ICT284

Systems Analysis and Design

Unit Information Guide

S1 2015

This information should be read in conjunction with the online learning materials which can
be found on your MyUnits page.

The information in this guide is accurate as of 25 February 2015. Please see the LMS
site for any updates.

Unit coordinator
Dr Val Hobbs
School of Engineering and Information Technology
Science and Computing 1.009
V.Hobbs@murdoch.edu.au

 Published by Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, February 2015.

This publication is copyright. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act no part of it may in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other means be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior
written permission of the publisher.

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Contents
Unit information
Information about the unit
Contact details
How to study this unit
Resources for the unit
Study schedule
Assessment

5
8
9
11
12
13

Note: This information should be read in conjunction with the online learning
materials which can be found on your MyUnits page.

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Information about the unit

Welcome to:
ICT284 Systems Analysis and Design

Unit description
This unit introduces methods and techniques for analysing problematic organisational
situations, particularly those leading to the development of an information system, and draws
on both technical and organisational material to provide the knowledge and skills necessary
to design and implement an operational system.

Prerequisites
ICT102 Introduction to Computer Science OR ICT105 Introduction to Information Technology
OR ICT108 Introduction to the Internet and Multimedia OR ICT159 Foundations of
Programming OR ICT158 Introduction to Information Systems.

Aims of the unit

The broad aims of this unit are to:

Provide an understanding of the process of systems analysis and design.

Demonstrate competence in using a range of systems analysis and design models
and techniques.

Learning outcomes for the unit

On successful completion of the unit you should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Describe some typical processes of systems analysis leading to design.

Discuss the social responsibilities of analysts and designers.
Describe the various job titles and roles associated with analysis and design work.
Demonstrate problem definition, communication and problem solving skills.
Model system requirements using use case model diagrams and descriptions, data
models, process models, UML class diagrams and other UML diagrams.
6. Describe the skills and techniques required for planning, managing and documenting the
systems development process.
7. Demonstrate an awareness of some of the different techniques and methodologies used
in systems development.

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8. Develop and choose between different alternatives for the development of an information
system that meets a set of analysed requirements.
9. Prepare an appropriate system proposal document specifying the above, written with a
client focus in mind.
10. Develop appropriate high-level and detailed design of a system, including input, output,
user interface, and distribution aspects.

Graduate attributes developed in the unit

This unit will contribute to the development of the following Graduate Attributes:
http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Educational-Development/Preparing-to-teach/Graduate-attributes/
1. Communication
The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts using
communication, literacy, numeracy and information technology skills.
Students will be exposed to listening skills in lectures and tutorials, speaking skills
through active participation in tutorials, reading and writing skills though preparation
and production of assessments and information literacy through the research
required to participate in class and undertake assessments.
2.

Critical and creative thinking

The ability to collect, analyse and evaluate information and ideas and solve problems
by thinking clearly, critically and creatively.
Skills in this area will be developed through the sourcing of relevant resources and
critical reflection and analysis on the content of case studies.

3.

Social interaction
A capacity to relate to and collaborate with others to exchange views and ideas and
to achieve desired outcomes through teamwork, negotiation and conflict resolution
Students will be required to interact and collaborate with others through tutorial
discussion and interaction during lectures.

4.

Independent and lifelong learning

A capacity to be a self-directed learner and thinker and to study and work
independently
The unit will require the application of time-management skills and self-directed study
in order to successfully participate in class activities and discussion. Tutorial
activities encourage and lead students to become more independent.

5.

Ethics
An awareness of and sensitivity to ethics and ethical standards on interpersonal and
social levels, and within a field of study and/or profession
Skills in this area will be developed through an understanding of the human roles
associated with information systems. Issues of academic integrity will also be
addressed.

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6.

Social justice
An acknowledgment of and respect for equality of opportunity, individual and civic
responsibility, other cultures and times, and an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Students will be exposed to cultural diversity as it impacts on information systems.

7.

Global perspective
An awareness of and respect for the social, biological, cultural and economic
interdependence of global life.
Students will be exposed to global trends in information systems in order to build
understanding of the global implications of themes, issues or problems in the unit.

