Learning from IS failures
On this page
Information systems are particularly prone to failure. Some never materialise, others appear late and/or over budget. Even those that are implemented often fail to deliver the promised levels of performance. This course aims to understand why the same problems repeatedly arise. The emphasis will be on 'learning by doing': you will be provided with a means of analysis that promotes learning from failure with a view to preventing it, in the design, implementation and operation of information systems. You will also be given the opportunity to practise your new skills in a project based upon a real-life IS failure.
Course facts
A postgraduate course in Engineering and Technology.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T852 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| Examination |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
Millions of pounds are wasted each year on information systems projects that fail and millions more are lost due to malfunctions of systems that have been implemented. Evidence of failure is easy to find: after over a decade of trying, the Child Support Agency still did not have a working system in place; deportations of foreign prisoners were not carried out; goods failed to reach the shelves of a major supermarket chain’s stores; and on and on. But despite the publicity IS failures receive, the same types of problems are experienced again and again, affecting systems large and small in all types of organisations. Why?
This course provides answers to the question why and gives you a robust means of analysis, the Systems Failures Method. This method will allow you to learn from your own IS failures and/or from those of others. It will help you to understand what was happening in failure situations and, more importantly, show you how failures in the specification, design, implementation and operation of information systems can be predicted and prevented.
T852 is primarily aimed at anyone who plays a part in decisions relating to the specification, design, management and use of information systems. However, it is also the case that the methods and techniques taught can be applied to other complex failure situations, especially when you bear in mind it would be a rare failure situation that did not have a significant information component.
Although it is expected that many students will study The information systems toolkit (T851), Information systems legacy and evolution (T853) and the discontinued T850, these are not pre-requisites and T852 can be taken as a stand-alone course for professional development. No prior knowledge or experience of systems concepts and techniques is assumed, nor is any technical knowledge of hardware or software development required.
The emphasis in this course will be on 'learning by doing'. The skills you develop in the first part of the course will be used in the second part to carry out a project based upon a real-life IS failure. The main topics covered in the teaching material will be:
- the nature of IS failures
- categories of failure
- other taxonomies
- subjectivity: viewpoint, perspective, worldview
- common causes of failure
- approaches to the analysis of IS failure
- the requirements for purposeful action without failure
- the formal system model
- the Systems Failures Method for the analysis of failures
- Gathering information
- Pre-analysis, including diagramming techniques
- Representing a failure situation as a system
- Using the formal system model form
- Further analysis
- the Systems Failures Method for risk identification and prediction
- the Systems Failures Method for failure prevention and the promotion of learning.
Entry
This is a postgraduate-level course.
You do need to have a reasonable standard of spoken and written English to study successfully with us. Poor language skills will make study more difficult, and it will take longer. The normal requirements for English language skills are explained on our website.
If you have any doubts about whether your level of English is good enough for you to study this course you may find it helpful to look at our Skills for OU Study site.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
Relevant professional experience will provide you with a good foundation for studying the course. This course takes a broad view of ‘information systems’ and assumes no past study of the subject.
Qualifications
T852 is a compulsory module in our:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Information Systems (C51)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems (E10)
- MSc in Information Systems (F37)
- MSc in Strategic Management of Information Systems (F54)
T852 is an optional module in our:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice (C72)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Management (C49)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry (C02)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Management of Software Projects (E19)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice (E28)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Technology Management (E08)
- MBA (F02)
- MSc in Computing for Commerce and Industry (F05)
- MSc in Management of Software Projects (F43)
- MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice (F47)
- MSc in Technology Management (F36)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. These qualifications allow most postgraduate modules to count towards them. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. You may wish to visit libraries. Diagrams are used extensively. The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to study using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course text, a set book written to accompany the course, other printed materials, project resources, including access to databases, and project management guidance via a computer desktop.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will be responsible for monitoring your progress on the course, marking and commenting on your written work and whom you can contact for advice and guidance. Your tutor will also mediate an online forum for your tutor group in which participation is optional. There is also a separate online forum for all students on the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
You will have to achieve a pass mark on both the continuous assessment and the examination in order to pass the course.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the final course start date in May 2012.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Course facts
A postgraduate course in Engineering and Technology.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T852 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| Examination |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credits
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
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