Infomation Technology Management for Buiness - Programme Specification

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LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

Programme Specification

Information Technology Management for Business

Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in Module Specifications and other programme documentation and online at The accuracy of the information in this document is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

1. Aims of the programme

• To give students the knowledge and skills needed to become effective professionals and managers within the IT industry, or to progress immediately to a masters degree programme or postgraduate research in a computing or management field.
• To inspire students to have interest and enthusiasm for subjects they have chosen to study, and to involve them in an intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning and studying.
• To develop knowledge, understanding and skills in information technology and business.
• To give students the knowledge and skills needed to become effective professionals within the computing industries or IT related businesses
• To provide students with selected specialised areas of study so that they can experience the frontiers of practice and research in information technology and business.
• To provide training, through a range of educational activities, to develop a range of transferable skills applicable to employment.
• (MSci only) To prepare students for their career by both broadening and deepening the skills and abilities of the BSc programme.
• (MSci only) To give students the knowledge and skills to undertake research in a specialist area of their course.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

• QAA Computing Benchmark
• Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)
• The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
• Loughborough University's Learning and Teaching Strategy
• Annual and Periodic Programme Review
• External Examiners' reports
• Staff/student committees
• The particular specialisms of the involved departments' (Computer Science and Business School) staff.
• BCS Accreditation Documents

3. Intended Learning Outcomes

Note: Codes in brackets refer to the corresponding SFIA codes.

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following areas of the curriculum:

Business knowledge and understanding:

• basic business functions and organisational structures, including a sound understanding of modern business working practices, covering work in the office, at home and on the move (LB02).
• problem structuring and decision making (LB03)
• predictive modelling techniques and system thinking (LB04)
• business finance and investment (LB05)
• selling and marketing (LB06)
• business data analysis (LB07)
• management of human resources, including personal resources and life-long learning (LI02, LI03, LI08)
• plan for a multi-threaded project and lead a project review meeting (LP01)
• risk management (LP02)
• project management (LPO3)
• quality issues (LP04)

Information Technology knowledge and understanding:

• System architecture (LT01)
• Database design (LT02)
• Software development/engineering (LT03, LP04)
• Networks (LT04)
• IT change control (LT05)
• ICT Operation (LT06)
• System implementation and roll out (LT07)
• HCI and ergonomic issues (LT08)
• System analysis, modelling and design (LT08)
• Document processing (LB02)
• Information retrieval (LT02)
• Information systems (LT02)
• Operating systems (LT06)
• Professional, legal and ethical issues
• Programming fundamentals (LT03)
• Web-based computing (LT03)

Additional knowledge and understanding for the MSci programme:

Students on the MSci programme will cover the same ILOs as the BSc, butat a greater depth in at least one area of the above list of topics. In addition they will be expected to show knowledge and understanding of:

• Appropriate research techniques applicable to their specialised interest area.
• Professionalism and management in a commercial and economic context.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Modules on computing subjects are allocated three hours of contact time per 10 credits per week, which are most often used by the module organiser for two lectures and one tutorial. The more business-oriented modules tend to be allocated two hours a week contact time per week. The style of lectures is very varied from the classic “chalk & talk” to complete presentations using data projection. Where staff load permits, tutorial groups are smaller than the lecture classes and usually discuss "problem sheets" related to recently presented material. Staffed practical sessions in the department’s laboratories are timetabled and it is common to expect the students to organise their own visits to the laboratories. Several modules in all Parts of the programme require students to work in groups on structured assignments which may involve interviewing a ‘customer’. Each group of students is given the opportunity to submit evidence of the relative work per group member. MSci students, in their final year, are also given experience of assisting and supervising second year team work.

Students are expected to attend all contact periods for their modules. They have access to the teaching staff by email, with which they can arrange personal visits. Teaching materials on the departmental intranet also support students’ learning. Several rooms in which they can arrange meetings and discussion forums and email to allow electronic communication amongst themselves. Quantitative and qualitative feedback relating to assessment is made available to students as soon as possible, both during and after the module concerned.

Assessment in all cases is by the most appropriate mechanism. This varies from group-based project work for the analysis modules to written examination where a student will be expected to show particular knowledge and understanding. A number of modules are assessed through presentation, where such skills are necessary to show understanding of the presented material.

