IRM4722/101/0/2022

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2022

IT ETHICS
IRM4722

Year Module

Department of Information Systems

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website, IRM4722-2022-Y, as well as your group website.

Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, only available on myUnisa.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS
Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Getting started .............................................................................................................................. 5
2 OVERVIEW OF IRM4722 ............................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Syllabus ........................................................................................................................................ 8
2.4 How to approach your studies ....................................................................................................... 8
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ......................................................................................... 10
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS................................................................................. 10
4.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................. 10
4.2 Department ................................................................................................................................. 10
4.3 University .................................................................................................................................... 10
5 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................. 12
5.1 Joining myUnisa ......................................................................................................................... 12
5.2 Prescribed book(s) ...................................................................................................................... 12
5.3 Recommended book(s) ............................................................................................................... 13
5.4 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ................................................................................................. 13
5.5 Library services and resources ................................................................................................... 13
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .............................................................................................. 14
6.1 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa ............................................................................... 14
7. HOW TO STUDY ONLINE .......................................................................................................... 15
7.1 What does it mean to study fully online? ..................................................................................... 15
7.2 myUnisa tools ............................................................................................................................. 15
8. ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 15
8.1 Assessment plan ........................................................................................................................ 15
8.2 Assignment Numbers.................................................................................................................. 16
8.3 Assignment due dates ................................................................................................................ 17
8.4 Year Mark ................................................................................................................................... 18
8.5 Examination ................................................................................................................................ 18
8.5.1 Examination Admission ............................................................................................................... 18
8.5.2 Your Final Examination ............................................................................................................... 19
8.5.3 Examination Admission ............................................................................................................... 19
8.5.4 Supplementary examination ........................................................................................................ 20
8.5.5 Aggregate examination ............................................................................................................... 20

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8.5.6 Transfer of examination .............................................................................................................. 20

9. ACADEMIC DISHONENESTY.................................................................................................... 21
9.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 21
9.2 Cheating ..................................................................................................................................... 21
10. STUDENT WITH DISABILITY .................................................................................................... 21
11. CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 22

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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student

Welcome to the SCHOOL OF COMPUTING – COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY and a special welcome to the IT ETHICS (IRM4722) module. You will be on your way to
success if you start studying early in the year and decide to do your assignments properly.

Advanced Diploma in IRM

This module is the first in the group of modules towards your journey in the new Advance Diploma in
Information Resources Management.

IRM4722 Module
IRM4722 is a 12-credit module for the qualification: Advanced Diploma in IT Service Management. Please
note that IRM4722 is a year module.

This is an online module. This means that you will only receive this tutorial letter 101 via mail and the
rest of your study material or learning will be done over the Internet via myUnisa ‘Additional Resources’ or
‘Official study material’ tab.

Online module means the following:

• You will receive TUTORIAL LETTER 101 via mail and then all follow up tutorial letters will be
available on myUnisa. See ‘Additional Resources’ or the ‘Official Study Material’ Page.
• You will either purchase a printed prescribed textbook or eBook.
• You will receive more online learning content from your lecturers. Go to myUnisa → Lessons → to
learn more.
• There will be more interactive activities on myUnisa, more self-assessment assignments, more
discussions via the discussion forum, more interaction with our myUnisa Blog tool…more fun stuff
to do with the module ☺

This Tutorial Letter 101 contains important information about the scheme of work, resources and
assignments for this module. We urge you to read it carefully and to keep it at hand when working through
the study material, preparing the assignment(s), preparing for the examination and addressing questions
to your lecturers.

Please read Tutorial Letter 301 in combination with Tutorial Letter 101 as it gives you an idea of generally
important information when studying at a distance and within a particular College/Department or School.

In this tutorial letter you will find the assignments and assessment criteria as well as instructions on the
preparation and submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also provides all the information you

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need regarding the prescribed study material and other resources and how to obtain it. Please study this
information carefully and make sure that you obtain the prescribed material as soon as possible.

Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the learning
activities. Visit the website for IRM4722 on myUnisa frequently. The website for your module is IRM4722-
22-Y.

1.1 Getting started

Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find your study material online.
Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and password. Click on
"myModules" at the top of the web page and then on "Sites" in the top right corner. In the new window,
click on the grey Star icon next to the modules you want displayed on your navigation bar. Close the
window in the top right corner. Then select the option "Reload to see your updated favourite sites". Now
go to your navigation bar and click on the module you want to open.

