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Foundations of Information Technology (ED680) Computer Based Learning and Training (CBLT) Autumn 2002 © 2002 University of Southampton

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Foundations of Information Technology (ED680)

Computer Based Learning and Training (CBLT) Autumn 2002

© 2002 University of Southampton

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Foundations of Information Technology (ED680) ............................................................................................1

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................1 Aims .....................................................................................................................................................................1 Outcomes...........................................................................................................................................................1 Teaching and Learning....................................................................................................................................1 Timetable ............................................................................................................................................................2 Student Presentations.......................................................................................................................................2 Reading Advice ................................................................................................................................................2 Assessment .........................................................................................................................................................3

Overview ........................................................................................................................................................3 Your assignment for this unit........................................................................................................................3

Things to avoid: .........................................................................................................................................4 Things that help: ........................................................................................................................................4

Assessment Criteria .......................................................................................................................................4 Assignment Submission.................................................................................................................................4

Evaluation ...............................................................................................................................................................7 Informal Evaluation ...........................................................................................................................................7 Formal Evaluation..............................................................................................................................................7

Session 01 - Introduction to the Unit ...................................................................................................................8 Intended Learning Outcomes ........................................................................................................................8 Learning Activities .............................................................................................................................................8 Review.................................................................................................................................................................8 Electronic File Stores..........................................................................................................................................8

Personal Home Filestore...............................................................................................................................8 Electronic Portfolio System (EPS).................................................................................................................9

Preparation for next session.............................................................................................................................9 Session 02 - What is IT /ICT/ Computing...........................................................................................................10

Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................10 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................10 Review...............................................................................................................................................................10 Preparation for next session...........................................................................................................................10

Session 03 - Legal Issues and IT ..........................................................................................................................11 Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................11 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................11 Review...............................................................................................................................................................11 Preparation for next session...........................................................................................................................11

Session 04 - Reading Week ................................................................................................................................12 Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................12 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................12 Review...............................................................................................................................................................12 Preparation for next session...........................................................................................................................12

Session 05 - Computers, ethics and society - Social implications ...............................................................13 Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................13 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................13 Review...............................................................................................................................................................13 Preparation for next session...........................................................................................................................13

Session 06 - Policy to Practice - The forces driving IT.....................................................................................14 Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................14 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................14 Review...............................................................................................................................................................14 Preparation for next session...........................................................................................................................14

Session 07 - The future of IT - industry standard PC - core applications.....................................................15 Intended Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................15 Learning Activities ...........................................................................................................................................15 Review...............................................................................................................................................................15 Unit Evaluation .................................................................................................................................................15

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Foundations of Information Technology (ED680)

Introduction This unit provides you with the opportunity to establish a better and more comprehensive understanding of the development and impact of Information Technology(IT). You will also start to develop and refine your academic skills, particularly in terms of:

• Learning style • Writing style • Research habits

During this unit you will be introduced to some approaches to the study of 'the foundations of IT'. Broadly these can be divided into groups such as: Technical developments; Social Impacts; Economic Impacts; and Educational Impacts. These are not prescriptive or exclusive and clearly there are aspects of each which overlap. You will also begin to develop some practical skills relating to the use of technology within the University of Southampton.

Aims The aims of the unit are:

• To introduce the main concepts of information technology (IT) • To create an awareness of current trends and implications in IT • To place the development of IT within a social/educational perspective • To develop a set of practical ICT skills • To develop an academic approach to 'study'

Outcomes By the end of the unit you will:

• Be aware of the key concepts of IT • Have a more detailed knowledge of one or more aspects of the development of

IT • Be able to identify specific examples of the impact that IT has on 'Society' • Have developed and/or refined some practical ICT skills • Have developed and/or refined an academic approach to study

Teaching and Learning Each of you will bring to the sessions a different set of experiences and perspectives on the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Evidence from previous students indicates that the exchange of views and perspectives is particularly valuable in gaining deeper personal insights and challenging preconceptions. During this and other units you will have opportunities to:

• Present ideas and information • Discuss perspectives • Share experiences • Identify sources of information • Practice and refine practical skills • Set personal targets • Discuss and devise appropriate assignment tasks

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Timetable Sessions run from 16:00 to 19:30 - Building 25 Room 1011

Date Session Title 09/10/02 01 Introduction to the Unit - the unit in context - session structure -

