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Published by phemelo modisane, 2019-08-05 14:18:25

EMS Business Requirements Document

EMS Business Requirements Document

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Table of Contents

i. Document revision log .................................................................................................................... 4

ii. Document reviewers....................................................................................................................... 4

iii. Approver & signoff..........................................................................................................................4

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 Document purpose ................................................................................................................. 5

1.2 Document scope ..................................................................................................................... 5

1.3 Business analysis approach..................................................................................................... 7

1.4 Definitions, abbreviations & acronyms................................................................................... 8

2. Business requirements.................................................................................................................... 9

2.1 Project background................................................................................................................. 9

2.1.1 North-West University Student Statistics Portal................................................................. 9

2.1.2 Academic Literacy intervention at the NWU ....................................................................10

2.1.2.1 ALDE 111 .......................................................................................................................10

2.1.2.2 ALDE 112/122................................................................................................................ 11

2.1.3 Overview of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (North-West University)
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2.1.4 Need for Improvement, the “to be” state of affairs ......................................................... 16

2.1.4.1 Generic vs discipline-specific ........................................................................................ 17

2.1.4.2 Proposed benefits of a discipline-specific EMS intervention........................................ 18

3. Agile Software Development Methodology .................................................................................19

3.1 Agile Manifesto ..................................................................................................................... 20

3.2 Twelve Principles of Agile Software...................................................................................... 21

4. SDLC in Educational Software development.................................................................................21

4.1 SDLC Structure ...................................................................................................................... 25

4.2 Scope statement ................................................................................................................... 26

4.3 Business requirements purpose ........................................................................................... 27

4.4 Methodological Framework.................................................................................................. 27

4.5 The relevance of Educational Technology ............................................................................ 28

4.6 Instructional software and readability..................................................................................29

4.7 “As is” – Current state...........................................................................................................30

4.8 “To be” – Future state...........................................................................................................31

4.9 Detailed business requirements ...........................................................................................31

5. Economic and Management Sciences Literacy Software ............................................................. 32

5.1 Design considerations........................................................................................................... 33

5.2 HTML-based content.............................................................................................................34

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6. The EMS Literacy Software Prototype ..........................................................................................34
6.1 Application development......................................................................................................36
6.2 Application content............................................................................................................... 37
6.3 Graphical User Interface ....................................................................................................... 37

7. Ethical considerations ...................................................................................................................38
8. Code of Ethics................................................................................................................................ 41

8.1 Principle 1: Public..................................................................................................................41
8.2 Principle 2: Client and Employer........................................................................................... 42
8.3 Principle 3: Product............................................................................................................... 42
8.4 Principle 4: Judgment............................................................................................................ 44
8.5 Principle 5: Management...................................................................................................... 44
8.6 Principle 6: Profession........................................................................................................... 45
8.7 Principle 7: Colleagues ..........................................................................................................46
8.8 Principle 8: Self...................................................................................................................... 47

Table of Figures

Figure 1 First-time entering students undergraduate ............................................................................ 9
Figure 2 FEMS mind map ...................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 3 Agile Model ............................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 4 Analysis Phase .........................................................................................................................22
Figure 5 Design Phase ........................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 6 Implementation Phase............................................................................................................24
Figure 7 SDLC ........................................................................................................................................25
Figure 8 First year full-time students, attending a compulsory credit-bearing module session using
the Read-On intensive reading software ..............................................................................................31
Figure 9 Prototype database architecture............................................................................................35

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i. Document revision log

Table 1 Document revision log

Date Author Version Reason for change
25 July 2019 Mr Phemelo Modisane 0.1 First Draft
Signature:

ii. Document reviewers

Table 2 Document reviewers Role Approval date Version

Name & title Assistant Educational
Mr Lucky Bogatsu Technologist

Dr Nomasomi Morule Project Coordinator

iii. Approver & signoff

Table 3 Project Sponsor

Name & title Role Approval date Version

Dr Nomasomi Morule Centre for Teaching and Learning

Project Coordinator

Signature:

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1. Introduction

1.1 Document purpose

The purpose of this Business Requirements Document (BRD) is to present the Centre of Teaching and
Learning’s requirement needs for an Economic and Management Sciences Literacy Software, in a
complete, accurate and unambiguous manner. A series of documents will be developed by the
Systems Analysis team, utilising the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) as a beacon. This project
will be underpinned through the Agile Software Development Methodology which in our view is a
smart approach for utilizing the best of both worlds without compromising on too much.
The Business Requirements Document in this regard falls under the first phase of the SDLC process,
in which business language will be used (Refer to Terms, Acronyms and Abbreviations for greater
clarity) to describe the requirements discussed in this document, which will represent a complete
specification of all stakeholder requirements. The Business Requirement Document is, therefore, the
principal input to the design and development phases, of which both will occur at a later stage as
defined and reflected upon by the Gantt chart, as a primary specification for user acceptance.
The target audience for this document are all stakeholders identified as Project Sponsors above, who
are responsible for the management of the Economic and Management Sciences Literacy Project,
including other interested parties as per permission granted from the Project Sponsor.

1.2 Document scope

The scope of this document will be limited to providing a description of the stakeholder business
needs including a further categorisation of the stakeholders of the Economic and Management
Sciences Literacy Project, into the following:

 Primary and secondary users of the software, in other words, the “Who”

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 The Business data relationship map, in other words, the “What”
 The state, activity diagrams outlining the behaviour of systems, in other words, the “When”
 The business rules and policies, in other words, the “Why”
 The use cases and process maps, in other words, the “How”

The signed and approved version of this document will serve as a solid foundation for the following
phases of the Agile model of this project, each of which will have its own separate analysis and
requirements document.

This Business Requirements Document will provide an in-depth description of the following
deliverables:

 Business requirements  Functional requirements

 User requirements  Non-functional requirements

 Use cases that support the business  Data requirements
processes  Requirements baseline and traceability
 Future considerations
 User profiles and locations

 Business processes and rules

This Business Requirements Document will however not include the following:

 Technical and design specifications –This  Out of scope requirements, outside the
will be a separate document, developed prioritization of the MoSCoW (Must have,
during subsequent phases of the SDLC as Should have, Could have, Won’t have “this
part of the System Design Documentation time”) requirements.

 Detailed Analysis of Requirements related  Descriptions of functionality, interfaces or
to other applications in the academic requirements of processes outside of the
literacy fraternity. business area

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1.3 Business analysis approach

The objective of the analysis phase of the Economic and Management Sciences Literacy project is to provide
complete documentation of the list of requirements which are of interest to the Centre of Teaching and Learning,
and most importantly provide supporting documentation for the project in adequate detail, to support subsequent
phases. The analysis phase included both a review of existing information on Discipline-Specific Literacy Software
existing in the marketplace, including the identification of new (as is the case) or modified requirements.

In carrying out this function, the business analysis approach included the following:

 Business analysis planning and  Requirements analysis
monitoring  Solution assessment and validation
 Elicitation
 Requirements management and
communication

The inputs to this phase included the following:  Project Charter
 Business Case  Business Analysis Work Plan
 Project Master Plan

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1.4 Definitions, abbreviations & acronyms

The following terms, acronyms, and abbreviations are used throughout this document.

ICT Information and Communication Technology

CTL Centre for Teaching and Learning

NWU North-West University

EMS Economic and Management Sciences

FEMS Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

PCs Personal Computers

App Application

CSS Cascading Style Sheets

GUI Graphic User Interface

HTML HyperText Markup Language

ICT Information and Communication Technology

IT Information Technology

IS Information Systems

SDLC Software Development Life Cycle.

SQL Structured Query Language.

