BIT1203 Introduction to Information Technology

This course is intended to be at the introductory level in a curriculum and to provide foundation skills for subsequent courses. It provides an overview of the discipline of IT, and begins to instill an IT mindset. The goal is to help students understand the diverse contexts in which IT is used and the challenges inherent in the diffusion of innovative technology. The topics covered in this course include: User Centeredness and Advocacy; Information Assurance and Security; IT Systems Model; Management of Complexity (Abstraction, Modeling, best Practices, Patterns, Standards, Use of Appropriate Tools);Adaptability; Professionalism (Life-long Learning, Professional Development, Ethics, Responsibility, Interpersonal Skills, Data versus Information).

Course Objectives
The objectives of the course are to:

• Introduce the student to the basis of a computer system and Information Technology/ICT.
• Introduce the student to the different categories of computers and the Internet.
• Give the students main guidelines for the future study of IT-related courses
• Develop their knowledge and understanding of  the components of IT systems and their   interrelationships, tools and methods used in IT for managing complexity, the role of the IT professional as the user advocate, the necessity of life-long learning and continued professional development for an IT professional, the importance of data and information in IT.
• Form initial skills of  identification of the components of IT systems and their interrelationships, managing complexity through relevant tools and methods choosing valid techniques and methodologies for analyzing and designing different kind of information technologies, advocacy of users’ interests, and   Interpersonal communication.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course unit, the students will be able to:

• Describe the computer system and its sub-systems and other devices and the internet
• Describe and classify the different types of software
• Use internet to search for information
• Acquire main guidelines for the future study of IT-related courses
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the components of IT systems and their Interrelationships, the nature of complexity occurring in IT systems, tools and methods used in IT for managing complexity and the role of the IT professional as the user advocate
• Form initial skills of identification of the components of IT systems and their interrelationships, managing complexity through relevant tools and methods, choosing valid techniques and methodologies for analyzing and designing different kind of information technologies.