Advice - Assessment - Support - Presentations - webmail - Account management - Auto forward - EPS - Home filestore

16/10/02 02 What is IT /ICT/ Computing / - definitions - When did it start? How has it progressed? Chronology - assumptions - FTP with WS_FTP? Personal web pages (Presentations)

23/10/02 03 Legal issues and IT - (Presentations) Assignments 30/10/02 04 Reading Week (Directed Activities) 06/11/02 05 Computers, ethics and society - Social implications 13/11/02 06 Policy to Practice - The forces driving IT (Presentations) (GC) 20/11/02 07 The future of IT - industry standard PC - core applications

(Presentations) (MP)

Student Presentations It is an expectation that students contribute to sessions by making a presentation. It is most important to understand that the presentations can represent opportunities to rehearse discussions and evaluations you will present in your assignments. They need not be 'polished' performances but simply be focussed dialogues. You have the opportunity, without interruption, to present the scenario/arguments/product and then you control the direction and degree of discussion. They are not normally part of the formal assessment process. They should brief and not in excess of 10 minutes including questions and discussion.

Reading Advice If you carry out a search for Information Technology or Information and Communications Technology on the University of Southampton library catalogue 'WebCat' it returns in excess of 950 records! Consequently the very brief list below is purely indicative and you are strongly encouraged to identify your own sources. Some basic advice follows that is intended to illustrate some efficient and effective approaches to your academic reading. In general you are encouraged to refer to an appropriate balance of web based electronic resources, periodicals and books. Periodicals: Both electronic copy and hard copy are available. From a study point of view there are several advantages of consulting periodicals:

• They provide recent perspectives which have been scrutinised by fellow academics.

• They present, in a relatively concise format, several papers by different authors. • Each paper normally commences with an abstract which briefly summarises the

key issues raised by the author. • Each paper concludes with a summary and/or a set of clear conclusions. • Each paper provides a useful bibliography. • Several points of view and links to other sources can be accessed. It is therefore

relatively quick method of collecting several points of view. Some periodicals held in Hartley Library which may be of interest include:

• Computer journal (per QA & available on the Internet)

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• Computer survey (perTK) • Computers UK: an annual survey of the computer industry in Britain (per Q) • Interactions: new visions of human-computer interaction (per Q) • Behaviour and information technology (per Z & available on the Internet) • Ethics and information technology (per BF) • Information technology & public policy (per Z) • Journal of information technology (per Z & available on the Internet) • Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education (per HF)

Books: For similar reasons to those noted above, if you identify books which form an edited collection of chapters you can quickly gain a range of perspectives and gain access to other bibliographic references. This is not to devalue the benefits of a carefully argued book, often you will get an indication of which books to consult through examining the authors in bibliographies and periodical references. World Wide Web: There is a vast array of material available on the web. Unfortunately the range and scope of material is matched by the range and scope in its quality. Electronic material has to be judged for its validity, plausibility, integrity and bias.

Assessment

Overview Computer Based Learning / Training Units are assessed either by a practical assignment (e.g. page design, database construction) or an extended study (e.g. A review article of a selected topic) normally of 4000 words or equivalent. You are expected to use an acknowledged referencing method and be consistent. Guidelines are issued by Hartley Library and the Harvard system is commonly accepted. For those of you intending to progress through to a dissertation, it is advisable to bear in mind that the content of unit assessments can help contribute to your dissertation in several ways:

• developing your thinking/ideas • setting the scene for the dissertation • rehearsing the arguments and discussions

You are strongly advised to take very careful but brief notes of the reference materials you consult. You may consider it appropriate to establish a bibliographic record system. It is possible to use EndNote bibliographic software on University of Southampton public workstations. (http://www.sucs.soton.ac.uk/software/pp541.html ) A Brief Guide to Using EndNote Bibliographic Software is available at: http://www.socscinet.soton.ac.uk/academic/docs/Skills/A%20Brief%20Guide%20to%20Using%20EndNote.doc

Your assignment for this unit There is not a prescribed title for your assignment. You will need to negotiate the content and title of your assignment with your tutor(s). You are advised to have resolved a title by the beginning of Session 5. The content may be drawn from the sessions or may be related to an aspect of interest related to you workplace but drawn from the broad area of 'Foundations of Information Technology'. You need to ensure that the content does not encroach on any future areas of study within the CBLT field of study. Previous titles have included:

• Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Distance Education

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• The Learning Society? • An Examination Of The Requirement For An Information Technology Training

Needs Analysis Procedure For The Wiltshire Constabulary Training Department • Intranets: What Are They and is There a Place for Them in Education? • Web page engineering to attract visitors to a web site: The current considerations

for a small organization • Geographical Information Systems: What are they?