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2. Business requirements

2.1 Project background
2.1.1 North-West University Student Statistics Portal

According to information retrieved from the North-West University’s online Student Statistics portal
(http://143.160.39.37/PowerHEDA/Dashboard.aspx), which presents the total number of students
enrolled, per gender, per qualification group and race. The data was filtered as follow:

 Entry-level - First-time entering student undergraduate
 Presentation method – Contact
The student statistics portal revealed that roughly 11557 students as of 2019, meet the above
criteria, see the table below:

Figure 1 First-time entering students undergraduate

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2.1.2 Academic Literacy intervention at the NWU

Academic literacy modules have been incorporated into most students’ curriculums since 2002.
Originally these were separate modules focusing on reading and study skills, information and
computer skills, and language skills. In 2009 these separate parts were integrated into an
introductory module and a compulsory advanced module in academic literacy. The aim of these
academic literacy modules is to support students in the successful completion of their studies. The
two modules are known as Introduction to Academic Literacy Development (ALDE 111) and
Academic Literacy Development (ALDE 112/122).

All first-year students at North-West University must write the Test of Academic Literacy Levels
(TALL) to establish their level of academic literacy. Students who are identified as being at risk
regarding these academic skills are required to take an introductory academic literacy course (ALDE
111). This introductory course is compulsory for all students in Law and some programmes of the
Faculty of Natural Sciences. Furthermore, all first-year students are required to take ALDE 112 or 122
as part of their curriculum.

The introductory academic literacy module (ALDE 111) focuses on basic listening, reading and
writing skills, with the focus on better-equipping students to deal with academic writing tasks. As
part of their preparation, students in these modules are introduced to aspects of sentence and
paragraph structure, voice and register and also the integration of sources and the compilation of
reference lists.

The compulsory module ALDE 112/122 focuses on core generic academic listening, reading and
writing skills and consists of three components, viz. a computer and information skills programme, a
reading programme and an academic literacy programme. Academic writing is a central focus of the
course and the emphasis is on aspects such as sentence and paragraph structure, logical argument
structure, style, voice and register, as well as the appropriate and responsible handling of
information.

2.1.2.1 ALDE 111

ALDE 111 is an introductory module for the development of academic literacy skills in a university
context. This module is only offered in the first semester. Please note that ALDE 111 is a prerequisite
for ALDE 112/122. To pass ALDE 111 a student needs to obtain a module mark of at least 50%.

After completion of this unit, a student should:

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 demonstrate basic knowledge of learning strategies, academic vocabulary and register as
well as the reading and writing of academic texts in order to function effectively in the
academic environment;

 be able to communicate orally and in writing in an effective and inappropriate manner in an
academic environment;

 understand, interpret, and evaluate basic academic texts and write appropriate academic
genres in a coherent manner by making use of accurate and appropriate academic
conventions;

 listen, speak, read and write accurately, fluently and appropriately in an ethical framework.

ALDE 111 is compulsory for students in the faculties of Law and Natural Sciences and forms part of
their curriculum. The students enrolled in the following programmes are, however, exempted from
ALDE 111 if they have received the required code for the TALL: Quantitative Risk Management,
Financial Mathematics, Data Mining, Actuarial Sciences, Information Technology, Urban and
Regional Planning.

The following represents the key to the TALL results codes:

Code 1 Must take AGLE111
Code 2 Must take AGLE111
Code 3 Must take AGLE111
Code 3G May write an additional TALL test for borderline cases but must register for
AGLE 111 in the meantime
Code 4 Exempted from AGLE111.
Code 5 Exempted from AGLE111.

2.1.2.2 ALDE 112/122

ALDE 112 or ALDE 122 is the advanced module in academic literacy skills and is compulsory for all
students (both campus and distance-based) in order to complete their degree successfully. ALDE 112
is offered in the first semester and ALDE 122 in the second. A students TALL-result and/or faculty
requirements will determine in which semester a student will be required to take this module.

