This unit introduces fundamental concepts about information, its use by individuals, groups, organisations and societies in a variety of contexts, and the role of information management. It provides students with basic skills in the analysis of various stakeholder needs, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Information Management (IM) tools to meet these needs.

2005: Existing unit IMS1603 Information Use and Management being updated to fit into the new BITS degree structure with new FIT unit code.

FIT1014 Information Use and Management is an elective 1st level unit in the Caulfied BITS major in Systems Development.

This unit replaces the existing BIS unit IMS1603. There is no other comparable unit in the faculty.

This elective unit is part of the Information Management stream of electives, which build a foundation for professional accreditation by respective professional bodies.

C1. Understand the fundamental concepts of information, and its use by individuals, organisations and societies

C2. Understand information creation, representation, storage, access, retrieval, and use

C3. Understand the impact of organisational and social contexts upon information needs and uses

C4. Have knowledge of basic ICTs and IM tools developed to manage information and meet user needs

C5. Have knowledge of the information-seeking behaviour of users

C6. Have knowledge of the range of information sources

C7. Have knowledge of the forms that information can take

C8. Have knowledge of human computer interfaces to information

A1. Be aware of the role and responsibilities of information professionals

A2. Be aware of the role of ICTs and IM in human activity

P1. Evaluate information and its sources critically

P2. Identify particular information needs

P3. Evaluate ICTs and IM tools in terms of meeting user needs

P4. Use basic ICTs and IM tools to create, represent, store, access, retrieve and use information

S1. Be able to work as part of a team capable of managing information in a range of social environments

ASCED Discipline Group classification: 091301 Librianship and Information Management

This unit explores fundamental concepts of information in the context of identifying stakeholder needs and expectations at individual, collective, organisational and societal levels. It introduces students to the way information is managed to meet user needs and the role of ICT in IM.

Topics under the themes information concepts, contexts, tools and technologies, and information issues include:

• What is information?
• What role does it play in society?
• Basics of information management
• How do we manage information?
• Identifying, analysing and responding to user needs
• Layers of information use
• Using ICTs to create, represent, store, access, retrieve and use information
• The organisational and social contexts in which information is managed and used

This unit explores fundamental concepts of information in the context of identifying stakeholder needs and expectations at individual, collective, organisational and societal levels. It introduces students to the way information is managed to meet user needs and the role of ICT in IM.

• M. Buckland (1991b) 'Information as Thing', Journal of the American Society of Information Science 42(5), June, http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/~buckland/thing.html, accessed 8 March 2005.
• E. Grassian (2000) 'Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources', http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/, accessed 5 March 2005.
• D. Blair (1984a) The Management of Information: Basic Distinctions. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Business School. http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/ accessed 7 March 2005.
• M. Castells (2000) 'Introduction to the information age', in H. McKay & T. Sullivan (eds.) Media reader: continuity and transformation. London: Sage, http://images.lib.monash.edu.au/com4421/04118199.pdf, accessed 22 March 2005.
• R. Hartland, S. McKemmish & F. Upward (2005) 'Documents', in S. McKemmish et al. (eds.) Archives: Recordkeeping in Society. Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, http://images.lib.monash.edu.au/ims1603/04119312.pdf, accessed 12 April 2005.
• M. McAdams (1994) 'Driving a Newspaper on the Data Highway', http://www.well.com/user/mmcadams/online.newspapers.html, accessed 25 March 2004.
• D. Nichols & M. Twidale (2003) 'The Usability of Open Source Software', First Monday 8(1), http://www.firstmonday.dk/ issues/issue8_1/nichols/.
• J. Nielsen (1997) 'How Users Read on the Web', http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html, accessed 24 December 2002.
• S. Toub (2000) Evaluating Information Architecture, http://argus- acia.com/white_papers/evaluating_ia.html, accessed 23 April 2004.
• E. Hunter (2000) 'Do we still need classification?', in R. Marcella & A. Maitby (eds.) The Future of Classification. Aldershot: Gower.
• Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (2003) 'Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Overview', http://dublincore.org/about/#overview, accessed 16 August 2003.
• The Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia (EPIC) 'Online Survey of College Students: Executive Summary', http://www.epic.columbia.edu/eval/find09/find09.html, accessed 16 May 2005.
• M. Taylor & E. Moynihan (2002). 'Analysing IT Ethics', Systems Research and Behavioral Science 19.

On campus

• Lectures (2 hours)
• Tutorials/Laboratories (2 hours)
• Assignments - Group and individual

Knowledge and understanding objectives are achieved mainly through lectures and tutorial exercises.

Attitudes and beliefs objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

Practical skills objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

Relationships, communication and team work objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

• Examination: 3 hours (50%)
• Other assessment modes (50%)
  • Assignments
  • Practical work

Knowledge and understanding objectives are assessed mainly through the examination.

Attitudes, values and belief objectives are assessed mainly through the examination and assignment work.

Practical skills objectives are assessed mainly through assignment work.

Relationships, communication and team work objectives are assessed mainly through assignment work.

12 hours per week including lectures, tutorials and private study.

High-tech lecture theatre with data display and internet connection, with a PC and facility to plug in a laptop, for two hours per week throughout the semester.

One ordinary flat tutorial room with overhead projector per 20 students, for 1 hour per week for 12 weeks.

One computer equipped laboratory per 20 students, for 1 hour per week for 12 weeks.

One lecturer per semester. One tutor per tutorial per semester.

MS Office Suite

Adequate copies of at least the recommended texts listed above.

FIT

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil