AIS3705/101/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024

Practical Portfolio
AIS3705

Year Module

Department of Information Science

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website, AIS3705-24-Y, as well as your group website.

Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, only available on myUnisa.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4
2 MODULE OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 5
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ........................................................................................... 6
4 LECTURER AND CONTACT DETAILS ....................................................................................... 6
4.1 Lecturer ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 6
4.3 University ...................................................................................................................................... 6
5 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 7
5.1 Prescribed book(s) ........................................................................................................................ 7
5.2 Recommended book(s) ................................................................................................................. 7
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ................................................................................................ 7
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................ 8
6.1 First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................................ 9
7. STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................................................. 10
8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE .......................................................................................................... 11
8.1 What does it mean to study fully online? ..................................................................................... 11
9. ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 12
9.1 Assessment criteria..................................................................................................................... 12
9.2 Assessment plan ........................................................................................................................ 13
9.3 Assessment due dates ................................................................................................................ 13
9.4 Submission of assessments........................................................................................................ 14
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions ...................................................................................... 15
9.5 The assessments ........................................................................................................................ 16
9.6 Other assessment methods ........................................................................................................ 17
10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ........................................................................................................ 17
10.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 17
10.2 Cheating ..................................................................................................................................... 17
10.3 For more information about plagiarism ........................................................................................ 17
11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES .................................................................................. 17

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12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 17

13. IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 18
14. ADDENDUM ............................................................................................................................... 18

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1 INTRODUCTION

Dear Student

Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution.

The comprehensiveness of our curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly
vocational to strictly academic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its
distance e-Learning character result in many students registering at Unisa who may not have
had an opportunity to enrol in higher education. Our CODeL character implies that our
programmes are carefully planned and structured to ensure success for students ranging
from the under-prepared but with potential to the sufficiently prepared.

Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involve multiple modes of delivery ranging from
blended learning to fully online. As a default position, all post graduate programmes are
offered fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are
offered in a blended mode of delivery where printed study materials are augmented with
online teaching and learning via the learner management system – myUnisa. In some
instances, undergraduate programmes are offered fully online as well.

Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the
University. Unisa's commitment to serve humanity and shape futures combined with a clear
appreciation of our location on the African continent, Unisa's graduates have distinctive
graduate qualities which include:

• independent, resilient, responsible, and caring citizens who are able to fulfil and
serve in multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global
communities

• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent with its
histories, challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts

• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of
information and data from multiple sources in a globalised world with its ever-
increasing information and data flows and competing worldviews

• how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically and creatively

to solve real-life problems

• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential

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Because this is a fully online module (all information is available via the portal), you will need
to use myUnisa to study and complete the learning activities for this module. Look out for
information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to access
the virtual myUnisa module site. Information on the tools that will be available to engage with
the lecturer and fellow students to support your learning will also be communicated via
various platforms. Visit the website for AIS3705 on myUnisa frequently. The website for your
module is AIS3705 -2024-Y.

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 MODULE OVERVIEW

2.1 Purpose

This module forms part of the Bachelor of Information Science (BInf) qualification. Students who
successfully complete this module demonstrate integrated knowledge and understanding of
classification and verbal subject headings theories, policies, and practices as aspects of
information organisation. Understanding of the underlying classification and verbal subject
headings principles will enable students to conceptually analyse and evaluate subject content in
order to appropriately classify and assign subject headings to information sources.
Competencies gained in the module will enable students to address the industry needs for
access to and retrieval of information sources thereby enhancing the human right of access to
information.

2.2 Outcomes

For this module, you will have to master several outcomes:

▪ Students can apply their theoretical knowledge and management skills on various
aspects of the services rendered by their chosen information entity.

▪ Students can demonstrate awareness of the importance of conducting research on

problem areas in any information service.

▪ Students can engage in developing community user profiles and relevant information
literacy programmes and user advice techniques relevant to the needs of various
groups of information users.

▪ Students must be able to organise and manage themselves and their activities
responsibly and critically.

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3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION

Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the university has placed
curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation
includes student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment
practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies
and philosophies. All of these will be phased in at both programme and module levels, and as a
result of this, you will notice a marked change in the teaching and learning strategy
implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content is conceptualised in your
modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a
responsive way within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer

The primary lecturer for this module is: Ms MR Mahlatji

Department of Information Science
Telephone: 012 4334825
E-mail: Mahlamr@unisa.ac.za

4.2 Department

You can contact the Department of Information Science as follows:

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Building
Office number: 10-186
Telephone number: 012 429 6703
Email address: infoscience@unisa.ac.za
4.3 University

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.

Please include the student number in all correspondence

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5 RESOURCES

5.1 Prescribed book(s)

There are no prescribed books for this module.

5.2 Recommended book(s)

There are no recommended books for this module.

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no e-reserves for this module.

5.4 Library services and resources

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources. The library has
created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• For brief information on the library, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• Frequently Asked Questions,
visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Frequently-Asked-Questions
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the
Information Search Librarian's Literature
Search Request (on your research topic) service,
visit http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-
support.
• For library training for undergraduate
students, visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Training
• Lending Services https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Lending-services
• Services for Postgraduate students -
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-Postgraduates

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 • Support and Services for students with disabilities -
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-students-with-
special-needs
• Library Technology Support -https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
• Finding and using library resources and tools -
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• A–Z list of library databases – https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-
help@unisa.ac.za
• General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
• Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: libr-ill@unisa.ac.za
• Literature Search Service: Lib-search@unisa.ac.za
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through
Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the
following contact details:

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail: mymodule22@unisa.ac.za or myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment
and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

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Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours
for your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after
registering at Unisa, by following this link: myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official
correspondence with the university and will remain the official primary e-mail address on
record at Unisa. You remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful. This is
also true in the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open
distance and e-learning institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It
is a mega university, and all our programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully
online learning. It is for this reason that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students
additional/extended support to help them seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning
journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We therefore offer a specialised student support
programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time – this is Unisa’s First-Year
Experience (FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful information
about services that the institution offers and how you can access information. The following FYE
services are currently offered:

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 FYE Website Email Support

www.unisa.ac.za/FYE fye@unisa.ac.za

FYE1500
Post
myUnisa; Study
Registration
Referrals to Skills; Academic &
Orientation Digital Literacies;
other support
services i.e. etc
Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops

To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication
from the SRU, please check your myLife inbox regularly.

7. STUDY PLAN

Given the amount of work involved in this module, you will need to pace yourself throughout the
year if you are to keep up with the workload. This is definitely not a module that you can "cram"
a few days before the examination. We suggest that you start with your studies in the following
manner:

1 Read this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter AIS3705/101/0/2024) carefully. It contains

important information as already indicated above.
2 Consult Tutorial Letters INKALLE/301/4/2024 (general important information when
studying at a distance and within a particular College) and INKALLE/302/4/2024 (general
guidelines for preparing assignments
3 Draw up your own study programme, taking assignment due dates and the examination
dates into consideration.
4 Start working through the study guide.
5 Order or arrange for your prescribed books immediately as you cannot do this module
without them. You can also access the books online.

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8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE

8.1 What does it mean to study fully online?

For general information on planning your studies, such as time management and planning skills,
please refer to the Study @ Unisa brochure. After you have received your study materials for
this module, follow these steps:

• Read through your Tutorial Letter 101. This will give you an idea of what is expected of you for
AIS3705.

• At the end of your Study @ Unisa brochure you will find a year planner. Schedule all your
assessments and other events in your year planner, so as to manage your time effectively.

• Get connected to myUnisa, which is a free online service offered to all students registered to
study through Unisa. The website gives you access to study materials and enables you to keep
in contact with other students and with your lecturers. For more information on how to join and
register on myUnisa, please consult your Study @ Unisa brochure.

• Plan your time and studies – firstly according to what you would like to accomplish during the
semester, then for the month, then during a week, and then for each specific day. Use your year
planner to manage your time and plan your studies effectively. Calculate the number of hours
you have available for study and set that time aside. Remember to divide the time according to
how many modules you are registered for. On your year planner, highlight the time you will be
spending on studying for this module clearly.

• Budget you time by calculating how much time is needed for AIS3705 and all the other
modules you are registered for.

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9. ASSESSMENT

9.1 Assessment criteria

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

Students can apply their • Design a profile of their chosen information

theoretical knowledge and agency
management skills on
1 • With evidence, plan a SWOT analysis
various aspects of the
services rendered by their • Analyse strategic implications for the chosen
chosen information entity. information agency

Students can demonstrate • Clearly identify and formulate research

awareness of the importance problems
2 of conducting research on
problem areas in any • Effectively plan and conduct basic research

information service. activities

Students can engage

in • Develop user needs profiles
developing community user
profiles and relevant • Develop relevant information literacy

information literacy programmes for instilling information skills

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programmes and user advice • Motivate and support reading and information
techniques relevant to the use
needs of various groups of
information users. • Provide ICT knowledge for end-users

• Identify and solve problems in which

Students must be able to responses display that critical and creative

organise and manage thinking have been made; implying the use of

4 themselves and their feedback given

activities responsibly and • Apply reference techniques correctly and

critically with insight

• Write a critical self-reflection on their

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Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

portfolio work

9.2 Assessment plan

AIS3705 makes use of continuous assessment. It means your work will be assessed
throughout the year and that you do not write a traditional examination at the end of the year.
You will submit FIVE assessments. The Five assessments combined will be used to calculate
your final mark.