The purpose of the advanced module is to support students in the development of skills to read and
write effectively, to do independent research, and to submit work that is academically correct.

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After completion of this unit, a student should be able to:

 demonstrate fundamental knowledge of appropriate computer programs, apply learning,
listening, reading and writing strategies, use academic language register and read and write
academic texts, in order to function effectively in the academic environment;

 demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills on an individual level and in a
group in an ethically responsible and acceptable manner in an academic environment;

 demonstrate the ability to find and collect scientific knowledge in a variety of study fields,
analyse, interpret, and evaluate texts, and synthesise and propose solutions in appropriate
academic genres on an individual level and in a group in a coherent manner by making use
of linguistic conventions used in formal language registers.

 Demonstrate knowledge of applicable learning strategies and study skills in order to study
effectively;

2.1.3 Overview of the Faculty of Economic and Management
Sciences (North-West University)

The North-West University’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences has established its own
fundamental values and ethical principles which govern its activities reflected through its vision,
values and mission statements below:

 Vision - Providing innovative and relevant teaching, learning and scholarly research, our
graduates are entrepreneurial and make a positive impact on their chosen sector.

 Values - The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences embraces the values of human
dignity, equality, freedom, integrity, tolerance, respect, devotion to excellence, scientific
involvement, academic freedom and justice.

 Mission - To become a leading South African Economic and Management (Commerce)
Faculty in innovative education, internationally known for its scholarship in teaching and
learning in all modes of educational delivery.

In fulfilling its core values, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (FEMS), has set out to
do the following:

 Recruiting, developing and retaining a diverse establishment that is passionate, well
qualified and experienced.

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 Providing appropriate facilities and technology to enhance learning at all sites of delivery.
 Developing, revisiting and delivering programmes in partnership with industry, professional

bodies and our communities of practice.
 Aligning programmes to ensure equivalence of offering across sites of delivery.
 Widening student access, retaining them, identifying and supporting at-risk students, and by

following a learning-centred approach.

With the interventions mentioned above, the faculty aims to produce graduates that are:

 Responsible and engaged members of society
 Knowledgeable, highly-educated individuals and professionals
 Innovative, critical thinkers
 Principled and responsible leaders
 Effective communicators
 Skilled collaborators and effective team members
 Graduates who display ethical behaviour and professionalism
 Life-long learners
 Entrepreneurial

Amongst the FEMS’s five strategic pillars, the most important in relation to this project is “Excellence
in learning for student success”, which focusses on widening student access, retaining them,
identifying and supporting at-risk students, by following a learning centred approach.

FEMS is committed to establishing diverse learning opportunities based on active student
involvement within an adult learner context, espousing its principles. Furthermore, FEMS aims to
ensure that adult learners are autonomous, self-directed, goal-oriented, practical learners who
understand the relevancy and transferability of what they learn within a multiplicity of
environments. In essence what the students learn should motivate them, acknowledge their own life
experiences and add value to their lives.

According to the Quality Enhancement Project Institutional Report (2016), North-West University
has developed Student access, retention and success framework (ARS Framework). As reflected in
the QEP Institutional Report, the purpose of the ARS framework is to develop a sufficient
understanding of the diverse factors that impact on student’s access, retention and success, the
manner in which they are embedded within the institutional culture, policies, processes and

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practices, as well as their relationship to the wider socio-economic and educational environment
within which the university functions.

It also intends to foster the multi-disciplinary, collaborative approaches that are necessary to
support students as they negotiate significant transitions (from the secondary system to higher
education, from first to the second year, from undergraduate to postgraduate study, and from the
university to the world of work). The ARS framework presupposes that support strategies and
initiatives must be integrated into a comprehensive understanding of the student lifecycle, and
seeks to instil an awareness that the institution, its academic and support staff, and its students have
a shared responsibility for creating an enabling learning environment that supports widening and
deepening participation amongst an increasingly diverse student population, and promotes success.
In this manner, the framework seeks to shift the focus away from isolated initiatives to a
coordinated approach, which this Literacy Project seeks to contribute towards.

