KF4011 - Systems Analysis

You will be introduced to concepts, principles and techniques in lectures. These will include small exercises to complete within the lecture to aid your understanding. Seminars will be provided for you to practise and discuss the concepts, principles and techniques developed in lectures. Case studies and scenarios will be used to help you develop your understanding of modelling notations. Group work will be used in seminars to provide you with exposure to group work in a system analysis context. You will also be provided with directed learning in the form of directed reading and suggested exercises from the module textbook to help you learn. When appropriate, examples will be taken from real business and industrial situations.

Throughout the module you will be given the opportunity to examine and discuss the use of UML techniques in real and simulated situations. If you are studying the full time version of the programme use will be made of appropriate industrial links and speakers, whenever possible.

If you are studying a Degree Apprenticeship you will also learn at work, through reflecting on your experiences and applying your knowledge from the module to your practice in the workplace. The workshops will introduce you to theories and concepts and allow you to discuss with the tutors and your peers how these relate to your own work based experiences and practice. The workplace provides an opportunity for you to put your own knowledge and skills into practice and review your learning with your manager/mentor. The standard delivery is Newcastle Campus class room based, however if your employer has a contract with the university that indicates you may study remotely then you will be able to attend the classes virtually. In this case, you will follow lectures via webcasts and attend online seminars / workshops. The use of Blackboard Collaborate (or similar) will be employed to enable this.

You will be given advice and feedback on your work and progress on practical exercises during the timetabled classes. In addition, the eLP (electronic learning portal) blackboard is used to provide extensive support materials.

If you are studying for a Degree Apprenticeship additional support will be available from your work place mentor who will encourage you to reflect upon how your work and studies interact and complement one another.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant development approaches and requirements capture techniques

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. Identify and apply appropriate requirements analysis and specification techniques using UML

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
3. Adopt a professional approach within the context of a team based system analysis activity

Summative assessment
You will assessed upon this module by an analysis project (100%).

1. The project assignment will account for 100% of the module mark. The project will have group (40% of the project) and individual (60% of the project) components. It will involve the production of requirements related documentation. Group work is employed to enable the assessment to simulate real world practice. The assignment will be based upon a scenario of your choosing. Peer assessment will be employed to ensure an equitable allocation of marks.
It will assess all of the MLO 1, 2 and 3.

You will also get written feedback on your work for both parts of the assignment.

Formative assessment
Within the lectures you will complete small formative exercises designed to aid your understanding. Feedback will be provided by the tutor through explanation and discussion of these exercises within the lectures. In addition, feedback upon discussions within seminars / workshops will be provided by discussions with peers and with the tutor. This feedback will is intended to help inform your answer to the assignment.

If you are studying a Degree Apprenticeship and your workplace mentor consents to provide a case study from your workplace and to engage in supporting the marking of your assessment there is the opportunity to complete the exercise for a case study from your work place. Your mentor will be expected to provide the scenario, attend your walk through presentation and discuss your assignment submission with your university teaching team.

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The module aims to introduce you to systems analysis using an object oriented approach, including the key ideas and techniques for capturing, analysing and specifying the requirements of an information system. You will learn about approaches to information systems development, including the system development like cycle, the concepts of deliverables and models, alternative approaches (Structured and Rapid) and the techniques associated with requirements capture. This will include the requirements analysis and documentation techniques of the Unified Modelling Language (UML).