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We started with a song from Kutiman from his Thru you ‘album’. This is a ‘remix’ of many YouTube videos to create a something different. One of the important ideas that currently pervades many circles, particularly Business circles, is that ‘remixing’ is not creative, that it adds nothing of value. However, when watching the way that these videos have been put together, we get a sense of newness and creativity. When we really think about it, remix is the basis for everything we do. As learners, we take many ideas from multiple sources and create our own understanding of the material. We bring ideas from books, from lectures, from data and mix them together to meet the criteria of the project, for instance, an assessment item. For our Business Analysis, you will be taking the data we give you, analysing it, reading about the webpages, reading the research you and your colleagues find, discussing ideas in small groups, then creating a unique take on it to satisfy the requirement to recommend a course of action concerning the use of the Internet at Work. Creativity is often difficult to teach, but easy to demonstrate.
We started with a song from Kutiman from his Thru you ‘album’. This is a ‘remix’ of many YouTube videos to create a something different. One of the important ideas that currently pervades many circles, particularly Business circles, is that ‘remixing’ is not creative, that it adds nothing of value. However, when watching the way that these videos have been put together, we get a sense of newness and creativity. When we really think about it, remix is the basis for everything we do. As learners, we take many ideas from multiple sources and create our own understanding of the material. We bring ideas from books, from lectures, from data and mix them together to meet the criteria of the project, for instance, an assessment item. For our Business Analysis, you will be taking the data we give you, analysing it, reading about the webpages, reading the research you and your colleagues find, discussing ideas in small groups, then creating a unique take on it to satisfy the requirement to recommend a course of action concerning the use of the Internet at Work. Creativity is often difficult to teach, but easy to demonstrate.4
Using the Word cloud, below, we can begin to see the key ideas from Information Systems. The larger the word appears, the more that word was used to discuss Information Systems (InfSys) in Wikipedia. Which of these key terms were you surprised to see?
Using the Word cloud, below, we can begin to see the key ideas from Information Systems. The larger the word appears, the more that word was used to discuss Information Systems (InfSys) in Wikipedia. Which of these key terms were you surprised to see?
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The video, ‘Wikis in Plain English’, helps us to understand the processes involved in the collection and use of information. As a relatively newer form of Information System, Wikis enable the sharing of important information. Wikis are a simplified Information System that allows organisations to gather and organise ‘ill-defined’ information. This means that the information may be policies which are under development, daily activities that need to be recorded, or any information that is not easily managed.
The video, ‘Wikis in Plain English’, helps us to understand the processes involved in the collection and use of information. As a relatively newer form of Information System, Wikis enable the sharing of important information. Wikis are a simplified Information System that allows organisations to gather and organise ‘ill-defined’ information. This means that the information may be policies which are under development, daily activities that need to be recorded, or any information that is not easily managed.9
Wikis (a part of our assessment process) allow anyone with permission to edit pages. They are particularly useful for documenting processes and information needed to complete tasks. This is contrasted with traditional systems, such as the Management Information System from within the University.
Wikis (a part of our assessment process) allow anyone with permission to edit pages. They are particularly useful for documenting processes and information needed to complete tasks. This is contrasted with traditional systems, such as the Management Information System from within the University.11
Management Information Systems, for example the Management Information Server, here at Griffith (see picture below), allow collection, storage and use of ‘well-defined’ information. The Management Information System contains specific information about students, about courses, and programs and many other aspects of running a university on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis. Each category of information allows us to make decisions that allow smooth running of courses, or at least, far fewer problems.
Management Information Systems, for example the Management Information Server, here at Griffith (see picture below), allow collection, storage and use of ‘well-defined’ information. The Management Information System contains specific information about students, about courses, and programs and many other aspects of running a university on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis. Each category of information allows us to make decisions that allow smooth running of courses, or at least, far fewer problems.
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Systems like the Management Information Server allow groups to access centralised information for use in the decision making within the organisation. The system allows the people to work purposefully with information to achieve the organisations goals and objectives.
Systems like the Management Information Server allow groups to access centralised information for use in the decision making within the organisation. The system allows the people to work purposefully with information to achieve the organisations goals and objectives.16
- Transaction Processing Systems
- Management Information Systems
- Decision Support Systems
- Enterprise Resource Planning
- Intelligent Systems
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There are typically 5 groups of stakeholders who contribute to the design and development of information systems. These are
There are typically 5 groups of stakeholders who contribute to the design and development of information systems. These are21
Each group of people have a specific role to play and the way they interact with the information will dictate how the system is designed.