The QEP Institutional Report further outlines salient details of the ARS Framework, which the
Literacy Project responds to. The details are outlined as follow:

 The distinction between formal and epistemological access, and the recognition that specific
strategies are needed to assist students in the process of academic acculturation so that
they are able to progressively develop the ability to engage meaningfully in the norms and
practices of the academic discourses relating to their chosen fields of study. The challenge of
epistemological access is not limited to the transition from the secondary sector to higher
education, as there are other epistemic transitions that students need to negotiate within
and between academic programmes that have progressive or different levels of complexity
and different knowledge bases and curricular logics;

 Recognition of the critical nature of the first year of study as a key transition, so that specific
strategies need to be developed in order to provide students who are entering higher
education with comprehensive support. Such strategies include conducting ongoing research
on the challenges that they face and that may constitute barriers to progress, the
development of effective placement and assessment systems in order to assess their
academic readiness, programmes that support first-year students’ academic and social
integration, the provision of effective and coordinated academic support, and the
identification of modules and programmes with high attrition rates and research on the
reasons for this;

 Development of learning analytics capability in order to support a data-driven approach that
contributes to the development of a student profiling system according to categories of at-

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risk students, and may help to identify specific student groups that are particularly
vulnerable;
 As part of the strengthening of learning analytics capability, development of a systematic
electronic tracking system that provides for an early warning facility, and monitors referrals
and the outcomes of engagements, as well as the academic progress of at-risk students;
 The improvement and alignment of existing retention strategies that are offered by
academic and general support services departments, and the possibility of developing more
faculty-based academic support systems;

North-West University has committed itself towards the development of new faculty/discipline-
specific software to promote reading proficiency amongst the student populace, as part of its
initiatives to support the development of academic literacy.

The North-West University, on academic literacy has adopted an intensive reading software by the
name of Read-On, which is currently being utilized on all campuses, exclusively for On-Campus
students, the success of which is measured on the reading indexes, grading or difficulty of content. It
should be noted that the Read-On software is generic in nature and does not offer the sought after
faculty/discipline-specific content as reflected through the QEP Institutional Report submissions.

The current intervention (Read-On Software), depends on the results that students have obtained
for the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) for English medium students and the Toets van
Akademiese Geletterheidsvlakke (TAG) for Afrikaans medium students. The students then have to
complete two dedicated, credit-bearing academic literacy modules (ALDE 111/121), one each
semester. Both these modules are generic modules in the sense that the same teaching and learning
material is presented to all students, irrespective of their field of study. However, under the
guidance of the Standing Committee for Academic Literacy, it was decided that the two generic
Academic literacy modules should be re-developed in a discipline/content-specific manner in order
to create a stronger possibility that students would find the intervention relevant to their studies
and that this would facilitate better transfer of the Academic Literacy abilities to which students are
exposed in these modules. The North-West University has thus commissioned the development of
an intensive Academic Literacy software for the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

The NWU is committed to blended learning, making effective use of teaching and learning innovative
technologies as stated through its approved Institutional Teaching and Learning Strategy (2016 –
2020). This strategic document emphasizes the institutions' commitment to providing leadership in
technology-enhanced learning, innovative teaching and learning designs, making note of online, self-

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paced and autonomous learning, to deliver a programme or module in different modes of
educational delivery, for the benefit of FEMS students.
According to the North-West University’s Integrated Teaching and Learning Plan of the Faculty of
Economic and Management Sciences (2018-2023) a mind map to ensure a holistic approach is
provided to support teaching and learning.

