AC G10 (2008)

MANAGING THE DIGITAL

ORGANISATION

UNIT INFORMATION

TERENCE BLACKBURN
UNIT COORDINATOR
CONTENTS
WELCOME
UNIT OVERVIEW
LEARNING RESOURCES
INFORMATION ABOUT ASSESSMENT
SUBMISSION AND RETURN OF ASSIGNMENTS
EXTENSIONS TO ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
ONLINE AT UNISA
INFORMATION ABOUT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
CAMPUS CENTRAL, CENTRE FOR REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT (WHYALLA)
OTHER SERVICES FOR STUDENTS
ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK FORM (EXAMPLE)
STUDY SCHEDULE

WELCOME
Welcome to ACG10 - Managing the Digital Organisation. This is one of a number of
core units that you need to take in your Bachelor of Accounting degree and it
addresses issues that are of fundamental importance to any medium to large
organisation or government department.
Information Systems are essential pillars of business and government organisations.
This is a discipline that is rapidly evolving and requires not only technical expertise
but organisational knowledge for the design, development and management of useful
systems. Underlying this change has been the changing perception and value of
‘information’. Information has become one of the most important assets of any
organisation. Computer-based information systems are critical to organisations as
they strive to make the most effective and efficient use of information. Indeed, most
organisations could not exist in their present form without such systems. Moreover,
many organisations now view computerised information systems and related
communication technologies as vehicles for attaining a competitive advantage over
their (global) rivals. Information Systems and Technology is no longer perceived as a
cost to a business but an asset that is at the forefront of an organisation’s
management and strategic thinking.
In an introductory unit, it is impossible to address every facet of a subject and
certainly not in any depth. More importantly, these units need to equip students with
fundamental skills that allow them to critically understand and assess the future
technological movements, problems and concepts that they will face in their
professional careers. Without these skills (and continuing training), students risk their
knowledge of information systems and technology becoming outdated. Furthermore,
these skills are in increasingly demand from employers.
This unit is neither solely a technology unit nor a business unit but a combination of
both. We ask that students think about issues, topics, processes, techniques and
approaches, rather than simply memorising textbook material. However, while some
students may find that approach challenging, your efforts will be more than amply
rewarded in both your further studies and your future careers. You should read the

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remainder of this Unit information carefully as many student queries are answered in
this guide.
We look forward to working with you throughout the study period.

Terence Blackburn
Unit Coordinator

Location: School of Computer & Information Science

University of South Australia
City West Campus SM1-24
27-29 North Terrace,
Adelaide 5000

Email: terence.blackburn@unisa.edu.au
Telephone: (08) 8302 0740
Fax: (08) 830 29190
Unit Coordinator home page: http://people.unisa.edu.au/terence.blackburn

Information regarding this unit is available through my myUniSA:

http://www.unisa.edu.au/myUniSA

School contact details

University of South Australia
City West Campus
27-29 North Terrace
Adelaide 5000
Telephone: (08) 8302 9173
Email: vicky.cini@unisa.edu.au
Fax: (08) 8302 9190

UNIT OVERVIEW
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Value of unit: 8 of a full-time load
Offered in study periods 1 and 3, 2008

Unit statement
Information Systems are essential for creating successful, competitive organisations,
adding business value and creating useful products and services. Each year these
organisations spend trillions of dollars globally on Information and Communications
Technology, which is a critical component of Information Systems. How does this
technology add value to the business and how can managers optimize the return on
their investment? This unit investigates these questions and others through the use of
real life case studies. These studies are based on real organisations with their

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problems and successes. The unit is taught with a focus on interaction and students
finding solutions to problems.

How this unit relates to the award

Managing the Digital Organisation is one of the core first level units in the OUA
Bachelor of Accounting.

Prerequisites
It is assumed that students have access to email and the Internet. No other
prerequisites or assumed knowledge is necessary.

Aims
Managing the Digital Organisation examines how organisations design, manage and
use information systems and technology as important corporate resources. This
examination occurs in the context of critical and analytical evaluation of the
concepts, principles, processes, techniques and issues of modern computerised
business information systems. There are two main aims in this unit: 1. to introduce
students to case based learning and to use evidence to support their argumentation; 2.
to introduce students to the important components of Information Systems and how
they are used in organisations.

Objectives
Students successfully completing Managing the Digital Organisation will be able to:
1. discuss the role of information systems and technology in society;
2. explain the operations of Information Systems and the role of technology,
and how computerised Information Systems are developed, acquired or
outsourced;
3. discuss the rationale and uses of database systems as well as understand
concepts such as data warehousing and database mining;
4. discuss and critically analyse the uses of computer networks (including the
Internet) within businesses, such as e-businesses;
5. discuss and critically analyse the changing role of information systems and
technology in the achievement of business objectives from perspectives such
as communication, collaboration, performance enhancement and strategy
implementation;
6. understand the growing ethical and social issues in a digital firm including
those with a global focus
7. apply a range of critical thinking and problem solving strategies to address
business issues and problems.

