Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer
Dr. Peter Busch
Contact via x 9520
E6A 320
3-4pm Thursday
Lecturer
Prof. Jian Yang
Contact via x 9584
E6A 384
10-12 Monday
Practical Demonstrator
Yvonne Bachiller
Practical Demonstrator
Tonnie Lam
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
4
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MInfoTech or MEng or MSc
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
ISYS302
|
Unit description |
Unit description
This unit aims to provide an understanding of how information technology systems and projects can be efficiently managed. This unit includes detailed study of techniques for planning, tracking and measuring software projects. Issues covered include: quality evaluation; estimation measurement techniques; and project risk planning and management. The unit provides a sound grounding in how projects can be managed in regards to quality assurance and risk assessment. The unit also covers issues in the management of IT systems, including: change management; configuration management and planning; people management; hardware asset management; and capacity planning and availability.
|
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Assignment 1 | 10% | No | 20/03/2017 |
Assignment 2 | 10% | No | 10/04/2017 |
Assignment 3 | 20% | No | 22/05/2017 |
Assignment 4 | 10% | No | Anytime up until week 13. |
Final Examination | 50% | Yes | 13-30/6 |
Due: 20/03/2017
Weighting: 10%
A report on an area of IT Project Management.
Due: 10/04/2017
Weighting: 10%
A briefing on a contemporary IT project is given. The assignment involves planning the project with the assistance of MS Project and then providing a succinct Project Management Plan which includes the Gantt Chart, Network Diagram, Resource Allocation and addresses scope, objectives, success metrics, controls and risk management.
Due: 22/05/2017
Weighting: 20%
Extensive background information is available for a failed system. Groups of 4 students will work on a new project plan outlining the context and business benefits and consider a more flexible project process model and formulate an effective risk management plan. A comprehensive report is required.
This group assignment is individually marked based on peer review forms.
Due: Anytime up until week 13.
Weighting: 10%
As a graduate student, you will be expected to write a report on IT project management and how this empowers the modern organisation.
Due: 13-30/6
Weighting: 50%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
A 3 hour final closed book examination covering material from the whole of semester.
Classes
Each week you should attend three hours of lectures and workshops and from Weeks 1 to 7, one hour of practicals. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Note that practicals commence in week 2.
Please note it is to your benefit to attend all of the practicals.
Resources to assist your learning
Digital recordings of lectures are available as Echo360 through iLearn login.
Textbook
The textbook for ISYS302 used this semester is:
Numerous recent references have been used to compile the management series of lectures and workshops from Weeks 8 to 11. Students will be provided with online references and reference will be made to additional textbooks available in the library.
Technology used
Use will be made of MS Project, Google Code, JIRA, TRAC and GitHub. Students are also expected to make use of MS Word and MS Powerpoint.
The textbooks typically offer a trial version of Project as well.
Submission methods for assessment tasks:
Only soft copy assignment submissions are required and submitted. Marks returned will be done through the ISYS302 page on iLearn.
Late submission:
Late submission of individual work will incur a 10% penalty for every 24 hours, or part thereof, it is late. So within 24 hours, the maximum mark that can be obtained is 90% of the full grade for that assessment task; between 24 and 48 hours, the maximum mark that can be obtained is 80% of the full grade; and so on. No extra documentation is required unless the student wishes to have an extension (see below) applied.
Late submissions of group based assignments are not permitted unless under exceptional circumstances with documentary evidence provided to the unit convenor which may include medical certificates as per the Department of Computing policy. One person being sick does not mean the group cannot submit work. Students are recommended to have a backup plan for group based submissions.
Extensions
The current process is for the student or group to contact student services and apply for a disruption. Medical causes will require a Macquarie University Professional Authority Form. Once a disruption has been approved, the convenor can grant special consideration which is usually an appropriate extension.
Exam:
The final exam will focus on content covered in the classes throughout the semester. Please see the assessments section for details on the final exam.