Figure 2 FEMS mind map

Both FEMS and CTL have committed themselves to the following:
 FEMS - Develop, confirm and implement the faculty’s vision for teaching-learning
 FEMS- Design and deliver programmes to achieve student access, retention and success
 CTL- Identify and clarify processes and procedures to support faculty
 CTL- Measure the success for faculty support
 CTL- Reflect on support and improve on faculty support

2.1.4 Need for Improvement, the “to be” state of affairs

The North-West University has responded through the implementation of various intervention
measures, for academic literacy support, as well as dedicated academic literacy interventions for
students. Because universities differ with regard to the student populations they serve, a number of

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different approaches have been proposed to address issues in academic literacy development
specifically.

It is important to point out at this stage that offering additional support to underprepared students
who enter university education is not a new idea in South Africa. Even before democracy in 1994
many universities and technikons offered support in the form of bridging courses, potential
development programmes and the like, often located in academic support or academic development
units. These support mechanisms were implemented mainly with a focus on developing those
abilities of students that would make them succeed with their university studies. One of the primary
focus areas of such support was the development of what was seen at the time as the ‘inadequate
language ability’ of students.

2.1.4.1 Generic vs discipline-specific

The purpose of this section is to address the nature of academic literacy interventions with specific
reference to the broader issue of generic versus discipline-specific academic literacy intervention.
Although it appears as if some tertiary institutions still prefer a model that highlights the generic
nature of academic literacy abilities, there is currently a strong move towards acknowledging the
discipline-specific nature of academic discourse in different academic disciplines, and, as a result, a
strong focus on how academic literacy practices are embedded in the contexts of such disciplines.

Academic literacy interventions in South Africa are reflected in three aspects, namely:

 what the intervention stresses (e.g. grammatical correctness, reading and writing, etc.),
 mode of delivery or nature of the intervention (whether mediated by consultants or

accredited courses of various kinds),
 how discipline-specific the intervention is with regard to content and genre.

Very little evidence exists in the current literature, however, of academic literacy interventions that
focus exclusively on the decontextualized teaching of English grammar. The current debate to offer
relevant academic literacy support to underprepared/ first-time entering undergraduate students
rather seems to be situated around the issue of whether, as a broad distinction, generic academic
literacy courses or discipline-specific courses are most appropriate as an intervention measure.

A substantial number of more recent studies in the South African higher education context support a
discipline-specific orientation in the design of academic literacy interventions. For example, in this
instance, a theme-based language course in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
would address a range of commerce literacies in a genre-based approach. The difficulty in

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implementing a generic academic literacy course would be relevance, since the main aim of the
course would be to familiarize students with a wide range of literacies in commerce, focusing in
particular on elements which are important in the discipline, which must be reflected in the content
of such a course.

It is therefore important for undergraduate academic literacy courses to be based in the disciplines
students are studying. The attainment of academic literacy should then be viewed as an entry into a
new discourse community, where the student is intimately bound with how to read, write and speak
about the discipline, which the EMS Literacy software enters as an intervention.

2.1.4.2 Proposed benefits of a discipline-specific EMS
intervention

Some of the major advantages in making use of discipline-specific software are discussed below:

 Materials can be authentic and involve real academic activities and tasks in which the FEMS
engages;

 Materials are relevant (and interesting) to students, and therefore contribute to student
motivation;

 Making use of respondents from specific disciplines within FEMS and broader academic
community to comment on content generation may improve student writing in such
disciplines;

 Connecting students’ past and current academic literacy experiences could ease their
transition into discipline-specific academic literacy practices;

 Utilising students’ interim literacies to discover their processes of making meaning could be
used in the design of curricula that focus on the needs of students from diverse backgrounds;

 Employing strategies for reflective thinking (and students using their own voices in such
reflection) eases the transition of students’ everyday language to the ‘academic languages’
required by academic disciplines

Through the assistance of professionals employed by the NWU, including strategic partners, the
curriculum, assessment materials in the EMS setting will have to be designed to an equal standard as
the already credit-bearing modules through which the intensive reading Read-On and Law Literacy
software is being utilised. Additionally, as equally reflected on the Institutional Teaching and

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Learning Strategy of the NWU, the EMS Literacy Project will need to make effective use of learning
analytics aimed at profiling FEMS students and tracking their learning achievements in order to:

 Identify at-risk students in a timely manner
 Monitor student persistence on a regular basis
 Develop an evidence base for programme planning and student support strategies.