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 OVERVIEW OF IRM4722
2.1 Purpose

Qualifying students are prepared to lead and act as professionals in the IT industry. Students can engage
in the fundamental, introductory knowledge, skills and values with legal implications. Ethics in Information
Technology covers issues such as file sharing, infringement of intellectual property, security risks, Internet
crime, identity theft, employee surveillance, privacy, and compliance. This module supports further studies
and applications in the sector of computing, in the field of Computer and Administration Management, as
part of either the Advanced Diploma or B-degree. These competencies contribute to the development of
business communities with an ethical approach to IT management applications in Southern Africa, Africa
or globally. Enrolled students in this fully online mode are connected to the Internet on a daily basis.

2.2 Outcomes

A range of tasks (in study guides, tutorial letters, assignments and examinations) will show that students
have achieved the following outcomes, namely to:
Range: The international principles of ethics and morals will be critiqued from Southern and African
contexts, environmental and legislative requirements.

For this module, you will have to master several outcomes:

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Specific Outcome 1: Explain concepts of ethics and morality. Discuss how an ethical environment
is created and the various approaches to making ethical decisions.
Assessment criteria:

1. Explain what Information Technology (IT) ethics is.

2. Convince why it is important to act according to a code of ethics
3. Support why IT ethics is becoming increasingly important.
4. Analyse what organizations are doing to improve their ethics in IT.
5. Generalise why organizations are interested in fostering good ethics in IT.
6. Analyse trends that have increased the risk of using information technology in an unethical manner.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2: Understand a wide variety of issues related to the IT professional and IT
users, including licensing, code of ethics, piracy and information sharing.
Assessment criteria

1. Compare key characteristics that distinguish a professional from other kinds of workers and decide
whether an IT worker is considered a professional.
2. Assess what factors are transforming the professional services industry.
3. Decide what relationships an IT worker must manage, and what key ethical issues can arise in each.
4. Justify how codes of ethics, professional organizations, certification, and licencing affect the ethical
behaviour of IT professionals.
5. Explain what is meant by compliance, and how it helps to promote the right behaviours and
discourage undesirable ones.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3: Respond to specific security incidents and how to implement security
measures with regard to computer and internet crime.
Assessment criteria

1. Assess functions of and relationships among laws, regulations, and professional organizations in
information security.
2. Comparison between laws and ethics.
3. Identify the major national laws that affect the practice of information security.
4. Assessing the role of culture as it applies to ethics in information security.
5. Explaining how computer crime is a serious and rapidly growing area of concern requiring
management attention.
6. Critique specific measures to prevent computer crime.
7. Explaining the different types and effects of computer crime.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4: Understand the creation and exchange of intellectual property, rights, legal
safeguards and define fair use, digital rights management, abuses of peer-to-peer networks, and
the open-source movement.

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Assessment criteria

1. Summarise the term intellectual property and what is encompasses.

2. Assess why organizations are so concerned about protecting intellectual property.
3. Compare the strengths and limitations of using copyrights, patents, and trade secret.
4. laws to protect intellectual property.
5. Summarise what plagiarism is and what can be done to combat it.
6. Critique what open-source code is, and what is the fundamental premise behind its use.
7. Explain the term Digital rights management and interpret its association to copyright.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5: Demonstrate a proficiency in the management of networked computer

vulnerabilities. Exhibit knowledge of computer reliability issues.
Assessment criteria:

1. Assess the role of an ethical hacker.

2. Judge hackers and malicious user’s objectives.
3. Explain the dangers that a computer system faces.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 6: Understand software development issues that concern product liability,
risk analysis, quality assurance and standards.
Assessment criteria:

1. Assess the ethical issues to developing software.

2. Summarise issues that concern product liability, risk analysis, quality assurance and standards.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 7: Understand the professional codes and the Software Engineering, ACM,
AITP, IEEEC and the SANS Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice.
Assessment criteria:
1. Summarise professional codes of ethics.
2. Compare the professional codes of professional bodies such as ACM, AITP, IEEEC.
3. Interpret the SANS Codes of ethics and professional practice.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 8: Demonstrate an understanding of the wide variety of issues that relate to
how information technology has impacted work and health.
Assessment criteria:
1. Assess the effects of computers on the work environment.
2. Support specific actions that must be taken to ensure the health and safety of employees.
3. Justify how jobs, equipment and working conditions must be designed to avoid negative health
effects.