Crucially for this Foundations of IT unit the emphasis of the work should be focussed on the development of the technology and a consideration of the impacts. For example, assume that you wished to focus on how the development of corporate e-mail has changed issues at law. You may argue that it is the legal system that has changed and brought about change in the use and application of technology. You would need to seek out research and other evidence that supported your case. You would need to show that you are aware of counter arguments and use evidence to undermine the opposing view. You would need to demonstrate an awareness of the development of e-mail technology and highlight critical moments in the development of the technology.

Things to avoid: Experience indicates that for those not accustomed to working and writing at Masters level their work tends to be least successful because it tends to:

• Lack a sufficiently well established argument. • Be over descriptive and insufficiently analytical. • Be written in too informal a style. • Not take sufficient notice of the marking criteria

Things that help: • Try to establish a clear thesis statement. Bloggs et. Al (2001) have suggested that

desktop personal computers (PCs) will become extinct by 2020. This assignment argues against Bloggs and presents a case for a continuing need for the traditional desktop PC.

• Try to ensure you explain rather than just describe. Try to show a balanced point of view but highlighting any weaknesses. Examine methodology - is Bloggs method flawed?

• Read academic journals with a particular view to examine the writing style. Apart from the introduction and conclusion do not use personal pronouns.

• Examine the assessment criteria carefully to establish what is required to gain the best grade profiles.

Assessment Criteria The assessment criteria and grade descriptors are detailed in the Masters, Diploma and Certificate Courses Student Handbook. Due to the nature of CBLT there are times when some of the criteria are not appropriate and consequently do not apply. Please read the assessment criteria carefully before you start reading and preparing your assignment.

Assignment Submission You are required to submit your work in an electronic form, capable of being viewed via the web, normally as web pages. Until such time as the examinations board meets, you are required to retain your own copy of your work as submitted plus a secure backup. You are strongly encouraged to ensure that the html code is as clean as possible.

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Common errors include renaming of files and not adjusting hyperlink references; either using absolute web referencing or not or combining the two; not checking that hyperlinks function correctly; and forgetting to include all files. Functionality Testing You are strongly encouraged to use your University web space to test the functionality of your assignment. You may find it more convenient to use a compression utility to zip up your files/folders. The advantage of this is that the attachment is a single zipped file. (The University of Southampton uses Wiz, which is a free ware utility provided by Info Zip) Normally each assignment and its supporting resources must not exceed 1.0 Mb - they must be able to be stored on a single floppy. There is a set process for submitting your work that must be followed: Your work should be e-mailed to

To: [email protected] With the subject

Subject: <Unit Code> <Unit Name> <YourName>

The initial web file must be named index.htm It is good practice to ensure that all file names be eight characters or less and in lower case. All file suffixes must be in lower case. Please endeavour to name files to indicate their nature/content. For example, pic01.gif may more appropriately be named lrnlab01.gif (i.e. lrnlab01 = learning laboratory picture 1) An example minimal file submission would be: index.htm An example set of example files may be: index.htm (the start file) link.gif (an image required by the start file) images (a folder with images, graphics etc.. required by other files) seem.htm (a web file referred directly through a hyperlink in the start file) bibliog.htm (a web file bibliography linked from the start file) Immediately after you have e-mailed your file you must alert the Advanced Courses Office that you have attempted to submitted your work. Access the web and point your browser to http://www.soton.ac.uk/~rgseaco/submission/ . Use the electronic form at that location and complete it according to the following principles:

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Citations, Referencing and Bibliography You are expected to use an acknowledged referencing method and be consistent. Guidelines are issued by Hartley Library and the Harvard system is commonly accepted. You must be consistent in how you use and cite your references. Some basic rules include:

• Acknowledge all sources. • Always cite the sources of ideas that you take from other writers and ensure that

you do not reproduce extracts from works verbatim (or near verbatim) other than as marked and referenced quotations. Short quotations of less than about 25 words may be contained within the text in single inverted commas. Longer quotations should be indented without quotation marks.

• Ensure quotations are accurate. The reference for a quotation normally needs to identify the specific page and the quote must be precise.

• Ensure a complete and comprehensive bibliography is included. • Present your bibliography in alphabetical order by author

Details and examples of how to reference the whole range of sources are provided at:

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/using_the_library/html/harvard_system.html

http://www.lmu.ac.uk/lss/ls/docs/Harvard/acftitle.htm

http://www.unn.ac.uk/central/isd/cite/index.htm

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Evaluation The CBLT units are evaluated in several ways both formally and informally. We welcome your comments as part of a continuous process of programme and course improvement.

Informal Evaluation Throughout the units and through discussions we monitor areas for development and or adjustment.

Formal Evaluation Apart from the formal course based Quality Assurance systems, individual units are formally evaluated. At the conclusion of each unit you will have an opportunity to provide us with formal feedback based on the standard University Evaluation form. As you would expect the method of evaluation adopted by the CBLT Field of Study relies on an electronic form which is available on the web. http://www.soton.ac.uk/~cblt/eval

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Session 01 - Introduction to the Unit

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Have an initial and developing understanding of the terms IT and ICT • Be aware of assessment criteria and assignment processes • Be aware of the context for this Unit of Study • Be aware of the need to develop appropriate study patterns • Be able to access Computer Services • Have identified a theme or topic for your presentation • Have accessed your personal home filestore • Know how to get support and advice from Computing Services • Know how to adjust and establish automatic e-mail forwarding from your

University account.

Learning Activities • Introductory presentation; • Using a word processor (or other software as directed) and working in pairs,

construct a list of synonyms for each of the following words: Information, Technology, Communications, Foundations;

• Using the web search for and compare different definitions of IT and ICT; • Working as a group, reflect on your list of synonyms and construct agreed

definitions of IT and ICT; • If you have not already done so, subscribe to computing services - you will need

you student number ; • Access your 'Home Filestore' and create a new folder e.g. MyCBLT; • Create an 'EPS' account; • Discuss possibilities for your presentation and identify a session.

Review Concepts of Information Technology and Information Communications Technology and the notion of the Foundations of Information Technology are complex. The perspectives of different academic and workplace disciplines, will normally have a filtering effect on understanding. Even people within the same discipline may bring different constructions of understanding. It is important to be aware of, appreciate and acknowledge such different perspectives when studying and discussing any concept, notion, idea, skill or understanding.

Electronic File Stores

Personal Home Filestore Your home filestore is an area of disk storage held centrally on the University network You can access it from any of the public workstations, in any location, so it's very convenient to use, and it's backed up. You can use it to store any type of computer file - e.g., Word documents or Web pages. You normally access it by clicking on 'Connect Home Filestore' on a public workstation desktop. Once connected, it acts like floppy disk drive A or hard disk drive C - it just has a different letter, usually but not necessarily drive H. You only need connect to you home filestore once each session.

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This is also a storage area where your e-mail files are automatically stored. You must not access e-mail from this location. Use an e-mail program such as Outlook Express or Webmail (http://www.webmail.soton.ac.uk ) Some important points to note are:

• It is available to you only - it is protected by your password; • It is convenient – you can use standard file management applications on public

workstation; • It is accessible - not only from any public PC workstation, but also via dialup

access to the University using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software; • It is secure – floppy disks and zip disks can be lost and can easily be corrupted or

damaged, even with careful use; • Your home filestore is regularly backed up by Computing Services, so if you lose or

accidentally erase a file, there is a chance you can get that file back again. Warning: Your Home filestore may store files created by different systems. Do not inadvertently delete files using one system (e.g. Windows 98) that were placed there by another system (e.g. electronic mail). To make sure that you keep these files separate you are strongly advised to create a new folder within your Home filestore (called for example MyCBLT). For more information visit: i-zone → Saving your work

Electronic Portfolio System (EPS) The EPS is based on internet and web technologies. Full details are provided at: http://www.soton.ac.uk/~pgce/eps where you must apply for your EPS 'account'. Please make a careful note of your password for the EPS system. The password access to EPS is independent of Computing Services usernames and passwords. There is a 5 Mb limit placed upon the size of a portfolio and a 2mB limit on the size of individual files. However you may always apply for an additional account e.g. Firstname.Surname2 You will be able to access your EPS account 'easily' from any computer that is connected to the internet.

