INF1505/101/0/2022
Tutorial Letter 101/0/2022
Introduction to Business Information
Systems
INF1505
Year module
Department of Information Systems
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and make sure
that you have regular access to the module website, INF1505-22-Y1, and your
group website on myUnisa.
Note: This is a fully online module and, therefore, it is only available on myUnisa.
BARCODE
CONTENTS
Page
1
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3
2
PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................ 3
2.1
Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 3
2.2
Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 3
3
CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4
4
LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 4
4.1
Lecturer ........................................................................................................................................... 4
4.2
Department ..................................................................................................................................... 4
4.3
University ........................................................................................................................................ 4
5
RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 5
5.1
Prescribed book(s) .......................................................................................................................... 5
5.2
Recommended book(s) .................................................................................................................. 5
5.3
Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ..................................................................................................... 5
5.4
Library services and resources ……………………………………………………….………………….6
6
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................. 6
6.1
First-year Experience Programme ................................................................................................. 6
7
STUDY PLAN ................................................................................................................................. 7
8
PRACTICAL WORK ....................................................................................................................... 8
9
ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................... 8
9.1
Assessment criteria ........................................................................................................................ 8
9.2
Assessment plan ............................................................................................................................ 8
9.3
Assignment numbers ...................................................................................................................... 9
9.4
Assignment due dates .................................................................................................................... 9
9.5
Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 10
9.6
Other assessment methods .......................................................................................................... 10
9.7
The examination ........................................................................................................................... 10
10
ACADEMIC DISHONENESTY ..................................................................................................... 11
10.1
Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 11
10.2
Cheating ....................................................................................................................................... 12
11
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................................ 12
12
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 12
13
IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 13
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INF1505/101/0/2022
Dear Student
1
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Introduction to Business Information Systems (INF1505).
We hope that you will find your studies stimulating, meaningful and enriching. You will be well
on your way to success if you start studying early in the semester so that you have enough time
to submit your assignments, complete the online activities and prepare for the examination.
Because this is a fully online module, you have to use myUnisa to study and to complete the
learning activities. Visit the website for INF1505 on myUnisa frequently. The website for the
module is INF1505-22-Y1 for the year 2022.
This online module involves peer group interaction on your e-tutor site. Some of the activities
might include community engagement. Your lecturer will interact with you in this regard on
myUnisa and by e-mail.
Getting started
Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find the study material
online. Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and
password. You will see the module site, INF1505-22-Y1, in the row of modules displayed in the
orange blocks at the top of the web page. Select the More sites tab if you cannot find the
module in the blocks displayed, and then click on the module.
2
PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES
2.1
Purpose
This module covers the latest information technology, as well as the latest practices and trends
relating to information technology. We use real-world examples and case studies to equip you
with skills and knowledge that can easily be transferred to the business world. After you have
studied this module, you will be able to apply concepts relating to information technology in your
everyday life and to identify different classes of business information systems. You will also
understand systems development and information systems in business and society in general.
The knowledge, skills and values that you acquire will support you in any further studies you
embark on and any work you do in the area of information technology, computer science or
commerce.
2.2
Outcomes
You have to master several outcomes for this module. These outcomes are as follows:
• Specific outcome 1: You are able to apply the basics of information systems in organisations.
• Specific outcome 2: You are able to analyse information technology components.
• Specific outcome 3: You obtain an overview of business information systems.
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• Specific outcome 4: You are able to analyse the system development life cycle (SDLC),
which is a model for developing a system or a project.
• Specific outcome 5: You are able to discuss emerging trends, as well as privacy, legal
issues, security issues, health issues and ethical issues with regard to information systems.
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CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In view of
this charter, curriculum transformation is high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum
transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of
teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning and the infusion of African
epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at both the
programme level and the module level through a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked change
in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with a change in the way in which
content is conceptualised in modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies
at Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.
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LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
4.1
Lecturer
My name is Mr ME Bogopa and I am the primary lecturer for this module. My contact details are as
follows:
Department: School of Computing
Office C03-014, GJ Gerwel Building, Florida Campus
Telephone: 011 670 9058
E-mail: INF1505-22-Y1@unisa.ac.za
Whenever you contact me, please include your student number so that I can help you more
effectively.
4.2
Department
The contact details of the School of Computing (Department of Information Systems) are as
follows:
• Telephone: +27 11 670 9200
• E-mail: computing@unisa.ac.za
• Physical address: GJ Gerwel Building (Block C), third and fourth floors
Unisa Science Campus
Corner of Christiaan de Wet Road and Pioneer Avenue
Florida
Roodepoort
4.3
University
To contact the university, follow the instructions set out in the brochure, Study @ Unisa.
Remember to have your student number on hand whenever you contact the university.
