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Core modules:

Professional Issues

This module aims to enable students to recognise the legal, social, ethical and professional issues involved in the exploitation of computer technology and be guided by the adoption of appropriate professional, ethical and legal practices. It describes the relationship between technological change, society and the law, including the powerful role that computers and computer professionals play in a technological society. It introduces key legal areas which are specific and relevant to the discipline of computing (e.g., intellectual property, liability for defective software, computer misuse, etc) and aims to provide an understanding of ethical and societal concepts that are important to computer professionals, and experience of considering ethical dilemmas.

15 credits

Information Systems Modelling

To consider the role of information modelling within the organisation and provide an appreciation of the rigorous methods that are needed to analyse, design, develop and maintain computer-based information systems. The course is intended to provide an introduction to information modelling techniques. Students gain experience in applying the wide range of systems analysis methods. Students cover topics including: soft systems analysis; structured systems analysis methodologies; business process modelling; data flow modelling and object-oriented approaches (e.g. RUP/UML).

15 credits

Information Systems in Organisations

This module integrates topics of organisation, management, and information systems, with an aim to offer the students an integrated set of concepts and tools for understanding information systems in organisations. During this module students will explore basic management and organisational theories and examine the impact of information systems on organisations. This course introduces key concepts which will be explored further in other modules on the information Management and Information Systems programmes.

15 credits

Information Systems Project Management

This module aims to provide a broad understanding of the fundamentals of project management as they apply to the development of Information Systems (IS). The module uses a flexible approach combining face-to-face seminars with web-based learning material. The module will begin with an overview of the principles involved in IS project management; followed by a discussion of IS development methodologies and their different characteristics and specialisms. The rest of the module will discuss the requirements for various project control activities, including estimating development resources, risk management, guidelines for system quality assurance, and various project control techniques that have been developed in recent years. The module will culminate with a review of human resource management issues.

15 credits

Information Systems and the Information Society

The module develops students' critical understanding of the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and information systems (IS) on society (and vice-versa), and it will enable exploration of personal responses to key issues, debates and problems that arise in the context of change in the information society. The module is built around three key themes: ·        Digital Divides; Sustainable Development; and Unequal impact of ICTs on social groups, e.g., on migrants and displaced populations.

Assessed coursework enables students to engage with these themes in some depth, with both assessment tasks relating to the three themes, and with different ways to communicate about them effectively via different media channels. 

15 credits

Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation

This module assists students in the identification of, and preparation of a dissertation proposal. Students will: familiarise themselves with on-going research in the School; identify and prepare a dissertation proposal; carry out a preliminary literature search in the area of the dissertation research topic; and be introduced to the use of social research methods and statistics for information management.

15 credits

Dissertation

This module enables students to carry out an extended piece of work on an Information School approved topic, so that they can explore an area of specialist interest to them in greater depth. Students will be supported through tutorials with a project supervisor, will apply research methods appropriate to their topic, and implement their work-plan to produce an individual project report. Students will already have identified a suitable topic and designed a project plan in the pre-requisite unit Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation.

45 credits

Optional modules - one from:

Foundations of Object Oriented Programming

This module introduces the foundations of object-oriented programming using the language Java. The emphasis of the module is on software engineering principles, and concepts underpinning object-oriented design and development are introduced from the outset. By the end of the module, you will be able to design, implement and test moderately complex Java programs.

15 credits

Introduction to Programming

This module introduces students to computer programming. Aimed at students who have not studied programming before, it covers how to write effective, efficient and maintainable code. The competencies learnt are valued by many employers and provide an essential background to many information systems and information management-related roles. Indeed, after further study, students would be able to pursue a computer programming career

15 credits

Optional modules - two from:

Researching Social Media

The module will examine the key theoretical frameworks and methods used in social media studies. Students will explore the following questions: 1) What can be learnt about society by studying social media? 2) How should researchers construct ethical stances for researching sites such as Facebook and Twitter? 3) What are the traditional and digital research methods and tools that can be applied to conduct research on social media? 4) What are the strengths and weaknesses of these methods?

