IAB305 Information Systems Lifecycle Management


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Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:IAB305
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:(IFB103 or ITD103)
Equivalent:IAB205
Coordinator:Alistair Barros | alistair.barros@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit provides the essential skills and knowledge for managing an information system across its lifecycle, spanning inception, design, implementation and production release. For systems inception, it covers the way an information system is proposed and justified, at the highest level, using a business model and business case analysis. Systems design covers the modelling of both business and systems architecture to support new design proposals. Systems implementation focusses on the different options and processes for purchasing off-the-shelf solutions in support of systems design. Production release covers the planning of IT infrastructure to host and run digital solutions as well as organisational change management. The unit expands on skills from IFB103 Systems Design and IAB201 Modelling Techniques for Information Systems. The skills learned in this unit will be utilised and further developed in IAB401 Enterprise Architecture.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Explain the foundations of information systems and their use and governance and project management in an organizational setting.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 4, 4.3, 5, 5.1
  2. Analyse major phases of the system development lifecycle and process used by organizations to manage the information systems.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 4, 4.3
  3. Create a proposal for an information system using business model and business case analysis and specifications.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 4, 4.3
  4. Develop an information system design proposal at the level of business and systems architectures which address functional and non-functional requirements.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 4, 4.3
  5. Analyse how information systems can be supported through IT infrastructure planning and organisational and service management processes.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 5, 5.3
  6. Apply project management strategies and high performing team concepts to build an effective team to deliver an analysis and recommendations for a client.

Content

The first module provides you with an understanding of businesses, their common challenges and needs, and their support through information systems. Using this, you will learn and apply specific techniques to develop high-level proposals for information systems, in terms of business models and cost-based business cases. The business models will include considerations of strategic objectives, targeted market segments, required capabilities, key company partnerships and competitors. 

The second module provides skills and knowledge related to designing information systems at business and IT levels. For the business level, you will learn and apply techniques for modelling business architecture using business capability maps while for the IT level you learn how to develop systems architecture in terms of systems components and interactions using the FMC notation, which is refined from business architecture.

Th third module will provide skills and knowledge related to the production roll-out of information systems and the organisational management processes required for businesses to adopt and effectively utilise newly introduced digital capabilities. You will learn about the Cloud-based IT infrastructure and its capacity planning including server and storage sizing, in order to support current and future hosting needs of applications. In addition, you will gain an appreciation of effective user experience for information systems and organisational change management practices.

Learning Approaches

This unit is available for you to study in either on-campus or online mode. Learning in this unit includes weekly pre-recorded lectures, online activities, tutorials and a unit communications channel, designed to facilitate communication with your peers and teaching staff outside of scheduled classes. You can expect to spend 10 - 15 hours per week involved in preparing for and attending all scheduled tutorial, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent readings to consolidate your learning.

Lectures: Weekly lectures will be recordings, available for your access one week before week they are required for  viewing. 

Tutorials: Weekly two-hour tutorials will be conducted in face-to-face collaborative learning spaces or online.

This unit uses a modular, case-based learning approach where you will engage in collaborative activities with peers, workshops, and lecturers to identify, analyse, present, and report on challenges and solutions to business IT systems. The content of this unit will be delivered using a blended learning approach of online and face-to-face studio sessions.

Weekly lectures require you to come prepared to discuss aspects of the case studies. These interactive lectures will develop your knowledge and skills related to the selection, introduction, and usage of business information systems while the collaborative workshops will enable you to apply, analyse and reflect on your IT and business information systems knowledge, skills, and related issues in real-world contexts. You will be required to work in a team, as you would expect in a business analyst related role. A mid-semester presentation will foster your professional communication skills and behaviour including peer review and feedback. This will assist you to integrate individual and team knowledge and skills into a final professional report.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment is designed progressively across the semester to provide multiple opportunities for feedback and improvement. This includes a mix of oral and written feedback from peers and teachers on portfolio reports and reflections as well as oral and written feedback on your written critique and presentation.

