Information Technology Reference
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solving exercises throughout the tutorials, students are encouraged to develop their logical
reasoning skills and ability to analyze problems by “thinking outside the square.”
Good communication skills are highly valued by employers. UniSA (1999b) highlights
that different skills are required for “negotiating with colleagues, employers or clients; for
persuading or informing others; for seeking cooperation or giving direction; for giving a talk
or writing a manual; for receiving instructions or hearing concerns.” In developing effective
communication skills, students will develop an understanding of the different forms of
communication, appreciate the importance of effective communication, and be able to identify
the types of communication required for different purposes and audiences (UniSA, 1999b).
Students are introduced to data modeling techniques via the lecture and tutorial.
Through this process, students examine the business processes of the organization and use
the techniques to document the business rules and information gathered. Students are
assessed on their ability to produce complete, accurate, and appropriate documentation for
all stages of the project as well as design and implement an appropriate user guide to
accompany the database developed.
Students are provided with different ways to gather information — face-to-face
conversations, email, Web discussions, telephone conversations (external students only),
and business documents, procedures manuals, and business processes presented in the case
study. Using a range of media for role play encourages the more retiring students to contribute
to the process. However, not all students make a contribution to discussions, and therefore,
the more conscientious students tend to be more guarded in using the public forum. In
instances where students feel they have a particularly good idea, they are less likely to post
this on a public discussion board, preferring to contact the case business directly.
Questions are directed to the business, not to the tutors, and responses are in line with
the type, tone, relevance, and quality of the questions received. Information gathering has
been assessed by the quality of the questions asked and in how well the students produce
a database that meets the needs of the users. When a mark has not been attached to the quality
of questions asked, a marked decline in quality of questions is seen, and in particular, a large
number of irrelevant questions are received. In the early stages of the project, students cannot
always see the importance of their information gathering and choose to make assumptions.
Students are also presented with conflicting views from the partners in the business and
have to learn how to respond to these conflicts. This approach is in line with the Gross Davis
approach cited in Kreber (2001), which suggests that a good case study contains elements
of conflict to assist students in the learning process. The student response to this approach
was extremely varied. The more mature students naturally rose to the challenge, having faced
similar situations in their working life. However, when the partners role-played conflict, the
younger students, in particular, were shocked, and unsure of how to proceed. Students
commented that this was a completely new learning experience for them, as they were normally
given a package of information stating the question to be answered, the approach expected,
and an example of how to complete the problem set.
Once the students gathered the appropriate information, the next problem-solving task
they embark on is to determine the most appropriate software features for implementation,
identify the potential and limitations of 4GL database software, and finally, develop a user-
friendly database. Students are assessed on the usability as well as the logical and physical
design of the database.
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