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INF1505/101/0/2022
5
RESOURCES
5.1
Prescribed book(s)
The only prescribed book for INF1505 for 2022 is as follows:
Title
Principles of business information systems
Authors
R Stair, G Reynolds and T Chesney
Publisher
Cengage
Edition
Fourth
Date of publication
11 December 2020
ISBN
978-1-473-77460-5
5.2
Recommended book(s)
There are no recommended books for this module. Use only the prescribed book for 2022.
5.3
Electronic reserves (e-reserves)
There are no e-reserves for this module.
5.4 Library services and resources
The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources, which can be accessed
as follows:
•
•
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For a general overview of the services of the Unisa Library, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/About-the-Library or
Library @ a glance.
For detailed information about the services of the Unisa Library, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library.
For information about research support and services (e.g., personal librarians and literature
search services), go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support.
The Unisa Library has created numerous library guides, which can be accessed at
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za.
Here is a list of recommended guides:
•
•
To request recommended books and to access e-reserve material, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request.
To find information on postgraduate services, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
To find and use library resources and tools (research support), go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/research-support.
For frequently asked questions about the Unisa Library, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask.
For information about services offered to students living with disabilities, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability.
For A-Z databases, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php.
For subject-specific guides, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/?b=s.
For information on library fines and payments, go to
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/fines.
If you need assistance with technical problems in accessing the Unisa Library or resources, go
to https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport or send an e-mail to Lib-help@unisa.ac.za (insert
your student number in the subject line, please).
You can send general library-related enquiries to Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za.
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STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The Study @ Unisa website, www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies, has all the tips and
information you need to succeed at Unisa.
6.1
First-year Experience Programme
For many students, the transition from school education to tertiary education is beset with
anxiety. This is also true for first-time students of Unisa. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and
e-learning institution and, as such, differs from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega
university and all its programmes are offered through either a blended learning mode or a fully
online learning mode. Unisa offers first-time students additional/extended support so that they
can navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. In this
regard, the university offers a specialised student support programme, namely, the First-year
Experience (FYE) Programme to first-time Unisa students. The FYE Programme is designed to
provide students with prompt and helpful information about services that the institution offers
and how they can access information.
The following FYE services are currently offered:
•
FYE website. All the guides and resources you need to navigate through your first year at
Unisa can be accessed at www.unisa.ac.za/FYE.
•
FYE e-mails. You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.
•
FYE broadcasts. You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics related to
your first-year studies (e.g., videos on how to submit assignments online).
•
FYE mailbox. If you have queries regarding your first year of study, you can send an e-mail
to fye@unisa.ac.za.
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INF1505/101/0/2022
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STUDY PLAN
What does it mean to study fully online?
Studying a fully online module differs completely from studying some of the other modules at
Unisa. Studying a fully online module entails the following:
•
•
•
All the study material and learning activities for an online module are designed to be
delivered online on myUnisa.
All assignments must be submitted online. This means that you have to complete all the
activities and submit all the assignments on myUnisa (under Online Assessment). In other
words, you may not post any of the assignments to Unisa using the South African Post
Office.
All communication between you and the university happens online. Lecturers will
communicate with you by e-mail and SMS, as well as through the Announcements,
Questions and Answers and Discussion Forum tools on myUnisa. (Please note that the
Discussion Forum tool has been moved to the e-tutor sites.) You can also use all these
platforms to ask questions and to contact lecturers.
myUnisa tools
myUnisa, which you can access at https://my.unisa.ac.za, is a facility that is available to all
registered Unisa students. myUnisa enables you to perform study-related functions that you
would otherwise have to carry out by post or phone or by visiting a campus in person.
myUnisa allows you to
•
•
•
•
•
•
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have e-mail contact with lecturers
submit assignments (text and multiple-choice assignments) online
access your assignment marks
access your personal information records
participate in student discussion forums
notify the university of a change of address or the cancellation of study modules
access learning units and module-related information, including assignments
myUnisa offers an electronic service to students and, 99% of the time, it delivers a trustworthy
and accurate service. However, there may be times when the myUnisa system is not available
owing to upgrades. Also, you might sometimes experience problems with your internet
connection when you try to access myUnisa. Moreover, there have been occasional complaints
that the submission dates indicated on the myUnisa system were not correct.
The School of Computing is not responsible for myUnisa and is therefore unable to help you
with the problems that may occur when you use the system. If you have any queries regarding
the services provided by myUnisa, contact the Unisa helpline and ask to be connected to the
myUnisa helpdesk (which falls under the ICT Department).
NB: It is very important that you log in to myUnisa regularly – at least once a week – to do the
following:
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•
•
Check for new announcements. You can also set your myLife e-mail account so that you
receive the announcement e-mails on your cellphone.
