Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer
Frances Louise
Lecturer
Jason Saba
Unit Convenor
Matthew Mansour
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to the role of technology, particularly information technology, for the individual, organisations, society and the wider environment. The unit provides literacy of key terms, ideas and issues related to technology and technological advancement. Issues to be explored in relation to technology include: environment and sustainability; privacy and information access; ethics and politics; digital divide; globalisation; the information society; and the knowledge economy. Students consider the relevance and ramifications of current applications and research in a range of diverse fields including: artificial intelligence; games technology; human-to-computer speech and interaction; social software; and mobile computing. Students gain basic computer literacy and competence through practical activities and exploration of applications relevant to each topic.
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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 |
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In class Participation | 8% | Yes | Random Weeks |
Assignments | 17% | No | Varies: Wk6, Wk10 & Wk12 |
Quizzes | 20% | No | Varies: Wk 6 & 11 |
Practical Exam | 25% | No | Week 13 |
Research paper | 30% | No | TBA |
Due: Random Weeks
Weighting: 8%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
In accordance with the Faculty Board they have decided that, from S1 2018, all 100-level units in the Faculty will have a compulsory (hurdle) requirement on participation in tutorials, practicals and laboratories.
In-class voluntary participation will be assessed randomly for 12 tutorials during the session. The best 8 out of 12 in-class participation marks will be taken into consideration. In-class participation will be worth 8% of the the total mark.
NB. This is a hurdle assessment, in order to pass the unit you will be required to participate in 8 out of the 12 weeks. If you receive any formal special consideration you will be given a waiver for that week. Please refer to https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
Due: Varies: Wk6, Wk10 & Wk12
Weighting: 17%
There will be two assignments. Students will be expected to attend the classes in which the assignments are due, as the assignments will be marked in class.
Assignment 1: Individual HTML/JS/CSS (8%) - due Week 6
Assignment 2: has two deliveries with different due dates:
Group Blog will be due Week 10 (Worth 6% out of the 9% for Assignment 2)
Group Video will be due Week 12 (Worth 3% out of the 9% for Assignment 2)
- 50% of the group mark will come from students individual Reflection Report of the assessment.
NB. All details of each assignment will be available via iLearn.
You are encouraged to:
Late work for the workshops, quizzes and assignment will not be accepted. If you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer as soon as possible so that appropriate measures (such as arriving at an indicative mark from other work in the same category) can be taken.
NB: You will notice that each student will need to create a Twitter account; this will be an essential part of how assignments will be marked and also commented on. Please talk to your teachers about how to create an account. It will also be a useful way for you to communicate within your groups for workshops. Your lecturer will also send updates via Twitter.
Due: Varies: Wk 6 & 11
Weighting: 20%
In weeks 6 and 11 there will be a quiz in the workshops. Each quiz is worth 10% towards your final grade (i.e 20% in total). These quizzes will cover important parts of the unit material and, as well as assessing your current level of mastery of it, give you and your tutor an opportunity to address any problem areas before the final research paper. The quizzes will normally not take the whole class and will be followed by in-class problems. Please be on time to these classes, as the quiz will be the first thing in the class.
NB. In the circumstances that a public holiday falls on your workshop time for the quiz, you will being doing the quiz in the week following. More details will be provided on ilearn if required.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 25%
In week 13 a practical examination will be held in your designated workshop. This will cover the material from the assignments. It will be closed book and require students to work at a computer. It will last 40 minutes. Further details will be given in lectures as we near closer to the end of the semester.
NB. If you receive special consideration for the practical exam, a supplementary practical exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By making a special consideration application for the practical exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.
Due: TBA
Weighting: 30%
You will be provided in week 11 with several candidate questions that you can use for your Research Paper. The paper will be approximately 2400 words. You will need to create the paper in an essay format. The paper will be due at the end of the semester. (Date: TBA ) It is sometimes also known as a take-home examination. With any original work you will need to demonstrate an understanding of how to reference all materials that you have used. Your workshop teacher can also give you guidance on this.
NB. Specific time cutoffs etc will be confirmed when released in week 11
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Mode of delivery is face-to-face. ISYS100 is taught via lectures and workshop sessions in the laboratory. Lectures are used to introduce new material and discuss the use of information technology within society. While lectures are largely one-to-many presentations, you are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of. Workshops are small group classes, which give you the opportunity to interact with your peers and with a tutor who has a sound knowledge of the subject.
When you have workshop sessions you have an opportunity to practice your technical skills under the supervision of a workshop tutor. Each week you will be working on the current assignment material; it is important that you keep up with this work in order to successfully complete the assignments. In some weeks you will be having your quizzes.
Each week you should:
Lecture notes will be made available each week but these notes are intended as an outline of the lecture only and are not a substitute for your own notes and discussions in the lecture itself.
Classes
Each week you should attend two hours of lectures, a one hour workshop. (For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.)
