Educationally Critical Aspects of the Concept of an Information System

Autor: Chris Cope
Rok vydání: 2002
Předmět:
Zdroj: Informing Science The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, Vol 5, Pp 067-078 (2002)
Informing Science The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, Vol 5, Iss 2, Pp 67-78 (2002)
ISSN: 1521-4672
1547-9684
DOI: 10.28945/538
Popis: Introduction Recent research into student learning has developed the notion that certain aspects of a concept are educationally critical to the development of a depth of understanding felt appropriate by the teacher for a particular learning situation. Without identifying the critical aspects in a research process and emphasising them in learning experiences, the development of an appropriate depth of understanding is, logically, highly unlikely (Booth, 1997; Cope, 2000a; Marton & Booth, 1997). A review of the IS education research literature revealed that an appropriate depth of understanding of the concept of an IS for new graduates has not been explicitly described and the educationally critical aspects of this understanding not researched. Indeed, the development of a deep understanding of the concept of an IS is not emphasised in IS undergraduate curricula, textbooks or teaching. Consequently, there is the possibility that IS graduates are entering practice without an appropriate depth of understanding of the concept at the core of the discipline. This is a serious concern as an argument has been made for a logical link between the lack of emphasis on the concept of an IS in undergraduate curricula, an inadequate understanding of the concept of an IS in new graduates as prospective professionals, poor communication with clients during requirements gathering in practice, and the possible failure of information systems (Cope, 2000a; Cope & Horan, 1998; Cope, Horan & Garner, 1997; Weber, 1996). Lack of knowledge about the educationally critical aspects of the concept of an IS would appear to be a significant problem for IS education and practice. The aim of this paper is to report an empirical study which sought to address this lack of knowledge. Theoretical Background The notion that a concept like an IS has educationally critical aspects has been developed in the work of Booth (1994, 1997), Cope (2000a), Marton (1998) and Marton and Booth (1996, 1997). Underlying the notion is a consistent finding of phenomenographic research into the different ways particular phenomena can be understood and the interpretation of these findings in terms of the analytical framework of a structure of awareness. A Consistent Finding of Phenomenographic Studies Phenomenographic research approaches were designed in the early 1970s to qualitatively investigate the different ways that phenomena in the world can be perceived, conceptualised and understood (Marton, 1986). Phenomenographic studies take a second order research perspective. A first order perspective involves a researcher making statements about the world. A second order perspective involves a researcher making statements about other peoples' experiences of the world (Marton, 1981). One of the consistent findings of phenomenographic studies is that a group of individuals will understand the same phenomenon in a limited number of distinctly different ways. Importantly the different understandings have been found to be related hierarchically based on logical inclusiveness and increased level of understanding. An example is needed to illustrate this finding. A study of variation in understanding of the nature of computer programming was conducted by Booth (1992). Three distinctly different levels of understanding were identified among a group of Swedish undergraduate computer science students. Computer programming was perceived variously as a computer oriented activity, a problem solving activity, and a product producing activity. The three levels of understanding formed a hierarchy based on logical inclusiveness. An understanding of computer programming as a product producing activity was found to include the notions that the product solved a problem and used a computer to do it. The product producing orientation was considered to be the deepest level of understanding identified and the level of understanding appropriate for the students. …
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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