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Monash University

FIT2003 IT professional practice - Semester 2, 2013

This unit provides a practical and theoretical introduction to what it means to be an IT professional today. Students will encounter a range of issues relevant to professional practice in the workplace, as well as an understanding of the wider responsibilities that professionals are called upon to uphold in society. Topics addressed include: organisational and professional communication; teamwork; the nature of the IT professions; the role of professional associations; problem solving and information use; cross-cultural awareness; personal and professional ethics and codes of practice.

Mode of Delivery

  • Caulfield (Day)
  • South Africa (Day)

Contact Hours

2hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk, 1 hr meeting/wk

Workload requirements

Students will be expected to spend a total of 12 hours per week during semester on this unit as follows:

For on-campus students:

  • Lectures: two hours per week
  • Tutorials: two hours per week (requiring advance preparation)
  • Meetings: one hour per week (when working on group projects)

and up to an additional 8 hours in some weeks for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.

Off-campus students generally do not attend lecture and tutorial sessions, however, you should plan to spend equivalent time working through the relevant resources and participating in discussion groups each week.

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

FIT2035

Prerequisites

Completion of 24 points of Information Technology units

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Caulfield

Ann Nicholson

Consultation hours: Monday 10-11; other times by appointment

South Africa

Abraham Van Der Vyver

Consultation hours: To be advised (see Moodle)

Tutors

Caulfield

Pamela Spink

Josh Akerstein

Rebecca Fleming

Morgan Priestnall

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit, students will understand and demonstrate what it means to be an IT professional. They will:
  • be familiar with the variety of roles available to IT professionals;
  • understand the role and function of professional associations;
  • demonstrate an understanding of the ACS code of ethics and the rights and responsibilities of IT professionals;
  • identify and discuss the organisational and social impacts arising from the use of IT, and the ethical dimensions associated with IT-related decisions;
  • be able to explain and demonstrate the elements of effective communication and interpersonal communication skills;
  • be sensitive to and demonstrate understanding of cultural differences to improve intercultural communication;
  • be able to select and use strategies for effective and efficient productive (speaking and writing) and receptive (reading and listening) communications;
  • describe the purpose, protocols, roles and procedures for meetings and interviews;
  • understand the need to and demonstrate the ability to work co-operatively and manage conflict;
  • demonstrate the ability to make effective use of technology in oral and written communication; and
  • develop information gathering, critical evaluation (information and sources) and problem solving skills.

Unit Schedule

Week Activities Assessment
0   No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1 Introduction to FIT2003: Introduction to IT professions and practice (TUTORIAL THIS WEEK) Tutorial preparation and participation to be assessed and eFolio to be worked on, both throughout semester
2 Interpersonal communications: listening, questioning, feedback. Inter-cultural communications  
3 Research and information gathering Assignment 1: - (Assessment tasks 2 and 3) - handed out
4 Oral presentations: verbal & non-verbal communications  
5 Structured communications (e.g. meeting, interview)  
6 Teams: structures, formation, communication Assignment 1: Oral Presentation (Assessment task 2) in tutorial; Report (Assessment task 2) due Friday 6 Sept
7 Professional Issues 1: Professional bodies, ethical frameworks, codes of ethics Assignment 2 - (Assessment tasks 4, 5 and 6) - handed out
8 Professional Issues 2: Legal Issues - Intellectual property and copyright  
9 Written communication 1: Traditional modes of written communication - report, proposal, memo, email  
10 Written communication 2: Online communications - blogs, wikis, web sites, SMS, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn eFolio - (Assessment Task 1) - due Friday 11 October, 2013
11 Professional Issues 3: Privacy, Sustainability, Workplace issues - discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment Assignment 2 - (Assessment task 4) -: Team Presentation due during tutorial class; Written Report - (Assessment task 5) and Online Resource Kit (Assessment task 6) - Friday 18 October, 2013
12 Professional Issues 4: IT security management, reliability. Overview of unit and exam information Question from Week 12 tutorial - (part of Assessment task 7)
  SWOT VAC No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC
  Examination period LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/
academic/education/assessment/
assessment-in-coursework-policy.html

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Assessment Summary

Examination (3 hours): 25%; In-semester assessment: 75%

Assessment Task Value Due Date
eFolio 15% Throughout semester, but finalised Friday October 11, end of Week 10
Assignment 1 - Individual Presentation 10% Week 6 (during tutorial class)
Assignment 1 - Individual Report 10% Week 6, Friday 6 September 2013
Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Team Presentation 10% Week 11 (during tutorial class)
Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Written Report 15% Week 11, Friday 18 October 2013
Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Resource Kit Summary 5% Week 11, Friday 18 October 2013
Tutorial preparation and participation 10% Throughout semester
Examination 1 25% To be advised

Teaching Approach

Lecture and tutorials or problem classes
This teaching and learning approach provides facilitated learning, practical exploration and peer learning.

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Faculty Policy - Unit Assessment Hurdles (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/staff/edgov/policies/assessment-examinations/unit-assessment-hurdles.html)

Academic Integrity - Please see the Demystifying Citing and Referencing tutorial at http://lib.monash.edu/tutorials/citing/

Assessment Tasks

Participation

Students will be assessed on preparation and participation in tutorial activities (10%).

Preparation will be assessed in terms of thoroughness. Participation will be assessed in terms of attendance with contributions to group discussions and level of engagement in tutorial activities, as well as questions produced in Week 12 tutorial. Tutorial activities will also contribute to the eFolio part of the assessment tasks.

As such, there is an expectation that attendance will exceed 70% and as such, attendance will be taken at tutorials. Failure to do so may result in difficulties with passing the unit. For applying for special consideration refer to the link provided under 'Extensions and penalties' at the end of this section.