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2.3 Syllabus

The syllabus for this module is covered in the ten chapter of the prescribed book which includes the
following:
Chapter 1 An overview of Ethics
Chapter 2 Ethics for IT Workers and IT Users
Chapter 3 Cyberattacks and Cybersecurity
Chapter 4 Privacy
Chapter 5 Freedom of Expression
Chapter 6 Intellectual Property
Chapter 7 Ethical Decisions in Software Development
Chapter 8 The Impact of Information Technology on Society
Chapter 9 Social Media
Chapter 10 Ethics of IT Organizations

2.4 How to approach your studies

What follows is a guideline on how to approach your studies in this module:

• The first step is to draw up your own study programme with the guide given above. Take the
assignment due dates of all the modules you are enrolled for and draw up a study programme that
covers all your modules combined, using these dates as guidelines. The study programme should
include time for studying the material and doing the assignments.
• Each module has various outcomes. Read through these outcomes first and keep them in mind while
working through the material. Make study notes as you go along.
• When you reach the end of a chapter, return to the outcomes and check whether you have achieved
them. If not, revise the material.
• Only after you have achieved a good understanding of the material covered in each chapter, should
you attempt to do the assignments. Many students look at the questions in the assignments and then
scan the course material for the correct answers. This might work in the short term for getting the
assignment answers correct, but in the long run and when it comes to the examination, you might
well be on the losing end.
• When doing the assignments, first try to do them without looking at the course material. This will
show how well you have mastered the material. In that way you will be able to learn a whole lot more
and much faster compared to just scanning the material for the correct answers.
• Submit your assignments before the due dates. As this is a fully online module, ONLY Assignment
04, which is used for self-evaluation purposes and does not contribute towards your year mark.
Assignments 01-03 will be made available under Additional Resources of the module with further
instructions.

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o Assignment 01 consists of a set of multiple-choice questions from the first four chapters of
the prescribed book. You must indicate your choice of option for each question on a mark-
reading sheet, which will be marked electronically shortly after the due date of the assignment.
o Assignment 02 is a written assignment that consists of short questions from chapters 5 to 9.
You MUST submit your solutions to this assignment online via myUnisa. You must type the
assignment in Microsoft Word, save it as a PDF file and upload the PDF file.
o Assignment 03 is a written assignment that consists of short questions from chapter 10 to
14. You MUST submit your solutions to this assignment online via myUnisa. You must type
the assignment in Microsoft Word, save it as a PDF file and upload the PDF file.
Your year mark will be determined from the marks you obtain for these assignments. The exact
composition of the year mark is explained in section 7 of this tutorial letter. Assignment 04 is for
self-evaluation. It is advisable that you answer these questions since they are good practice for
the examination, but do not submit them.
• Shortly after the due dates for Assignments you will receive a set of model solutions (Tutorial
Letters 201-203). You should check your answers against the answers provided in order to
ascertain where you went wrong and why. Note the differences, if any, and revise the material
where necessary. Doing questions in two different formats should prepare you for the
examination since it will include both types of questions.
• Assignment 04 is a vitally important revision assignment. This assignment will not be marked,
but you will receive the solutions in Tutorial Letter 204. Challenge yourself by doing this
assignment and do not work through the solutions until you have tackled the questions on your
own! An excellent means of gaining help and support comes from forming your own study group.
To obtain names and addresses of students in your area, send an e-mail to the following e-mail
address: study-info@unisa.ac.za.
• Every student has his/her own methods for studying different kinds of modules. Some modules
require memorisation and others require practice. One way to learn the material presented in
this module is to visualise it being applied in real-world scenarios. An example of this would be
if you are asked to explain the steps you follow when you make coffee. You will not simply sit
and enumerate a list of steps you memorised as a child. What usually happens is that you will
immediately form a mental picture of the action of making coffee. You will then see things
happening in this mental picture, which allows you to write those things down in the sequence
(the steps) that you would follow to make coffee. This process allows you to draw information
from experience. The reason it is easy to remember the steps is because you are not trying to
remember a long list of steps that means nothing to you.

You can use a similar strategy to learn and memorise the work presented in this module. The process
you must follow is to take the part of the work you need to memorise and to visualise a real-world

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scenario in which the content applies. You may, for example, consider MS Word and look at how its
designers have implemented good or bad user interface design principles. Now close your eyes and
visualise how the designers implemented those principles and what is right and wrong with them as
per the points you are trying to memorise from the study guide. The next time you need to remember
those points, close your eyes again and replay the little scenario in your head. This will allow you to
remember the content easily since it is not just a meaningless set of facts on a sheet of paper but
something you can visualise as real and practical.

