule

Week	Activities	Assessment
0		No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1	Introduction to Organisations
2	Information and Information Systems
3	Introduction to Business Processes
4	Information Technologies in the Organisation
5	Developing Successful IT Systems - Part 1
6	Supporting Business Functions with IT	Assignment 1 due 17 April 2013
7	Developing Successful IT Systems - Part 2
8	Communication Concepts
9	Working in Teams	Assignment 2 due 8 May 2013
10	Communication in Organisations
11	Managing IT Security
12	Professional Issues
	SWOT VAC	No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC
	Examination period	LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/ academic/education/assessment/ assessment-in-coursework-policy.html

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Assessment Summary

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Assessment Task	Value	Due Date
Assignment 1: IT & IS in Organisations	20%	17 April 2013
Assignment 2: Analysis of a case study in the field of Systems Development	20%	8 May 2013
Examination 1	60%	To be advised

Teaching Approach

Lecture and tutorials or problem classes

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Faculty Policy - Unit Assessment Hurdles (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/staff/edgov/policies/assessment-examinations/unit-assessment-hurdles.html)

Academic Integrity - Please see the Demystifying Citing and Referencing tutorial at http://lib.monash.edu/tutorials/citing/

Assessment Tasks

Participation

Students are expected to attend at least 9 of the tutorials and constructively participate in activities that form part of the tutorial. Attendance and participation will be recorded by your tutor.

• Assessment task 1

  Title:

  Assignment 1: IT & IS in Organisations

  Description:

  The assignment is an individual assignment and will consist of an analysis of a case study. 

  Weighting:

  20%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The criteria used to assess submissions are:

  • correctness and understanding - there may be more than one "right" answer in many cases. We will look for answers that reflect understanding of the underlying principles and theories.
  • completeness - that you have answered all parts of each question.
  • presentation - that you have presented your answers in a suitably formatted report style.
  • use of evidence and argument - you are able to explain your position by using logical argument drawing on the theory presented in the unit.

  Due date:

  17 April 2013

  Remarks:

  The assignment will be made available on the FIT1003 site in Moodle with detailed submission instructions. 

• Assessment task 2

  Title:

  Assignment 2: Analysis of a case study in the field of Systems Development

  Description:

  This assignment is an individual assignment.  It will be required of the student to apply the theory in order to analyse a case study.

  Weighting:

  20%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The criteria used to assess submissions are:

  • correctness and understanding - there may be more than one "right" answer in many cases. We will look for answers that reflect understanding of the underlying principles and theories.
  • completeness - that you have answered all parts of each question.
  • use of evidence and argument - you are able to explain your position by using logical argument drawing on the theory presented in the unit.

  Due date:

  8 May 2013

  Remarks:

  The assignment will be made available on the FIT1003 site in Moodle with detailed submission instructions. 

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting:

  60%

  Length:

  3 hours

  Type (open/closed book):

  Closed book

  Electronic devices allowed in the exam:

  None

Learning resources

Reading list

Baltzan, P & Phillips, A. (2010) Business Driven Technology. 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill.

Dwyer, J. (2005) Communication in Business: Strategies and Skills. 3rd Edition. Pearson Education, Australia.

Eunson, B. (2005) Communicating in the 21st Century. John Wiley & Sons, Australia

Feedback to you

• Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
• Graded assignments without comments
• Solutions to tutes, labs and assignments

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

No software is required for this unit.

Prescribed text(s)

Baltzan, P. & Phillips, A.. (2010). Business Driven Technology. (4th Edition) McGraw-Hill Irwin (ISBN: 9780071220538).

Other Information

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Graduate Attributes Policy

Student services

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