Do the discussion forum activities on your e-tutor site. When you do the activities for each
learning unit, you must share your answers with the other students in your group. You can
read the instructions and even prepare your answers offline, but you have to go online to
post your messages.
These extra ways of studying the material and practising the activities are intended to help you
succeed in the online module. To get the most out of the online module, you must go online
regularly to complete the activities and the assignments on time.
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PRACTICAL WORK
No practical work is required for the module.
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ASSESSMENT
9.1
Assessment criteria
You must submit four formal self-assessment (SA) assignments for this module.
You will find the assignments, labelled Online Assessment, under Published Copies – go to
myUnisa, then Online Assessment to the left and then Published Copies.
The module comprises four SA assignments, one for each group of chapters in the syllabus.
The last SA assignment covers the last four chapters. The SA assignments will each contribute
between 20% and 30% (6–8% of 20% of your year mark) towards your year mark. All SA
assignments will be available for submission 10 days before their due dates. No extensions of
the due dates will be granted. If you do not submit an SA assignment on or before its due date,
you will forfeit the marks of that assignment. Please make time to complete the SA
assignments. Each SA assignment has an allocated time of 40 minutes. Automatic marking will
start when the time has elapsed. It is your responsibility to set aside 40 minutes to complete an
assessment. You will have two attempts to complete SA 1 during the period it is open, and the
highest mark will be recorded. You will have only one opportunity to submit each of the other
assignments. Make sure that you only attempt an SA assignment after you have read the
chapters relating to that assessment.
9.2
Assessment plan
•
You have to submit assignments and write an examination to complete this module.
•
All information on when and how to submit the assignments will be posted on the myUnisa
site for the module.
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INF1505/101/0/2022
•
The due dates for the submission of the assignments, as well as the actual assignments,
are available on the myUnisa site for the module.
•
You have to submit the assignments to gain admission to the examination.
•
The assignments (multiple-choice questions, or MCQs) will comprise a combination of 20%.
•
Assignments 01, 02, 03 and 04 will contribute 20%, 25%, 25% and 30%, respectively,
towards your year mark. If you do not submit an assignment on or before its due date, you
will receive no marks for it.
•
The examination (MCQs) will be a timed examination.
•
The examination will count 80% towards your final mark for the module.
9.3
Assignment numbers
Refer to section 9.4.
9.4
Assignment due dates
•
The assignment due dates will be available on the landing page of the myUnisa site for this
module. It is envisaged that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.
•
Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assignments.
•
Please start working on the assignments as soon as you have registered for the module.
•
Please provide the module code and the assignment number when you call me or send an
e-mail regarding an assignment. Specify the module code and the assignment number in all
enquiries about assignments.
•
Modules offered by Unisa are either blended (meaning that a combination of printed and
online material is used) or online (meaning that all information is available via the internet).
myUnisa serves as a virtual campus in all cases of online engagement.
•
From 2022, the myUnisa virtual campus will be offered through a new learning management
system. This is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver
educational material to you and to support engagement with you.
•
The university undertakes to communicate as clearly and as frequently as is necessary to
ensure you gain the optimum advantage in the use of the new learning management
system.
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Additional information on the use of the myUnisa site for the module, as well as features
that will enable you to engage and communicate with the lecturer and other students, will be
available on the online site for the module.
•
You should log on to the myUnisa site for the module to obtain more information on where
to complete and/or upload the assignments and how to communicate with the lecturer.
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•
The following dates are the latest dates by which you should submit the respective
assignments:
Assignment number Format
9.5
Due date
Normal Chapters
weight
01
SA
99 April 2022
20
1–3
02
SA
99 June 2022
25
4–6
03
SA
99 August 2022
25
7–9
04
SA
99 September
2022
30
10–13
Submission of assignments
Because most students will not be familiar with SA assignments, a mock assignment will be
available for practice on 3 March 2022. You should complete the mock assignment before you
attempt a real assignment because, once you open a real assignment, the time will start ticking
and you will not be able to leave the page – if you leave the page, you will receive zero for that
assignment. The mock assignment will not contribute to your final year mark. The aim of the
mock assignment is to provide you with an experience of the online assignment environment in
this module.
*Because this is an online module, the assignments are not provided in this tutorial letter. The
assignments will be posted online as they become due, and you will see them when you go
online.
9.6
Other assessment methods
Your year mark will be based on your assignment marks. Assignments 01, 02, 03 and 04 will
contribute 20%, 25%, 25% and 30%, respectively, towards your year mark. If you do not submit
an assignment on or before its due date, you will receive no marks for it. No late submission of
assignments can be accommodated because the assignments cannot be accessed after their
due dates.
There are no other assessment methods other than the four self-assessment assignments that
have to be submitted under Online Assessment on myUnisa.
9.7
The examination
General information about the examination and details on the format of the examination will be
provided online on the myUnisa module site. Look out for information that will be shared with
you by the lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant) and for communication from the university.
