Educationally critical aspects of a deep understanding of the concept of an information system

This study identified and compared a deep understanding of the concept of an information system (IS) with the various levels of understanding of a group of undergraduate IS students. The aim was to identify aspects of the concept of an IS that were educationally critical to that development of a deep understanding. The study was significant in that the educationally critical aspects of the concept of an IS have not been researched previously. Yet, without addressing these aspects in teaching and learning the development of a deep understanding is unlikely. The nature of a deep understanding of the concept of an IS was established from the literature. For effective practice, an IS should be conceptualised as a social system supported by embedded information technology. A group of undergraduate students were interviewed and completed questionnaires about their understanding of the concept of an IS before, during and after a year of study. The student data was analysed using phenomenographic research techniques. Six qualitatively different levels of understanding of the concept of an IS were described. The students' levels of understanding were found to differ from the desired understanding with respect to a number of educationally critical aspects. These differences involved both social and technical aspects of an IS and the relationship between the social and technical aspects. The identification of the educationally critical aspects of the concept of an IS was significant in that learning tasks can now be designed which enhance students' likelihood of developing an appropriate understanding.