Contemporary Issues in Business Analysis
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 36 Hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
2023 teaching periods
| Hawthorn Higher Ed. Semester 2 |
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|---|---|---|
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Prerequisites
Nil
Corequisites
Nil.
Aims and objectives
This unit provides students with an understanding of how the strategic and operational priorities of business inform decisions regarding how best to collate and prioritise requirements used to develop a technology solution for organisations. The unit examines the tools and techniques used by business analysts to support different project methodologies, both traditional and modern. Concepts are introduced of how the outcomes of business analysts’ documentation support the justification of Information Technology (IT) investments. The unit enables students to test their understanding of these techniques by relating it to case studies and organisations that they work for, or are familiar with.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Demonstrate coherent and advanced knowledge of business problems and position information systems analysis within complex organisational contexts.
2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the major, contemporary problem solving and project methodologies in business information systems analysis, and their application to business analysis and information analysis.
3. Critically analyse business analysis methodologies as the means of identifying, clarifying and defining business information requirements.
4. Critically evaluate tools and techniques used in organisations to support different problem solving and analytical approaches.
Courses with unit
A unit of study in the , , and Master of Technology (Information Technology).
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
Face to Face Mode:
Scheduled hours: Seminars (12 x 3 hours)
Student workload:
For all teaching and learning structures (both face to face and online), students are expected to spend an average of 150 hours per unit in total over the duration of the study period.
This includes all:
• Scheduled teaching and learning events and activities (contact hours timetabled in a face-to-face teaching space) and scheduled online learning events (contact hours scheduled in an online teaching space), and
• Non-scheduled learning events and activities (including directed online learning activities, assessments, independent study, student group meetings, and research.
To be successful, students should:
• Read all prescribed materials and/or view videos in preparation for each class
• Attend and engage in all scheduled classes (face to face or online)
• Start assessment tasks well ahead of the due date, and submit assessments promptly
• Read / listen to all feedback carefully, and consider it for future assessment
• Engage with fellow students and teaching staff (don’t hesitate to ask questions)
Assessment
1. Assignment 1 (Individual) 25 - 35%
2. Assignment 2 (Individual) 25 - 35%
3. Assignment 3 (Group) 30 - 50%
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Problem solving skills
• Analysis skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
Content
• Nature of problems in organisations and the organisational context of business
• Nature of systems, and systems analysis for organisational problem solving
• Business analysis and systems development methodologies
• Tools, techniques and skills for business & information analysis: communication, recording, assessment
• Hard vs soft approaches to intervening in organisational problem contexts
• Soft Operations Research approaches, and their relevance to business and information analysis
• Sociotechnical theory and its relevance to business and information analysis
• Issues & challenges in business and information analysis, and the criticality of these initial phases to solution success
• Information as social/cultural /political symbol, plus systems development and acquisition
• Nature of systems, and systems analysis for organisational problem solving
• Business analysis and systems development methodologies
• Tools, techniques and skills for business & information analysis: communication, recording, assessment
• Hard vs soft approaches to intervening in organisational problem contexts
• Soft Operations Research approaches, and their relevance to business and information analysis
• Sociotechnical theory and its relevance to business and information analysis
• Issues & challenges in business and information analysis, and the criticality of these initial phases to solution success
• Information as social/cultural /political symbol, plus systems development and acquisition
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
Students are advised to check the unit outline in the relevant teaching period for appropriate textbooks and further reading