IFQ552 Systems Analysis and Design
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | IFQ552 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | IFN552 |
| Credit points: | 6 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | $596 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $2,058 |
| International unit fee | $2,808 |
Unit Outline: Session-2A 2026, QUT Online, Online
| Unit code: | IFQ552 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 6 |
| Equivalent: | IFN552 |
Overview
The unit outlines the process of clarifying business problems that an IT system can help to resolve, and provides a working knowledge of principles, contexts and methods that IT experts use, either individually or in a group, to analyse and design an IT system. The knowledge and skills (both hard skills such as the modelling techniques and soft skills such as team work) that you learn in this unit will be used extensively in your professional life following graduation. The unit builds your skills towards any career related to operational analysis and design of a specific business scope, including Business Analyst, Solution Architect and Project Manager.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse a real-world problem or opportunity to generate relevant stakeholder questions to elicit requirements and to analyse information for the design of a system
- Apply visual and written communication tools to explain design outputs in independent and collaborative contexts
- Reflect upon how personal learning applies to professional contexts and the process of working collaboratively
Content
You will be introduced to the process of identifying user needs, defining problems, and ideating possible solutions. Based on your growing IT expertise and interests, you will be asked to analyse and design solutions to contemporary industry problems, relevant to you and the community. Experts from industry and QUT will provide a series of real world case studies to introduce you to a topic. The team design project will provide the opportunity for you to apply your analysis and to use a variety of visual communication techniques and methods (particularly Fundamental Modelling Concepts and Unified Modelling Language) to document and describe your design ideas. This design process will culminate in your realisation of effective and cost-effective pre-production design concepts using different software and presentation mediums. This unit introduces the methods of high-performing teams to provide you with a solid base on which to develop skills required to work productively as a team member and in industry. It also provides a better understanding of team processes. You will be leveraging your growing knowledge of analysis and design of IT systems, and respond to constructive feedback from your peers in kind. Through this team project you will also acquire the skills and knowledge required to participate as an individual and as an effective team member, learning how to critically reflect upon your learning and performance.
Learning Approaches
This unit is available for you to study online. The teaching material will be available via Canvas. You will be collaborating with peers to explore design issues and develop skills in each phase of the design process. Teamwork skills will be developed. You will also conduct and complete some of the activities independently (as an individual). In tandem with your design focus, you will practice the techniques required to develop your communication, reflection and teamwork skills. This learning is facilitated by communicating your analysis and design with your teacher on a weekly basis. All of these elements are assessed progressively throughout the unit offering you multiple opportunities to demonstrate your progress and receive feedback on your learning experiences.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you through ongoing peer and learning facilitator feedback on design activities, written comments on assessment work with graded criteria sheets, and formative critique on presentation of your diagrams.
Assessment
Overview
You will analyse and design an IT artefact based on a case study that the teaching team provides for you or based on a case that you propose in a specific domain. The structure of the assessment (tasks and questions) is designed by the coordinator with contribution from industry experts, ensuring that the assessment reflects real-world IT practices. You will need to use an appropriate visual modelling tool to deliver a significant part of the results. The results will include several components such as a concise requirements matrix/table, Fundamental Modelling Concepts (FMC) diagrams which provide a high-level view of the system and its structure, use cases and your Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams which provide a more detailed view of the system. For the assessment, there is an expectation that you demonstrate competency in executing the various analysis and design methods associated with the development of your work. Students should reflect on their learning and skills throughout the entire process, and will be asked to review the effectiveness of the outputs.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Initial analysis and design
Analyse and design of an IT system based on a case study that the teaching team provides or based on a case that a student group proposes in a specific domain. The results will include several components such as a concise requirements matrix/table, use cases, and UML and/or FMC diagrams that illustrate the design.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Design Challenge
Analyse and design of an IT system based on a case study that the teaching team provides or based on a case that a student group proposes in a specific domain. The results will include several components such as a concise requirements matrix, use cases, and UML and/or FMC diagrams that illustrate the design.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
- Free software for visualisation of design, which will be identified and explained during the teaching period.
- There is no prescribed textbook. Most tasks are set around freely available university modules and resources and will be made available through the unit's Canvas site. Appropriate references will be made available on Canvas as well as relevant links.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit. For on campus classes (which may not be relevant to online classes/units) you will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area that will be indicated to you. You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times whilst on campus or in the field.