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In response
to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda.
Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical
renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion
of African epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at both
programme and module levels as a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked change in the teaching
and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with how the content is conceptualised in your
modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way
within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)

The primary lecturer details are given below:

Lecturer: Prof Bester Chimbo

Tel: 011 670 9105

E-mail: chimbb@unisa.ac.za

4.2 Department

You can contact the School of Computing at:

Telephone number: +27 (0)11 670 9200 (Business hours 08h00 to 16h00, Mondays to Fridays)
E-mail: computing@unisa.ac.za

4.3 University

To contact the University, you should follow the instructions in the Study@Unisa brochure. Remember to
have your student number available when you contact the University.

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When you contact a lecturer, please include your student number to enable him/her to help you more
effectively.

Please ensure that you contact the correct section or department for each enquiry, as this will result in a
speedy resolution of the enquiry.
The contact details are as follows:

Email addresses

• info@unisa.ac.za for general enquiries

• Study-info@unisa.ac.za for application and registration-related enquiries (prospective and
registered students)
• international@unisa.ac.za for international students (registration-related enquiries)
• assign@unisa.ac.za for assignment enquiries
• exams@unisa.ac.za for examination enquiries
• despatch@unisa.ac.za for study material enquiries
• finan@unisa.ac.za for student account enquiries
• gaudeamus@unisa.ac.za for graduation enquiries
• MyUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za for assistance with myUnisa
• myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za for assistance with myLife email accounts
• aegrotats@unisa.ac.za for aegrotat examinations
• remark@unisa.ac.za for the remarking of exam papers
• recheck@unisa.ac.za for the rechecking of exam papers
• condiscipuli@unisa.ac.za for the names of fellow students
• counselling@unisa.ac.za for student counselling and career development
• vospresc@unisa.ac.za for enquiries about prescribed books

SMS numbers
Send SMS to 32695 for more information on how to contact Unisa via SMS (only for students within the
borders of South Africa). You will receive an auto-response SMS with the various SMS options. Standard
SMS rates apply.

Students can also SMS enquiries directly to the following numbers*:

43578 for applications and registrations
43584 for assignments
43584 for examinations
43579 for study material
31954 for student accounts
43582 for myUnisa and myLife
These SMS numbers are only for students residing in South Africa. International students are urged to
make use of the email address info@unisa.ac.za

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Internet
Online address: http://my.unisa.ac.za
Unisa website: http://www.unisa.ac.za

5 RESOURCES
5.1 Joining myUnisa

The myUnisa learning management system is the University's online campus which will help you
communicate with your lecturers, other students and the administrative departments within Unisa. To claim
your myUnisa account, please follow the steps below:
1. Visit the myUnisa website at https://my.unisa.ac.za/portal
2. Click on the "Claim Unisa login" link on the top of the screen under the orange user ID box.
3. A new screen will load, prompting you to enter your student number. Please enter your student
number and click "continue".
4. Enter your surname, your full name, your date of birth and, finally, your South African ID number (for
South African citizens) OR your passport number (for foreign students). Then click "continue".
Remember to enter either an ID number or a passport number, NOT both.
5. Please read through the guidelines and click all the check boxes to acknowledge that you have
read all the information provided. Once you are done, click the "Acknowledge" button to redirect
you to the final page in the process.
6. The final page will display your myLife e-mail address, and your myLife AND myUnisa password.
This password will also be sent to the cellphone number displayed on the page for safekeeping.
7. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for your myLife e-mail account to be created.

Remember, the password provided is your myUnisa AND myLife password.

5.2 Prescribed book(s)

The details of the prescribed book are given below:

George Reynolds (2019) Ethics in Information Technology, 6th Edition,

ISBN10: 1-337-40587-6; ISBN13: 978-1-337-40587-4 OR 978-1-337-67088-3 eBook

The prescribed book is available at any of the official UNISA booksellers: van Schaik; Protea; Wize; Loot;
Armstrong’s; Book Express; Pro-Visions etc.

PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing the book online:

The prescribed book is also available as an e-book from Cengage. The link is:

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https://www.vitalsource.com/za/products/ethics-in-information-technology-george-reynolds-
v9781337670883

You will need to have access to a credit card or a Paypal account. Please note that there is a discount
available for online purchases. Send an email to Prof B Chimbo to receive the discount number to be used.

5.3 Recommended book(s)

There are no recommended books for this module.

5.4 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no e-reserves for this module.
E-reserves can be downloaded from the Library catalogue. More information is available at
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request

5.5 Library services and resources

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For a general Library overview, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/About-the-Library

• For detailed Library information, go to

https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (eg personal librarians and literature search services) go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support

The Library has created numerous Library guides to assist you: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• Request recommended books and access e-reserve material:

https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request
• Requesting and finding library material: Postgraduate services:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools (Research Support):
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/research-support
• Frequently asked questions about the Library:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability

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• A-Z databases:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php
• Subject-specific guides:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/?b=s
• Information on fines & payments:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/fines
Assistance with technical problems accessing the Unisa Library or resources:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
Lib-help@unisa.ac.za (insert your student number in the subject line please)
General library enquiries can be directed to Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa website is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies
This website has all the tips and information you need to succeed at Unisa.

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa

For many students, the transition from school education to tertiary education is beset with anxiety. This is
also true for first-time students to Unisa. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning institution.
Unlike face-to-face/contact institutions, Unisa is somewhat different. It is a mega university and all our
programmes are offered through a blended learning mode or fully online learning mode. It is for this reason
that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support so that you can
seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. In this
regard we offer a specialised student support programme to students entering Unisa for the first time. We
refer to this programme as Unisa’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme. The FYE is designed to
provide you with prompt and helpful information about services that the institution offers and how you can
access information. The following FYE programmes are currently offered:
• FYE website: All the guides and resources you need to navigate through your first year at Unisa can
be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE
• FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.
• FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics related to your
first-year studies (eg videos on how to submit assignments online).
• FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an e-mail to
fye@unisa.ac.za

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7. HOW TO STUDY ONLINE

7.1 What does it mean to study fully online?

Studying fully online modules differs completely from studying some of your other modules at Unisa.
• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to be delivered
online on myUnisa.
• All your assignments must be submitted online. This means that you will do all your activities
and submit all your assignments on myUnisa. In other words, you may NOT post your assignments
to Unisa using the South African Post Office.
• All communication between you and the University happens online. Lecturers will communicate
with you via e-mail and SMS, and use the Announcements, the Discussion Forums and the
Questions and Answers tools. You can also use all of these platforms to ask questions and contact
your lecturers.

7.2 myUnisa tools

The main tool that we will use is the Lessons tool. This tool will provide the content of and the
assessments for your module. At times you will be directed to join discussions with fellow students and
complete activities and assessments before you can continue with the module.
It is very important that you log in to myUnisa regularly. We recommend that you log in at least once a
week to do the following:
• Check for new announcements. You can also set your myLife e-mail account so that you receive
the announcement e-mails on your cellphone.
• Do the Discussion Forum activities. When you do the activities for each learning unit, we want you
to share your answers with the other students in your group. You can read the instructions and even
prepare your answers offline, but you will need to go online to post your messages.
• Do other online activities. For some of the learning unit activities you might need to post something
on the Blog tool, take a quiz or complete a survey under the Self-Assessment tool. Do not skip these
activities because they will help you complete the assignments and the activities for the module.
We hope that by giving you extra ways to study the material and practise all the activities, this will help you
succeed in the online module. To get the most out of the online module, you MUST go online regularly to
complete the activities and assignments on time.

8. ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assessment plan

An integrated assessment system is used for this module. Assignments are seen as part of the learning
material for IRM4722. The assessment criteria given for each assignment will help you to understand what

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is required of you more clearly. This means that your final mark is based not only on your examination
mark, but also on your performance during the year. An assignment not only provides you with an
opportunity to evaluate your understanding of the prescribed material (or to get feedback on your readiness
for the examination), but also makes a contribution towards your year mark.

Owing to regulatory requirements imposed by the Department of Higher Education of South Africa, a
student must qualify as an “active student”. This means that to be admitted to the IRM4722 exam, you
must submit at least one assignment

8.2 Assignment Numbers

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.
• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of myUnisa for this module.
We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.
• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for the
submission of the assignments

Every assignment is marked electronically by the Assignment Department of Unisa on a predetermined

date. A submitted assignment is marked through batch processing and a late assignment will therefore
not be marked. The Assignment Department will notify you of assignment results. The lecturers have no
control over the marking process or the marks allocated. Please do not call the lecturers for assignment
results.