8.

Interdisciplinarity
A capacity to acquire knowledge and understanding of fields of study beyond a single
discipline.
The nature of this unit requires that students develop understanding of both information
technology and management aspects of information systems.

9.

In-depth knowledge of a field of study

A comprehensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding of a field of study and
defined professional skills where appropriate
Students will develop specific knowledge and skills in the area of information systems.

This unit was originally developed by Dr Val Hobbs, based on the unit ICT231 developed by
Dr Nik Thompson and Associate Professor Tanya McGill

Unit changes in response to student feedback

This is the first offering of ICT284 Systems Analysis and Design, adapted from ICT231
Systems Analysis and Design. Some content, reading and contact time have been reduced
from ICT231 to adapt the unit from 4 points to 3 points.
Feedback on the unit, whether through unit surveys or informally, is always welcomed.

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Contact details
Unit Coordinator contact details
Name: Dr Val Hobbs
Email: V.Hobbs@murdoch.edu.au
Room: Science and Computing (Building 245) 1.009
Phone: +61 8 9360 2817
Tutor contact details
You will be notified who your tutor will be at the beginning of the teaching period. The tutor
will provide you with his or her contact details.

Administrative contact details

If the Unit coordinator is not available, messages can be left with the Academic Support
Officer who is available on +61 8 9360 6120.

Technical help
For technical difficulties contact the IT Service Desk:
ITservicedesk@murdoch.edu.au
or
phone +61 8 9360 2000

For difficulties with other online materials contact the Unit Coordinator.

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How to study this unit

This unit has three primary teaching components: lectures; tutorials/labs and self-study. The
lectures cover the content of the unit. It is important that you attend the lectures so that you
can spend your time effectively in the tutorials and stay up to date.
In order to perform well in this unit, you will be expected to:
Read topic readings PRIOR to lectures and tutorials
Read and research BEYOND the provided readings
Participate in lectures and tutorials
Submit professionally presented work, on time and to specification.
All material will be available online on the unit website on the LMS in the form of lecture
slides, tutorial handouts, and any other relevant material.
The tutorials/labs will support the lectures by exploring the theory covered, and opportunity
will be provided to reinforce and extend learner understanding through a variety of activities,
including in-class discussion and practical exercises.

Contact time
There are two hours of lectures for each of 11 teaching weeks of the teaching period. One
of these lecture slots will be given over to the mid-term assessment for students. Note that
due to the public holiday there is no lecture in Week 5.
There is one hour of tutorials/labs per week for each of the usual 12 teaching weeks of the
teaching period, including week 5.

Time commitment
As this is a 3 credit point unit, there is an expectation that, over the course of the teaching
period, you will spend somewhere in the region of 150 hours working on this unit. This will
generally equate to somewhere between 8 and 10 hours per week, inclusive of lectures and
tutorials/labs.

Attendance requirements
Attendance is not compulsory at either the lectures or the tutorials/labs, however it is
strongly recommended for internal students. Participation in tutorials/labs and tutorial
activities form a part of the overall assessment for internal students. This should be taken
into consideration when determining your timetable.

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Resources for this unit

The following is the textbook for the unit. You are likely to find it useful for other IT units also:
Satzinger, J., Jackson, R. and Burd, S. (2012) Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing
World, 6th edition, Course Technology, Cengage Learning: Boston.
Students should consult individual topics in the Learning Guide and on LMS for the required
readings for each topic. Other readings may also be supplied on Electronic Reserve
(eReserve) and via online resources.

