ICT Chapter 5

ICT Chapter 5

1. Feasibility study and evaluation criteria

   • Desired outcomes
     • List of system neccessary functions in genreal terms
     • E.g. for school website
       • Accessable for all
       • Up-to-date material that will be covered over the yaer
       • Allow students to add messages to message board
       • Provide links to exam boards and other revsion material
       • Make full use fo multimedia featrues
       • Allow students to access resources from class
   • Evaluation criteria
     • Miles stones that will determine success of a project
     • Important to establish at design stage:
     • Broken into two sections
       • Desired outcones
       • Performance criteria
   • Purpose of feasibility study
     • Tries to find out the cost of a new system and the time it will take to be created
     • Checks if its worth creating
     • Checks if benefits will outweigh the production costs
     • Decision on whether or not to create a new system will be made
   • Fact finding and possible methods
     • Ways of collecting feedback
       • Questionnaires
       • Interviews
       • Observations
       • Inspection of records
   • Performance criteria
     • Used to see if the desired outcomes have been met
     • E.g. for school website
       • Does the new website attract more users than previous one
       • Do users find the content is better
       • Can they fin the info using the search facility
       • Do all pages load in a reasonable time
       • Can the students understand material on website

2. Stages of the System life cycle

   • Stages involved in producing a new ICT system
     • Step 1: Feasibility study
     • Step 2: Analysis
     • Step 3: Design
     • Step 4: Implementation
     • Step 5: Testing
     • Step 6: training and documentation
     • Step 7:Evaluation and monitoring
     • Step 8: Maintenance
   • Analysis
     • Looks in detail at current requirements a task never been performed before, 5 main steps
       • 1: Identifying the probelm
       • 2: Understanding current system
       • 3: Understanding proposed system , if no existing system
       • 4: Identifying desired outcomes
       • 5: Setting up performance criteria
     • Feasibility study often done as first part of analysis
   • Design
     • During design, analyst will take desired outcomes and plan how to best create the system.
     • 6 stages in design process
       • 1: Designing system in line with desired outcomes.
       • 2: Choosing methods for input, storage and output
       • 3: Deciding on type of processing to be performed on data
       • 4: Designs of input screens, output screens?reports, layouts of spreadsheet, databases, etc
       • 5: designing validation tests
       • 6: Designing test plans
   • Test plans
     • To make sure tests are accurate, you should:
       • 1:Tests are numbered
       • 2:Each test has clear data for test use
       • 3:Stated reason for each test
       • 4:Expected result stated
     • Space should be left for:
       • 1:Actual result and comment on result
       • 2: Page number reference to where hard copy can be found
   • Implementation
     • Stage where system is built according to design
     • Stages of implementation:
       • 1:Constructing system against design criteria
       • 2:Programmers producing any code needed for working solution
       • 3:Producing framework for databases
       • 4:Using software tools to produce a working version
       • 5:Modifying existing software
       • 6:Producing a working system according to desired outcomes
   • Testing
     • Test plan created during desing stage now used
     • Testing may involve the following:
       • 1:Entering test data as specified in test plan created during design stage
       • 2:Comparing results with what should have happened and making changes to validation checks if needed
       • 3:If a website is being produced, testing it to ensure the content is correct, the links work and the navigation is easy to use
       • 4:Comparing results of of calculations with those produced manually
       • 5:Checking that the validation checks work with typical, extreme and erroneous data
   • User training and documentation
     • Users need to be trained to use the new system
     • User documentation is a document users can turn to for learning a new procedure or a problem that has come up
   • Evaluation and monitoring
     • Takes place soon after implentation
     • Only then users will find out any problems with system
     • Usually involve the following:
       • 1:Checking original user and performance criteria have been fully met by new system
       • 2:Assessment of client satisfaction with development of new system
       • 3:Setting up a cycle to ensure system is checked peroidically to make sure its still meeting requirements