Every assignment is marked electronically by the Assignment Department of Unisa on a predetermined

date. A submitted assignment is marked through batch processing and a late assignment will therefore
not be marked. The Assignment Department will notify you of assignment results. The lecturers have no
control over the marking process, or the marks allocated. Please do not call the lecturers for assignment
results.

Enquiries regarding an assignment (e.g. whether or not the University has received an assignment,
assignment marks or when an assignment was returned) must be addressed to the Assignment
Department and sent to the following e-mail address:
assign@unisa.ac.za

Under no circumstances will an extension of time for the submission of an assignment be granted. An
assignment that is received late will be returned unmarked. You must submit your assignments on time
via myUnisa.

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REMEMBER: You must submit at least one assignment before the due date of Assignment 01 for the year
registered to qualify for examination admission.

PLEASE DO NOT PHONE OR E‐MAIL THE LECTURERS REGARDING ASSIGNMENT RESULTS OR

SUBMISSION QUERIES.
*Because this is an online module, the assignments are not provided in this tutorial letter. Instead, the
assignments are provided online as they become due. You will see them when you go online.

8.3 Assignment due dates

Assignment No. Due Date Type of Assignment Study material

1 25 April 2022 MCQ (Quiz) Prescribed Book Chapters 1, 2,
3, 4.and 5
2 27 June 2022 Written (File) Prescribed Book Chapters 1, 3,
5, 7 and 9
3 31 August 2022 Written (File) Prescribed Book Chapters 2, 4,
6, 8 and 10
4 30 September MCQ (Quiz) Prescribed Book Chapters 1 -
2022 10

• Modules offered by Unisa are either blended (meaning that we use a combination of printed and
online material to engage with you) or online (all information is available via the internet). In all cases
of online engagement, we use myUnisa as our virtual campus.
• From 2022, the myUnisa virtual campus will be offered via a new learning management system. This
is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver educational material to you and
support engagement with you.
• Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to
access the virtual myUnisa module site.
• Information on the tools that will be available to engage with the lecturer and fellow students to
support your learning will also be communicated via various platforms.
• The University undertakes to communicate as clearly and as frequently as is necessary to ensure
optimum advantage in the use of the new learning management system.
• Additional information on the use of the myUnisa site for the module, as well as features to engage
and communicate with your lecturer and other students will also be made available via the online
site for the module.
Therefore, log on to the myUnisa site for your module to gain more information on where to complete
and/or upload your assignments and how to communicate with your lecturer.

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8.4 Year Mark

Assignments 01 through to 03 will contribute towards a year mark which in turn contributes towards the
final mark you will get for the module. This year mark counts 20% of your final mark. The exam for IRM4722
counts 80% of your final mark.

Your year mark for this module is determined as follows:

• weighting of the course: year mark 20% and examination 80%

According to the system explained in the relevant COSALL tutorial letter, weights for the assignments are
as follows:
• Assignment 01: 20%
• Assignment 02: 40%
• Assignment 03: 40%
• Assignment 04: vital revision; self-assessment – no contribution to year mark

Your year mark for this module is as follows:

• Weighting of the course: year mark and examination

8.5 Examination

General examination guidelines and examination preparation guidelines can be found in the Study@unisa
brochure.
The Examination Department will provide you with information regarding the examination in general, non-
venue-based exams, examination dates and examination times.

8.5.1 Examination Admission

This module is offered as a year module of 30 weeks.

• You will write you examination during the September/October/November 2022 examination period
• Supplementary examination will also be written in January/February 2023.

The Examination Department will notify you of the date, time and venue of the examination. If you have
any queries pertaining to this, please contact the Examination Department at the following e-mail
address:
exam@unisa.ac.za

NOTE:
• NO ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT will be given, so please ensure that you complete the assignments
and submit them on or before the respective due dates.

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 IRM4722/101/0/2022

• All students who have submitted an assignment will be allowed to write the examination. We will
NOT entertain any requests for special admission, and we suggest that you refrain from contacting
the lecturers in this regard.
• Students will not be allowed examination admission based on their expertise in computers, work
experience or any other reason.
• You will receive a record of your assignment marks. Use this record to check your own records and
inform the Assignment Department immediately if there are any discrepancies.