Week |
Lecture |
Lecture References |
Practicals |
Assignments |
1 Peter |
Course Structure Introduction to Project Management IT Projects |
Schwalbe Chap 1 Schwalbe Chap 2 |
|
Assign 1 – Report on Project Management |
2 Peter |
Scope Management Time Management |
Schwalbe Chap 5 Schwalbe Chap 6 |
MS Project, Part 1 |
|
3 Peter |
Cost Management Quality Management |
Schwalbe Chap 7 Schwalbe Chap 8 |
MS Project, Part 2 |
Assign 2: Project Plan using MS Project Due Week 7 |
4 Peter |
Project Management Process Project Integration Management |
Schwalbe Chap 3 Schwalbe Chap 4 |
Google Code |
Assign 1 Due by 20/3/17
|
5 Peter |
HR Management Communication Management |
Schwalbe Chap 9 Schwalbe Chap 10 |
GitHub |
|
6 Peter |
Risk Management Procurement Management
|
Schwalbe Chap 11 Schwalbe Chap 12 |
JIRA and TRAC
|
|
7 Jian |
IT Project Management Challenges (Guest Speaker) Stakeholder Management
|
John Sutherland (Ramsay Healthcare) Schwalbe Chap 13 |
|
Assign 2 Due by 10/4/17 Assign 3: System Project Plan Due Week 11 |
Mid Semester Break | ||||
8 Jian |
DSDM Atern Agile Project Management + Workshop |
DSDM Handbook |
Group time |
|
9 Jian |
Migration to the Cloud
Project Selection Case Study |
Linthicum Larson et al |
Group time
|
|
10 Jian |
Succeeding as a Professional (Guest Speaker)
Mobile, Social and Wearables Trends |
Professionals Australia JWT, 2014 |
Group time
|
|
11 Jian |
The Internet of Things Project Leadership Case Study |
BI Intelligence, 2014 Larson et al |
Group time |
Assign 3 Due by 26/5/17 |
12 Jian |
Jian |
|
|
|
13 Jian |
Peter and Jian - exam revision |
|
|
Assign 4 due |
Exam |
13--30th June |
Check online for details |
|
50% of Final Mark |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
There is no mid-semester exam, instead the end of semester exam is back to 50% weighting.
There is no group presentation, the marks are now re-allocated to the group project.
Four standards, namely HD, D, CR, P summarize as many different levels of achievement. Each standard is precisely defined to help students know what kind of performance is expected to deserve a certain mark. The standards corresponding to the learning outcomes of this unit are given below:
Grade | LO 1 | LO 2 | LO 3 |
---|---|---|---|
IT project skills | Project Management skills | Generic skills | |
HD | Apply techniques and knowledge in new contexts, show breadth and depth of understanding of quality evaluation, estimation measurement, project risk planning and measurement. Can use MS Project and Sharepoint to solve problems with high accuracy. | A sound grounding in how projects can be managed in regards to quality assurance and risk assessment. Show breadth and depth of understandings on issues in the management of IT systems, including: change management, configuration management and plannig, People management, hardware asset management and capacity planning and availability. Able to apply these techniques and knowledge in new contexts. | Demonstrate leadership, creativity,critical thinking and analysis skills. Enthusiatic in acquring new knowledge in the IS project management area. Demonstrate capability in applying new IS project management knowledge to solve real-world problems. Conduct team work effectively and play a key role in moving the whole project team forward. |
D | Apply techniques and knowledge in some new contexts, show breadth and depth of understanding across most of the topics including: quality evaluation, estimation measurement, project risk planning and measurement. Can use MS Project to solve problems, with limited errors. | A sound grounding in most topics related to how projects can be managed in regards to quality assurance and risk assessment. Show breadth and depth of understandings on most issues in the management of IT systems, including: change management, configuration management and plannig, People management, hardware asset management and capacity planning and availability. Able to apply these techniques and knowledge in some new contexts. | Demonstrate some leadership occasionally. Show creativity, critical thinking and analysis skills. Have the capability in applying IS project management knowledge to solve real-world problems. Collaborate with team members well and finish assigned tasks on time and with good quality. |
CR | Show breadth of understanding across most of the topics including: quality evaluation, estimation measurement, project risk planning and measurement. Have fundamental knowledge about how to use MS Project, but with some non-major errors. | Understands some aspects of how projects can be managed in regards to quality assurance and risk assessment. Show breadth of understandings on most issues in the management of IT systems, including: change management, configuration management and plannig, People management, hardware asset management and capacity planning and availability. | Demonstrate analysis skills in some occasions. Know how to apply IS project management knowledge to solve some of the real-world problems. Able to finish assigned tasks on time and with good quality most of the time. |
P | Can reproduce definitions and ideas, show some breadth of understanding of the topics including: quality evaluation, estimation measurement, project risk planning and measurement. Some knowledge about MS Project with a few major misunderstandings or mistakes. | Can reproduce some defintions and ideas, show some breadth on issues in the management of IT systems, including: change management, configuration management and plannig, People management, hardware asset management and capacity planning and availability. | Demonstrate limited analysis skills. Can apply IS project management knowledge to solve limited real-world problems. Able to finish all assigned tasks on time and with acceptable quality. |
Grading
At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit
The final examination in this unit is a hurdle requirement. You must get a mark of at least 40% in the examination to pass the unit. If you get a mark of at least 30% in your first attempt at the final examination you will be given a second and final attempt. If you apply for Disruption to Study for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the week of July 24 – 28, 2017. If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date. Second-chance hurdle examinations will also be offered in the week of July 24 - 28. Results will be released on July 13. You will be notified shortly after that date of your eligibility for a hurdle retry and you must also make yourself available during that week to take advantage of this opportunity.
The final mark for the unit will be calculated by combining the marks for all assessment tasks according to the percentage weightings shown in the assessment summary.