The primary focus of the module is on designing social media research projects rather than conducting them. Nevertheless, there will be opportunities to learn and practice relevant analysis skills. It is not a programming module but some of the topics involve the use of software and there will be the chance to write small programs for related tasks.

15 credits

Information Governance and Ethics

This module explores a) the emergence of information and data as an economic resource; b) the governance challenges and ethical issues arising from organisations' systematic capture, processing, and use of information and data for organisational goals, e.g. value, risk, accountability, ownership, privacy etc; c) governance, ethical, legal and other frameworks relevant to the capture, processing and use of information and data within organisational and networked contexts; and d) technologies and techniques used in the governing and governance of information and data. Case examples from a number of domains, e.g. business, government, health, law, and social media illustrate the topics investigated.

15 credits

ICTs, Innovation and Change

This module aims at examining and exploring how organisations and human activity systems cope with change due to the new implementation or updating of Information Systems and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This change occurs in complex social environments and has cultural, political, structural and ethical impacts that need to be carefully managed. The module will examine and explore how both managers and Information Systems practitioners can be better prepared for the unpredictability, unintended outcomes and possible harmful consequences of change caused by the introduction or update of Information Systems and ICTs. Therefore, the module aims at providing an understanding of both approaches and techniques for the management of this change.

15 credits

Database Design

Effective data management is key to any organisation, particularly with the increasing availability of large and heterogeneous datasets (e.g. transactional, multimedia and geo-spatial data). A database is an organised collection of data, typically describing the activities of one or more organisations and a core component of modern information systems. A Database Management System (DBMS) is software designed to assist in maintaining and utilising large collections of data and becoming a necessity for all organisations. This module provides an introduction to the area of databases and database management, relational database design and a flavour of some advanced topics in current database research that deal with different kinds of data often found within an organisational context. Lectures are structured into three main areas: An introduction to databases, The process of designing relational databases, Advanced topics (e.g. data warehouses and non-relational databases) The course includes a series of online tasks with supporting 'drop in' laboratories aimed at providing you with the skills required to implement a database in Oracle and extract information using the Structured Query Language (SQL).

15 credits

User-Centred Design and Human-Computer Interaction

Interface design and usability are central to the experience of interacting with computers. The module introduces usability principles and the design process for interactive systems exploring four major themes. Firstly, user psychology and cognitive principles underlying interface design. Secondly, user interface architectures, modes of interaction, metaphors, navigational structures. Thirdly, the user interface design process including task analysis, modelling constructs and prototyping techniques. Fourthly, the evaluation of user interfaces covering concepts of usability, goals and types of evaluation. The module focus is on the underlying principles of HCI and user-centred design approach with practical sessions to demonstrate these principles.

15 credits

AI in Organisations

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to benefit organisations, however, its potential can only be harnessed if used responsibly. Therefore, organisations will need to know what AI does and how to use it strategically or govern their data effectively. Organisations will also need to understand how the use of AI affects their ways of working and culture, as well as the professional roles of their employees.  The impact of AI on privacy, security, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), as well as on the environment, must also be considered in organisational decisions. This module examines AI in organisations and their interplay with human, technical, and environmental factors. The module includes face-to-face lectures/workshops with in-class activities. There are three thematic blocks: 1) Understanding AI, which focuses on exploring key concepts, different types of AI, and all the elements needed to make AI 'work'(e.g. labour, mining sites, data collection); 2) Opportunities and challenges of AI, which explores how different forms of AI are used in different industries and their organisational, societal and environmental impact; and 3) Responsible AI within organisations, which focuses on influencing successful organisational decision-making around AI adoption and practice.

Aims: 1. Provide a holistic and responsible approach to studying and understanding AI  in organisations, and what it means for an organisation to responsibly adopt and implement AI.

2. Enable students to develop an understanding of how different forms of AI are used in a variety of organisational contexts, and learn to identify the use cases that respond to an organisation's mission.

3. Build confidence and competence in supporting organisational AI end-users and to understand the benefits, risks and limitations of different AI applications.

15 credits