Singapore Institute of Management

UOL International Programme

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060)

Course Outline

Aims and Objectives

This course provides a broad introductory understanding of information systems, seen

within organisational and societal contexts. The aim is to provide students with an
appropriate balance of technical and organisational perspectives to serve as the basis for
further study in the field.

By the end of this course, and having completed the Essential reading and the activities
specified in this subject guide, the students should be able to:

▪ explain fundamental assumptions made in studying information and communications

technologies in organisations as sociotechnical systems in contrast to purely technical or
managerial views
▪ debate the relevance of the sociotechnical approach and demonstrate this through the
study of a number of practical business and administrative information systems within
real organisations
▪ express a logical understanding of how the technical parts of computer based
information systems work, their principal structures and components including
contemporary technologies for information processing and communications
▪ explain the various functions of systems and network software and various classes of
business-oriented application packages
▪ describe fundamental principles that can be applied to ensure that security and personal
privacy is respected in information systems
▪ explain the tasks required when undertaking the establishment of a new information
system and be able to contrast alternative approaches to development
▪ describe and justify a range of professional roles in information systems development
activity, and their changing nature reflecting in part changes in technology use in and
between organisations
▪ discuss the social, organisational, legal and economic context of computer use and be
able to debate the significance of information and communications technologies for the
economy and society
▪ demonstrate, through project work, understanding of the analysis and design of small
projects using database and spreadsheet programs, and the ability to write brief but
informative reports on such work.

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 1

Session Topic Mode Reference to Subject
Guide & Text
Part A1 Information Systems Concepts & Organisation
1 Building Blocks of Information Lecture SG: Chapter 1, 4, 5
Systems (Lecture 1) Introduction, Information
and data, Systems of IS

LL : Chapter 1, 2, 11
BD: Chapter 2, 3
CC: Chapter 1

2 Information Systems in Lecture SG: Chapter 8

Organisations (Lecture 2A) What do information
(Issuance of Assignment 1 and 2) Systems do?

with discussion on Decision Support LL: Chapter 2, 3, 9, 10, 11,

System Coursework 12
BD: Chapter 4, 8

3 Spreadsheet Computing 1 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 19

(DSS Lab 1) Coursework &
Spreadsheet Assignment

4 Information Systems in Lecture SG: Chapter 9

Organisations (Lecture 2B) Enterprise scale:
architecture and
information systems

BD: Chapter 6
LL: Chapter 2, 9

Part C1 Information & Communication Technologies

5 Managing data with technologies Lecture SG: Chapter 6
(Lecture 10) Managing data with
technologies

LL: Chapter 5, 6, 12
CC: Chapter 3, 8
BD: Chapter 3, 6
6 Spreadsheet Computing 2 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 19
(DSS Lab 2) Coursework &
Spreadsheet Assignment

Submission of Coursework 1 ( Proposal for DSS Coursework)

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 2

Session Mode Reference to Subject
Guide & Text
Part B Information Systems Development
7 Approaches to the development of Lecture SG: Chapter 13
information systems (Lecture 5)
LL: Chapter 2, 3, 13
BD: Chapter 12

8 Systems Development Life Cycle Lecture SG: Chapter 14

(Lecture 6)
LL: Chapter 13
BD: Chapter 12

9 Spreadsheet Computing 3 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 19

(DSS Lab 3) Coursework &
Spreadsheet Assignment

10 Organising Systems Development Lecture SG: Chapter 15

(Lecture 7)
LL: Chapter 6, 13, 14
BD: Chapter 12

Coursework 2 Essay (Lectures 1, 2, 5, 6)

11 Modelling Techniques for Analysis Lecture SG: Chapter 16
and Design (Lecture 8)
with discussion on Database LL: Chapter 6, 13, 14
Management Information System CC: Chapter 16

12 Database Computing Lab 1 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 18

(DB Lab 1) Coursework & Database
Assignment

13 Organising Change Lecture SG: Chapter 17

(Lecture 9)
LL: Chapter 3, 13, 14
BD: Chapter 11

14 Database Computing Lab 2 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 18

(DB Lab 2) Coursework & Database
Assignment

15 Database Computing Lab 3 Lab Session SG: Chapter 2, 18

(DB Lab 3) Coursework & Database
Assignment

Submission of Coursework 3 (Proposal for Database Coursework)

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 3

Session Topic Mode Reference to Subject
Guide & Text
Part C2 Information & Communication Technologies
16 Contemporary Trends in ICT Lecture SG: Chapter 3
- Computer Organisation (Lecture 11)
LL: Chapter 5, 6, 7
BD: Chapter 5 ,6

17 Contemporary Trends in ICT Lecture SG: Chapter 7

- Computer Software (Lecture 12)
LL : Chapter 5, 7
BD: Chapter 6

Session Topic Mode Reference to Subject

Guide & Text
Part A2 Information Systems Concepts & Organisation
18 Governance of Information Systems Lecture SG: Chapter 10
(Lecture 3)
LL: Chapter 2, 3, 4, 8
BD: Chapter 10
CC: Chapter 9

19 Information Systems from a Societal Lecture SG: Chapter 11

Perspective (Lecture 4)
LL: Chapter 4

Coursework 4 Essay (Lectures, 3, 4, 7-12)

20 Perspectives on information systems Lecture SG: Chapter 20
(Lecture 13)

21 Coursework Lab Lab Session SG: Chapter 2

(CW Report) Coursework (CW)
Submission Preparation

Legend:

Subject Guide (SG)

T. Cornford with M.Shaik, Introduction to information systems IS1060 2019

Essential Reading (LL)

Laudon, K.C. and J.P. Laudon Management information systems: managing the digital firm.
Global edition. (Boston; London: Pearson, 2019) 16th edition [ISBN 978-1292296562]

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 4

Further Reading (BD)
Beynon-Davies, P. Business information systems (London: Palgrave, 2013) second edition
[ISBN 9781137265807]

Further Reading (CC)

Curtis, G. and D. Cobham Business information systems: analysis, design and practice.
(London: Prentice Hall, 2008) 6th edition [ISBN 9780273713821]

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 5

 Singapore Institute of Management
UOL International Programme

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060)

Information on Lecturer

Lecturer : Teo Loo See

Subject : IS1060 Introduction to Information Systems

Teo Loo See graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a Bachelor of
Science, in Mathematics and Computer Science. She completed the Master of Technology in
Software Engineering from the Institute of Systems Science, NUS.

Loo See spent more than 10 years of her career in software development, starting with the
Defence Science Organisation as a software specialist where she participated in large-scale
software development in the development and successful commission of real-time military
surveillance systems. She later joined Reuters Asia as System Designer where she led the
development of real-time financial information systems and collaborated in joint-software
development with colleagues in London.

With her software development experience in the public and private sector, Loo See made a
career switch to academia in late nineties where she joined Nanyang Polytechnic, School of
Information Technology as a Lecturer. She pioneered the development of the curriculum for
the Object-Oriented Programming Language Java, co-developed the Electronic Commerce
(Business-to-Consumer) module for the Specialist Diploma in Electronic Commerce and
crafted the Specialisation Track in Bioinformatics for the Diploma in Information
Technology. Before her switch to part-time work, Loo See was holding the positions of
Course Manager concurrently for two diplomas and the Management Representative for the
school’s Quality Management System.

Through the span of her career, Loo See has worked overseas in Sweden with software
development experts from then LM Ericsson, with Reuters’ colleagues from London, US,
Australia, Hong Kong and Japan as well as professors and researchers at the IBM Toronto
Labs on cutting edge technologies.

A firm believer in life-long learning, Loo See enjoys her online lessons at different MOOC
platforms which allow her to pursue varied interests ranging from education to latest
developments in the software engineering field.

Introduction to Information Systems (IS1060) Sep 2022 6