A role for soft systems methodology in information systems development

Winter, Michael; Brown, David H.; Checkland, Peter

doi:10.1057/ejis.1995.17

Cited by 54 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Categories of description 5 and 6 included people and some data-related processes they performed as well as IT in the IS. Categories 5 and 6 were more consistent with the view argued extensively in the literature that IS should be considered as social systems of people making decisions supported by IT embedded in the system (Beynon- Davies, 1998;Callaos & Callaos, 2002;Cope, 2000aCope, , 2000bCope, , 2002aFalkenberg et al, 1996;Land, 1992;Winter, Brown & Checkland, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Educationally Critical Characteristics of Deep Approaches to Learning about the Concept of an Information System

Cope

2003

JITE:Research

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Executive SummaryThis paper reports on an empirical study investigating the relationship between the approaches to learning and levels of understanding of the concept of an information system (IS) in undergraduate IS students. The findings show educationally critical characteristics of the learning approaches that lead to the deve lopment of a deep understanding. Knowledge about these critical characteristics can be used to design learning activities likely to encourage IS students to use effective learning approaches.Underlying the study are findings from student learning research. This research investigated students' perceptions of their own learning experiences. Consistent findings have been that students' approaches to learning about key disciplinary concepts can be categorized as either surface or deep. Only deep learning approaches have been associated with the development of deep levels of understanding. Deep learning approaches have been found to have educationally critical characteristics, the detail of which is different for each concept.Learning about the concept of an IS has not been studied as part of the student learning research. Consequently, knowledge is lacking about the critical characteristics of the deep learning approaches likely to lead to the development of a deep understanding of the concept of an IS. A deep understanding of the concept of an IS has been proposed elsewhere as viewing an IS as a social system of people making meaningful organizational decisions supported by embedded information technology (IT).In the empirical study, the interview transcripts and questionnaires of 112 undergraduate students learning about IS for a year were classified individually as representing either a surface or deep approach to learning, and a particular level of understanding of the concept of an IS. The classifications were analyzed statistically to investigate the existence and nature of any relationship between approach to learning and level of understanding.Only certain deep approaches to learning about IS were associated with levels of understanding that incorporated social aspects of the concept of an IS. The educationally critical aspects of these deep learning approaches were found to be:1. an intention to seek a deep understanding of the concept of an IS.2. the process of seeking and relating the meanings associated with a broad range of different perspectives on the concept of an IS, including perspectives in personal experiences beyond the academic setting and in studies outside IS and computing courses.3. an awareness of one's own understanding of the concept of an IS and the approaches being used to learn about IS.Material published as part of this journal, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the publisher of the Journal of Information Technology Education. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that co...

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Educationally Critical Characteristics of Deep Approaches to Learning about the Concept of an Information System

Cope

2003

JITE:Research

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“…Supporters of the technical view include Alter (1999), Clarke (1992) and Wand and Weber (1995). Support for a social view can be found in Beynon-Davies (1998); Callaos and Callaos, (2002);Land (1992); Winter, Brown and Checkland (1995); the report of the IFIP WG 8.1 Task Group FRISCO (Framework of Information System Concepts) (Falkenberg et al, 1996); and the many publications of the IFIP WG 8.2 task group.…”

Section: A Deep Understanding Of the Concept Of An Is Appropriate Formentioning

confidence: 99%

Educationally Critical Aspects of the Concept of an Information System

Cope

2002

InformingSciJ

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“…In the context of CTSs, researchers studied the systems not only within their boundaries, but also their interactions with the embedding environment, following the lines drawn up by Checkland and Poulter (2010). The usefulness of SSM in the development of information systems has been discussed by Winter et al (1995).…”

Section: Methodological Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An initial categorization of foundational research in complex technical systems

Horváth

2015

J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. A

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There has been intense foundational research in complex technical systems (CTSs) over the last half century. These systems are exemplified by advanced mechatronics systems, embedded control systems, real-time systems, agent-based smart systems, distributed software systems, internet of things systems, and cyber-physical systems. The objective of this paper is to offer an initial cataloguing of the various research domains and to identify the major research issues. The paper has an ontological flavour, because it concentrates on what research has been and is being done, rather than on why and how research is done. The underpinning study has been done in three stages: (i) intuition-driven exploration of a reference set of related academic publications, (ii) evidence-based specification of a categorization of the domains and subdomains of research, and (iii) refinement and validation of the proposed classification based on a control set of related academic publications. The proposed reasoning model identifies three categories of research domains. The 'intellectualizations' category includes research domains such as: (i) philosophy, (ii) ontology, and (iii) epistemology of CTSs. The research domains included in the 'realizations' category are: (iv) methodology, and (v) creation of CTSs. The domains considered in the 'influences' category are: (vi) manifestations, and (vii) axiology of CTSs. Based on the proposed reasoning model a landscape of foundational research in CTSs is proposed for public debate. Our follow-up study focuses on the extension of the proposed classification to other families of complex engineered systems such as sociotechnical systems and social ecosystems.

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A role for soft systems methodology in information systems development

Cited by 54 publications

References 14 publications

Educationally Critical Characteristics of Deep Approaches to Learning about the Concept of an Information System

Educationally Critical Characteristics of Deep Approaches to Learning about the Concept of an Information System

Educationally Critical Aspects of the Concept of an Information System

An initial categorization of foundational research in complex technical systems

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