units

FIT2080

Faculty of Information Technology

18 September 2017 27 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Information Technology
OfferedNot offered in 2015

Synopsis

This unit provides a broad introduction to the rapidly-expanding field of information architecture (IA). IA is a major area of concern for any organisation which has a business need to store and manage large and varied collections of data. The unit explains the nature and purpose of IA as a field of study and examines typical IA needs of large organisations. It examines a variety of approaches to the task of IA development and the techniques commonly associated with them. Particular emphasis is given to developing practical skills in techniques for developing architectures and to applying a range of popular IA tools and techniques commonly used in IA projects.

Outcomes

At the completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  • define the basic aims and purposes of information architecture and understand its importance to the management and use of information in an organisation;
  • explain a variety of approaches commonly used for the development of information architectures, and understand the key principles behind them;
  • conduct a business requirements analysis, and a user needs analysis, for the purposes of developing an information architecture;
  • critically evaluate an information architecture and assess its suitability for a given range of user needs;
  • identify and explain the phases and processes involved in planning and implementing an information architecture project or a program;
  • recognise the varying perspectives of different disciplines and professional groups and their contribution to the development of an information architecture;
  • use a range of tools and techniques (eg blueprints, wireframes, card sorting, affinity diagrams, content maps, personas), and information architecture software in the process of developing an information architecture;
  • design, construct and implement an information architecture for a given example using a popular web content management system (eg, Drupal).

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • Two hours of lectures
  • One 2-hour studio

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

  • A minimum of 8 hours independent study per week for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.

See also Unit timetable information

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Enterprise information management

Prerequisites

FIT1037 and either FIT1036 or FIT1003

Prohibitions

FIT2055

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu/units/fit2080/