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Content

No. Topic

1 Information Systems in Global Business Today

2 Global E-Business: How Businesses use Information Systems

3 Information Systems, Organizations and Strategy

4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems

5 IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies

Foundations of Business Intelligence: Databases and In

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formation Management
7 Telecommunications, the Internet and Wireless Technology

8 Securing Information Systems

Achieving Operational Excellence and Customer Intimacy:

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Enterprise Applications
10 E-Commerce: Digital Markets, Digital Goods

11 Managing Knowledge

12 Enhancing Decision Making

13 Managing Global Systems

Supervised assessment/exam
This unit involves a supervised exam. Please be sure to read the section entitled
‘Exams’ under ‘Information about policies and procedures’ later in this Unit
information. Alternatively, you can also access information about exam processes
online at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/oua/

Study schedule
A table outlining the unit structure and study schedule is printed at the back of this
guide. Please refer to it for important information regarding due dates for
assignments.

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LEARNING RESOURCES
Materials dispatched for this unit
Unit information
Attention all students: important information

Online learning resources

• Topic notes and summaries
• Assessment documentation
• Miscellaneous information that will be provided via the unit website, course
notice boards and a Frequently Asked Questions link.
• Discussion forums
This unit is taught primarily online using material and activities posted to the unit
website. The material posted to this website will include, for example, topic notes
which are the same as topic notes used by your student peers who are studying the
unit on a university campus, and case studies of real organisational problems. This
material and related activities should be studied in conjunction with your online
Study guide and textbook, and, if you are able to access them (see note below), the
major references.
You can access these online learning resources either through myUniSA at:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/myunisa or from a link on the unit home page which has
been established on the UniSAnet system (UniSAnet is the online study environment
at UniSA).
Please note: For further details on how to access and log-on to your online materials,
please read the instructions provided later in this Unit information in the section
entitled ‘Online at UniSA’.

Discussion forums
As part of the Online learning resources for this unit, you will also be provided with
access to an online discussion group. To access this facility, you need to go to the
unit home page and then click on the link to the Discussion forum.
You can use the discussion forum to discuss relevant academic or unit content issues
with your Unit Manager and other students. The Unit Manager or your tutor will be
checking the postings to the discussion forum on a regular basis and will reply to
queries promptly. You will be required to engage in the online group discussions and
this will form part of your assessment for the case studies.
Please note: If you are posting a query to the Unit Manager, please check earlier
messages to make sure that your query has not already been answered. Also, please
note that administrative or personal queries should not be posted to the discussion
forum. Rather they should be sent to Campus Central, Centre for Regional
Engagement (Whyalla) by emailing ouainfo@unisa.edu.au.

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Set text
You will need continual access to the following text in order to complete this unit.
The library may hold only one copy of the nominated textbook and therefore you
will need to acquire the book.
Laudon, K. C. & Laudon, J.P. (2006). Management Information Systems. Managing
the Digital Firm. (10th Ed.).: Prentice Hall NJ
ISBN=9781741037081 in Australia
ISBN=9780132337748 in Asia

Text supplier (Unibooks)

OUA has established a textbook supply service through Unibooks. Further
information is available from the Open Universities Australia 2008 Handbook, and
OUA website at www.open.edu.au
You can order textbooks by contacting Unibooks:
Phone: (08) 8223 4366
1800 447 313 (price of a local call; mobiles may pay more)
61 8 8223 4366 (international callers)
Fax: (08) 08 8223 4876
Email: open@unibooks.com.au
WWW: www.unibooks.com.au
Postal address:
Unibooks
University of Adelaide
Gate 10 Victoria Drive
Adelaide SA 5005

Major references
Whilst it is in your interests to purchase the unit textbook (especially since the main
exam is open book), you do not need to purchase the following books. However, if
you are able to access some or all of these books, they may prove helpful to your
understanding of the unit material.

1. Haag, S, Cummings, M & McCubbrey, D.J. (2005) Management Information

Systems for the Information Age (5th Ed.). Boston, USA: McGraw Hill.

2. Haag, S, Baltzan, P. & Phillips A. (2006) Business Driven Technology. Boston:

McGraw Hill Irwin.

3. Jessup, L & Valacich, J. (2006) Information Systems Today. Why IS Matters (2nd
Ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall.

4. Oz, E. (2004) Management Information Systems (4th Ed.). Boston: Course

Technology.

5. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E. & Wetherbe, J. (2006) Information

Technology for Management (5th Ed.). NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

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Learning Connection resources
You can access a wide range of study skills resources from the UniSA Learning
Connection website. In particular, the following specific sections of this website are
recommended:

Studying at UniSA
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/studying/default.asp
This section provides links to a wide range of online resources which have been
designed to help you develop and enhance the general learning skills you require for
successful study.

