Teaching Strategies

Pre-release 2003 - 2004

The work carried out by the students should cover a range of ICT activities and organisations.

This work could be carried out through visits to local organisations.

Where this is not possible, case studies of a variety of organisations could be created and used.

At least one large organisation must be covered.

It will be necessary to provide a wide range of example documents and information about the organisation for each case study.

These will need to include items such as:

• Definitions of the purpose and objectives of the organisation
• Documents that show how information flows, for example, letters, memos, orders and invoices
• Charts that show the organisational structure
• Details of products manufactured, goods sold or services provided
• Details of the ICT facilities available in each job role
• Details of the departments and their role

The case study produced by students for assessment will obviously need to be different from those provided for classroom study purposes.

Typical organisations that could provide good potential for study are:

• Large retailers, such as clothes, grocery or computer product shops
• Manufacturers of goods, such as cars, electrical goods or steel products
• Providers of services, such as railways, bus companies, solicitors, councils and police
• Schools, colleges and libraries

To be able to produce comprehensive diagrams of information flows, students will need to be able to identify different systems.

They will need to learn about the following functions and the key systems used by many large organisations:

• Personnel
  Will contain information about employees, such as name, address, employee number, and position.
  There are often links with training and payroll.
  
• Training
  Training records are an extension of the personnel system.
  Large organisations will probably record training plans for employees.
  The records may also note special skills of staff so they can be found quickly when particular skills are required.
  
• Payroll
  Another extension of personnel records. Tax codes and rates of pay will link to the employee number.
  Often there is a computerised mailing system that prints letters with details of wage payments.
  Payroll is one area in an organisation that deals with many changes, for example, staff turnover, changes to personal details and changes to pay rates.
  It is also one in which confidentiality of information is particularly important.
  A critical external link is with the Inland Revenue.
  Reports on payroll information must be available to accounts managers to contribute to statements of profits and losses.
  
• Design and Development
  Keeps records of changes to product design or to new products.
  They will also need to produce specifications for all products.
  These may include production drawings.
  
• Purchasing
  Links with stock control, accounts, production and most other departments.
  It will generate purchase orders and contracts for goods and services.
  
• Sales
  Keeps records of all customer orders.
  They initiate the internal requests for provision of services or goods.
  These may be sent to a despatch or delivery department.
  
• Research
  Keeps records of new products on trial or being investigated.
  They may be able to forecast how long existing products will remain saleable.
  They may define new areas of productivity for the organisation.
  
• Accounts and Finance
  Tracks money paid and money owed.
  It prepares a general ledger summarising accounts.
  This allows the preparation of balance sheets and income statements.
  Financial systems keep track of cash receipts and payments.
  They will be used to forecast cash flow.
  
• Stock Control or Inventory Systems
  Tracks items held in stock by serial number.
  They record the number, cost and location of items held in stock.
  Often there will be an automatic re-ordering process.
  Sometimes there will be links with robotic systems in warehouses.
  These systems can automate much of the re-stocking necessary.
  
• E-mail
  Used extensively to communicate information within the organisation and with external contacts.
  It is useful for organising meetings as staff can post their availability on the system.
  Problems can arise if too little care is taken to decide who receives what information.
  
• Internet and Intranet
  These offer completely new opportunities that you need to consider.
  Some are external, in that they open websites for outsiders to explore.
  Some are internal, providing closed network facilities.
  An important aspect is e-commerce which is used to buy and sell goods and services online. 
  These topics are covered in more detail in optional units.