Online resources
The following will be provided during the teaching period:
lecture slides
lecture recordings
tutorial/lab handouts
articles on the web
articles on Electronic Reserve (access via e-Reserve link to ICT284 on Library page.
Note that we may also make use of articles listed under ICT231 e-Reserve)

Other resources
There are many texts on systems analysis and design and you may wish to consult some of
them to gain a broader perspective on the subject. Some texts that cover relevant material
are listed below.
Bennett, S., McRobb, S. and Farmer, R. (2002) Object-oriented systems analysis and design
using UML, McGraw-Hill.
Bentley, L.D. and Whitten, J.L (2007) Systems analysis and design for the global enterprise,
McGraw-Hill.
Bittner, K. and Spence, I. (2002) Use case modelling, Addison-Wesley Professional.
Electronic copy available through Murdoch Library
Curtis, G. and Cobham, D. (2001) Business information systems: analysis, design, and
practice, Prentice Hall.
Fowler, M. (2004) UML distilled: A brief guide to the standard object modelling language,
Addison-Wesley. Electronic copy available through Murdoch Library
Hawryszkiewycz, I. T. (2001) Introduction to systems analysis and design, Prentice-Hall.
Hoffer, J.A., George, J.F., and Valacich, J.S. (2008) Modern systems analysis and design,
Pearson Prentice-Hall.

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Kendall, K. E. and Kenneth J. E. (2005) Systems analysis and design, Pearson Prentice-Hall.
Kulak, D. and Guiney, E. (2003) Use cases: Requirements in context, Addison-Wesley
Professional.
Miles, R. and Hamilton, K. (2006) Learning UML 2.0, O'Reilly Media, Inc. Electronic copy
available.
Whitten, J. L., Bentley, L. D., and Dittman, K. C. (2004), Systems Analysis and Design
Methods, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill.
Your textbook also suggests other readings at the end of each chapter.
You should also get into the habit of reading relevant computer magazines and newspaper
articles. This will help you to keep up to date with the new developments in IT that systems
analysts must be aware of.

Computing resources
Students should ensure that they have access to the Internet to download unit materials and
any additional readings that may be specified, and for use to complete the tutorial activities
and assignments.
For internal students, all required software is available in the computer laboratories that will
be used for classes.
As the practical sessions and assignments in this unit make use of Microsoft Visio and
Microsoft Project, you should ensure you have access to these applications.
You should also ensure you have access to the Internet to download unit materials and any
additional readings that may be specified.
The School has an arrangement with Microsoft that allows IT students free access to several
applications including Visio and Project. Should you wish to do so, you will be able to burn
copies of these applications and install them on your own computer. You will receive further
details of this by email early in the semester.
If you are unable to use Windows applications at home due to being of the Apple persuasion,
then you may wish to look into alternatives. There is a big list here:
http://list.ly/list/Ac-microsoft-visio-alternatives-on-mac-os-x
However, please note, claiming that Software X that you used instead of the prescribed
applications is not a valid excuse for not meeting the requirements of the assignment. You
will still lose marks in your assignments if your work is messy, badly organized and/or does
not use the diagramming notation that is taught in the course (and in the practical sessions).

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Study schedule
This timetable will help you to plan your study over the semester. The timetable is not fixed:
always check LMS for up to date information. As the tutorials are all scheduled before the
lecture, they will normally cover the previous weeks lecture topic.
Week

Topic

Reading

Topic 1: Introduction to
Systems Analysis and
Design

Ch. 1.

Tutorial 1

2.

Topic 2: Investigating
Requirements

Ch. 2

Tutorial 2

3.

Topic 3: Use Cases and

Process Modelling

Ch. 3

Tutorial 3

4.

Topic 4: Domain
Modelling

Ch. 4

Tutorial 4

5.

Easter public holiday

no Friday lecture

Assessment + Due
Dates

Tutorial 5

6.

Non-Teaching Week

7.

Topic 5: Extending
Requirements

Ch. 5

Tutorial 6

8.

Mid-semester
Assessment

Ch. 1-5

Tutorial 7

9.

Topic 6: Essentials of
Design

Ch. 6

Tutorial 8

10.

Topic 7 : Designing user

and system interfaces

Ch. 7

Tutorial 9

11.

12

Tutorials

Mid-semester
Assessment

Non-Teaching Week

12.

Topic 8: Evaluating
alternatives +Approaches
to system development

Ch. 8 +
Online
Chapter

Tutorial 10

13.