Referencing (and avoiding plagiarism)

http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/studying/
referencing.asp
Adopting a correct approach to referencing (and avoiding plagiarism) are key issues
which need to be addressed by students undertaking assignments at university level.
Therefore, we recommend that you spend some time working through the various
guides incorporated in this section of the Learning Connection website.

Referencing using the Harvard author-date system

http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/learningAdvisors/docu
ments/harvard-referencing.pdf
This downloadable file is located in the Referencing section of the Learning
Connection website. It provides detailed information about how to reference
correctly using the Harvard author-date system.
Please note: A number of the pages and downloadable files on the UniSA Learning
Connection website refer students to contact staff from the Learning Connection if
they need further assistance with their studies. Unfortunately, this option is not
available to students enrolled through Open Universities Australia. However, you are
encouraged to make use of those resources which are available online as part of the
Learning Connection website, and which are relevant to your studies.

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INFORMATION ABOUT ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

Assignment 1 (parts A & B)

Supervised No
Graded Yes
Weighting: 20% (2 x 10%)
Length: 1 case study in the first half of the study period with
linked questions
Due dates: Monday of weeks 4 and 7

Assignment 2 (parts A & B)

Supervised No
Graded Yes
Weighting: 20% (2 x 10%)
Length: 1 case study in the second half of the study period
with linked questions
Due date: Monday of weeks 10 and 12

Participation Exercise
Supervised No
Graded Yes
Weighting: 10%
Length: Quiz
Due date: Wednesday of week 8

Exam
Supervised Yes
Graded Yes
Weighting: 50%
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Date: The exam will be held during week 14.

Note about specific due dates

Information relating to specific due dates can be found in the ‘Study Schedule’ pages
included at the back of this Unit information.

Penalties
The Unit Coordinator reserves the right to award zero (0) marks for any piece of
assessment not handed in by the due date. There are no extensions in any
circumstances.

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DETAILS OF ASSESSMENT
Please note that whilst students may achieve an overall aggregate mark (for all
assessment items combined) in excess of 50%, the Unit Coordinator reserves the
right to fail students if they do not submit (all parts of) Assignment 1 or Assignment
2 or achieve less than 40% of the assessment weighting in one of the assignments or
less than 50% in the final examination. All assessment items are mandatory for all
students.
All assessment items, except the final examination, are to be submitted electronically
in a manner that will be detailed for each assessment item separately. Details of these
submission processes will be made available (on the unit website) at appropriate
times. Printed, faxed or posted assignments will not be accepted. The 4 parts of
Assignments 1 & 2 are due by the submission dates noted in the calendar at the end
of this document. As these assessment items are to be submitted electronically (in an
on-line manner) the date and time of sending these items and receipt by the
university should be the same.

Group Work
All students will be allocated to groups for the analyses of the two case studies. The
cases will be submitted and assessed as a piece of group work and all groups must
submit on or before the due dates. Due to the structure of the assignment processes it
is not possible to allow extensions to the due dates for the submission of the case
studies. More details on how the group work will be conducted can be found on the
Unit website.

Optional Self Assessment / Peer Assessment

You have the option of assessing your own work as well as that of the other members
of your group. They may also be assessing you and the other members of your group,
as well as assessing their own performance. To complete this assessment process,
you must complete the appropriate form and email it individually to your tutor after
each set of questions and related case study. This means that you will have the option
of submitting four self/peer assessment forms over the study period. This mark may
influence your tutor’s group mark to arrive at the final mark for each of the four
assignments. The reason for this procedure is that members of the group may be
making uneven contributions and this is your opportunity to bring it to the attention
of your tutor.

Assignment 1 (1 case study with linked questions)

This assessment item will be presented in the form of 1 case study in the first half of
the study period. These are open book problems and they will be conducted in groups
of approximately 5 students. All groups will submit both the case study as well as
answers to the two sets of linked questions. Specific details of the cases and their
assessment model will be made available and posted to the unit website near the start
of the study period. The written analyses (answers) should be about 4 x A4 typed
pages in length (excluding references). The word count for each document may vary
between 1,500 and 2,000 words but, when the questions are divided among the group
members, the individual word counts should be around 400-500 words per student.
You are also encouraged to use bullet points whenever possible, rather than lengthy
descriptions or answers—but the bullets must contain enough information to explain
their meaning.

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Assignment 2 (1 case study with linked questions)
This assessment item will be presented in the form of 1 case study with 2 sets of
linked questions in the second half of the study period. All other details are the same
as for assignment 1.

What you and your group must do: for each of the 2 case studies and the sets of
linked questions over the semester you will:
1. analyse the case and write a group report

2. submit the report to your tutor

3. optionally assess yourself and your peers and email this form to your tutor

Participation Exercise
This INDIVIDUAL piece of assessment will take the form of an online quiz. It will
be held in week 8 and will be managed through the unit website. A URL will be sent
to your university email account and you will be required to login to the quiz. You
will have 24 hours to complete it. Please check the notice board for additional
details.

