Information Technology in Educational Management

by Visscher, Adrie J.; Wild, P.; Wild, Phil; Fung, Alex C. W.

• ISBN13: 9780792370741
• ISBN10: 0792370740
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-07-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

Although a few books are available on the use of computers in the school office, this book is the first one addressing the topic of computer-assisted school information systems (SISs) for an international audience, based on both practical and scientific international collaborative research. This book: analyzes the nature of SISs, their intended benefits and history; presents the development strategies and the characteristics of three SISs that are widely used in various parts of the world; reviews what has been learned from the research over the last decade to inform successful design and implementation of SISs; presents exciting perspectives on the future of SISs from experts, vendors, and users; and reflects on what needs to be done to promote the full utilization of SISs by clerical and managerial school staff through better system design, user support, and continuing research. The book has been written for an international audience of students, researchers, system designers and implementers, practitioners and policy-makers in developing as well as in developed countries. It will also be of benefit to professionals in the field of school administration and school management to help them promote better use of SIS in their own context by learning from the experience of others.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
List of Acronyms	xv
SECTION I Introduction to the nature of computer-assisted school information systems	1	(76)
Computer-assisted school information systems: the concepts, intended benefits, and stages of development	3	(16)
Adrie J. Visscher
Introduction	3	(1)
Conceptualisation	3	(2)
An Overview of SIS-modules and Types of Assistance	5	(5)
A SIS-framework	5	(3)
Five Types of Support	8	(2)
Intended Benefits	10	(2)
The History of School Information Systems	12	(4)
The Four Stages	13	(1)
Design Strategies and Tailor-made or Standard SISs?	14	(2)
The Increasing Importance of the Field	16	(3)
References	17	(2)
The commercially developed SIMS from a humble beginning	19	(20)
Phil Wild
John Walker
Introduction	19	(1)
The Context and History of SISs in the UK	19	(3)
The Design of SIMS	22	(1)
Current Status and Future Development	22	(6)
The Current SIMS Software Suite	24	(1)
Alert Manager	24	(1)
Analyst	24	(1)
Assessment Suite	24	(1)
Attendance	25	(1)
Curriculum Planner	25	(1)
Development Planner	25	(1)
Equipment Register	25	(1)
Financial Management System (FMS)	26	(1)
Budget Planning	26	(1)
Key Stage Diagnostics	26	(1)
Management Information Data Access Systems (MIDAS)	26	(1)
Examinations	26	(1)
Timetabling	27	(1)
Options	27	(1)
Personnel	27	(1)
Photo Importer	27	(1)
RepGen Lite	27	(1)
Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (SENCO)	28	(1)
Students Teaching and Academic Records (STAR)	28	(1)
Value Added	28	(1)
Visitor Log	28	(1)
Implementation Processes	28	(3)
Evaluative Study	31	(6)
Quality of the System	32	(1)
Basic System	32	(1)
Data Quality compared to the Previous System used	32	(1)
Use of SIMS	32	(1)
Frequence of Module Use	32	(3)
Training in System Use	35	(1)
Effects of System Use	36	(1)
User's Comments and Conclusions	37	(1)
Lessons Learned	37	(2)
References	38	(1)
SAMS in Hong Kong: a centrally developed SIS for primary and secondary schools	39	(16)
Alex C.W. Fung
Jenilyn Ledesma
Introduction	39	(1)
Educational Context in Hong Kong	39	(1)
The History of Computer-aided School Administration in the Territory	40	(1)
An Overview of the Structure and Content of SAMS	41	(2)
The 12 Core Applications	42	(1)
The Four Supporting Modules	43	(1)
The Design Strategy of SAMS	43	(1)
The Large-scale Implementation of SAMS	44	(2)
Evaluations of the SAMS project	46	(4)
System Utilization and Related Factors	46	(1)
Degree of Use: The Extent of SAMS Usage in Hong Kong Schools	47	(1)
Users' Difficulties in Implementing SAMS	48	(1)
Users' Satisfaction with SAMS	48	(1)
System Support	49	(1)
SAMS Training provided	49	(1)
Users' Suggestions for Improvement	49	(1)
The Impact and the Future of SAMS	50	(2)
Conclusion	52	(3)
References	53	(2)
MUSAC in New Zealand: from grass roots to system-wide in a decade	55	(22)
C.J. Patrick Nolan
Margaret A. Brown
Bruce Graves
Introduction	55	(2)
Purpose	57	(1)
School Information System Development in New Zealand	57	(1)
MUSAC Origins	58	(1)
MUSAC Development Strategy	59	(2)
Structure and Contents of the MUSAC System	61	(4)
Establishment	62	(1)
Expansion	63	(1)
Refinement and Consolidation	63	(2)
The System Quality of MUSAC	65	(1)