  • Assessment task 1
    Title:
    eFolio
    Description:
    Students must produce a range of written documents from tutorial activities. These will be collected in a Google-Drive folder that will form an "eFolio".
    Weighting:
    15%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Criteria for assessing the folio are:

    1. Inclusion of all specified documents
    2. Appropriateness of contents
    3. Quality of writing
    4. Quality of presentation
    Due date:
    Throughout semester, but finalised Friday October 11, end of Week 10
    Remarks:
    Students should complete this throughout the semester after the relevant tutorial activities. They may also seek feedback during the semester on drafts at the scheduled tutor sessions.
  • Assessment task 2
    Title:
    Assignment 1 - Individual Presentation
    Description:
    Students must analyse and verify an article in the media on an IT related topic, then give a 5 minute oral presentation to their tutorial class, supported by a visual presentation.
    Weighting:
    10%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Criteria for assessment are:

    1. Selection and organisation of content
    2. Voice (e.g., audibility, intonation, variation)
    3. Use of language (e.g., vocabulary, appropriate level, use of jargon)
    4. Timing
    5. Non-verbal communication (e.g., body language, eye contact)
    6. Quality of visual aids
    Due date:
    Week 6 (during tutorial class)
    Remarks:
    Students will also be expected to fill in feedback forms on other students' presentations.
  • Assessment task 3
    Title:
    Assignment 1 - Individual Report
    Description:
    The students must produce a written report (500 words) on the IT article they have researched and presented for the first part of this assignment.
    Weighting:
    10%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Criteria for assessment are:

    1. Depth of analysis of the chosen article and its sources
    2. Extent of research done to verify articles content (i.e. own sources)
    3. Organisation of report
    4. Quality of writing (including spelling and grammar)
    5. Quality of presentation
    6. Appropriate citation of sources
    Due date:
    Week 6, Friday 6 September 2013
  • Assessment task 4
    Title:
    Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Team Presentation
    Description:
    Students will present a 15 minute team research project on a topic related to the Professional Issues aspects of this unit.
    Weighting:
    10%
    Criteria for assessment:

    All students in a team will get the same mark for the following assessment criteria:

    1. Selection and organisation of content 
    2. Co-ordination of multiple speakers
    3. Quality of visual aids
    4. Timing

    Each student will receive an individual mark for the following assessment criteria:

    1. Voice (audibility, intonation, variation)
    2. Use of language (e.g., vocabulary, appropriate level, use of jargon)
    3. Non-verbal communication (e.g., body language, eye contact)
    Due date:
    Week 11 (during tutorial class)
  • Assessment task 5
    Title:
    Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Written Report
    Description:
    Students must produce a 2000 word written report on the resources they have contributed to the Resource Kit team project.
    Weighting:
    15%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Each student in a team will write an individual report, so this component of the project does not involve any assessment of the team project as a whole.

    Criteria for assessment are:

    1. Appropriateness of resources selected
    2. Content of report (e.g. analysis of resources, reflections on team dynamics)
    3. Organisation of report
    4. Quality of writing
    5. Quality of presentation
    6. Accuracy of the bibliographical details
    Due date:
    Week 11, Friday 18 October 2013
  • Assessment task 6
    Title:
    Assignment 2 - Organisational and Social Impacts of Information Technology - Resource Kit Summary
    Description:
    Each team should produce an online summary (on the Moodle Wiki for their tutorial group) of the resource kit they have compiled on the nominated topic related to IT Professional practice, as well as an email announcement. There is no specific word requirement for this assessment.
    Weighting:
    5%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Criteria for assessment are:

    1. Selection of resources (e.g. complementary, no duplication)
    2. Organisation and presentation of summary
    3. Quality of the email, in terms of content, layout, tone and grammar

    All team members will receive the same group mark for this component.

    Due date:
    Week 11, Friday 18 October 2013
  • Assessment task 7
    Title:
    Tutorial preparation and participation
    Description:
    Students will be assessed on preparation and participation in tutorial activities, including the questions to be given in the final 2 hours of the Week 12 tutorial.
    Weighting:
    10%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Criteria for assessment are:

    1. Preparation will be assessed in terms of thoroughness
    2. Participation will be assessed in terms of contributions to group discussions and level of engagement in tutorial activities
    3. Relevance and quality of submitted questions from the Week 12 tutorial
    Due date:
    Throughout semester

Examinations

  • Examination 1
    Weighting:
    25%
    Length:
    3 hours
    Type (open/closed book):
    Closed book
    Electronic devices allowed in the exam:
    None
    Remarks:
    Dictionaries are allowed.

Learning resources

Monash Library Unit Reading List
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html

Feedback to you

Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are:
  • Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
  • Graded assignments with comments
  • Quiz results
  • Other: Feedback during tutor and lecturer consultation sessions

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Resubmission of assignments

No resubmissions allowed.

Referencing requirements

In line with Faculty policy students must follow the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide: http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/apa.html

Assignment submission

It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an online quiz). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

Please check with your lecturer before purchasing any Required Resources. Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library, and prescribed software is available in student labs.

Students will be expected to make their assignment work available online (via Google Documents, or other such sites). 

Prescribed text(s)

Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library.

Eunson, B. (2011). C21 Communicating in the 21st Century. (3rd Edition) Wiley.

Recommended Resources

Teaching material will be provided on the unit Moodle site.

Recommended text(s)

Michael J. Quinn. (2011). Ethics for the Information Age. (4th Edition) Addison-Wesley.

Examination material or equipment

No materials or equipment will be permitted in the examination room other than standard writing implements.

Dictionaries are allowed.

Other Information

Policies

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit

Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis.

Your feedback to Us

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

Based on student feedback, in this offering we are not including the English Proficiency Test as part of the assessment this semester. 

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp

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