Examination
The end-of-study period examination will assess all topics covered in the unit. It will
take the form of a series of short answer questions followed by an analysis of a case
study. (See the general section of the website for a sample exam.) The Unit
Coordinator reserves the right to (and may) fail students in the unit if they attain less
than 50% in the examination. The main examination and the deferred exam are both
‘closed book’ exams, which means that you cannot take anything into the exam with
you. Please also read the ‘Study Suggestions’ section in your Study guide for further
advice on the examination.

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SUBMISSION AND RETURN OF ASSIGNMENTS

ONLINE SUBMISSION
For the 2 assignments (2 case study analyses and 2 sets of linked questions) in this
unit, which represents all of the asynchronous material you need to submit, all
students will be allocated to a group. Each group will be required to submit one copy
of each of its own cases, prior to the due date, as an attachment to an email sent to
the group’s tutor. You are advised to set your email so that it will request a receipt to
provide evidence that your submission has been both submitted and received by your
tutor.
Please note: Assignments submitted by Australia Post or facsimile will not be
accepted and the designated submission method (as detailed above) replaces the
normally mandatory AssignIT submission process. (This is because the current
version of AssignIT is unable to accept group submissions.)

Return of assignments.
Assignments with their associated feedback forms and marks (see the end of this
document) will be returned by email to each group by its tutor. Marks for the mid
study period quiz will be posted to the unit website.

DUE DATE
The due date refers to the date for submission of your case studies. This is the latest
date that the assignment may be submitted and it may be submitted any time up until
and no later than 5.00 pm Australian Central Standard Time on the due date.

ASSIGNMENT TURNAROUND TIME

Our goal is that your assignments will normally be returned to you within 3 weeks of
the date received.

FINAL GRADES
Final grades are published approximately 4-6 weeks after the end of the study period
and can be accessed at myUniSA.

EARLY RESULTS
Students sometimes require their results by an earlier date for a specific purpose; for
example, an application for a postgraduate program.
To apply for an early result you need to send a written application to the Unit
Coordinator with the relevant documentation; for example, your letter from VTAC
indicating the deadline for applications.
In these cases the university will try to meet the request—although it can't be
guaranteed due to the logistics of exam papers being returned, availability of
academic staff etc.
Please note that requests for early release of final grades need to be submitted by
Friday of week 12.
Results cannot be supplied less than 3 weeks after the end of the study period.

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EXTENSIONS TO ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
The design of this unit means that it will not be possible to allow assignment
extensions. (This is explained in the section on Group Work in the Details of
Assessment section of this document).

ONLINE AT UNISA
How do I find the online learning resources for my unit?
One means of accessing your online learning resources is by going to myUniSA
http://www.unisa.edu.au/myunisa, which is the UniSA web-based portal for study-
related information and resources. For further details on myUniSA, please refer to the
subsection below entitled ‘Student information via the Web: myUniSA’.
Alternatively, you can access your online materials by going to the unit home page,
which has been established on the UniSAnet system (UniSAnet is the online study
environment at UniSA). To go to the unit home page, enter the unit code ACG 10 in
the search field entitled ‘Area and Catalogue No’ on the following web page, and
then click on the related search button: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/courses/
Once you reach the unit home page, if you check underneath the heading ‘Learning
resources for this unit’, you will see a link to the Online learning resources.
If you click on this link, you will be asked to enter your log-on details. If these
details are correct, you will then be able to access the online learning resources.

Your UniSA username and password

If you are a new student, at the start of the study period, you will receive a letter
providing your username and password. Alternatively, the following information will
enable you to work out these details.

Your username
Your UniSA username is computer generated and is usually made up of:
• the first three letters of your family name;
• plus the initials of your first and second names;
• plus the code 01f (01 is numeric)
If your family name does not have three letters substitute a letter ‘y’. If you do not
have a second name, substitute a letter ‘y’. For example, Chris Le. The username is:
leycy01f (with no spaces between characters).
See the notes below for username exceptions.

Your password
Your password is computer generated to a default setting and is made up of
• the first four letters of your family name;
• plus your day of birth;
• plus your month of birth.
If your family name does not have four letters substitute a letter ‘x’. For example,
Chris Le was born on 9 July 1980. Chris’s password is: lexx0907
Your password must be in lower case when accessing UniSAnet or myUniSA.

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Important notes on your username and password
• For some students, your username may already be used by someone with a
similar name. If this is case, the ending may be 02f, 03f, 04f, and so on. If you
think you are doing everything else correctly, but you are still unable to log-on,
then please contact the IT Help Desk (details below) to confirm the details of
your username.
• Your username and password will remain valid for the study period plus two
months. Students who re-enrol in any unit in future study periods should, in the
first instance, use their existing username and password.

Help—I can’t log-on!

