May 12: I have posted a marking guide for assignment 2 on the assessment page

Thursday April 28: Assignment 2 is now available from the assessment page.

 

Monday April 11: Please note: lecture and tute will be posted a bit late today. Check the web site at lunch time and they should be there. Sorry for any inconvenience.

PLEASE NOTE: LECTURES IN THIS UNIT HAVE BEEN SWITCHED TO ROOM B2.13 FROM APRIL 4th.

 

Following is an overview of the main features of the unit. You can download the full unit overview here.

Aim:

The unit aims to provide students with a general introduction to web-based information systems, examining the technologies associated with web systems, the development process involved in creating web-based systems, and issues in organisational management and usage of web-based systems.

Objectives:

At the completion of this unit the students will:

know:

•  the basic technological capabilities associated with the internet and the world-wide web

•  current trends in the use of internet and web technologies to support organisational information system needs

•  key issues in web systems development

understand:

•  how internet and multimedia technologies can be applied to support business processes;

•  the systems development strategies and skills appropriate to support the development of web-based systems

•  the role of the information professional in the development of web-based systems.

be able to:

•  recognise the strengths and weaknesses of current practices in the development and application of web-based systems;

•  identify the range of technical and systems expertise needed to assist in the development of a range of types of web-based information system;

•  recognise opportunities for the application of internet and multimedia technologies to support business systems.

have developed attitudes which enable them to:

•  critically evaluate the use of web-based systems to meet organisational information needs

Prerequisite knowledge:

IMS9049, IMS9001 and IMS9003 or equivalent.

Workload:

This is a six point unit which, according to University guidelines, means the average student will need to spend an average of about 12 hours of study on it each week, comprising 3 hours of contact time plus 9 hours of other work (this includes time for work on assignments, revision and exam preparation).

Assessment:

Assessment for the unit will comprise:

•  one 2-hour exam worth 50% of the unit marks to be held during the formal examination period at the end of semester

•  two assignments, worth a total of 50% of the unit marks. Details of the assignments and their submission dates will be posted on the unit web site.

The 40% rule will be applied for students who fail either the exam or assignment component of the unit.

Late submissions will be penalised at the rate of 5% per day. If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness you should apply for an extension before the due date. Medical certificates or certification supporting your application will be required. Hardware failures, whether of personal or University equipment, are not normally recognised as valid excuses. Failure to back-up assignment files is professional negligence.

Unit structure and organisation:

The following table shows the planned sequence of material for this unit. Note that it is subject to change without notice if circumstances require.

Teaching Week	Lecture Topics	Tutorial Topics
1	Introduction to web-based systems	Introductions
2	Web technology: The internet and the web	Using web-based systems
3	Web technology: Mark-up languages and browsers	Mark-up languages and browsers
4	Web technology: Digital representation/transmission	Bandwidth issues for the web
5	Web technology: Interactivity; Web tools and technologies	Search engines, XML and metadata
6	Web system development: The role of information professionals	Web development skills
7	Web system development: Web system content and usability	Web development processes
8	Web system development: Web page design	Creating web content
9	Web system development: Web site architecture and navigation	Web page design and usability
10	Web management and usage: Content management and web services	Web site site architecture and navigation
11	Web management and usage: The semantic web	Web content management
12	Web management and usage: Usage and abusage	Web services and the semantic web
13	Web management and usage: Organisational web use Unit Review	Review