Course Title: Information Project

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Information Project

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

LIBR1026

City Campus

Postgraduate

620H Business IT and Logistics

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2006,
Sem 2 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Peter Macauley

Course Coordinator Phone: (03) 9925 5583

Course Coordinator Email: peter.macauley@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 80, Level 9


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

This course is generally studied at the end of the program when you have acquired some professional knoweldge and skills. This course assumes that you have basic information technology skills including web browsing, e-mail, Windows based program usage, and the ability to use a word-processor for report writing. Basic project management skills are also necessary.
 


Course Description

This course is self directed in that you are expected to initiate a project (often in a workplace), delineate and develop either the product or the research or both and deliver a finished product. You will work with a supervisor at RMIT university and, depending on the project, with a client. The course is designed for you to develop your research and project management skills. As the project develops, you will also develop your reflective and evaluative skills. The course requires you to work independently and to make effective use of your time.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The capabilities that are developed through the program in which you are enrolled are described in the Program Guide. This course contributes to the development of the capabilities in the following way.

It is expected that you will improve the following capabilities:

  • Information Literacy - You will be demonstrate the ability to access, synthesise and display information in a research capacity.
  • Information Technology Practice -  You will be given opportunities to assess, design and deliver IT solutions
  • Professional Practice - You will be given the opportunity to work as a professsional, generally working on a problems or research question, often for a client
  • Interpersonal and communication practice - You will develop the capability to effectively communicate both to a supervisor and often to a client in a professional manner.
  • Management Practice - You will demonstrate appropriate skills in the management of a succesful project, management of your time and the necessary relatiohships with the supervisor and or client.
  • Research Practice - You will demonstrate the ability to delineate an appropriate topic, formulate research questions, plan the conduct of the research as well as reflect on the effectiveness of the research.


At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

  • Negotiate an information project with a particular client and/or your supervisor 
  • Draft a project proposal to confirm with the client or supervisor 
  • Design and develop an information product or project  
  • Present a finished product - research report and or information product of professional standard 
  • Demonstrate effective communication skills
  • Demonstrate effective research skills
  • Demonstrate effective reflection skills
     


Overview of Learning Activities

In consultation with the RMIT supervisor, you will work on the agreed project, to the agreed timeframe. Regular contact should be made with the RMIT supervisor according to a mutually acceptable schedule, and progress reports should be made to the client from time to time. The course website provides access to a number of modules that provide information about various aspects of the project development.


 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT university will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems and computer laboratories.
You have access to extensive course materials on myRMIT Studies, including digitised readings, lecture notes and a detailed study program, external internet links and access to RMIT Library online and hardcopy resources.


Overview of Assessment

The form of the project outcomes will vary depending on the nature of the project undertaken. All projects will involve:

  • Project Proposal
  • Project Plan
  • Project Report

Some projects will involve the production of an information product, plus a report while others will produce a substantial research report.

Some examples of suitable information products:
• a guide to the resources and the services in a particular subject area;
• a directory of resources in a particular subject field;
• a guide for users of a particular specialised collection, with significant resources and services highlighted and explained;
• a critical evaluation of a particular specialised collection or resource-based service, with suggestions for development and/or improvements;
• a collection evaluation report of a small collection or section of a large collection;
• a bibliographic or resources database constructed with a suitable software package;
• an index to a particular group of records for some relevant source materials, with introductory guide to the techniques and processes involved;
an electronic product.

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester through individual and or group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation on projects.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program director or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to the RMIT university assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced in a single document Assessment Policies and Procedures manual. The 1.2.4 Assessment Charter section of this document summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.