The unit will provide with students with an introduction and broad overview of the application of IT to the management of information in organizations, and the role of the IT professional in developing and implementing IT-based solutions to information problems. The discussion of the organizational framework for IT and IT professional practice will be set within its broader social context. The opportunities, problems and risks associated with IT will be examined, together with their implications for the rights and responsibilities of IT professionals.
Nil.
| At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of: |
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| 1. |
Basic concepts of information, including organizational and social issues relating to the ownership and control of information; |
| 2. |
Basic concepts of information systems, including their role and importance in organizations and society; |
| 3. |
Basic concepts of organizations, including organizational structures, the roles of individuals and groups in organizations, the role of communication in achieving organizational objectives, and the nature of communication in organizations; |
| 4. |
Basic concepts of IT as it is used in organizations and society, including the evolution of the role of IT in organizations and society; |
| 5. |
Information technologies and information technology infrastructures employed by organizations; |
| 6. |
The business and information management processes and functions for which IT is used in organizations, and in which IT professionals are involved; |
| 7. |
Opportunities, risks and liabilities arising from the usage and application of IT in organizations; |
| 8. |
Processes of acquiring, developing and managing IT in organizations; |
| 9. |
Techniques and tools for describing and analysing information management processes in organizations; |
| 10. |
The roles of IT workers in organizations and the range of ethical and professional rights and responsibilities associated with them; |
| 11. |
Organizational and social issues arising from the use of IT in organizations, including privacy and civil liberties issues. |
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| At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to: |
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| 12. |
Recognise the importance of information to organizational processes and functions; |
| 13. |
Recognise the opportunities and limitations of the role which IT can play in managing information in organizations; |
| 14. |
Appreciate the importance of the IT practitioner's role in organizations and society, and the responsibilities it entails. |
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| At the completion of this unit students will have the skills to: |
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| 15. |
Document organizational information-related functions and processes; |
| 16. |
Assess the potential scope for using IT as part of the solution to an organizational information problem; |
| 17. |
Identify and discuss issues, problems and opportunities in using IT in organizations; |
| 18. |
Identify and discuss the organizational and social impacts of IT, and the ethical dimensions of IT-related decisions. |
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| At the completion of this unit students will have developed the teamwork skills needed to: |
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| 19. |
Recognise the team skills necessary for successful development and implementation of IT solutions to information problems in organizations; |
| 20. |
Appreciate the importance of the inter-relationships between IT professionals and the stakeholders in IT-based systems in organizations. |
