Knowledge of digital information management DTG 8-1
Knowledge of digital information management focuses on how information is managed at both an individual user level and with shared information within an organisation.
Learning objective: DTG 8-1
Students will:
- demonstrate understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation.
Indicators
- Explains the interaction between the main components of an information system used in an organisation.
- Explains the nature of information and discusses: differences between data, information and knowledge; the nature and value of information in an organisation; and how information systems add value to an organisation.
- Discusses the characteristics of ‘good’ information, and evaluates the trade-offs between the characteristics of good information (for example, timeliness versus. accuracy) in an organisation.
- Explains the importance of end-user considerations in information systems, and discusses the impact on and influence of end-user considerations on information systems in an organisation.
- Explains security management for information systems and discusses the implications of security management for information systems.
- Evaluates the trade-offs between security management in an information system and end-user considerations in an organisation.
Progression
Initially students learn about basic concepts of information management in relation to producing digital information outcomes. This includes understanding the key features of operating systems and common application software, file management procedures, and ethical issues related to the management of information.
Students progress to learning about complex concepts of information systems within organisations. This includes explaining the interaction between the main components of an information system used in an organisation, discussing the nature and value of information to an organisation, discussing the characteristics of good information, and end-user considerations, and discussing the implications of security management for information systems.
TOP
Teacher guidance
To support students to develop understandings about complex concepts of information systems in an organisation, at level 8, teachers could:
- guide students on how to research the information systems within an organisation
- provide students with opportunities to explain the interaction between the main components (hardware, software, data, procedures, and people) of an information system used in an organisation
- provide students with opportunities to discuss the nature and value of information to an organisation including being able to discuss the differences between data, information, and knowledge
- provide students with opportunities to discuss the characteristics of ‘good’ information (such as accuracy, timeliness, relevance, appropriate quantity, economical and so on) and evaluate the trade-offs between the characteristics of good information in an organisation
- provide students with opportunities to discuss the impact on, and influence of, end-user considerations (such as user consultation, ease-of-use, user interface design, work procedures, implementation issues, training) on information systems in an organisation
- provide students the opportunity to discuss the implications of security management for information systems (including evaluating trade-offs between security management and end-user considerations within an organisation)
- ensure students understand the requirement at this level to look at an information systems within an organisation, and that when looking at an information system they need to look at hardware, software, data, procedures, and people
- ensure students have access to a suitable organisation to use for the case study
- support students to prepare reports including ways to structure a report, and literacy strategies to support report writing in a way that will allow students to explain, discuss, and evaluate
- ensure students have opportunities to practice report writing including acknowledging sources and bibliographies.
TOP
Contexts for teaching and learning
This learning objective is about demonstrating understanding of information systems in an organisation. Students need to have a particular organisation they are using as a case study rather than some generalised approach about information systems within organisations in general (for possible organisations, refer AS91632 explanatory note 6).
Literacy considerations
Teachers need to ensure students understand the language in the standard associated with assessment as well as the specialist language related to information systems. Students obviously need to understand the specialist words such as hardware or security management. But in addition they must understand the words used to describe the level of expected performance at each achievement grade. For example explain for achieved, discuss for merit, discuss and evaluate for excellence. Teachers need to give students strategies to understand what these words mean and what is expected at each achievement level.
Resources to support student achievement
TOP
Assessment for qualifications
The following achievement standard could assess learning outcomes from this learning objective:
- AS91632 Digital technologies 3.40: Demonstrate understanding of complex concepts of information systems in an organisation
Key messages from the standard
The situation may arise where a student wants to draw on information from more than one organisation, perhaps the student can’t cover all the aspects required in the standard from looking at one organisation. The standard doesn’t stipulate that more than one organisation is required but it doesn’t rule it out either, so if teachers or students think it is beneficial to look at information systems within more than one organisation that would be acceptable.
Achieved
There are five concepts of information systems that need to be covered for achieved. Students must cover all five in their report.
The five concepts are:
- The interaction between the main components of the information system.
- The nature of information and the difference between data, information, and knowledge.
- The characteristics of ‘good’ information.
- The importance of end-user considerations in information systems.
- Security management for information systems.
Additionally students should:
- explain the interaction between hardware, software, data, procedures, and people (refer explanatory note 3)
- be aiming to give examples to illustrate the characteristics of good information (refer AS91632 explanatory note 4) rather than just give theoretical definitions of each.
Merit and excellence
At the higher grades, students should be expanding on the concepts covered at achieved by discussing and evaluating such things as the value of information, how information systems add value, and the interactions and trade-offs that are always involved in any information system.
One of the aspects to cover at merit is to discuss ‘the impact on and influence of end user considerations on information systems’. This is asking for a discussion about the two-way interaction between end-user considerations and the information system, that is “what end-user considerations influence the information system and what are the impacts of these considerations on the information system.” For example, delivery drivers need up-to-date and portable access to delivery data, so this impacts the system by requiring mobile data access and handheld hardware. Remember to refer to AS91632 explanatory note 5, which lists some possible end-user considerations.
- AS91632 Explanatory note 3 defines the main components of an information system as hardware, software, data, procedures, and people.
- AS91632 Explanatory note 4 lists characteristics of good information such as accuracy, timeliness, relevance, and appropriateness.
- AS91632 Explanatory note 5 lists end-user considerations such as ease-of-work, work procedures, implementation requirements, and training needs.
- AS91632 Explanatory note 6 lists some possible organisations such as a tertiary institution, a business, a hospital, or a government department.
Last updated June 8, 2018
TOP
