31266 Introduction to Information Systems
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksAnti-requisite(s): 31060 Information Systems Principles AND 31414 Information Systems AND 31472 Introduction to Collaborative Systems AND 31484 Information Systems Foundations AND 32557 Enabling Enterprise Information Systems
Description
This subject describes today's business environment and how technology is integrated into business, government and community systems. It covers the trends towards greater mobility, greater complexity, globalisation and business networking, and ways that technology can deliver services to improve business competitiveness in an increasingly global and networked environment. It describes the role of information systems (IS) for better business management and the formation of business networks. Real-world case studies are presented to understand the role of IS in obtaining and maintaining competitive advantage. This introductory subject explains activities used to develop, implement and maintain IS. Techniques for building effective team collaboration skills and relationship skills are demonstrated in this subject. In addition, ethics, privacy and information security are highlighted. In this subject, students learn to apply theoretical knowledge to solve practical situations, learn to generate new ideas and learn how to work together to develop team skills.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Identify business, organizational and society environment to propose types of IS for obtaining and maintaining competitive advantage. (B.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Demonstrate data management approaches for implementing knowledge management systems in organisations. (D.1) |
| 3. | Discuss key concepts relating to telecommunication and networking. (D.1) |
| 4. | Describe the process of acquiring information systems and applications. (D.1) |
| 5. | Identify ethical issues in the IS context to propose recommendations. (B.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, interpret and analyse stakeholder needs and cultural perspectives, establish priorities and goals, and identify constraints, uncertainties and risks (social, ethical, cultural, legislative, environmental, economics etc.) to define the system requirements. (B.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply abstraction, mathematics and discipline fundamentals, software, tools and techniques to evaluate, implement and operate systems. (D.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Students will learn through 12 online lectures (1.5 hours) and 10 face-to-face and/or online tutorials (1.5 hours, starting from week 2) over 12 weeks.
Lectures
Lecture notes for each week will be made available on Canvas. Students are expected to download the notes, engage with new content and make use of it in the lectures. The lecturer will explain each topic based on the Canvas materials and encourage students to clarify their interpretations through verbal interaction and feedback.
Tutorials
Tutorials are designed to engage students in learning activities, encourage them to collaborate with other students, learn from each other’s ideas through group discussion and peer review, and to provide opportunities for additional feedback on teaching materials that inform the assessment tasks. Tutorial classes will involve a range of planned activities such as testing students’ understanding using weekly in-class quizzes, problem-solving activities, and group activities and discussions. Students are required to learn concepts covered in the week’s lecture topic before each tutorial.
Weekly tutorial questions (case study questions and discussion questions) and instructions for each class will be made available on Canvas to enable students to engage with the content, draft their answers, then actively and collaboratively complete the questions in the tutorials. Students will form collaborative groups to discuss their answers with their peers, and complete problem-solving activities, analyse case studies and answer discussion questions in teams.
Students are encouraged to come up with ideas and present them to the whole class, and are expected to evaluate each other’s responses; this regular peer feedback will help students learn. Constant feedback as part of the tutorial will be provided by extending the class collaborative discussion with reflective questions from the tutor.
The following applies to Bachelor of Computing Science students only.
It is a requirement of this subject that students complete OPELA. Students who receive a Basic grade in OPELA are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
- Introduction to Information Systems, Information systems within the organisation
- Organisational Strategy, Competitive Advantage, and Information Systems
- Acquiring information systems and application
- Data and Knowledge Management
- Business Analytics
- AI-Powered products
- Human-AI Interaction
- Information Security - Cyber Security
- Social Engineering Scams
- Ethics and privacy
- Telecommunications and Networking
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Information Systems in Business, Organization and Society (Quiz)
| Intent: | To demonstrate technical knowledge of specified concepts covered in the weekly lectures. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 25% |
Assessment task 2: Identify and Analyse Advanced Information Systems
| Intent: | To propose solutions and recommendations in a collaborative approach. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 25% |
Assessment task 3: In-class Activities
| Intent: | This task will include two problem-solving and discussion activities (group-work) |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 20% |
Assessment task 4: Reflective Report
| Intent: | To reflect on the activities in the form of key lessons learned. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1500 words |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Recommended texts
Management Information Systems, 1st Australian Edition R. Kelly Rainer, Heather Gray, Tomayess Issa, Graeme Pye, Indrit Troshani, Brad Prince, Hugh J. Watson ISBN: 9781118646021
Introduction to Information Systems, 7th Edition, R. Kelly Rainer, Brad Prince, ISBN: 978-1-119-36296-8
Other resources
Online resources for this subject including lecture slides, tutorial exercises, assignment instructions, and announcements will be available via Canvas at https://canvas.uts.edu.au/
U:PASS
UTS Peer Assisted Study Success is a voluntary “study session” where you will be studying the subject with other students in a group. It is led by a student who has previously achieved a distinction or high distinction in the subject area, and who has a good WAM. Leaders will prepare activities for you to work on in groups based on the content you are learning in lectures and tutorials. It’s really relaxed, friendly, and informal. Because the leader is a student just like you, they understand what it’s like to study the subject and how to do well, and they can pass those tips along to you. Students also say it’s a great way to meet new people and a “guaranteed study hour”.
You can sign up for U:PASS sessions via U:PASS website http://tinyurl.com/upass2017 Note that sign up is not open until week 2, as it’s voluntary and only students who want to go should sign up.
If you have any questions or concerns about U:PASS, please contact Georgina at upass@uts.edu.au, or check out the website.