This unit is part of the minor sequence 'Information in society' within the Bachelor of Information Technology

Sept 2015: Unit name correction

Introduced as part of course architecture programs. Effective semester 1/2016

21/01/2016 - CE updated Learning Outcomes and Synopsis following discussion with ADE.

January 2017: Exam weighting change.

Introduced due to shortening of exam length from 3 to 2 hours.

Effective semester 1/2017

May 2017: Semester offered

Starting in 2018, FIT1052 to run in semester 2.

Introduced so that unit aligns with the new Digital Humanities major with Arts.

19/9/2019: Admin - updating exam duration to include additional 10 minutes as per University requirement.

October 2019: Exam and in semester assessment weighting change. For implementation semester 1, 2020.

In September 2019, I met with members of the FIT Flex team to develop an action plan for this unit. Based upon their recommendations, I am seeking to increase the weighting of in semester assessment to 60%, and decrease the weighting of the unit exam to 40%.

17/09/2020 Admin: Update to include new assessment and teaching approach fields as per Handbook requirements.

This unit opens the B Info Tech minor sequence 'Information in society', by examining the emergence of information technology (IT) as a central element in contemporary society. As such it provides an introduction to the other units within the minor, which address the place of IT within an organisational context, the nature of IT professional practice, and social informatics.

At the completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. describe the fundamental features that distinguish information technology (IT) from earlier forms of technology;
2. understand and explain how advances in IT have impacted society, its structures, and the way information is used by its members;
3. develop and demonstrate critical reading skills by interpreting primary and secondary sources relevant to the history of IT in society;
4. critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of common scholarly explanations of the emergence and diffusion of IT within society;
5. critically analyse the impact of IT in a range of social domains such as work, the family, government and leisure.

020300

From online entertainment to paying our bills with smartphones, computers are at the centre of our lives today. How did this change come about, and what has it meant for us as individuals, as well as for society more broadly? Starting with its origins in the world of government, the military and corporations, this unit explores the lasting impression that IT continues to make within the spheres of popular culture, work, politics, the law, and leisure.

Recommended resources

Technological requirements

On-campus

This teaching and learning approach provides lectures, facilitated learning, practical exploration and peer learning. Students initially encounter information at lectures. Then, together with their peers and the teaching staff, students discuss and explore the information during tutorials in a process of facilitated learning.

Examination (2 hours and 10 minutes): 40%; In-semester assessment: 60%

1. Class Presentation: - 10% - ULO: 4, 5
2. Assignment 2 - Report: - 25% - ULO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
3. Reflective piece: - 15% - ULO: 3
4. Studio participation exercises: - 10% - ULO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
5. Examination: - 40%

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):