Assessment

Overview

The assessments in this unit have been designed so that you may develop deeper understanding of the knowledge and key skills expected of information systems graduates in a Business Analyst (BA) or IT consultant role.

Early in the semester, you will be asked to form teams of 5 so that you can work together to put together an interim analysis of a case and proposed information systems solution detailing the business capabilities and objectives. The techniques introduced in IFB103 on teamwork will be used and extended in this unit. You will be asked to use team collaboration tools, i.e. Slack and Trello to support your communication and teamwork activities.

Midsemester, each team will present their initial idea in the form of a proposal presentation in a mini-conference to be held in week 6 where you are expected to present your team's idea as well as question and critique other team's ideas.

Later in the semester, you will work with your team to research, analyse, and make a detailed project report. The report will detail the analysis of the organisation in the case, their business needs, problems, opportunities, and IT landscape, and the proposed solutions-choice, rationale of technology and systems, and plans for implementation and promoting the usage of the systems.

You will have weekly activities to apply the knowledge to real-world scenarios. A written final exam, then, will ensure you have gained sufficient skills and knowledge required by BA in industry. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Presentation (Oral)

Proposal Presentation: Working in a team, you will work together to prepare an interactive proposal for presentation in a mini-conference about business information systems issues and opportunities and systems selection for a specific organisation in a specific industry segment.

Weight: 25
Individual/Group: Group
Due (indicative): Mid-Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2

Assessment: Project (applied)

Detailed business case: Working in a team, you will work together to analyse a case, research solutions, and make a proposal regarding the selection, implementation, and usage of the proposed solution.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 40
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Late Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3, 4, 5, 6

Assessment: Examination (written)

Written Exam: Written analysis and solution to problem-solving tasks or case scenarios.

Weight: 35
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Late Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Library and web-based information.

There is no prescribed text book for this unit.

Risk Assessment Statement

All commencing SEF students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Computer Society Core Body of Knowledge

4: Technology Building

  1. Systems development and acquisition
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4

5: ICT Management

  1. IT governance and organisational issues
    Relates to: ULO1
  2. Service management
    Relates to: ULO5

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

IN01 Bachelor of Information Technology

  1. Demonstrate well-developed IT discipline knowledge
    Relates to: ULO1
  2. Employ appropriate IT Methods
    Relates to: ULO2
  3. Critically apply design and problem solving skills
    Relates to: ULO3, ULO4
  4. Create considered and relevant IT solutions
    Relates to: ULO5

PU51 Bachelor of Health Information Management

  1. Critically evaluate and apply theoretical and technical perspectives on health information management (HIM), applicable to professional practice to solve routine and emergent problems. [Knowledge, Practice]
    Relates to: Presentation (Oral), Project (applied), Examination (written)
  2. Initiate effective approaches for engaging in critical thinking, decision making and problem solving that reflect diverse perspectives and culturally safe and responsive practice, encompassing evidence-based HIM solutions. [Practice, Values/Disposition
    Relates to: Presentation (Oral), Project (applied), Examination (written)
  3. Employ digital capabilities in accessing, evaluating, utilising and communicating digital health information across a range of stakeholders, and intra- and inter-professional contexts that demonstrate independence, accountability, creativity and initiative as a HIM professional. [Practice, Values/Disposition]
    Relates to: Project (applied)
  4. Exercise judgement in the context of HIM, informed by sustainable, legal, ethical, and professional perspectives that promote social inclusivity, multidisciplinary collaboration and reflective practice. [Values/Disposition, Knowledge, Practice]
    Relates to: Presentation (Oral), Project (applied), Examination (written)
  5. Reflect critically on performance and feedback to identify self improvements and action learning opportunities, while building productive professional relationships across diverse stakeholders. [Practice, Values/Disposition]
    Relates to: Presentation (Oral)