COMMGMT 2512 - Business Information Systems and Management

Course Details

Course Code	COMMGMT 2512
Course	Business Information Systems and Management
Coordinating Unit	Management
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	COMMGMT 1001
Incompatible	COMMGMT 7024
Assessment	Case studies

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Cate Jerram

Co-coordinators are:

Dr Cate Jerram
#08 8313 4757
cate.jerram@adelaide.edu.au
10.34, Nexus 10

Mr Ian Matthews
ian.matthews@adelaide.edu.au
Nexus 10

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to
1. Source, validate, use, and manage relevant and appropriate information for ethical and effective decision-making and problem-solving, applying systems thinking skills and techniques.
2. Analyse the technology needs required to support a business and liaise effectively with technology personnel for acquisition, maintenance, and business support.
3. Use basic/intermediate spreadsheet skills effectively for information management and decision-making.
4. Be able to explain the use of databases for information management and decision-making, and demonstrate a fundamental grasp of the principles of database design.
5. Assess the quality of information solutions to business problems, applying systems thinking skills and techniques.

Mission Statement

This course will give students a powerful entry to the thinking, skills and tools needed to solve problems and leverage technology for business success.

最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1 - 5
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1 - 5
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	2, 4, 5
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1 - 5
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	5

Required Resources

REQUIRED TEXT

There is no required text. Students research and resource as required.

USUALLY REQUIRED (Excel upskilling)

It is strongly recommended that students update/refresh (or acquire) MS Excel skills to intermediate level. The course will commence with a quick refresher, but is essentially built on an assumption of intermediate level Excel skills.

ONSITE STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING EARPHONES TO CLASS

Recommended Resources

A site which we will use extensively in the course is: .

Again - we recommend that students access Excel Tutorials on YouTube and from Microsoft to refresh and update their Excel skills. A useful (but not necessary) text is: Meadows, Donella. 2008. Thinking in Systems: a Primer. (Ed: Diana Wright). Sustainability Institute. (online with free delivery is cheapest)

Online Learning

BISM is run on heutagogical principles and is very much a case-study and research-based course, so there will be considerable online activity both in class and out.

When possible, sessions will be recorded. However – occasionally recordings fail. As much of the content is research-based and case-based, very little of it will record well. There are few lectures in this class - it's all interactive. Therefore, it is highly recommended that students attend classes whenever they can, whether on campus or in the Live Zoom classroom, as trying to catch up by asynchronously watching recordings of the live class will inevitably be difficult, frustrating, and tedious.

This is a mixed cohort class. That means there will be students attending both onsite and online only (from many time zones) simultaneously. Reminder - onsite students must bring earphones to class. As classes are delivered simultaneously to students on campus in Adelaide and to students with only online access, many classes and sessions will be delivered online. On-campus students must check schedules and watch announcements for sessions and classes when the academic will be online only and not in the classroom. On such occasions on-campus students are free to attend the online sessions in the class lab which remains reserved for the class as scheduled, or join online.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is Mixed Cohort (as explained above in Online Learning).

BISM is case-based and will be taught in 3 hour blocks that will (usually) be separated into (approximately) 3 x 50 min sessions with a 10 minute break between them.These three sessions will (roughly) focus on the 3 critical components each week of:

Systems Theory & Thinking (for Management & Decision-Making);
(Use of) IT & IS in Business; and
Spreadsheets & Databases for Decision-Making

(not necessarily in that order).

Although having a business (rather than technology) focus, the onsite class will be taught in computer labs for access to information management programs such as MS Excel (spreadsheets) and MS Access (database), as well as online research facilities. If attending class online, it is highly recommended to have a second monitor.

Blended Learning / "Flipped" Classroom

Software will be a necessary component of the course, and much of the course content will be online, primarily acquired by students through research. In particular, class lessons on Excel will focus on Excel USE for problem-solving, NOT on "how to do Excel"... each week in the "Preparation for Week #..." page, recommended URLs will be posted for online learning of "how to do Excel" for the necessary functions for the week's lesson. Students are free to use any additional or alternate form of learning Excel, so long as they are able to use Excel adequately well to participate in the "problem-solving with Excel" components of lessons.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The 最新糖心Vlog expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies.
This means that students are expected to commit approximately 12 hour per week to this course (including class time and the research, collaboration, online, & study time outside of your regular classes).

