Foundations of Information Systems

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity & Disability: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Aims

Information Systems is the study of the interaction between people, organisations and information technology. This discipline uses hardware and software as tools to solve business and organisational problems. Information Systems combines principles from business (such as accounting and management) and social sciences with the study of computing. Topics covered include: conceptual aspects of information systems including: systems thinking; the culture and competitiveness of organisations; the management of information technology outsourcing; strategic and operational business processes; and legal, ethical and security issues in information systems.

Indicative Content

Organisational Strategy; Using IS to add value to an organisation; Key concepts of IS management; Types of information systems; The Internet and E-Commerce; Supply chain systems; Knowledge

Management/Business Intelligence; Business processes and modelling; IS and organisational structure; IS and organisational culture; Integrated systems; Current issues and new technologies in Information Systems; Current Issues and New Technologies in IS; Ethical, social and legal Issues of IS Use; Change management and systems implementation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

On completion of this subject the student is expected to:

1. Explain what organizations are and how they work
2. Explain how IT adds value for people and organizations
3. Explain how IT has transformed the way we design modern organizations, including global organizations
4. Explain why processes are so important in modern organizations
5. Demonstrate understanding of major business processes (such as order management, billing, new product development, IT investment decision making, and project management)
6. Be able to analyse and document routine business processes using tools such as data flow diagrams
7. Describe the ethical concerns associated with information privacy, accuracy, intellectual property, and accessibility

• One individual assignment (20%), requiring approximately 20-25 hours of work. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 1 to 3 are addressed in the individual assignment.
• One group assignment (30%) of approximately 2000 words, requiring approximately 35-40 hours of work per student. ILOs 1 to 7 are addressed in the group assignment.
• One written 2 hour closed book end of semester examination (50%). ILOs 1 to 7 are addressed in the examination.

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This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

On completion of this subject students should have developed the following generic skills:

• Problem-solving skills
• Working in teams
• The capacity to write clearly.

Learning and Teaching Methods

The subject is delivered through a combination of lectures and tutorials (combination of discussion and practical individual/group work in a computer lab).

Indicative Key Learning Resources

Students have access to lecture notes, lecture slides, tutorial worksheets. The subject LMS site also contains links to recommended resources. Recommended textbook is Laudon, C., and Laudon, J. Management Information Systems, Current Edition, Pearson Education.

Careers/Industry Links

As an introductory information system subject, this is relevant to many aspects of the IT industry and to IS management. Exemplar companies/organisations which have been involved in the delivery of the subject (through guest lectures etc.) are Deloittes and the material is relevant to workplace activity in any of the major IS consulting firms.