This unit provides students with an introduction to the key concepts and principles involved in the management of information assets as a key organisational resource. Information assets and the information systems which create and use them are of critical importance to the operations of most modern organisations. The unit examines two main themes: the development and implementation of organisational approaches to the management of its information assets, and organisational approaches to the acquisition and development of information systems. As well as addressing the separate sets of issues specific to each of these themes, it will focus on the interactions between them and their implications for development of an integrated approach to organisational information management.
2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk
You are expected to spend 12 hours per week on attending classess and carrying out various activities including reading, communication with other students and unit lecturers, and preparation for learning tasks and formal assessments.
Martin Atchison
Consultation hours: Tuesday 2-4; Wednesday 10-2
Martin Atchison
Consultation hours: Tuesday 2-4; Wednesday 10-2
| Week | Activities | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0 | |
| 1 | Setting the context: Introduction to unit. recap of basic concepts in the theory and practice of systems development and information management; recap of relevant material from earlier units | Discussion of requirements for Assessment task 1: This assessment relates to tutorial participation and will be assessed weekly from Weeks 2 to 11 |
| 2 | System development and information strategies (1): The science/engineering paradigm and the evolution of structured approaches to the development of systems for the provision of information | Assessment task 2: Systems development in action handed out and is assessed between Weeks 7 to 10 |
| 3 | Data and information management (1): as organizational problems: evolution of structured approaches to data collection and retrieval | |
| 4 | Systems development and information strategies (2): Solving the specification problem in system development - iterativity and incrementalism | |
| 5 | Data and information management (2): From structured to unstructured data collection and retrieval | Assignment 3: Systems development and information management issues for organizations handed out |
| 6 | System development and information strategies (3): Bringing the user inside - user participation and agile development | |
| 7 | Data and information management (3): 'Agile' data collections and information architectures | Assessment task 2 submissions start |
| 8 | Systems development and information strategies (4): Changing the development paradigm - soft systems | Assessment task 2 submissions continue |
| 9 | Data and information management (4): The problem of semantics | Assessment task 2 submissions continue |
| 10 | System development and information strategies (5): Standardisation and packaged solutions | Assessment task 2 submissions continue |
| 11 | Data and information management (5): 'Big data' - dreams and realities | Assessment task 3 due |
| 12 | Reflection and bringing it all together: The evolving role of information professionals in organizations | |
| 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.
Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%
| Assessment Task | Value | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial participation | 10% | Weeks 2 - 11 |
| Systems development in action | 15% | Weeks 7 - 10 |
| Systems development and information management issues for organizations | 15% | Week 11 |
| Examination 1 | 60% | To be advised |
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 task 1 - Tutorial participation: Students will be expected to prepare, participate and present in tutorial discussions throughout the semester. Student performance will be assessed by the tutor with the aid of peer reviews carried out by the students in each tutorial class. Student performance will be assessed in selected tutorials throughout the semester (see unit guide), and the student's mark will be based on their best eight results. Tutorial participation will be worth 10% of the student's mark.
Criteria for assessment will depend on the nature of the work being carried during the tutorial. In general, students will be expected to prepare adequately for the tutorial by reading the material provided in advance, and participating actively in the discussions and other tasks which they are asked to perform. Detailed criteria will be provided to students as appropriate before the tutorial work is done.
Criteria for assessment will be based on the level of understanding which students demonstrate of the nature of the development process, the issues confronting a development team and the adequacy of specific development approaches to the case study. A detailed set of assessment criteria and the marking guide will be provided to students with the description of the assignment task.
Criteria for assessment will be based on the level of knowledge and understanding which students demonstrate about development and information management processes, and the issues confronting IT professionals in addresing them. A detailed set of assessment criteria and the marking guide will be provided to students with the detailed description of the assignment task.
Monash Library Unit Reading List
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html
Submission must be made by the due date otherwise penalties will be enforced.
You must negotiate any extensions formally with your campus unit leader via the in-semester special consideration process: http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html
It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an online quiz). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.
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.
Lists of readings on the topics covered in the unit will be provided during the semester.
Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html
Key educational policies include:
The University provides many different kinds of support services for you. Contact your tutor if you need advice and see the range of services available at http://www.monash.edu.au/students. For Sunway see http://www.monash.edu.my/Student-services, and for South Africa see http://www.monash.ac.za/current/.
The Monash University Library provides a range of services, resources and programs that enable you to save time and be more effective in your learning and research. Go to www.lib.monash.edu.au or the library tab in my.monash portal for more information. At Sunway, visit the Library and Learning Commons at http://www.lib.monash.edu.my/. At South Africa visit http://www.lib.monash.ac.za/.
For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:
www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html
Previous feedback has highlighted the main strength in this unit as being its extensive use of readings and tutorial discussion to highlight the significance of theory and its relevance to the way issues arise in practice. The unit will aim to continue this approach to require students to read extensively and discuss issues in class.
Student feedback has also informed improvements to this unit including:
If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp