MGMT 7020    Technology and Project Management 2. Conceptual Specification Recap  Week 1 Team Meeting Technology Module Topic 2: Concepts & their Specification (for assignment 1) Picturing a System  (

Technology and Project Management (MGMT7020)

Assignment 1 Specification: Technology Topic Paper

Context for this Assignment:

The Technology module assesses your ability to apply the EBM approach to understanding information technology systems and their management. The course learning outcomes for this module are all addressed by both assignments and the exam, with different emphases.

Assignment 1, completed individually, focuses on the earlier parts of EBM. Its objective is to show that you understand general technology principles by applying them to a specific topic, critically researching the literature on that topic and presenting a coherent multi-faceted analysis of it. Assignment 2, completed in a team with other students, focusses on the later parts of EBM. Its objective is to demonstrate the application of your technology understanding to evaluate a specific case study. You should work on both assignments in parallel as they are mutually supportive.

The assessment items have been designed to allow you to acquire and use the concepts in the course as a way to better understand your world and to act in it in a more knowledgeable and responsible manner.

The Assignment:

The Technology Topic Paper will present your individual examination of a current topic in information systems and technology. The paper will be well grounded in the concepts discussed in the Technology module and in the academic literature. The paper will use the Kangaroo Island case study to demonstrate the practical impact of the topic. Each member of your team for Assignment 2 will examine a different topic for Assignment 1. The technology topics are:

Cyber Security

Artificial Intelligence

Data Science

Internet of Things

Drone Technology

Other topic approved by the lecturer

Assessment Schedule:

Your paper will be presented in 2 parts,

Outline Due:  Friday 9 August at 23:55 (week 3) for quick feedback, ungraded

Paper Due:  Friday 23 August at 23:55 (week 5)

Return: Two week after submission (depending on student numbers).

Weight: 25% of the total grade.

Size: The paper will be around 2500 words excluding references & appendices.

Approach to Assignment:

At the start of the module you will not have the knowledge and skills you need to understand, far less do, the assignment! Don't be concerned about that. As we cover the lecture topics week by week you will be able to build your assignment step by step. After each week's class you should use the knowledge you have just gained to do some research and writing on assignment 1.

Your friends and colleagues are a great source of discussion - BUT - they are not experts and are not likely to have much more knowledge than you do! So, best to check with people who know...

1. use the appropriate discussion forum on Wattle to start a discussion - others will have similar issues and the lecturer can make useful comments to the whole class.

2. contact the lecturer - in class, in consulting hours or by email.

The assignments are not simple, where you can just follow a pattern - you have creative work to do, don't expect to be told step-by-step how to do it. For this assignment you will be looking into both the academic and grey literature (industry reports, reviews sales pitches etc.), using the IPO model and others to analyse the technology then contextualising it in an organisational and social setting.

Assignment Format and Content:

Your assignment is a conference paper to the Australian Business Conference (ABC), Technology Management track. This track aims to deepen business understanding of technology and its management by presenting examples of technology use from across the country.

Your paper will follow the format of a conference paper, see for example https://www.acis2019.org under 'Conference Paper Template'. The content will explain the technology topic by demonstrating its technological context, perhaps including development history; components and how they work together; the users, uses and issues raised by the technology; management challenges, including adoption by competitors, clients etc; example of use in your Case Study (assignment 2) and future development.

Assignment Submission:  

Each student submits a PDF file (use filename such as: Tech1-u123456).

Assessment Criteria:

Context and Significance

Meets the objective of the assignment

Identifies the big picture around the topic

Recognises the users of the assignment and the purpose they could put it to

Breadth

Covers the technicalities of the topic

Uses examples from the companion case study

Depth

Appropriately identifies and applies concepts discussed in class and readings

Goes beyond the assignment specifications to explore the implications of arguments

or evidence in rich, thoughtful, insightful, and/or original ways

Suggests new perspectives or questions

Soundness

Professional - unbiased, objective (this is not a sales pitch)

Well-grounded in sound sources

Presentation (assignment layout and configuration):

The abstract gives the reader a clear sense of the explanation that will follow

The paper forms an integrated whole - complete, without redundancy or ambiguity

Paper’s structure is logical and quickly apparent

Professionally and consistently presented with no incomplete sentences, spelling errors,

grammatical errors, etc.

Quotations, paraphrases and references are consistently and correctly attributed and cited

Assignment Marking:

Your assignment will be graded in the ANU grading scheme using the above criteria.

The grades can be read as follows:

Credit grade is the 'expected' grade - it is awarded to an assignment that has met all the criteria at a standard expected of a master's level university student. Some students think that 100% is normal and they have done something wrong if they don't get it. Not so. A Credit is normal.

Distinction grade - the item is better than a Credit and shows creativity, more extensive background research or insight;

High Distinction is, well, what the lecturer would have done!

Pass grade - for an assessment item that is acceptable but flawed in some way that prevents it getting a Credit;

Fail grade for unacceptable work.

ANU uses 'criterion marking', that is your work is assessed against the criteria, not in relation to other student assignments. There is no competition between students!

Professionalism:

The ANU Rules and Code of Practice for Student Academic Honesty form part of the rules for this assignment. Any incidences of plagiarism will be treated with the utmost severity. The ANU Code of Practice for Student Academic Honesty is available at http://academichonesty.anu.edu.au/

While you must use your own words and ideas, you will source ideas from the readings and other areas, such as journal articles or the World Wide Web. Reference these sources in the References section in your paper (this is not included in the word limit).

Be sure that the sources you quote, or paraphrase, are clearly and correctly cited.

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7020 2-19 Assignment 1