Students are expected to attend all class sessions (live or zoom).
Students are required to complete class preparation (posted in MyUni) before the start of class.
NOTE PARTICULARLY – there is a heavy spreadsheet component. Students new to Excel will have extra preparation each week to be able to work with “spreadsheets for decision-making”. It is possible for new Excel users to succeed in this class, but only if the extra time is invested before class.

Learning Activities Summary

BISM (M) will be taught in 3 hour blocks that will (usually) be separated into (approximately) 3 x 50 min sessions with a 10 minute break between them.

These three sessions will (roughly) focus on the 3 critical components described above in Learning & Teaching Modes.

Core information management software will be studied: MS Excel.

Theoretical debates will be embedded regarding methods for and approaches to data sourcing and analysis, information management, and related ethical, legal, and security issues.

The seminar schedule is flexible and responsive, however, the primary topics taught in the 3 foci are:

Focus One: Systems Theory & Thinking
- Complexity & Systems
- Systems Perspective/ Systems thinking & lots of different Systems branches
- Thinking analysis/self-awareness
- Systems Structure and Behaviour
- Systems Theory/Theories
- Mental Models
- Causal Loops Diagrams
- Feedback Loops
- Reinforcing Loops
- Balancing Loops
- Why Systems Work So Well
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Systems applications to teams & other decision-making situations
- Levers & Leverage for Outcomes (Strategy & Tactics)
- Working with Mental Models
- System Dynamics & CLDs
- System Dynamics & Spreadsheets
Focus Two: IT & IS in Business (Business Information Systems / Management Information Systems)
There is considerable cross-0ver between Focus Two & Focus Three.
- Data, Information and Information Systems in Business (references learning from Business Data & Cyber Security course)
- Information Systems (IS/MIS/BIS) in the professional’s workplace
- Business Requirements Analysis
- Business Analysis Tracking and Documentation
- FlowCharts & Business Mapping & Documentation (BPMN)
- Business, Business Information Systems and IT; how to relate case to theory
- Organisational Strategy, Information Systems, and Competitive Advantage
- Overview of Hardware, Software, Firmware, Data Communications and other technical necessities
- Ram & Rom as memory / cognitive load
- Business Process Management using Functional, Cross-Functional & Inter-organisational Systems
- Information Systems Development
- Information Systems Management & Developing IS Proposals and Budgets
- Information Security Management and Managing Computer Security Risk (references learning
- from Business Data & Cyber Security course)
- Strategic Business Use of e-Commerce (B2B, B2C, B2G), Web 2.0, Social Networking and User-
- Generated Content
- Business Intelligence and Information Systems for Decision-Making;
- Business Implications of the latest developments in IS (incl AI & ML, Blockchain...) (references learning from Business Data & Cyber Security course)
Focus Three: Spreadsheets (& Databases) for Decision-Making Technical skills required include all Basic* and Intermediate level Excel skills. Advanced skills are helpful.

The lessons focus on using the skills for decision-making, more than on acquiring the technical skills. Technical skills are the student's responsibility.

There is considerable cross-over between Focus Two & Focus Three. Focus three also includes:

Business Requirements Analysis
Business Analysis Tracking and Documentation
FlowCharts & Business Mapping & Documentation (BPMN)
Business, Business Information Systems and IT; how to relate case to theory
Information Systems Management & Developing IS Proposals and Budgets
Information Security Management and Managing Computer Security Risk

Basic & Intermediate skills assumed: Workbook & Worksheet; formatting cells; printing; basic functions & formulae (& the difference); charts; pivot table; named range; drop-down list; conditional formatting; text-to-column.

Specific Course Requirements

As this class has a mixed cohort (simultaneous on-site and online students),

onsite students are expected to bring earphones or other means of being able to communicate with online classmates from the class lab;
all cohorts are expected to make the extra effort required to communicate across technological and other challenges, including consideration for students in other time zones.

There is an extremely challenging administrative management load in this course, and students are required to carefully read provided instructions and course advice before contacting a course academic for information already supplied.
ie:
Before contacting a course academic with a question:

Read the course outline.
Read the assessment descriptions.
Read the rubrics (all the cells).
Read all announcements as they arrive.
Check the FAQ section.
Check past announcements.
Check the Discussion Boards: Course Admin and Social.