All five assessments are compulsory.

Assessment types Assessments Weight towards final mark (%)

Continuous Assessment 1 5%
Continuous Assessment 2 15
Continuous Assessment 3 25
Continuous Assessment 4 15
Continuous Assessment 5 40

Please note the following:

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit five assessments.

• All information on when and where to submit your assessments will be made available to
you via the myUnisa site for your module.
• Your assessments will comprise of a combination of quiz, essay types, practical tasks,
practical projects, and a final portfolio.

There will be NO formal examination (summative assessment).

9.3 Assessment due dates

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

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 • Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.

• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates
for the submission of the assessments.

9.4 Submission of assessments

• Unisa, as a CODeL, is moving towards becoming an online institution. You will, therefore,
see that all your study material, assessments and engagements with your lecturer and
fellow students will take place online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed.
This is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver educational
material to students and support engagement between academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the

myModules 2024 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are
registered for.

• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with
you.

• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will
see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message, you will
see the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some
assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others written assessments, some
forum discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the assessment
shells available on the respective module platforms.

• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1,
Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date on which the assessment will open for you.
When the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it within the time

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available to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial letter
(Tutorial Letter 101) and are only made available online. You must, therefore, access the
quiz online and complete it online where the quiz has been created.

• It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop
computer, tablet or laptop when completing the quiz. Students who use a cell phone find
it difficult to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle
to navigate between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cell
phones are more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all
possible, please do not use a cell phone for this assessment type.

• For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules
site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double
check that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be
allocated for incorrectly submitted assessments.

9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions

All assignments are defined as either optional, mandatory, compulsory, or elective.

• Elective assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
- The best of the required submissions will count.
• Mandatory assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
• Compulsory assignments
- If not submitted, the result on the student’s academic record will be absent.
• Optional assignments – You are encouraged as a student to do optional
assignment so that it may benefit your learning.

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 I. Elective assignments
a. the student is given a choice of which assignments within an identified group to
submit, only the best result(-s), the number of which is specified in advance, will
contribute towards the year mark.
b. elective assignments must also be grouped into an elective group.
c. for the student to select which assignment to submit, the elective assignments must
be grouped together. For such an elective group, relevant information must be
provided to the student, such as how many of the assignments must be submitted
and how many of the assignment marks should be combined into the year mark.
d. The selection criteria define how marks received for assignments in an elective group
are to be combined into the year mark. Three different criteria may be used for
calculating the year mark:
• The best mark should be used, or
• If the student submits fewer than the required number of assignments per group or
no assignment in a group, a mark of 0% will be used.
• 0% is awarded to all non-submitted or unmarked assessments. A best mark is
then calculated from all items.

II. Mandatory assignments

a. contribute to the year mark.
b. If a student fails to submit a mandatory assignment, no mark is awarded and the year
mark is calculated accordingly. The student will therefore forfeit the marks attached to
this assignment when the final mark for the module is calculated.

III. Compulsory Assessment

a. when not submitted, the student will fail a Continuous Assessment module but will be
shown as absent from the examination in the case of other modules.

IV. Optional assignments – You are encouraged as a student to do optional assignment so

that it may benefit your learning.
9.5 The assessments

As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete FIVE assessments for this module.

There are no assignments included in this tutorial letter. Assignments and due dates will be
made available to you on myModules for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be
available to you upon registration.
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9.6 Other assessment methods

There are no other assessment methods.

10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

10.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:

• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

10.2 Cheating

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another

student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, this forms part of examination guidelines
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).

10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.

If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact Ms Mahlatji at Mahlamr@unisa.ac.za.

12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. How do I contact my lecturer?

Contacts details of your lecturer are found in 4.1 of this tutorial letter.

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 2. How do I access the prescribed books for this modules?

Contact the library and request the books on special loan. Note that the books are available on a
first come first served basis.

13. IN CLOSING

We hope that the module will equip you to fulfil your duty in information organisation at the
workplace. Please do not hesitate to contact your lecturer for help.

14. ADDENDUM

The following signed statement must accompany all written assignments:

Declaration Statement

I declare that this is my own, original work prepared specifically for the AIS3705 why
highlighted? module and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and
acknowledged by means of complete references.

Signature: .…………………………………. ………….

Name: …………………………………..………………

Date: ………………………………….........................

©
Unisa 2024

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