Autumn Semester

Unit(s) of Assessment	Weighting Towards Module Mark( %)
2 hour unseen examination	50%
Information Systems Trends Presentation: Presenting findings on a review of the current trends in Information Systems, exploring the role of technologies, processes and systems within organisations. Presentations are group based and will be on a range of provided topics.	10%
Information Systems Trends Review: Developing a course handbook that reviews the current trends in Information Systems to explore the role of technologies, processes and systems within organisations through reviewing current practice and providing examples as part of their review.   The review will be assessed against the depth of coverage, critique of material, quality of sources and analysis of the field. Reviews are group based and will be on a range of provided topics. Both pieces of coursework will be marked per group, but an individual weighting will be applied for each student.	40%
Qualifying Condition(s)  A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module.

The pace of change in Information Technology (IT) requires practitioners who wish to maximally exploit technology to constantly maintain their professional knowledge. Within an organisational context, IT practitioners must also maintain an awareness of an organisation’s strategic goals, recognise opportunities for organisational change, and plan and undertake change, making sure factors other than those directly related to technology are taken into account, such as managing sociological and human constraints. Starting with a brief introduction to organisational theory, the module will explore organisational strategies that exploit IT, following these through to planning and proposing change. This will be underpinned by knowledge of the Systems Development Lifecycle, relating systems development to changes in organisational processes.

None.

The aim of this module is to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to critically evaluate an organisation’s needs in terms of Information Systems (IS) and to propose how IS can be used to enable an organisation to fulfil its goals, using an appropriate knowledge of the strategic use of IT.

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

·     Critically evaluate the role of IT and IS within the management of modern, global organisations.

·     Have a comprehensive understanding of what IT professionals need to be able to apply using a range of different techniques to discover how an organisation may successfully use IS.

·     Have a systematic and discriminating understanding of the types of organisational change that can occur, reflecting upon sociological issues.

·         Apply gained knowledge in an original fashion in order to

o    Define an appropriate strategy for an organisation that identifies ways in which the organisation’s aims can be achieved.

o    Propose how an organisation may exploit new technologies in order to successfully implement organisational and technological change.

The module is divided into the following areas:

·         Introduction

·         Information Systems in Organisations:

o        Business processes and functions

o        Organisation types and strategy

·         Mini-company Competition

·         Organisational Analysis and Change:

o        Organisational analysis

o        Organisational change

o        Service provision

·         Planning and Managing Change:

o        Planning change

o        Finance of change

30 contact hours in weeks 1-10, consisting of:

·         18 hours of lectures.

·         9 hours of example classes and student presentations.

     Beynon-Davies, P. (2009). Business Information Systems. Basingstoke, UK.: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

     Beynon-Davies, P. (2002). Information Systems: An Introduction to Informatics in Organisations. Basingstoke, UK.: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

     Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P. (2004). Management Information Systems, 8^th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall International, Inc.

     Whiteley, D. (2004). Introduction to Information Systems: Organisations, Applications, Technology and Design. Basingstoke, UK.: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Schwalbe, K. (2005). Information Technology Project Management, 4th Edition. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology.

Other Relevant Sources:

Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P. (2004). Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 6^th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall International, Inc.

July 09