The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

ASSESSMENT TASK	COLLABORATIVE / INDIVIDUAL	WEIGHTING	WORD COUNT / TIME	DUE DATE	LEARNING OUTCOME
Lab-based Case study 1A Business Requirements Document	(Collaborative) / Individual	30	1 BRD workbook	Concluded in Week 4 class*	1 – 3, 5
Lab-based Case study 1B	Individual	30	reworked BRD + systems anaysis + report	Concluded in Week 8 class	1 - 5
Lab-based Case study 1C	Individual	40	reworked: BRD +systems anaysis +report + dashboard + self-assessment	Concluded in Week 12 class	1 - 5

Assessment Related Requirements

Collaboration vs collusion

While students may collaborate as a team to discuss their ideas of appropriate response to the problem, and design of technical information management solution in the time leading up to the assessment, students will individually determine and write-up their proposed solution, and create their own individual spreadsheet solutions to support their management solution.

Submission

All assessment activities occur in class, therefore submission of all assessment activities occurs in class – on-campus or in the zoom classroom. Any student unable to attend (live or synchronously) an assessment-focused class must negotiate a private assessment with the course coordinator or designated delegate.

Assessment Detail

Assessment 1. Lab-Based Case Study #1A

Students will undertake analysis of a business information problem case study and determine needs analysis for addressing the problems. The needs analysis and relevant workings will be documented in a BRD (Business Requirements Document). Details required in the BRD are listed in MyUni.

The required analysis and documentation will be submitted and discussed in class.
Students will participate in analysis and feedback of peers' work.

While students may collaborate as a team to discuss their ideas of appropriate response to the problem, and design of technical information management solution in the time leading up to the assessment, students will individually determine and write-up their analysis, and create their own individual BRD workbook to demonstrate & document their analysis.

Rubrics available in MyUni.

Assessment 2. Lab-Based Case Study #1B

Students will build on (and, if necessary, rework) their assessed case study BRD; and apply Systems Theory and Systems Thinking to draft analysis of, then prioritize, key information management issues that need to be addressed.
Analysis to be submitted will include BIS/MIS issues and needs, Feedback Loop analysis and Mental Model analysis. Additional Excel worksheets will be created and added at the end of the BRD workbook, to illustrate and evidence issues, using supplied case data.

The part B assessment will include:

the reworked BRD, and
a 1-2 page written analysis with accompanying diagrams. And
Some of the solutions must incorporate spreadsheet (Excel) worksheets (added to the BRD workbook) that use the case data to illustrate and evidence the identified and prioritised problems.

The required analysis and solutions will be submitted and discussed in class during week 8.
Students will participate in analysis and feedback of peers' work.

While students may collaborate as a team to discuss their ideas, students will individually determine and write-up their analysis, and create their own individual workbooks to demonstrate & document their analysis.

Rubrics available in MyUni.

Assessment 3. Lab-Based Case Study #1C

Students will build on their analysis in their previous work on the business information management case study. They will plan, develop annd create soljutions which they will present in class during week 12. The part C analysis will include

a 2-5 page Report (Word.docx) that incorporates

the systems analysis,
MIS analysis, and
suggested solutions (with appropriate diagrams);

with accompanying CLD & S&F & MM diagrams as well as any Flow Charts, BPMN and Gantt Charts that support the suggested solutions and the report.
the previously assessed BRD workbook with additional worksheets that use the case data to illustrate and evidence the identified and prioritised problems.
additional worked spreadsheet solutions for addressing the identified priority measures to present short and long term solutions for the case issues.

The final report will incorporate background, analysis, selection of spreadsheet (and database plan) solutions, and integrated management solution.
It will articulate the systems thinking and systems theory informing the analysis and driving the solutions.
The final workbook solutions will be functional Excel worksheets that accomplish specific solution measures.

The required analysis and solutions will be submitted and discussed in class during week 12.
Students will participate in analysis and feedback of peers' work.

Students will also conduct a self-assessment on the work they are submitting.

While students may collaborate as a team to discuss their ideas, students will individually determine and write-up their analysis and solutions, and create their own individual workbook to demonstrate & document their analysis.

Rubrics available in MyUni.

Submission

The three assessment activities occur (or at least commence) in class. Therefore submission of all assessment activities occurs in class. Any student unable to attend an assessment-focused class (weeks 4, 8, and 12) must negotiate a private assessment with the course coordinator or designated delegate. All written coponents of submissions will be run through TurnItIn.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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