Preparation for next session Identify and record four personal learning targets for this unit. E-mail them as a simple list:

To: [email protected] Subject: <First Name> <Surname> Foundations Targets

Prepare presentations

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Session 02 - What is IT /ICT/ Computing

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Have an understanding of the broad phases of computer development; • Know how to access your home filestore and web filestore from outside the

University of Southampton domain; • Have created a personal web page and made it available on the web

Learning Activities • Phases of Computing development - Presentation; • Acquiring File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software - Demonstration; • Use Computing Services web pages to establish the FTP settings necessary to

access your home filestore; • Use the digital camera to get an image of yourself for your web page; • Digital photographs - file types & sizes - Discussion; • Use 'connect to home filestore' to establish a web filestore; • Automating permissions - learning issues; • Use FrontPage Extra, Adobe GoLive, Netscape Composer, Dreamweaver or if you

can a text editor to create a simple personal home page; • Upload your page and necessary resources to your webfile space - using FTP.

Review Technical developments in electronics can be linked to the development phases of computing. There is a tendency to examine the development of computing in terms of processing power but this is just one approach. In discussing and examining the development of computing it is important to consider the society or communities that have been most and or least affected.

Preparation for next session To get a flavour of some legal perspectives relating to electronic media review these short articles: The Top Ten Cyber-Commandments For Web Site Legal Pages http://www.adlaw.com/rc/cyber/cs_tenlp.html The Top Ten Cyber-Commandments of Web Site Domain Names http://www.adlaw.com/rc/cyber/cs_tendn.html

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Session 03 - Legal Issues and IT

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Be aware of some UK statutes related to the IT industry and users of IT • Be aware of some illustrative case law regarding the use of IT • Be increasingly aware of some copyright and trademark issues connected with IT

Learning Activities • Introductory presentation • Working in pairs/small groups examine case scenarios and suggest a resolution • Working in pairs/small groups examine copyright and trademark scenarios and

suggest a resolution

Review Compared with many academic areas of study Information Technology is in its infancy. The legal framework that has and is being developed is even younger still. The case law developing in the English courts and elsewhere is gradually laying down some generic principles that can be applied to Information Technology as it itself develops. The areas of copyright and trademark are complex in themselves. Overlay this with Information Technology, which is not necessarily governed by national borders or jurisdictions and undergoes rapid and organic growth and change and it is understandable that these issues and particularly complex and not entirely established.

Preparation for next session Next weeks session falls during Reading Week. The workstations have been booked for you, should you wish to make use of the time to practise and develop skills or undertake web based research. Equally, you may work and attend to the session from home if you choose to do so. The session also gives you an opportunity to make progress in starting your assignment research and reading etc. for this unit.

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Session 04 - Reading Week

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Develop, enhance or extend practical IT skills (as required) • Be increasingly aware of how communications technology can impact on certain

developed societies • Be developing a clear assignment focus for this unit • Establish some key sources of research and information regarding the Foundations

of Information Technology

Learning Activities • Read Chanan, M (1985) The Reuters Factor in Chant, C., (Ed) (1988) Sources for

the study of science, technology and everyday life 1870-1950 Vol. 2 Hodder & Stoughton in association with Open University.

o Is a strong argument presented? o Is the case well supported? o Since this paper was first published are any of the points made now

obsolete or disproved? o To what extent do you consider this historical case study useful in

predicting or understanding how IT has and or will impact of various societies?

• If you have not yet decided on a focus for this unit's assignment brainstorm some ideas and then visit the library (or a library) and/or access electronic journals to gain a view if there is a sufficient body of research material to draw on.

o Consider what advantages there may or may not be in browsing a library 'for real' and browsing a library 'virtually'.

• Please confirm with your tutor by e-mail the title of your assignment. Include a very brief (no more than 150 words) outline of the key arguments/your proposal - ideally formulate a thesis statement. Identify at least six sources of information. Your e-mail should reach your tutor at least 36 hours before the next session.

To: [email protected] Subject: ED680 <First Name> <Surname> Assignment Title

Review Channan's paper should give some insights into the development of 'new technologies' in general. It is an example of an academic writing. It should provoke some reflections on the development of IT and the factors that may impact on the adoption of new technologies. It is important to begin reading and searching for appropriate sources of information and research to use in your assignment for this unit. Experience indicates that setting some targets at this stage helps students manage the assignment writing process.