Each group of people have a specific role to play and the way they interact with the information will dictate how the system is designed.23
As students of the University, you are all end-users, as am I. Because sharing information is linked to communication, that concept came up again. The following picture shows the potential ways that communication can be problematic in developing systems. Each stakeholder has a different perception of what is being said or needed. This image is intended to be humorous, but remember it as you attempt to work out what to do in assignments. As a lecturer, setting assignments is a complex task (it’s also a system) and while we try to accommodate multiple perceptions, the ways that students interpret requirements is a diverse as the student population. Always remember to ask questions, whether you are writing an assignment or talking to a systems developer.
As students of the University, you are all end-users, as am I. Because sharing information is linked to communication, that concept came up again. The following picture shows the potential ways that communication can be problematic in developing systems. Each stakeholder has a different perception of what is being said or needed. This image is intended to be humorous, but remember it as you attempt to work out what to do in assignments. As a lecturer, setting assignments is a complex task (it’s also a system) and while we try to accommodate multiple perceptions, the ways that students interpret requirements is a diverse as the student population. Always remember to ask questions, whether you are writing an assignment or talking to a systems developer.
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Questions are very important when undertaking systems design and there are a number of different ways that system design can occur. This includes the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and prototyping, to name but two. But fundamentally, as business users (which you will all be when you graduate, if you aren’t already working), the main concern is gaining an understanding of User needs. There are at least 4 questions that must be asked when considering design from the user perspective:
Questions are very important when undertaking systems design and there are a number of different ways that system design can occur. This includes the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and prototyping, to name but two. But fundamentally, as business users (which you will all be when you graduate, if you aren’t already working), the main concern is gaining an understanding of User needs. There are at least 4 questions that must be asked when considering design from the user perspective:27
1. Why do we collect information?
2. What do we use it for?
3. How do we manipulate it?
4. Why is this important?
1. Why do we collect information?2. What do we use it for?
3. How do we manipulate it?
4. Why is this important?
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These questions allow us to focus on the reasons we have an information system and perhaps ensure that it achieves the goals it sets out to. If you consider the Wiki Race from the first Tutorial in Week 2, you can see some parallels to this. The full details of a requirements analysis are in your text book, but the Wiki Race basically focussed on the first two parts of this process, namely:
These questions allow us to focus on the reasons we have an information system and perhaps ensure that it achieves the goals it sets out to. If you consider the Wiki Race from the first Tutorial in Week 2, you can see some parallels to this. The full details of a requirements analysis are in your text book, but the Wiki Race basically focussed on the first two parts of this process, namely:30
The analysis comes later, but in a real life situation, the process is ongoing and cyclic. This is one of the inherent difficulties of designing a system: no-one is ever sure what can be done until they see something the system does and realise that more could be achieved. This is called Scope Creep. The scope of the project keeps expanding until it’s almost unworkable. Clear definitions of what is required really is one of the most important part of systems design.
The analysis comes later, but in a real life situation, the process is ongoing and cyclic. This is one of the inherent difficulties of designing a system: no-one is ever sure what can be done until they see something the system does and realise that more could be achieved. This is called Scope Creep. The scope of the project keeps expanding until it’s almost unworkable. Clear definitions of what is required really is one of the most important part of systems design.32
The changes in devices, for instance the iPod, the iPad and the web-enabled refrigerator challenge our perceptions of everyday objects to help us move to a deeper understanding of the potential of design. Object design, particularly technological and computerised objects, is becoming a larger part of our lives as discussed by Patrick Dixon in the video below.
The changes in devices, for instance the iPod, the iPad and the web-enabled refrigerator challenge our perceptions of everyday objects to help us move to a deeper understanding of the potential of design. Object design, particularly technological and computerised objects, is becoming a larger part of our lives as discussed by Patrick Dixon in the video below.35
Convergence of technology seems to be a key development with devices and systems seeming to need to do everything for everyone all at the same time. It has both positive and negative consequences, and often consequences beyond what we can imagine.
Convergence of technology seems to be a key development with devices and systems seeming to need to do everything for everyone all at the same time. It has both positive and negative consequences, and often consequences beyond what we can imagine.