The Australian higher education system and its historical background can be compared to the German, as both systems are dependent on government funding. It was proposed that Germany could learn from the Australian higher education model at a conference in 1998 on the reform in higher education in Australia and Germany at the Australian Centre in Germany. Recent developments in the German higher education sector indicate more work is needed as the sector moves towards more internationalisation, for example, in the introduction of international study programs like the Bachelor and the Masters.
This study gives an overview about the Business Informatics discipline in Australia with a strong focus on Business Informatics aspects at Australian universities. The approach taken to exploring Business Informatics at Australian universities was to conduct intensive interviews with eleven Australian IS academics within the following states and territories of the country: Queensland, New South Wales, The Australian National Capital and Victoria.
In summary, Business Informatics in Australia is defined from a German perspective. An overview of the Australian IS discipline is given from the perspective of the researcher during the research period 2002 and early 2003. A comparison of the discipline is made between Australian and German universities in organisational issues. The objective is to identify the organisational location of IS in Australian universities and to give, based on the research outcomes, proposals to Australian IS academics in reference to the organisational structure of Business Informatics in German universities. This overview contributes to a better understanding, and suggests new ideas that may increase the visibility of the Australian IS discipline.
Differences and similarities within the Business Informatics/IS discipline in higher education between Germany and Australia have been explored. Additional recommendations from the author should be seen as a thought-provoking-impulse and support further development in higher education. One challenge identified in Australia, for example, is creating a more visible organisational structure for the IS discipline in education at universities.
Table of Contents
- 1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1. MOTIVATION
- 1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- 1.3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DELIMITATIONS
- 1.4. STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS
- 2. BUSINESS INFORMATICS IN AUSTRALIA: A DEFINITION FROM A GERMAN PERSPECTIVE
- 3. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND RELATED STUDIES AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
- 3.1. IS STRUCTURES AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
- 3.2. STUDYING INFORMATION SYSTEMS AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
- 3.2.1. IS Degrees
- 3.2.2. Requirements for Studying IS
- 3.2.3. Fees for Studying IS
- 3.2.4. Examples of two IS degree description
- 3.3. TEACHING METHODS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE IS DISCIPLINE
- 3.3.1. Teaching Methods
- 3.3.2. Quality Assurance
- 3.4. VISITED UNIVERSITIES
- 4. STATE-OF-THE-ART OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES REFERED TO THE 13TH AUSTRALASIAN CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 2002, MELBOURNE
- 4.1. DISCUSSING THE IS DISCIPLINE
- 4.2. A PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING APPROACH FOR IS
- 4.3. TEACHING ONLINE
- 4.4. CONCLUSION
- 5. FINDINGS
- 5.1. EDUCATIONAL BUSINESS INFORMATICS/IS OFFERS AT UNIVERSITIES
- 5.1.1. Business Informatics/IS Degrees
- 5.1.2. Business Informatics/IS Discipline Curriculum And Single Subjects
- 5.1.3. Business Informatics/IS Teaching Methods And Quality Assurance
- 5.2. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF BUSINESS INFORMATICS/IS IN UNIVERSITIES
- 5.2.1. Location Of Schools/Departments And Chairs Within Faculties
- 5.2.2. Organisational Structure Of Business Informatics/IS Departments/Schools And Chairs
- 5.2.3. The Academic Career Path
- 5.2.4. Financial Aspects And The Contribution Of Study Fees
- 5.3. CULTURAL ASPECTS
- 5.3.1. The Level Of Internationality And Its Influence On Higher Education
- 5.3.2. Women In Business Informatics/IS (Students And Academics)
- 5.3.3. Organisational Culture
- 5.3.4. Alumni tradition
- 5.3.5. The Relationship Between Student And Academic
- 5.3.6. Study Fees
- 5.4. CONCLUSION
- 6. CONCLUSION
- 6.1. RECAPITULATION
- 6.2. OUTLOOK
Objectives and Key Themes
The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Business Informatics discipline in Australia, focusing on its aspects at Australian universities. The study compares this overview to the Business Informatics discipline in German universities, exploring differences and similarities.
- Definitions of Business Informatics and Information Systems (IS)
- Educational Business Informatics/IS offers at universities
- Organisational structure of Business Informatics/IS in universities
- Cultural aspects within the Business Informatics/IS discipline
- Comparison of the Business Informatics/IS discipline in higher education between Germany and Australia
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 2 defines the terms Business Informatics and Information Systems (IS) from a German perspective, providing a foundational framework for understanding the study's focus. Chapter 3 delves into the structure and practices of Information Systems studies at Australian universities. It explores IS degrees, requirements, fees, teaching methods, quality assurance, and provides detailed descriptions of visited universities.
Chapter 4 presents key findings from the 13th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS), including discussions on the IS discipline, problem-based learning approaches, and online teaching methods.
Chapter 5 analyzes the findings of the study, examining the educational offers of Business Informatics/IS at universities, the organizational structure of the discipline within universities, and cultural aspects related to the discipline. This chapter explores similarities and differences between Germany and Australia, providing a comparative perspective on the field.
Keywords
The main keywords of this study are: Business Informatics, Information Systems, higher education, universities, Germany, Australia, cross-cultural differences, educational offers, organisational structure, cultural aspects, comparison.
- Quote paper
- Silke Retzer (Author), 2003, Business informatics: Cross-cultural differences between Germany and Australia, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/13446