Topic 9: Project
Management

Ch. 9

Tutorial 11

14.

Topic 10: Making the

system operational

Ch. 13

Tutorial 12

Assignment

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Assessment
Assessment for this unit is conducted in accordance with the Assessment Policy:
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/index/policies/index?Filter=assessment

Schedule of assessment items

Internal students will be assessed on the basis of one assignment, class participation, a midsemester assessment and a final examination.
External students will be assessed on the basis of one assignment, weekly tutorial exercises,
a mid-semester assessment and a final examination.
Assessment
component

Learning
outcomes
addressed

Description

Value

Due

Mid-semester
assessment

Short/extended response
answers covering material
in Topics 1-5

20%

LO 1-5

Lecture, week 8

Assignment

Case study

20%

LO 4,5,9,10

End week 13

Class Participation
(internals)
OR

Discussion and practical

work

10%

LO 1-10

Throughout

Tutorial exercises
(externals)

Written answers to tutorial

questions

10%

LO 1-10

4 submissions:
see LMS for
dates

Examination

2 hour, closed book

50%

LO 1-10

Exam period

Assessment details
Detailed instructions for assessment items, including the due date and time, and the
assessment criteria, will be provided with each of the assessment items during the semester.

Examination
The final examination in this unit will be held during the appropriate examination period. It will
be closed book and 2 hours duration. The examination will assess students attainment of all
learning objectives.

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As this is a new unit, there are no past exam papers; however, past ICT231 exams will cover
much the same material. The lecture in week 14 will also include some information and
guidance about the final exam.
Students should bring appropriate identification to the examination venue.
Students have a right to request to view and discuss their marked examination script within
14 days of the posting of results.
For further information about examinations, refer to http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Studentlife/Get-organised/About-exams/

Determination of the final grade

In order to pass the unit you must:

Submit the assignment and sit the final exam and mid-term assessment.
AND
Have an aggregate score for the combined assessment of 50% or better.
AND
Achieve a satisfactory performance in the final examination. A satisfactory
performance is normally considered to be 50% or higher.

The grade is determined in this way because in order to be considered competent as a

systems analyst it is essential that you can demonstrate both practical skills and theoretical
knowledge. These components are assessed in different parts of the unit.
Your final grade for the unit will be reported as a letter grade. The percentage ranges for the
overall work and for the assessment components are set out in the following table. See
Section 11 of the Assessment Policy regarding grades:
http://policy.ad.murdoch.edu.au/documents/index.php?docid=401&mode=view
Note that marks may be scaled to ensure equity of marking by different tutors.

Assignment submission

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All assignments and tutorial submissions are to be submitted electronically, via

assignment boxes in the ICT284 online unit on Moodle. Detailed instructions for
assignment submission will be included with each of the assignments.

It is your responsibility to keep a copy of any assignment handed in for assessment.

Make sure you keep a copy of the final (submitted) version as well as the backups
you make as you create the assignment. It is recommended that you also keep a
hard copy of any written assignments.

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It is especially important to maintain regular backups of all your practical work. You
should ensure you keep a separate backup on a thumb drive or similar do not rely
solely on your network drive.

Late submission will be penalised at a rate of five percent of the total marks
available for the assignment per day (or part thereof). The deadline for submission
will be specified in LMS and on the assignment. Each assignment will have a final
date by which the assignment will be accepted for marking. Assignments not received
by the final date WILL NOT BE MARKED and will be recorded as a 0.

Under exceptional circumstances an extension can be provided. Extensions for

assignment submissions can only be granted if requested in advance of the due
date for submission, and with a good reason. Applications for extensions should be
made to the Unit Coordinator, not to the student's tutor who is unable to grant
extensions. If an extension is granted, the Unit Coordinator will tell you at the time of
granting it whether any penalty in marks will apply to the submitted work.

Where appropriate, Turnitin will be made available for students in this unit.

Note that in certain circumstances it is possible to obtain Deferred Assessment.

Information on the procedure for applying for Deferred Assessment can be found at
http://www.Murdoch.edu.au/oss/exams/deferred.htmll

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