615-120 Information Systems in Organisations

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Objectives:

At the completion of this subject, students should:

• understand the different types of information systems used in organisations, and the roles of these systems;

• understand the interaction of organisational and technical issues in the use of information systems;

• have hands-on experience in developing and using small personal information systems;

• appreciate the opportunities offered by information systems to create value in organisations, and appreciate as well some of the challenges in achieving that value;

• have a technical foundation for understanding the hardware and software components of information systems;

• be able to describe the technical aspects of an information system, including capacity, scalability, reach and range, adherence to standards, fit with technical architecture, and inherent advantages and disadvantages.

Content:

This subject is part of the foundation for the Bachelor of Information Systems degree and is delivered through a combination of lectures, case studies, technology demonstrations, and laboratory exercises. A variety of software packages is used, including spreadsheets, database managers, and systems for collaborative work. To facilitate additional practical understanding of information systems, electronic messaging between students and faculty is used to distribute information, carry out discussion, complete assignments, and coordinate class activity. Typical commercial systems are examined, including financial, inventory, electronic markets, computer-aided design, manufacturing, etc. Additional topics including a selection from: introduction to computer organisation; local, wide area, and telecommunications networks; programming paradigms including both procedural and object oriented; and programming languages.

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