Overview
This is the integrative capstone unit for the Master of Information Systems course. You will undertake an authentic task group project or an industry project that demonstrates the skills that you have developed throughout your studies in this course. You will use and document typical project management processes to ensure that the project is delivered on time and budget, and in the process, develop several documents that can be included in a work portfolio to assist future employment.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisites: COIT20252 Business Process Management, COIT20253 Business Intelligence using Big Data, COIT20251 Knowledge Audits for Business Analysis, PPMP20007 Project Management Concepts and COIT20246 ICT Services Management Antirequisites: If you have completed any of these units - COIT20237, COIT20239, COIT20240 or COIT20276, then you cannot enrol in this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2019
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Moodle student evaluation
Good teaching practices
Continue with the current teaching practices such as keeping students involved in class and in their project, providing clear expectations on assessments, and constructive feedback on assessments in a timely manner.
- Investigate client requirements and apply a range of tools, techniques and methods to implement a solution
- Work collaboratively as part of a productive team
- Generate and review project management artefacts and documentation required of a business systems project
- Communicate effectively by using written and oral presentation understanding the needs of various stakeholders
- Identify and evaluate change management issues that may arise due to changing business practices
- Produce a report recommending improvements to current business practices.
Australian Computer Society (ACS) recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is in use in over 100 countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles.
ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile at https://www.acs.org.au/professionalrecognition/mysfia-b2c.html
This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA. The SFIA code is included:
- Analytics (INAN)
- Technical Specialism (TECH)
- Research (RSCH)
- Project Management (PRMG)
- Business Analysis (BUAN)
- Systems Design (DESN)
- Requirements Definition and Management (REQM),
- Business Modelling (BSMO)
- Stakeholder and Relationship Management (RLMT)
- Change Implementation and Planning (CIPM)
- Problem Management (PBMG).
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 70% | ||||||
2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||||
3 - Presentation - 10% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
1 - Knowledge | ||||||
2 - Communication | ||||||
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
4 - Research | ||||||
5 - Self-management | ||||||
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
7 - Leadership | ||||||
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
1 - Practical and Written Assessment - 70% | ||||||||
2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||||||
3 - Presentation - 10% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Modelling software such as Microsoft Visio
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
i.seher@cqu.edu.au
m.wells@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Form project groups: please see Moodle unit website.
Attend introduction to project by facilitator, read the "Guide to Undertaking a Capstone Project" on the unit website.
Please note that the capstone project will be different for each group, and therefore there won't be any firm guidelines. You need to discuss the procedure with your campus facilitator.
Arrange an appointment time with your project mentor during the workshop hours to discuss your project options.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator. Submit Group Project Proposal and Plan via Moodle.
Due Date: 4th August 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator. Submit Progress Report 1 via Moodle.
Due Date: 1st September 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator. Submit Draft Final Report via Moodle.
Due Date: 8th September 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator. Submit Progress Report 2 via Moodle.
Due Date: 22nd September 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Presentation of DRAFT final report (including feedback on your report submitted in Week 7).
Presentations to be held in class as per arrangements made with your campus project facilitator.
The feedback from this assessment will enable you to improve your final copy of your report to be submitted in Week 13.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator.
Module/Topic
Workshop
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Weekly meeting with project facilitator. Submit reflective ePortfolio via Mahara/Moodle.
Due Date: 13th October 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Submit Self and Peer Assessment, Final Project Report, and Project Working Documentation.
Due Date: 20th October 2019 6pm
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Dr Marilyn Wells - Unit Coordinator
Location: Rockhampton
Phone: 617 4923 2758; Email: m.wells@cqu.edu.au
1 Practical and Written Assessment
This is the major assessment for your project and comprises six parts: project proposal and plan, progress reports, draft final report, team meeting documentation including agenda and minutes, project report, and the self and peer assessment (SPA).
In this major assessment you are required to form a group (up to four members subject to class size) and demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you have developed in earlier information systems specialisation units and apply these skills and knowledge to an industry project (subject to approval of the unit coordinator or local lecturer) or a given case based project.
You are strongly recommended to source your own project instead of using a case study. With permission of your employer, your project can be based on your work place.
Your project should be of sufficient complexity so that you can demonstrate your knowledge, but still be small enough to complete it within the term. If you are in doubt, please contact the unit coordinator or your local lecturer.
You are required as a group to write a comprehensive report on your project. You are also expected to demonstrate your talent, innovative thinking, and analytical skills through the conduct of your group project addressing the production of a project plan, project working documentation, together with appropriate project artefacts such as design documentation and an implementation plan, as part of your project report. In your project report, you need to evaluate and analyse current business information systems, processes and applications, and propose improvements (including a prototype solution for an identified problem or opportunity based on your project requirement). The project will have a designated customer, and you will be required to produce the typical project management artefacts associated with your chosen or given case project.
Note: Please contact the unit coordinator if you have a genuine problem and are unable to participate in a group.
You are encouraged to use your innovative ideas and imagination to produce a high level project outcome, and demonstrate your learning, and integration and incorporation of knowledge from prior units undertaken in your study course. This assessment should be considered as a great opportunity to link the theoretical knowledge with a practical chosen industry (or a given case) project to help you to be more competitive in the real world environment.
Please refer to Moodle unit website for more detail information in relation to this assessment.
As per the schedule.
Final Report, Working Documentation and SPA on the day of Certification of Grades. All other items within two weeks of submission.
Reports and proposals are to be uploaded as MS Word documents. You may also upload MS Project documents to support your work. No other type of upload will be accepted, with the exception of a ZIP file for Project Working Documentation.
The project documentation will be assessed on the quality of content. The assessment criteria for each part of this assessment, as described under Task Description is as follows:
Project Proposal and Plan - 10%
The proposal and plan will include sections for project description, project scope, objectives and constraints, statement of work, team members, responsibilities and responsibility matrix, work breakdown structure, project schedule, risk assessment, and quality plan.
Progress Reports - 5%
Two progress reports are to be submitted throughout the term as per the weekly schedule.
Project Working Documentation - 5%
The team's project working documentation includes team meeting agenda, minutes arising from the various meetings, action sheet items and project working papers.
Draft Project Report 10%
This assessment is designed to give you feedback on your project report prior to your presentation in Week 10.The report is to consist of sections up to and including the stakeholder analysis as follows:
- Project title page
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Introduction (including aim, objectives, scope, terms of reference, and constraints of the project)
- Literature review and background of the project topic
- Project management
- Project analysis (including but not limited to strategic alignment, description of current systems, stakeholder analysis and management)
Self and Peer Assessment - 5%
Each team will be required to evaluate the other team members and the team's performance, both from a personal viewpoint and as a team member.
Project Report - 35%
The project report will at least include the following sections:
- Project title page
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Introduction (including aim, objectives, scope, terms of reference, and constraints of the project)
- Literature review and background of the project topic
- Project management
- Project analysis (including but not limited to strategic alignment, description of current systems, stakeholder analysis and management, requirements methodology and statement, and change management issues)
- Discussions (of candidate solution evaluation, proposed improvement or solutions including process models, and prototype design)
- Conclusions and Recommendations
- References
- Appendix (optional)
Please see the Moodle unit website for more specific marking criteria.
- Investigate client requirements and apply a range of tools, techniques and methods to implement a solution
- Work collaboratively as part of a productive team
- Generate and review project management artefacts and documentation required of a business systems project
- Communicate effectively by using written and oral presentation understanding the needs of various stakeholders
- Identify and evaluate change management issues that may arise due to changing business practices
- Produce a report recommending improvements to current business practices.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
2 Portfolio
This is an individual assessment.
An e-portfolio is a learning tool that enables students to accumulate evidence of learning achievement. In this unit you will use Mahara as the learning tool. Please refer to Moodle unit website for more detail instructions on how to use Mahara portfolio and the assessment criteria.
Please review the example links on the Moodle unit website.
As per the schedule
On the day of Certification of Grades.
You are required to download your portfolio in PDF and submit your work in Moodle. You are further required to include your Mahara Secret URL with your uploaded work. No other type of upload will be accepted.
A project portfolio is to be maintained by every student individually.
Entries are to be made in your portfolio on each occasion that work is undertaken on the project, detailing the work done, time taken, difficulties experienced, and other issues that may arise. It is to be a record of every activity undertaken by you in developing the project.
Entries will be made in the portfolio on a weekly basis starting from teaching Week 3 until (and including) Week 12.
The portfolio will contain work that has been integrated into the group project work, as evidenced by information supplied in the portfolio as to where the work is located in the final group report submission.
Please see Moodle unit website for more specific marking criteria.
Failure to submit a portfolio will disadvantage your overall marks.
- Generate and review project management artefacts and documentation required of a business systems project
- Identify and evaluate change management issues that may arise due to changing business practices
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
3 Presentation
This assessment requires you to present your findings based on your DRAFT report.
Presentation of DRAFT project report: Each group will be required to present their DRAFT project report to colleagues and staff for feedback in Week 10. Each group will have until Week 13 (due date for Project Report) to improve the report based on the feedback received at the time of the presentation. Documentation regarding the presentation will be submitted via Moodle.
Distance students: The time of the presentations and technology employed will be determined on an individual basis. Please contact the unit coordinator.
As per Schedule
Within 2 weeks of submission.
Assessments are to be uploaded as MS Word documents, and/or MS PowerPoint slides. No other type of upload will be accepted.
Each group will be allocated a time in Week 10 to present a draft of their project report. Each presentation will be assessed on the following criteria:
Group marks will be based on:
- Preparation and consistency of presentation;
- Set up and use of visual aids;
- Timing of presentation including Q&A;
- Continuity and flow from one presenter to the next;
- Presentation content is relevant to the topic;
-
Content is clear, concise and relevant.
Individual marks for presentation will be based on:
- Professional dress;
- Presentation manner;
- Content is explained well;
- Response to questions during Q&A.
Please see the Moodle unit website for more specific marking criteria.
- Work collaboratively as part of a productive team
- Communicate effectively by using written and oral presentation understanding the needs of various stakeholders
- Produce a report recommending improvements to current business practices.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.