MUSAC Software Use Patterns	66	(3)
MUSAC Implementation	69	(2)
MUSAC Support Agencies	71	(1)
Conclusions	72	(5)
References	75	(2)
SECTION II Design and implementation of school information systems - Learning from experience	77	(58)
A holistic view of SISs as an innovation and the factors determining success	79	(18)
Alex C.W. Fung
Adrie J. Visscher
Introduction	79	(1)
A Holistic View of SIS Development & Implementation	79	(5)
The `Working Page'	81	(1)
Goal & Objectives	81	(1)
Design Strategies	81	(1)
Technical Design & Development	82	(1)
Implementation	82	(1)
Monitoring & Evaluation	82	(1)
The `Linking Page': User-Developer Collaboration	83	(1)
The Variables that Matter	84	(13)
Block A: the Design Strategy	85	(2)
The Goal(s) of Information System Design	87	(1)
What will be supported and How?	87	(1)
User Participation	88	(1)
Uniformity versus Flexibility	88	(1)
Block B: School Information System Quality	89	(1)
Block C: Implementation Process Features	89	(1)
Block D: School Organisational Features	90	(1)
Block E: Usage of the School Information Systems	91	(1)
Block F: the Effects of School Information System Usage	92	(1)
Measuring the Variables	93	(1)
References	93	(4)
Design strategies	97	(18)
Arthur Tatnall
Introduction: The Development of Organizational Information Systems	97	(1)
Early Attempts at Developing Systems for Use in Educational Management	97	(2)
Information Systems Development	99	(3)
Process Modelling - Data Flow Diagrams	99	(1)
Data Modelling - Entity Relationship Diagrams	100	(1)
Alternative Systems Design Methodologies	101	(1)
Rapid Application Development	101	(1)
Soft Systems Methodology	102	(1)
Prototyping	102	(1)
Who owns the Systems?	102	(2)
Categories of Organisational Information System	104	(3)
Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)	104	(1)
Management Reporting System (MRS)	104	(1)
Decision Support Systems (DSS)	105	(1)
Executive Information Systems (EIS)	105	(1)
Function-specific versus Integrated Systems	106	(1)
System Design Considerations	107	(4)
System Purpose, Nature and Ownership	107	(1)
Systems Integration	108	(1)
System Architecture and Scope	108	(2)
Security, Integrity and Backup	110	(1)
Maintenance, Expandability and Upgrading	111	(1)
Conclusions	111	(4)
References	112	(3)
Imperatives for successful implementation of school information systems	115	(20)
Adrie J. Visscher
Alex C.W. Fung
Introduction	115	(1)
The Usage of School Information Systems	115	(2)
How to implement School Information Systems?	117	(8)
Implementation Levels	118	(1)
The Level of Use Perspective	118	(2)
The six-A Model	120	(4)
Empirically verified Implementation Promoting Factors	124	(1)
The Role of the Nature of Schools as Organizations	125	(10)
The Decision-making Capacity of Schools	126	(1)
Features of Information Management at Two School Levels	127	(1)
Information Management by School Managers	127	(2)
Proposals for Promoting more intensive SIS-usage for Decision-support	129	(2)
Resume	131	(1)
References	132	(3)
SECTION III Future directions	135
The future of school information systems	137
Debbi Smith
Phil Wild
Introduction	137
Schools of the Future	137
The Changing Face of Educational Management and Organisation	139
Impact of Emerging Technologies	144
The Future from National Perspectives	150
The International Perspective	152
Software Vendors' Views of the Future	154
The Users' View	157
Agenda for the Future	158
Conclusion	159
References	159
Conclusions, reflections and the road ahead	161
Bill Davey
Adrie J. Visscher
Phil Wild
Introduction	161
On the Development of Computer-assisted School Information Systems	161
Teacher based School Information Systems	162
Barriers to SIS-development	162
The Future for SIS-development	163
Development of the Next Stage of SISs	164
Determining What Technologies are Applicable to SISs	164
Moving beyond the Replication of Paper based Systems to Support for Management	165
Incorporating New Development Methodologies that ensure Robust, Scalable, Expandable Systems	165
Effective SIS-usage and the Future	166
Research and the Variables	166
Reflections on Successes and Continuing Problems	167
The Agenda for Future Research on Computer-assisted School Information Systems	168
Which are the (Dis)Advantages of Alternative Strategies for School Information System Design?	170
What are the Features of High Quality School Information Systems?	171
Which Implementation Process Features prove to be Crucial for Successful SIS-implementation?	172
Which Roles do the Organizational Features of Schools play in the Utilization of SISs?	172
Which (Un)Intended Effects does SIS-usage Produce?	173
Conclusions	173
References	173
Appendix SAMS Questionnaire
Alex C.W. Fung
Adrie J. Visscher
Phil Wild