Preparation for next session TBA

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Session 05 - Computers, ethics and society - Social implications

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Have examined the notion of 'Society' • Have a clear understanding of the key ethical issues concerning impact of I(C)T • Be able to identify examples of both positive and negative impacts of ICT on

society • Have an increased awareness of the push-pull relationships between Society and

I(C)T • Have an increased awareness of the notion of a digital divide. • Be able to identify the important issues relating to ethics within your own work • Be able to identify important ethical aspects relating to your academic and

research work • Have an increased understanding of ethical and moral computing issues such as;

privacy, freedom and democracy; ethics in research; illegal and immoral issues; loyalty and patriotism

Learning Activities • Initial discussion and presentation. • Points for consideration:

o Which ethical standpoints are possible and reasonable? o Which moral standpoints are possible and reasonable? o Which societies, cultures, groups and individuals are involved?

Review When discussing the impact of any technology on society it is important to be clear about the nature and make up of the society that is under consideration. Impacts may be examined within a broad sense of society, as cohorts within a specific society, as interactions between separate societies and in a temporal sense between today's and tomorrow's societies. The apparent values of a technology are achieved as a result of the interplay between the perceived gains and losses the technology may bring to society. With the introduction and development of any technology there will be ethical considerations. It may be the case that a 'Digital Divide' exists to the advantage of some and disadvantage of others.

Preparation for next session TBA

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Session 06 - Policy to Practice - The forces driving IT

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will: (Subject to change)

• Have an improved understanding of the notions: Policy; Strategy; and Action • Be better able to relate general management issues to I(C)T issues • Be able to start to identify specific critical path issues specific to I(C)T • Have considered the relationship between I(C)T and Information policies

Learning Activities (Subject to change)

• Initial discussion/presentation • Members of the group, as appropriate, will briefly describe the key aspects of an

ICT policy • The group will reach an agreement about the distinction between the terms:

Policy; Strategy; and Action • Working in pairs consider the reasons why I(C)T may be a special case in terms of

organisational planning • Create a brief outline of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

(SWOT) connected with the move from 'policy to practice' in I(C)T Additional websites that may be of use in supporting this session:

http://www.bigbrownenvelope.co.uk http://www.topmarks.co.uk http://www.icteachers.co.uk http://www.byteachers.org.uk http://www.ie.ac.uk/ics/pgceictresources http://www.canteach.gov.uk/info/ict/nof

These sites have example ICT policies or links to policies. The link from the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) website (http:www.canteach.gov.uk) to the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), outlines the outcomes which spell out expectations of Teaching staff and so could help determine policy.

Review An organisation needs to have a planned and structured approach to its use of I(C)T. The development of this plan will be influenced by the general ethos of the organisation. In some cases the plan will grow organically from the grassroots: bottom-up. In other cases the plan will be imposed from above: top-down. It may be the case that, unlike other organisational plans and implementations, a different approach is required for I(C)T. There are critical points when putting an I(C)T policy into practice. If this aspect of the foundations of I(C)T is of interest you should try to relate what you know about I(C)T to the discipline of Change Management

Preparation for next session Although the issues raised may not be addressed directly it will be useful to visit and reflect on the information concerning one 'future technology' , namely Nanotechnology at http://www.zyvex.com/nano/

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Session 07 - The future of IT - industry standard PC - core applications

Intended Learning Outcomes Through engaging in self-study, preparation and learning activities, you will:

• Have an increased awareness of technologies under development and start to make informed judgements about their potential.

Learning Activities • Discussion and initial presentation

o Are there any 'truths' about predicting new technological developments and what impacts they may have?

o What factors may drive the adoption of 'new technologies'? • Is there anything fundamentally different between the impacts and adoption of

'new technologies' in previous years and those offered by Information technology?

Review It appears reasonable to argue that any involvement in new Information Technology needs to be viewed with a degree of scepticism. It is useful to be aware of the number and range of new technologies that have 'failed' and to be able to suggest why those technologies have failed. This experience and insight should assist in the development of appropriate perceptions about future technologies.

Unit Evaluation Please complete an Evaluation form before you leave this session. Details will be provided by your tutor.