1. Are you entering the correct username and password?
2. Are you a student currently enrolled in an OUA unit offered by the University of
South Australia? If you are not sure of your enrolment status, contact Campus
Central, Centre for Regional Engagement (Whyalla).
3. In some circumstances, such as when two or more students have a similar family
name, you may not be able to enter your username and password using the above
formulas. If you are definitely enrolled and still can’t log-on, then please contact
the IT Help Desk (details below) to confirm the details of your username.

STUDENT INFORMATION VIA THE WEB: MYUNISA

What is myUniSA?
All students who are currently enrolled with UniSA have access to myUniSA, a web-
based portal for study-related information and resources.

What information can I access?

The information available through myUniSA includes the following:
• Links to online resources provided for your unit—unit home page, online
learning resources, discussion forums, AssignIT etc.
• Unit enrolments—unit code, unit value, study period and teaching school, etc.
• Personal details—full name, date of birth, postal address and contact details.
• Materials dispatch—dates products have been sent to you.
• Assignment details—dates assignments have been submitted by AssignIT.
Marks of assignments returned by AssignIT.
• Exam timetables—for units in which you are currently enrolled.
• Final grade—your overall final grade can be accessed online approximately 4-6
weeks after the end of the study period.
• Access to your UniSA email account and library records.

Is myUniSA secure?
Yes. You are the only person who can access your information in myUniSA as long as
you:
• don’t share your username and password with anyone else; and also
• close all Web browsers completely when you have finished using myUniSA.

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myUniSA also provides you with the option to change your password (see the link
available on the initial log-on page). This is another way of keeping your account
secure.

How do I log-on to myUniSA?

1. Go to the UniSA home page: http://www.unisa.edu.au
2. Click on the word 'myUniSA' on the menu bar at the top of the page.
3. You will then be taken to a 'Welcome to myUniSA' page. Click on the link on this
page which says 'Log on to myUniSA'.
4. You will then be prompted with a ‘Username and Password’ pop-up window as
below:

5. At the log-on screen enter your username and password. Enter all information in
lower case.
6. Select ‘OK’.

What if the personal details information I find in myUniSA is

incorrect?
Change it straight away!
It is very important that the information the University has about you and your study
is correct. Having an incorrect address can mean you do not receive vital information
from the University; being incorrectly enrolled can mean you will be charged an
incorrect fee.
If you need to change your contact details (address, phone number, etc), please refer
to ‘Change of address’ in the ‘Campus Central, Centre for Regional Engagement
(Whyalla)’ section of this Unit information.
To change other information, contact the IT Help Desk (details below).

Help—I don’t understand some of the information I can see!

Each screen in myUniSA has online help which explains the information displayed on
the screen.

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Select the ‘Help’ button at the top of the screen to open the online help. (Select the X
in the top right corner to close.)
If you need further assistance, contact the IT Help Desk (details below).

EMAIL
As part of the enrolment process, all students are issued with a University email
account. Your email address is made up like this: (your
username)@students.unisa.edu.au.
Email is the designated form of contact for a number of UniSA administrative
processes. These processes include:
• AssignIT. When using AssignIT to submit assignments, you will receive email
notifications when assignments are submitted and/or returned.
• Library. If you borrow books from the UniSA Library you will receive email
notices about overdue items. Fees can apply to overdue items. For details, please
refer to the Flexible Information Service website:
http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/fds/
• Other UniSA notices. From time to time, other sections of the University send
out emails to all students (including OUA students). Some of these messages
may be relevant to OUA students, but it is possible that some of these emails will
not be directly relevant.
To obtain this information, it is recommended that you log-on to your University of
South Australia email account on at least a weekly basis.
Note: If you are unable to access your email, you should contact the IT Help Desk at
the beginning of the study period.

Redirection of your UniSA email

Your UniSA email account is the email address that we will use to contact you. We
will not contact you using an alternative email address. If you would like to use a
different or secondary email address to receive email, you can redirect your UniSA
email to your home or work email address by using the Email Redirection
application on myUniSA. Redirecting your UniSA email enables you to receive your
UniSA email in your home or work inbox.
For further information, please visit the ‘Email redirection’ webpage on the UniSA
Information Strategy and Technology Services website:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/ists/email/email_redirect.asp

How do I access my UniSA email account?

You can access your email account through logging onto myUniSA. Alternatively,
you can access your email by doing the following:
1. Go to the UniSA home page: http://www.unisa.edu.au/
2. Click on the word ‘Email’ on the menu at the top of the page.
3. You will then be prompted with a ‘Username and Password’ pop-up window.
• Enter your username
• Enter your password
• Press your ‘Enter/Return’ key or select ‘OK’.
You should now have access to your UniSA email account.