Course content can equally affect the FEMS student’s persistence/tenacity, where the current
intensive reading software might not be conducive nor applicable to the FEMS Student, affecting the
attrition rate. Therefore, it will be necessary to source/develop content which is current/ linked to
real-life occurrences as mentioned, in a dynamic manner achieving a perfect balance between
multimedia, credit-bearing content/questioning, supporting materials, feedback options etc.

3. Agile Software Development Methodology

The Agile Software development lifecycle is a combination of iterative and incremental process
models with a focus on process adaptability and customer satisfaction through the rapid delivery of
working software product. The Agile method breaks the product into smaller incremental builds,
provided through iterations. Every iteration involves cross-functional teams working simultaneously
on various areas like planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, prototype testing and
acceptance testing. At the end of the iteration, working software is displayed to the customer and
other stakeholders.

The Agile methodology believes that every project needs to be handled differently and the existing
methods need to be tailored to best suit the project requirements. In agile the tasks are divided into
timeframes to deliver specific features for a release. An Iterative approach is taken and working
software build is delivered after each iteration. Each build is incremental in terms of features, where
the final build holds all the features required by the customer. Below is a graphical illustration of the
Agile Model to be followed by Batshadi Holdings:

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Figure 3 Agile Model

3.1 Agile Manifesto

The chosen software development methodology is underpinned by the following values as enshrined
in the Agile Manifesto which reads as follow:
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:

 Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
 Working software over comprehensive documentation
 Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
 Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

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3.2 Twelve Principles of Agile Software

 Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of
valuable software.

 Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change
for the customer's competitive advantage.

 Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a
preference to the shorter timescale.

 Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
 Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they

need, and trust them to get the job done.
 The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a

development team is a face-to-face conversation.
 Working software is the primary measure of progress.
 Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and

users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
 Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
 Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential.
 The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
 At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and

adjusts its behaviour accordingly.

4. SDLC in Educational Software development

There are various models which can be followed during the Software development lifecycle,
however, in each, the analysis, design; implementation, testing and maintenances phases remain a
constant theme. For the development of this EMS Literacy software, we have selected the agile
models. The first analysis phase requires input from both the institution and the users, to establish
the requirements. These user and system requirements must then be properly analysed in order to
derive the full potential of the software. It is of utmost importance that these requirements are
identified in a complete and reliable manner, as they will inform the subsequent design phase,
where the architectural design will be developed, during the implementation phase creating a
prototype. On completion, the software will then be subjected to rigorous testing ensuring that the

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software does what it is expected to do. The last maintenance phase is where additional
requirements can be suggested and once again implemented.
The underlying theme for the EMS Literacy Software is divided into two segments being:

 Centre for Teaching and Learning Requirements – Reliable, complete, constructive and
timely software. The software must have, full course coverage, and adequate tools and
techniques for course management and student interaction with the software.

 FEMS Student Requirements – Clear, simple, effective and comprehensive software. The
software must offer active learning and interaction, and most importantly attract the
student’s attention motivating the student to fully participate in the activities.

Analysis

Requirements Structure

Questionnaire Data flow diagrams
Interviews Entity Relationship Diagram
Case Studies
Class Diagram
CASE Diagram

Figure 4 Analysis Phase

The above diagram depicts the analysis method we will be following whilst developing the EMS
Literacy Software. The systems requirements will be studied according to inter-relationships and the
structure. These will include content diagrams, class diagrams, data flow diagrams, Use CASE
diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams including other diagrams which will be identified as the
software development process advances, including the introduction of additional requirements. This
phase will be a thorough explanation of how the learning activity takes place. The requirements
specifications for the application are set out which will be a reflection on the functional

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requirements regarding the logic of the software and non-functional requirements such as security
and interface requirements, technical restrictions and product quality characteristics. The principle
of this analysis phase will be in the identification, clarification, classification and structuring of the
critical stakeholder requirements.

