Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
ISYS201 Information Technology Infrastructure
Teaching organisation
3 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalent.Unit rationale, description and aim
This foundation level unit is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of architecture components of IT Infrastructure. It covers the Information Technology architectural building blocks which include hardware, software and network facilities that are necessary to deliver seamless and ethically informed Information technology services. This includes ethical considerations such as stewardship responsibilities.
The aim of this unit is to provide students with the fundamental understanding of IT infrastructure capabilities and the knowledge and practical skills they need to plan, design or manage Information technology solutions.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Identify common computer hardware and software elements and understand how they interact with each other (GA5, GA8)
LO2 - Demonstrate how to operate digital information and construct and evaluate digital logic components and processes in collaboration with peers (GA5, GA7)
LO3 - Demonstrate knowledge on different number systems and how they are used to exchange digital information (GA5, GA10)
LO4 - Apply principles underlying social, environmental and ethical aspects in designing IT solutions for an organisation (GA3, GA5)
Graduate attributes
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to computer systems
- Data representation
- Digital logic operations
- Operating systems
- Number system
- Memory and storage organisation
- Computer networks and applications
- Ethical Issues
- Social and environmental Impacts of IT
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will be delivered in multi-mode over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period. Students will have access to all primary learning materials online through LEO, along with formative and summative assessments, all of which will be available online, to provide a learning experience beyond the classroom. While there are no formal classroom lectures for this unit, students will be required to attend weekly two-hour workshops, which will include a seminar and specific tasks related to achievement of the unit learning outcomes.
Students should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit, including class attendance, readings, online forum participation and assessment preparation.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. The first assessment task provides opportunities for students to apply their theoretical knowledge in solving problems in the environment. The purpose of this assessment is to guide students to build essential skills required to solve critical problems. The second assessment is an opportunity to assess students’ understanding of digital logic operations. The final assessment is an open book exam which provides students with an opportunity to evaluate their knowledge and skills learned throughout the unit.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Task 1: Lab assessment This assessment consists of a series of weekly lab exercises that will assist students to transfer their theoretical knowledge to practical skills with the help of lab instructor. The feedback from this assessment will help students to be ready to apply the concepts in the assessment task 2. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Lab Practical task Artefact: Source Code/Lab report | 20% | LO1, LO3 | GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Task 2: Logic Implementation The purpose of this assessment is to assess students’ understanding of number representation. Students will solve a digital logic problem using different logic gates. They will also need to submit a 1500-word report detailing the design process, truth table, inputs and outputs. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Written report Artefacts: LogiSim design file, report | 30% | LO2 | GA5, GA7 |
Assessment Task 3: Open Book Exam This assessment task tests the students’ grasp of both theoretical and practical aspects of the unit. Students will study several case studies, critically analyse them and answer a number of open-ended questions. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Exam Artefact: Answer Script | 50% | LO1, LO3, LO4 | GA3, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Representative texts and references
White, C. 2016, Data communications and computer networks: A business user's approach, 8th edn, Course Technology, Boston, MA.
Kurose JF & Ross KW 2016, Computer Networking A Top-Down Approach,7th edn, Addison Wesley, New Jersey.
Gray H, Issa T, Pye G, Troshani I, Rainer RK, Prince B & Watson HJ. 2015, Management Information Systems, 1st Australasian Edition, John Wiley and Sons Australia Ltd, Australia. ISBN: 9781118646021
Blundell B. G, Khan N, Lasebae A, Jabbar M, 2007, Computer Systems and Networks, Cernage Learning EMEA, ISBN: 9781844806393.