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Assistance for accessing your email can be obtained at:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/ists/Email/default.asp

IT HELP DESK
Contact the IT Help Desk (http://www.unisa.edu.au/ists/ITHelpDesk/default.asp) if
you are having difficulty accessing UniSAnet, myUniSA or your email account. IT
Help Desk phones are monitored Monday through Friday 8.30 am to 9.00 pm
Adelaide time.
Phone: (08) 8302 5000
1300 558 654 (price of a local call; mobiles may pay more)
61 8 8302 5000 (international callers)

INFORMATION ABOUT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

PERFORMANCE IN ASSESSMENT
Your performance in a unit’s assessment will be given a grading notation. Graded or
Non-graded modes of assessment may be used.
Grade Notation Notational Descriptor
%
High distinction HD 85–100 Outstanding performance on all learning
outcomes
Distinction D 75–84 Excellent performance on all learning
outcomes
Credit C 65–74 High performance on all learning
outcomes OR excellent performance on
the majority of the learning outcomes
Pass level 1 P1 55–64 Satisfactory performance on all learning
outcomes OR high performance in some
learning outcomes compensates for
unsatisfactory performance on others,
resulting in an overall satisfactory
performance
Pass level 2 P2 50–54 Satisfactory performance on the majority
of learning outcomes
Fail level 1 F1 40–49 Unsatisfactory performance on a number
of learning outcomes OR failure to meet
specified assessment requirements
Fail level 2 F2 below 40 Unsatisfactory performance on the
majority of learning outcomes
Non-graded pass NGP 50–100 Met specified assessment criteria to
required standard
Non-graded fail F below 50 Failed to meet specified assessment
criteria to required standard
Supplementary pass SP 50 Satisfactory performance on a
supplementary assessment

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
UniSA aims to foster and preserve the scholarly values of curiosity, experimentation,
critical appraisal and integrity and to foster these values in students. Throughout the
learning experience, you are expected to adhere to high standards of academic
integrity and honesty. Failure to do so may constitute academic misconduct (see
section 9 of the Assessment policies and procedures manual at:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/).
Academic misconduct includes the following:
• Plagiarism (see below).

• Breaches of the examination procedures in Section 6: Examination Procedures of

the Assessment policies and procedures manual, presentation of data with respect
to laboratory work, field trips or other work that has been copied, falsified or in
other ways improperly obtained.

• Inclusion of material in individual work that has involved significant assistance

from another person, where such assistance is not expressly permitted in this
booklet.

• Falsification or misrepresentation of academic records.

• Other actions that contravene the principles of academic integrity.

Plagiarism is a specific form of academic misconduct. Deliberate plagiarism is

regarded as a serious act of academic misconduct. Plagiarism includes the following:
a. direct copying of the work or data of other persons, from one or more sources,
without clearly indicating the origin. This includes both paper-based and
electronic sources of material from websites, books, articles, unpublished work
such as theses, working papers, seminar and conference papers, internal reports,
lecture notes or tapes, and visual materials such as photographs, drawings and
designs

b. using very close paraphrasing of sentences or whole clauses without due

acknowledgement in the form of reference to the original work

c. submitting another student's work in whole or in part, where such assistance is

not expressly permitted in the Unit information

d. use of another person's ideas, work or research data without acknowledgement

e. submitting work that has been written by someone else on the student's behalf

f. copying computer files, algorithms or computer code without clearly indicating

their origin

g. submitting work that has been derived, in whole or in part, from another student's
work by a process of mechanical transformation (eg changing variable names in
computer programs)

h. in any way appropriating or imitating another's ideas and manner of expressing

them where such assistance is not expressly permitted in the Unit information.

17
Students' work may be checked for plagiarism using a variety of means, including
text comparison software. Assignments checked electronically will be held in a
database for future matching processes.
More information about Academic integrity can be found in the Assessment policies
and procedures manual at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual or on the
Learning Connection website at:
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/studying/integrity.asp

UNIT COUNSELLING
For this unit, there are a number of definite processes which need to be followed in
order to obtain advice about administrative and academic matters.
For all administrative queries, please contact Campus Central, Centre for Regional
Engagement (Whyalla). This should be done by emailing your query to
ouainfo@unisa.edu.au. Additional contact details are provided in this Unit
information in the section entitled ‘Campus Central, Centre for Regional
Engagement (Whyalla)’.
Alternatively, if you have a query about the academic content of the unit, you
should post your query to the Discussion forum on the unit home page. The Unit
Coordinator or one of the tutors for the unit will be checking this Discussion forum
on a regular basis and will reply to your query. (Further information about the
Discussion forum facility is provided in this Unit information in the section entitled
‘Learning Resources’.)

VARIATION TO ASSESSMENT TASKS

Students may request a variance to assessment methods, tasks and timelines based on
medical, compassionate or religious observance grounds, or community services.
Such variations must be requested before or during the second teaching week or
within 5 working days of the distribution of this Unit information. Variations
requested after this date will need to be negotiated with the Unit Coordinator and
may not be able to be accommodated.

RESUBMISSION
There is no provision for resubmission of assignments, unless invited to do so by the
Unit Coordinator.

