ICT581 Information Systems Principles and Practice
Tutorial 1 - Introduction
This week’s tutorial has some exercises relating to the material in Topic 1 and the unit in
general. These exercises don’t need to be handed in for assessment, although you should
write down your findings. Internal students can work in pairs or small groups to discuss the
exercises.
At the completion of this tutorial you should have gained practice in:
• Analysing an information system to identify its components and functions
• Familiarising yourself with the online unit on Moodle
• Using the library resources, particularly on referencing.
TO DO:
Exercise 1: Thinking about information systems
We said in the lecture that information systems are combinations of people, processes and
(usually) technology that perform some useful function. They
• take some inputs and transform them to outputs
• work within a boundary and in an environment.
In this exercise you will use these concepts to analyse a real information system to identify
its features.
Choose an information system you use in real-world cases (for example, LMS Moodle, ATM
(automatic teller machine), POS (point of sale) etc.). Discuss with your neighbours and as a
class how an ATM can be viewed as an information system.
Identify the following features of an information system for the Information system you
choose:
• Inputs
• Outputs
• Transformations/Processing
• Feedback
• Boundary
• Environment
• Subsystems
• Other systems it interacts with (by getting inputs from, or supplying outputs to).
If you don’t have all the information you need, state the assumptions you have made.
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Information systems are also made up of various components:
• People
• Repositories of data
• Equipment (hardware & software)
• Networks.
→ Identify these components for the information system you choose.
Exercise 2: The online unit
Familiarise yourself with the ICT581 online unit on the LMS. Make sure you know where to
find:
• The lecture slides
• The tutorial handouts
• The lecture recordings on Echo
• Announcements
• The general discussion forum
• The Assessment tabs, where you will submit your assessable work. There is a
separate tab for each of the assessment components.
Exercise 3: Refresher on library resources and referencing
The Murdoch library has many useful sources of information and it’s well worth while
learning how to use its resources effectively. Below are just a few pointers to pages that you
will find useful throughout this unit, and in your other units. Browse around the sites now,
bookmark them, and remember that they are there when you need them!
• The main library page is here http://library.murdoch.edu.au/ , and the Quick Start guide
to using the library here: http://library.murdoch.edu.au/Getting-help/Quick-Start/
FINDING INFORMATION
• The library has many subject guides that have been assembled by subject specialists to
provide you with an overview of resources in a particular area; see:
http://library.murdoch.edu.au/Getting-help/Subject-guides/
Explore the resources at the Information Technology subject guide:
http://libguides.murdoch.edu.au/Infotech
• Findit is a very simple and effective way to search the library collections:
http://library.murdoch.edu.au/Find-information/About-Findit/
2
Use Findit to repeat some of your research from Exercise 1. Were you able to locate any
more useful information?
REFERENCING
• The library has some very useful guides on referencing styles and how to cite references.
The overview page is here: http://library.murdoch.edu.au/Getting-help/Referencing/
And there are detailed individual guides for several styles, for example:
http://libguides.murdoch.edu.au/APA
http://libguides.murdoch.edu.au/Chicago
Referencing practice. Choose:
• a website you have consulted during this tutorial, and
• the textbook for one of your units.
For each resource, give its full reference in the correct format for APA or Chicago (or choose
another style if you prefer).
Add these references to your e-Portfolio.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Referencing correctly is part of the wider topic of academic integrity, a fundamental concept
in your academic life. The sections here http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Student-life/Study-
successfully/Referencing-and-citing/ explain what academic integrity is, how to avoid
plagiarism, and the penalties that can apply in cases of academic misconduct.
Familiarise yourself with these pages, and remember, if you are ever in any doubt about
your work (for example, whether you are paraphrasing or referencing correctly) ask your
tutor or the unit coordinator.