Note that both lecture and workshops commence in week 1.
Please note that you are required to submit a certain number of assessments. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit (see the precise Standard and Grading section) or being excluded from the exam/research paper.
What has changed from previous semesters?
Being a unit that has been very successful in the past few years the key change has been moving to a 1 hour workshop model which streamlines the unit.
Textbook
The recommended textbook (ie. this text is NOT COMPULSORY for this unit) for ISYS100 used this semester is:
ISYS100 Information Technology and Society 4e ISBN: 9781486022106
Technology used and required
iLecture/echo
Digital recordings of lectures are available.
ISYS100 makes use of the following software/technologies:
Website
The web page for this unit can be found at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au.
Discussion Boards
The discussion board for this unit can be accessed through http://ilearn.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Assumed knowledge
Basic computer use skills.
Week |
Topic |
Supplement Reading |
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1 |
Introduction to information technology and society WEB 1.0 vs. 2.0 vs. 3.0? |
N/A |
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2 |
Social networks - are we all over social networking and social marketing? |
Chapter 7 Turban Readings provided by your lecturer |
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3 |
Blogs, Pornography, Gambling and Censorship |
Chapter 1 Evans & Coyle |
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4 |
Networks - The weird, the wired and wireless |
Chapter 8 Beekman |
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5 |
Cybercrime - How quickly can my privacy be challenged? |
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6 |
Crypto Currencies - The easiest way to make money and lose money all in a day! |
N/A |
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7 |
The digital divide - Just whose internet is it? (gender, race, socio-economic factors affecting internet use, business vs personal use) |
Chapter 9 Quinn |
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8 |
Googlemania (Google applications and beyond) |
Chapter 9 & 10 Conti Readings provided by your lecturer |
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9 |
Hardware, Cloud, Elastic Computing Prac Exam Discussion |
Chapter 2 & 4 Evans |
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10 |
Green IT – Making IT eco-friendly |
Readings provided by your lecturer |
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11 |
Ethics and the internet |
Readings provided by your lecturer |
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12 |
Artificial Intelligence – Can computers really think? Discussion for research paper |
Chapter 15 Beekman |
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13 |
Final chance for quick help on Research Paper |
N/A |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/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:
Unlike many units, ISYS100 covers a wide range of areas, but at limited depth. Therefore it is not appropriate to identify core knowledge and assess each student's mastery of that at increasing levels of complexity. Instead, the assessment of Learning Outcome #1 is based in large part on the amount of knowledge the student gains across the range of the unit, as assessed by performance in the tutorials, quizzes and final research paper.
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. In order to obtain a grade of Pass (P) or higher in this unit if you satisfy the following:
Obtaining a higher grade than a Pass (P) in this unit will require a student to obtain (in addition to the above):
For the assignments, which are much more narrowly focused, assessment is based on a progression of attainment, as indicated below.
L.O 1 |
Pass |
Credit |
Distinction |
High Distinction |
Knowledge development |
Reproduce definitions and ideas, show some breadth of understanding |
Show breadth of understanding across most of the unit material |
Apply terminology and ideas in some new contexts, show breadth of understanding across most of the unit material |
Apply terminology and ideas in new contexts, show breadth of understanding |
L.O. 2 |
Pass |
Credit |
Distinction |
High Distinction |
Application Literacy |
Able to use most of the application functionality specified in the assignments |
Able to use almost all of the application functionality specified in the assignments for one of the applications covered, and most of the functionality for the remainder. |
Able to use almost all of the application functionality specified in the assignments for half of the applications covered, and most of the functionality for the other half. |
Able to use almost all of the application functionality specified in the assignments |
L.O. 3 |
Pass |
Credit |
Distinction |
High Distinction |
Ability to communicate with and explain to others |
Able to describe and explain almost all of the functionality of some applications covered and most of the functionality of the others |
Able to clearly communicate about, describe and explain almost all of the functionality of the applications covered |
Able to clearly communicate about, describe and explain almost all of the functionality of the applications covered and, for some of the applications, material within the general area of the assignment, but outside that explicitly in the assignment description |
Able to fluently communicate about, describe and explain the applications covered, within the general area of the assignment, but including material outside that explicitly in the assignment description |
L.O.4 |
Pass |
Credit |
Distinction |
High Distinction |
Describe the key trends of information technology and the implications for individuals, organisations and society |
Understands the basic idea of the key trends of information technology and the implications for individuals, organisations and society. |
Able to understand and communicate on more than a surface level the key trends of information technology and the implications for individuals, organisations and society. |
Exemplifies critcal analysis of the subject matter on a more than surface level by investingating and analysing key trends of information technology and the implications for individuals, organisations and society. |
Has a complete command of the subject matter on a deeper level by investingating researching and analysing key trends of information technology and the implications for individuals, organisations and society. |