An integrated assessment system is used for this module. This means that your final mark will
be based not only on your examination mark but also on your performance during the semester.
Your final mark will be calculated as follows:
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INF1505/101/0/2022
year mark (out of 100) x 20% + examination mark (out of 100) x 80%
You need a final mark of at least 50% to pass this module.
Below is a detailed example of how the integrated assessment system works, assuming that
Assignments 01, 02, 03 and 04 are submitted.
(M = marks achieved; T = total number of possible marks)
Assignment
Marks achieved (M/T)
% (M/T x 100)
x weight
% year mark
01
15/20
75%
x 0.2
15%
02
15/25
60%
x 0.25
15%
03
20/25
80%
x 0.25
20%
04
30/30
100%
x 0.3
30%
15,75% of 20%
Your year mark will contribute 20% towards your final mark and the examination mark will
make up the other 80%. The examination will be written at the end of the year.
The sequence of steps by which your final mark will be calculated is as follows:
1.
year mark = (Assignment 01 x 20%) + (Assignment 02 x 25%) + (Assignment 03 x 25%)
+ (Assignment 04 x 30%)
2.
examination mark (EM) = examination mark (EM)
3.
final mark = (year mark x 20%) + (examination mark x 80%)
=>40% in order to qualify for a supplementary examination
=>50% final mark in order to pass the module
NB: Admission to the examination will be handled automatically by the computer. If you have
any queries relating to the examination, you can send an e-mail to the Examination Department
at exams@unisa.ac.za. You will only be admitted to the examination if you have submitted at
least one assignment.
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ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. Plagiarism is serious academic misconduct and is treated as such by the university.
The university expects academic honesty and integrity from its students. Plagiarism is immoral,
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unethical and illegal. Copying a fellow student’s assignment amounts to plagiarism. You are not
allowed to use someone’s answers that have been posted on social media (e.g., Instagram,
Facebook or WhatsApp). If someone posts his/her assignment answers on a social media
network, please report that person at INF1505-22-Y1@unisa.ac.za. You may not take pictures
of assignment questions in order to share them on social media. Furthermore, you may not
distribute an illegal copy of the prescribed book, such as a PDF copy, on social media. Steps
will be taken by the university authorities should this practice come to light.
10.2
Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to,
•
•
•
•
completing an assessment on behalf of another student, copying work from another student
during an assessment or allowing another student to copy work from you
using social media (e.g., WhatsApp or Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information
submitting a corrupt or irrelevant file
buying completed answers from “tutors” or internet sites (called “contract cheating”)
More information about plagiarism can be downloaded at
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules.
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STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) helps staff of
Unisa to interact with new and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you can contact Mr Ephraim Bogopa at 011 670 9058 or send a message to the
module mailbox so that you can be assisted.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
•
I didn’t receive any study material. What should I do?
You will not receive any study material in hard-copy format because the module is
delivered online. Note, however, that you have to buy a prescribed book.
•
What do I do if I cannot find the prescribed book?
See Section 5.1.
•
What will happen if I fail to submit my assignment on time?
If the myUnisa system is down when you try to submit an assignment, do not contact the
lecturers. Wait until the problem is resolved and then submit your assignment as soon as
possible. We are usually aware of problems relating to myUnisa. No assignment will be
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INF1505/101/0/2022
marked (a mark of ZERO will be awarded) after the solutions for the assignment have
been published. This is usually a week or two after the due date of the assignment.
•
How do I request an extension?
Please do not phone, fax or e-mail for an extension to submit an assignment. Submit the
assignment as soon as possible, otherwise you will forfeit that portion of term mark.
•
What if there are mistakes in the marking of assignments? (Do NOT resubmit your
assignment to Assignments Department!)
There is no inconsistency in our marking because all Online Assignments are marked by
the system. If there are wrong question answers, we request that students only query
assignment marking where the marks will change significantly (more than 5%). There is
no remarking for SAMIGO assignments.
•
What if I don't receive my study material or I lose it?
Visit myUnisa and download an electronic copy (PDF file).
NB: We do not provide prescribed books to students. You are expected to buy the book.
•
May I submit my assignment by e-mail?
No, that is not possible for SAMIGO/ Online-Assignments.
•
Have we received your assignment?
If you want to find out whether Unisa has received your assignment, look at the status of
your assignment on myUnisa.
Other questions can be found under the FAQ tool on myUnisa.
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IN CLOSING
Do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail if you experience problems with the content of this
tutorial letter or with any academic aspect of the module.
I wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the learning material and trust that you
will complete the module successfully.
Enjoy the journey!
Mr Ephraim Bogopa
Lecturer for INF1505
School of Computing, Department of Information Systems
Unisa ©2022
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