Www.monash.edu.au IMS1805 Systems Analysis Topic 1: Introduction to Systems Analysis.
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Transcript of Www.monash.edu.au IMS1805 Systems Analysis Topic 1: Introduction to Systems Analysis.
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Agenda
• Aims: • To introduce the unit and the way it will be taught• To develop an understanding of the basic
concepts of analysis as a human activity, and to prepare the ground for the rest of the unit
• Unit Administration• Teaching the unit• Analysis
• what is it?• what forms does it take?• why do we do it?• who does it?
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1. Introductions
• Lecturer and Unit Leader - Martin Atchison• Tutors:
• Martin Atchison• Anne Hamilton• Manoj Kathpalia
• Class
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Unit Administration: General
• See unit outline• No more handouts! Use the web site• For tutorial allocation, use Allocate+• To change into a tute which is full, find
someone who is prepared to swap with you• If you have a problem with tutorial
allocation, talk to your tutor
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Unit Administration:Help with Problems or Complaints
• Fellow students• Tutor • Lecturer• Unit Leader• Undergraduate co-ordinator (Kathy Lynch)• Associate Head of School (Chris
Gonsalvez)• Head of School (Graham Farr)• etc
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2. Teaching the unit
• See unit outline for details of official teaching objectives and content
• Your objectives• My objectives• Possible teaching approaches• Proposed teaching format• Lecture and tute materials
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Problems you may have
• With the unit• It seems too easy (conceptually simple)• It seems too hard (practically impossible)• You can’t see the point of it; it doesn’t seem to
apply to anything• You can’t find the limits to it; it seems to
include everything
• With me• I talk too much (and too fast)• I use obscure examples• I expect too much of you
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Problems I may have
• With the unit• Too much to get through• Material too complex (or too apparently simple)• Too hard to explain (in both its simplicity and
its complexity)• I know it too well to be able to explain it well
• With you• You won’t get interested• You won’t do the work• You won’t understand
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Teaching perspectives
• The view from outer space• The view from 10,000 metres• The view from 500 metres• The view from 20 metres• The view from ground level
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My expectations
• You will develop a sound understanding of the basic concepts of analysis
• You will develop an understanding of how these concepts are applied in practice through various analytical techniques
• You will develop the ability to carry out some basic analytical techniques
• You won’t become an expert (and may start to feel that you never will!)
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Teaching method
• Lectures – role and purpose• Tutorials – role and purpose• Teaching sequence:
• Teach then do?• Do then teach?• … Teach - Do – Teach – Do – Teach - Do - ….
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3. Analysing Analysis
• To Analyse: “To take to pieces; to separate, distinguish, or ascertain the elements of anything complex, as a material collection, chemical compound, light, sound, a miscellaneous list, account or statement, a sentence, phrase, word, conception, feeling, action, process, etc.”
(OED online)• How much time do you spend doing analysis each
day?
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Examples of analysis in action
• Instinctive analysis
• Learned informal analysis
• Learned formal analysis
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Informal analysis versus formal analysis
Informal analysis• Intuitive, instinctive• Based on learned
behaviour/previous experiences
• Inductive• Internalised• Techniques used but not
explicit
Formal analysis• Rational, structured• Based on formal logic
• Deductive• Externalised• Based on techniques
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Key elements of analysis
• 1. Observation/perception: Gathering information about the object/situation
• 2. Discrimination/selection: Choosing what is important and what isn’t; focussing on the key factors within context
• 3. Identification/Comprehension: Identifying relationships and patterns; establishing causal relationships and connections
• 4. Representation: Describing and modelling the object of analysis
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Analysis and action
Situation
Uncertainty/incomprehensionNeed/problem/opportunity
Analysis
Possibilities for action
Action
(Revised analysis)
(need for clarification)
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4. Analysis in human behaviour
• We are all analytical machines:• Our input devices
• Our processing device
• Our storage device
• Our output devices
• Doing analysis is fundamental to our nature; it distinguishes us from other creatures
• (Consider a baby as an analyst; Consider Tom Hanks in ‘Castaway’)
• Most of our day-to-day analysis is informal; but formal analysis is a key professional skill
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The need for formal analysis: Problem-related factors
• Complexity of the situation:• Many elements; many inter-relationships, complex
inter-relationships; many possible outcomes; etc
• Importance of getting it exactly right
• Need to communicate our understanding of the situation to others
• Changing environment; we want to make sure our current understanding will continue to be accurate
• Using tools to help automate parts of the analysis
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The need for formal analysis: Person-related factors• New/unfamiliar situations; we cannot
rely on intuition or previous experience
• Need/desire to learn and improve our understanding of the object/situation
• Need to improve the speed/accuracy of our responses to situations
• Need/desire to change parts of the object/situation to improve outcomes
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Formal analysis
• Most formal analysis requires formal training
• Many simple formal analytical techniques are learnt very early in life by most people
• More advanced techniques need to be learnt and practised
• Differences in personality and mental make-up influence how well we can do different types of formal analysis
• The need to learn and practise means our attitudes towards analysis strongly influence how skilled we become
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What skills/attitudes are needed in a good analyst for information systems?
• Skill at informal analysis does not necessarily correlate with skill at formal analysis
• Different types of analysis require different skills and aptitudes
• Need to consider the nature of information systems
• Consider in more detail in next lecture