DEFERRED EXAMS
A deferred exam may be provided if a student can provide evidence of unexpected
and exceptional grounds which prevented them from attending the final examination.
This could be an accident, unexpected illness or bereavement.
Applications for a deferred exam must be forwarded to the Examinations Officer no
later than five working days after the scheduled examination date. The application
should be a letter with attached relevant documentation, for example, an accident
report from Emergency services.
All unsupervised assignment items need to have been submitted to be eligible.
Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Unit Coordinator.

18
DEALING WITH FAILED ASSESSMENT
It is possible to remedy failed assessment under special conditions. These are
Supplementary Assessment for a failed course, Deferred Assessment because of
medical, compassionate or religious grounds, and Special Consideration. Please note
that there are special conditions and rules applying to Supplementary, Deferred and
Special Consideration Assessment. If you are applying for consideration under these
processes, you should ensure that you are familiar with all aspects, conditions and
requirements of the provisions (section 7 of the Assessment policies and procedures
manual http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/).

EXAMS
Most undergraduate OUA units have exams in the week after the end of a study
period. It is important that you read this information carefully.
• The University makes arrangements for students to sit their exams at approved
exam centres. This includes all domestic and international students.
• All exams are held during business hours.
• Students are sent a letter with the details of the centre to attend in week 10.
• The university pays the cost of the invigilation. However, students need to cover
any transport costs. In nearly all cases the centre will be within reasonable
proximity to your address.
• Exams must be sat at the scheduled time and date. Only where a student has an
exam scheduled at the same time with another institution are alternative
arrangements negotiated. Students in this situation need to contact the
Examination Officer by week 8.
• You need to ensure that your registered address with the university is current and
correct. The address used will be the one designated on myUniSA 5 weeks prior
to you being contacted. The centre designation cannot be changed after week 8.
• There will be a small number of students located in remote areas in which we do
not have access to professional examination centres. In these situations, we will
contact the students individually to discuss options for the supervision of their
examinations.
• Students who have a Disability Access Plan indicating special arrangements for
their examinations should contact the Examinations Officer by the end of week 8
to ensure that the correct arrangements for their examination are in place.
• If you wish to apply for Variations to standard requirements you should access
the information in regard to criteria and the form that needs to be submitted from
the OUA @ UniSA website at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/oua/
• Please note: It is a complex task to arrange centres for large numbers of students
in a diverse range of locations. It is not possible therefore to accommodate
individual requests for preferred exam centres.
If you have any queries relating to exams, please contact the Examinations Office
using the following contact details:
Examinations Officer
Phone: 1300 361 450 (price of a local call; mobiles may cost more)
Email: exams.results@unisa.edu.au

19
WITHDRAWAL OF STUDY
Withdrawal
The exact process for withdrawing from a unit depends on when you decide to
withdraw.

Withdrawals before the OUA Census Date

If you decide to withdraw from a unit before the OUA Census Date (end of week 3),
you need to contact Open Universities Australia. Please note that withdrawals from
an OUA unit prior to the Census Date are eligible for a partial refund. However,
refunds are not possible after the Census Date, except when an application for
special circumstances is approved by Open Universities Australia. For further
information about withdrawing from a unit before the Census Date, please refer to
the Open Universities Australia 2008 Handbook or contact Open Universities
Australia.

Withdrawals after the OUA Census Date

If you decide to withdraw from a unit after the OUA Census Date, please complete a
‘Withdrawal form’, and send it to Campus Central, Centre for Regional Engagement
(Whyalla). A copy of this form can be downloaded from your unit home page or the
OUA @ UniSA website at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/oua/. Withdrawals under this
process can only be accepted when lodged by Friday of week 10 of the study
period. To confirm a withdrawal using this process, you can check your myUniSA
record for confirmation.

Grades for withdrawal

A ‘W’ withdraw will be recorded on your academic record where notice of
withdrawal has been received.

Assessments not completed

If a withdrawal request has not been submitted by the Friday of week 10 and the
required assessments have not been submitted or completed by the due or negotiated
date an ‘N’ Fail grade will be recorded.

Deferrals
From 2008 onwards, deferrals will no longer be available for units offered by UniSA
through OUA.

20
CAMPUS CENTRAL, CENTRE FOR REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
(WHYALLA)
There are four main sources for accessing information in regard to administrative
matters for study with OUA units offered by UniSA. These are as follows:
1. This Unit information booklet
2. The student portal myUniSA
3. OUA @ UniSA website at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/oua/
4. Contact Campus Central, Centre for Regional Engagement (Whyalla)

Campus Central, Centre for Regional Engagement (Whyalla)

contact details
Phone: (08) 86476161
1300 361 450 (price of a local call; mobiles may cost more)
61 8 86476161 (international callers)
Fax: (08) 86476082
Email: ouainfo@unisa.edu.au
Phones are attended during normal South Australian business hours. You may leave a
voicemail message or fax or email at all other times.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS
The University of South Australia (UniSA) does not update personal and contact
details for Open Universities Australia (OUA) students. To update or correct your
personal and contact details, please go to the Personal Details section of My Area on
the OUA website, or contact the OUA office in Melbourne. OUA will then advise
UniSA of your updated personal and contact details.