DO NOT PHONE THE LECTURERS FOR AN EXTRA CHANCE (ASSIGNMENT) FOR ADMISSION TO
THE EXAMINATION. IF YOU HAVE SUBMITTED ASSIGNMENT 01 ON TIME, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE
TO OBTAIN EXAMINATION ADMISSION.
Please do not request examination guidelines by e-mail or phone.

8.5.2 Your Final Examination

• You will have two hours to write the online assessment examination.
• Your exam timetable – which will state the module code, type of assessment and the time of the
examination – will be posted to you by the Examination Department.
• You can go to the “Examination” link on the left panel on myUnisa to find out when you are
scheduled to write the examination for this module.

8.5.3 Examination Admission

As stated previously, the final mark is calculated as follows:

year mark (out of 100) x 20% + examination mark (out of 100) x 80%
By way of example, suppose your year mark is 80% and suppose you get 60% in the examination, your
final mark will be calculated as follows:
(80 x 20%) + (60 x 80%)
= 16 + 48
=64%

You must get a final mark of at least 50% in order to pass the module.
In order to qualify for a supplementary examination, you must get a final mark of at least 40%.
Remember: If you do not obtain the required subminimum of 40% in the examination, your year mark
will not count. In such a case, your examination mark will be your final mark.

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8.5.4 Supplementary examination

If you obtain between 40% and 49% as a final mark, you will be allowed to write the supplementary
examination. The supplementary examination will be written at the end of the following year. To pass
the supplementary examination, you must obtain at least 50% in the examination itself. This means
that if you qualify for a supplementary examination, you will write the IRM4722 exam in January of the
following year. This means that if you qualify for a supplementary examination in the following year.
Bear in mind that a student may write only one supplementary examination per enrolment. If you
qualify for a supplementary examination, no further study material will be supplied to you during the
following year. You must not submit assignments.

8.5.5 Aggregate examination

An aggregate examination may be granted to a student who has been prevented from taking the preceding
examination or has been unable to complete the examination as a result of:

• illness on the day of, or immediately before or during the examination, provided that his/her
application is accompanied by a certificate, issued by a medical practitioner registered with the SA
Medical and Dental Council, specifying the nature, commencement date and duration of the illness
and declaring that, for health reasons, it was impossible or undesirable for the candidate to sit for
the examination on the day concerned AND, where applicable, a letter from the invigilator certifying
that the candidate left the examination hall due to illness.
• personal circumstances, such as military service, work commitments or the serious illness or death
of a relative during the examination period, provided that satisfactory evidence of such
circumstances is produced.

8.5.6 Transfer of examination

If any student applies to transfer his/her IRM4722 examination to the following examination period (for any
valid reason), the transfer is subject to examination admission in the initial registration period. In other
words, if the student is registered and is supposed to write the examination in October and he/she wants
to transfer his/her examination to October of the next year, he/she must still submit the compulsory
assignment of the module during the year (i.e. before the October examination) to earn credits for
examination admission. He/she must also submit any other assignment that will contribute to his/her year
mark. No assignment can be submitted during the following year.

If an examination is transferred to the following examination period, it is deemed to be the student's second
and final examination opportunity for that academic period. Note that students who qualified for a
supplementary examination are not allowed to transfer their examination to the following examination
period. An examination may only be deferred once per academic year. Should you not write the deferred

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 IRM4722/101/0/2022

examination (for whatever reason) or obtain a fail mark in the deferred examination, you will have no
alternative but to re-register for this module.

9. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
9.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as your own.
It is a form of theft which involves several dishonest academic activities, such as the following:
• Cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including or using incorrect references.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

9.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying from another student during an
assessment or allowing a student to copy from you.
• Using social media (eg WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate assessment
information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files.
• Buying completed answers from “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
More information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below:

https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

10. STUDENT WITH DISABILITY

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Student with Disability ARCSWiD) provides an opportunity for staff
to interact with new and returning students with disabilities.
• If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact the lecturer at chimbb@unisa.ac.za so that you can be
assisted.

11. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Study @ Unisa brochure contains an A–Z guide of the most relevant study information. Past
examination papers are available on the IRM4722 myUnisa website. No solutions are provided for these
papers.

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12. CONCLUSION
Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail if you are experiencing problems with the content of this tutorial
letter or with any academic aspect of the module.

We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the learning material, and trust that you will
complete the module successfully.

Enjoy the journey!

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Unisa ©2021

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