FIT2074 Technology, information and organisations - Semester 1, 2015

This unit examines the way in which information technology influences the structures and operations of organisations and organisational approaches to the management and use of information. The capabilities and limitations of technologies and the way they have been commoditised and standardised in the marketplace are fundamental determinants of what IT-based applications are capable of achieving. As technologies have evolved and been commoditised, they have shaped and in turn been shaped by what individuals and organisations want and expect from them. This unit applies this perspective as a basis for analysing the main technologies employed by organisations for the use and management of information.

Mode of Delivery

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

• Two hours of lectures
• One 2-hour tutorial (requiring advance preparation)

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

• A minimum of 2-3 hours of personal study per one hour of contact time in order to satisfy the reading, assignment and exam expectations.

See also Unit timetable information

Unit Relationships

Prerequisites

FIT1036 or FIT1003

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Tutors

Your feedback to Us

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

In line with student feedback and review of the unit by the teaching staff, the unit's assessments have been revised to better support the development of research and critical analysis skills. The prescribed text has also been updated.

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

• know and understand the impacts of advances in information technologies on organisations, their structures and the way they use and manage information to support their operations;
• know and understand how the needs of organisations and the marketplace influence the path of technology evolution;
• know and understand some of the key factors which contribute to the success or failure of technology-based innovations in organisations;
• recognise the strengths and weaknesses of information technology for performing a variety of common information tasks;
• be able to evaluate the merits and disadvantages of a technology-based solution to an organisational information need or problem;
• be able to carry out a critical analysis of an area of technology and make an assessment of its likely future impacts on an organisation.

Unit Schedule

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

Teaching Approach

Assessment Summary

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

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

• Assessment task 1

  Title:

  Assignment 1: Class particpation and contributions

  Description:

  In weeks 2-12 you will partipate in and complete tutorial activities and exercises which will test your knowledge of the lecture material, readings for the topic and/or skills for the in-semester assignment.  You will be marked for your work by your tutor and your fellow students.

  Weighting:

  10%

  Criteria for assessment:

  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.

  Due date:

  Tutorials - Weeks 2-12

• Assessment task 2

  Title:

  Assignment 2: Organizational Use of IT

  Description:

  You are required to carry out research into one area of application area IT in a specific organizational or industry setting.  Your choice of the application area and the organizational setting must be approved by your tutor.  Your research must investigate and describe the nature of the application itself, the organizational information need which it meets, and the nature of the benefits which the organization gains from it.  You must submit a written report and make an oral presentation to the class on your findings.

  Weighting:

  15%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The primary criteria on which assignment work will be assessed are:

  • the level of demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the nature of the application and the specific organizational functions it supports;
  • the level of insight demonstrated into the organizational purposes which the application serves and the benefits it aims to bring;
  • the use of appropriate academic and trade literature sources to support the research findings;
  • the quality of the presentation of the research findings  

  Detailed marking guidelines for the report and presentation will be provided with the assignment handout.

  Due date:

  Your choice of the application to be studied and the organizational setting for its use must be approved by the end of Week 3; oral presentations of your findings will be conducted during class in either Week 6 or Week 7; written reports must be submitted by the end of Week 6

• Assessment task 3

  Title:

  Assignment 3: Issues with IT Applications

  Description:

  You must select a particular area of application of IT in organizations (to be approved by your tutor), and carry out research which critically examines the key organizational, information and technological issues associate with its development and implementation in practice.  Your research must include reference to relevant case studies from the academic literature.  You will be required to make both a written report and an oral presentation of your findings.    

  Weighting:

  15%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The primary criteria on which assignment work will be assessed are:

  • the level of demonstrated understanding of the nature of the issues affecting the development and implementation of the application;
  • the level of demonstrated knowledge of industry experience in the use of the application in terms of the levels of success achieved in its implementation in practice;
  • the use of appropriate academic literature sources to support the research findings;
  • the quality of the presentation of the research findings  

  Detailed marking guidelines for the report and presentation will be provided with the assignment handout.

  Due date:

  Topic approved by end of Week 8; written report must be submitted in Week 11; oral presentations will be conducted in class during Weeks 11 and 12

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting:

  60 %

  Length:

  3 hours

  Type (open/closed book):

  Closed book

  Electronic devices allowed in the exam:

  None

Learning resources

Feedback to you

• Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
• Graded assignments with comments

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Resubmission of assignments

Assignments must be submitted by the due date unless special consideration applies. There is no resubmission of assignments.

Referencing requirements

All Faculty of Information Technology masters coursework and undergraduate units should use the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide.

For examples see http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/infotech.html

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.

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