21
OTHER SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA LIBRARY SERVICE

As you are enrolled in a unit offered by the University of South Australia, you are
entitled to access a range of services offered by the University Library.
Offered through the Flexible Information Service, the aim of this service is to
provide you with prompt and user-friendly access to databases, loans, photocopying
and an information service.
They can search for material on a specific topic if you do not have access to the
Internet.
Information about the full range of services available to you through the Library is
available at http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/fds/

Address
Flexible Information Service
University of South Australia Library
University of South Australia
Mawson Lakes Boulevard
Mawson Lakes South Australia 5095

Phone:
1300 137 659 (price of a local call; mobiles may pay more)
61 8 8302 6231 (international callers)
Fax: (08) 8302 6699
61 8 8302 6699 (international callers)
Email: dels@unisa.edu.au

DISABILITY SERVICES
The University of South Australia has a formal commitment to encourage people to
seek access to tertiary study. We take all reasonable steps to ensure that any benefits
provided by the University are accessible to students with a disability. This
commitment extends to students studying OUA units.
There may also be entitlement to a variation or modification to standard assessment
arrangements. Services are provided on an individual basis according to access
requirements. Further information about disability services is available at:
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/defaultdisability.asp
Phone: (08) 8302 4423 or 1300 657 144 (cost of a local call from anywhere in
Australia)
Email: disability@unisa.edu.au
Students with disabilities are entitled to be assessed in ways which ensure a fair
opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. Alternative assessment arrangements
may be required to provide this opportunity. Policy for students with disabilities is
available at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/

22
CONTACTING OPEN UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA
Contact OUA if you intend to withdraw, have a study problem, need some advice or
just want to talk to someone. OUA has a team of trained student advisers if you need:
• help choosing which units and modules you wish to study
• help processing your enrolment
• information about pathways which are available for a range of qualifications
• help with enrolling
• advice about eligibility for the FEE-HELP student loan scheme, credit transfer,
or obtaining funds
• to change your name
Phone: (03) 8628 2555
1300 363 652 (price of a local call; mobiles may pay more)
61 3 8268 2555 (international callers)

Fax: (03) 8268 2955

Email: advisers@open.edu.au
Website: www.open.edu.au
Postal
Open Universities Australia
GPO Box 5387
Melbourne Vic 3001

23
24
 ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK FORM (EXAMPLE)

Assessment feedback
Business Information Systems (INFS 1011)

Student Name:_________________________ Student ID______________________

Assignment 1B – Case Study written report

Maximum value = 10 marks

Max. words required = 2000 (for the group)

Due date for each case study in the web site calendar and in this booklet

Key components of this assignment Component Comment

Mark / Grade

Written case study report: maximum

possible
– Identifying the issues in the case marks = 6
– Recommendations and justification

– Sources and referencing standards

– Report presentation and layout quality

Answers to questions relating to the case study maximum

and the lecture material: possible
marks = 4
– Correct answers

– Extension to answers showing insight or

alternative viewpoints

Assignment grade/mark

The Graduate qualities being assessed by this assignment are indicated by an X:

X GQ1: operate effectively with and upon a body of
knowledge
X GQ2: are prepared for lifelong learning
X GQ3: are effective problem solvers
X GQ4:can work both autonomously and collaboratively
X GQ5: are committed to ethical
action and social responsibility
X GQ6: communicate effectively
X GQ7: demonstrate an international
perspective

25
26
STUDY SCHEDULE—STUDY PERIOD 1, 2008
Week Dates Content/Work due
1 3–7 March Groups created and case study methodology
presented by tutor
2 10–14 March
3 17–21 March
4 24–28 March Assignment 1A case study due 24 March
5 31 March–4 April
6 7–11 April

7 14–18 April Assignment 1B case study due 14 April

8 21–25 April
Assignment 3 Participation exercise 23 April

9 28 April –2 May

10 5–9 May Last week to withdraw

Assignment 2A case study due 5 May

11 12–16 May
12 19–23 May Assignment 2B case study due 19 May

13 26–30 May
14 2–6 June Exam week

27
28
STUDY SCHEDULE—STUDY PERIOD 3, 2008
Week Dates Content/Work due
1 1–5 September Groups created and case study methodology
presented by tutor
2 8–12 September
3 15–19 September
4 22–26 September Assignment 1A case study due 22 September
5 29 Sept–3 October
6 6–10 October

7 13–17 October Assignment 1B case study due 13 October

8 20–24 October
Assignment 3 Participation exercise 22 October

9 27–31 October

10 3–7 November Assignment 2A case study due 3 November

Last week to withdraw

11 10–14 November
12 17–21 November Assignment 2B case study due 17 November

13 24–28 November

14 1–5 December Exam week

29
ACG10/UI/01

2008