3.2 Subject-related cognitive skills

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Business cognitive skills:

• demonstrate that they have mastered basic business disciplines and courtesies, demonstrating timeliness, focus when faced with distractions, and ability to complete tasks to a deadline with high quality (LB01)
• take apart non-obvious business problems, structure the problem, collect relevant information, consider options and make recommendations (LB03)
• use basic predictive modelling techniques and system thinking to predict future performance and propose system improvements (LB04)
• construct a basic investment case for a multi-year initiative of uncertain outcome (LB05)
• sell a moderately complex technology-oriented solution demonstrating understanding of business need, using open questions and summarising skills, and demonstrating basic negotiating skills (LB06)
• gain and demonstrate competence in business and data analysis (LB07)
• construct a project plan for a multi-threaded project, and demonstrate that they can manage a risk register and lead a project review meeting (LP01, LP02)
• manage a small project, including the rescheduling for deviations and handling review meetings (LP03)
• gain insight into the preferences, motivations, strengths and weaknesses of other people and demonstrate how they use these insights to work more effectively with others in team situations; motivate others to work more effectively in group situations (LI03)
• use insights from personal profiling information such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator, or Kirton Adaption/Innovation indicator, including the use in team situations (SI03, SI04)

Information technology cognitive skills:

• demonstrate competence up to Level 3 (APPLY) of the SFIA framework in database design (LT02)
• demonstrate competence up to Level 3 (APPLY) of the SFIA framework in software development (LT03)
• demonstrate competence up to Level 3 (APPLY) of the SFIA framework in network administration and support (LT04)
• demonstrate competence up to Level 3 (APPLY) of the SFIA framework in change control in relation to an IT environment (LT05)
• demonstrate competence up to Level 3 (APPLY) of the SFIA framework in ICT operations (LT06)
• roll out a system in a customer friendly way (LT07)
• use HCI and ergonomic issues in system design (LT08)
• model and design computer-based systems for the purposes of comprehension, communication, prediction and the understanding of trade-offs (LT02, LT03)
• recognise and analyse criteria and specifications appropriate to specific problems, and plan strategies for their solution (LT03)
• analyse the extent to which a computer-based system meets the criteria defined for its current use and future development
• deploy appropriate theory, practices and tools for the specification, design, implementation and evaluation of computer-based systems (LT02, LT03)
• 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

Additional cognitive skills for the MSci programme:

• Show critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in their chosen specialist area.
• Deploy appropriate research techniques within their chosen field of specialism.
• Apply the professional and management techniques within a commercial and economic context.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

These cognitive skills are based on the knowledge and understanding taught in the modules throughout the programme. All modules generally have set coursework consisting of exercises, essays, presentations or mini-projects to enable the students to consolidate their learning and develop their cognitive skills in the subject area. Many of the modules have a timetabled tutorial or supervised lab session to further enable the building of these skills. The coursework may or may not be directly assessed. In some modules, examinations test the skills developed during the module and other skills are only assessed during the separate project modules. The Part C project will normally draw on a large number of both business and technological cognitive skills developed in other modules and the Part D project will develop research skills through association with a University research group. The second year team projects module particularly emphasises teamwork and dealing with managers and customers through the role play by staff during the module. Guidance is given during the Part C and Part D projects by the student’s individual project supervisor and in the team projects module by a module team of lecturers and support staff.

3.3 Subject-related practical skills

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Business practical skills:

• apply financial skills to include: managing a budget, discounted cash flows, net present values, paybacks, rates of return, basic balance sheet and income statements and the assessment and mitigation of risk, management information. (SB01)
• use time management, quality assurance, peer review (SB02)
• use data collection and assessment, problem analysis, options assessment, recommendations (SB03)
• apply system thinking, flow charting, type and frequency data analysis, modelling future flows (SB04)
• apply basic management considerations: prioritisation, task versus responsibility management, managing up the organisation, people considerations (SB05)
• apply project management methodology (SP01)
• apply critical path planning and managing dependencies (SP02)
• apply the concept and application of deliverables (SP03)
• plan and manage review meetings (SP04)
• management deviations (SP05)
• apply the principles of quality assurance (SP06)

Information technology practical skills:

• apply database design principles, using a mainstream database product (ST01)
• apply software development principles to specify, design or construct computer-based systems (ST02)
• apply principles of network management (ST03)
• apply change control principles (ST04)
• operate ICT equipment effectively, taking into account its logical and physical properties (ST05)
• evaluate systems in terms of general quality attributes and possible trade-offs presented within the given problem
• deploy effectively the tools used for the construction and documentation of computer applications, with particular emphasis on understanding the whole process involved in the effective deployment of computers to solve practical problems

Additional practical skills for the MSci programme:

• Apply appropriate research techniques
• Develop and apply new technologies
• Show originality and innovation
• Identify and manage cost drivers
• Make general evaluations of commercial risk
• Manage a project team

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

These topics concern the application of business and IT and as such are taught formally in modules where examples and exercises in lectures and tutorials cover the practical application of the theory taught. In modules with a laboratory content students are expected to investigate and learn possible solutions to problems with help being available from laboratory supervisors as required. In many cases the skills are directly assessed by coursework or, where appropriate, by examination. The Part C and Part D individual projects and the Part B and Part C team projects allow students to consolidate their knowledge by practical application and to research and develop new knowledge and skills. Instruction is given in the Software Project Management module on planning and managing projects which students are expected to follow in their final year projects. This module also has a practical review meeting exercise in association with the final year project. Technical considerations of structure, reliability and usability are taken into account when marking these projects as are the business skills of analysing, planning and managing the project.

For MSci students, the group project of the final year gives experience of an industry based project to further develop practical and professional skills, including cost evaluation and risk, and the thesis project gives experience of research techniques and new technologies giving an opportunity to show originality and innovation. MSci final year students are also given practical leadership and managerial experience in working with second year project teams.

3.4 Transferable skills

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• make concise, engaging and well-structured presentations, arguments and explanations of varying lengths by using various media (LI01, SI01)
• understand their personal preferences, styles, strengths and weaknesses and be able to demonstrate how they use this knowledge to more effectively complete challenging assignments (LI02)
• work more effectively with others in team situations, recognising the different roles within a team and different ways of organising teams and motivating others to work more effectively in group situations (LI03)
• influence and persuade others constructively, understanding the implications of defensive behaviour and use personal strategies to overcome it (LI04, SI06)
• demonstrate knowledge of the taught techniques and the ability to use them effectively to solve problems in realistic situations (LI04)
• deal with setbacks, misfortunes and hiatuses in ways that strengthen their positive attitude, and develop their self-reliance and ability to self-start on their own initiative (LI05)
• give and receive direct feedback constructively, demonstrating how they incorporate it into learning and future action (LI06, SI07))
• appreciate the need for continuing professional development in recognition of the need for lifelong learning (LI08, SI08)
• use selling, questioning, negotiating and closing techniques (SI02)
• design and apply performance evaluation tools (SI05)
• use effective information management and information retrieval skills
• apply numeracy in both understanding and presenting cases involving a quantitative dimension
• make effective use of general IT facilities
• manage their own learning and development including time management and organisation

Additional practical skills for the MSci programme:

apply research techniques

be innovative and creative

manage and show leadership in a project team

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Many of these transferable skills will be acquired while developing the cognitive and practical skills associated with the programme. Information management and retrieval skills are obtained while researching subjects for many modules, including project work. Numeracy skills will be acquired in the mathematical modules. General IT skills are obtained while developing software solutions and preparing presentations and reports. The management of one's own learning is achieved when balancing the workload within and between modules and this involves using their own personal strengths to best advantage. The appreciation of the need for continuing professional development is achieved through the exposure of students to the latest technologies and methods in the final year. The students give and receive feedback on most modules in the programme and on the programme itself. These skills are not directly assessed though graduating from this programme would not be possible without these skills being obtained. However, the ability to work in a team is directly considered in the marking of the Team Projects module and communication skill is directly considered in the marking of the final year project. In the Team Projects and the final year projects students are assessed on the demonstrations/ presentations they make, the application of their learning for problem solving and their ability to overcome setbacks. Selling and negotiation skills and the ability to influence others are taught and assessed in the management modules.

The MSci students obtain research skills through working with a university research group and learn to be innovative and creative through the thesis project and entrepreneurship module. The group project, and modules on managing a project team and leadership enable the student to gain practical teamwork skills as a participant, team leader or team manager.