The design phase will utilize stakeholder requirements, to develop a prototype of the software. The
key principles of this phase will be to ensure software with easy interaction, seamless access to the
course content, attractive, savvy and dynamic which motivates the FEMS student to fully participate.
The user interface will need to be consistent, and have familiar characteristics and not overwhelm
the user. It must offer user guidance and have a recoverability function embedded, in short, it must
be user-friendly leveraging off the modern design and functionality features. During this phase the
database will be created on the database server, interface development and server-side
development will be done, ending with the content population into the database.

Design

Logical Physical

Easy interaction
Attractive, Savvy
Seamless Access tp course

content
Motivation

Figure 5 Design Phase

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Implementation

Coding and Testing
Installation

Programming Verification by CTL
Language EMS Student
Perception
Socio-Economic
Factors

Figure 6 Implementation Phase

The design and implementation phases will concentrate on the development strategies carried out
through the chosen programming languages suitable for the Microsoft environment, with a focus on
the compatibility of the software and its economic factors. On testing of the software, two critical
components will be CTL’s perceptions of the software, and the FEMS student’s adoption of the
software as a support tool. Both device emulators and actual devices will be used to test the
software. Once all parties are satisfied that the software performs as expected, it will then be
deployed and published on the NWU’s server. Facilitators will be trained on how to use the software
so that they are empowered to provide support.

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Figure 7 SDLC

The figure above effectively clarifies how the SDLC process will be applied in the EMS Literacy
software development process.

4.1 SDLC Structure

Stemming from what has been identified in the need for improvement, surrounding the attrition
rate, is to avoid EMS Literacy Software focused on flooding the FEMS student with monotonous
information overload. The typical click and read exercises/software/modules, associated with past
interventions, which required the student to click and advance would not be ideal and potentially
defeat the purpose of the envisaged delivery model. The EMS Literacy Software should be less about
the information and more about how the FEMS student interacts with that information, all in the
interests of ensuring that the module remains meaningful and relevant.

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Within the hybrid SDLC, the structure of the EMS module aims to provide the necessary foundation
for quality and relevant content, delivery and service. This will be achieved through anticipating the
FEMS students’ needs, adopting appropriate pedagogical strategies, fostering an optimistic learning
environment and conducting regular student assessments. Further considerations which will be
reflected upon in greater detail during subsequent phases of the SDLC process includes usability,
interactivity and providing appropriate tools for the FEMS students and the facilitators. The content
developers for the software will be tasked with producing content which is comprehensive,
authentic, thoroughly researched and adequately graded by reading specialists. The services
necessary for operating the EMS Literacy Software will be highlighted in the Technical Specifications
and Requirements document outlining support, accessibility and responsiveness concerns.

4.2 Scope statement

The application software to be developed to support FEMS will utilize a variety of languages,
platforms and technologies, to deliver a savvy user interface, through the targeted internet
browser’s as well as making provisions for interoperability features.

The EMS Literacy Software will require an internet browser, the EMS Literacy Software/Application
and most importantly Intensive Reading Content suitable for a FEMS student. The
application/software will run a series of graded and diverse learning content. The graded content
will vary between simple text to multi-media content and the possible introduction of Gamification
(which is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-gaming contexts) in
the EMS Literacy software. The software /application which will be running on the computer as a
dedicated standalone application adopting a client-server model.

Briefly recapping on the main factors of the design of the EMS Literacy Software is responding to the
Where, What and How questions.

 The Where? Refers to the FEMS academic literacy learning environment which implies the
fixed and scheduled method of delivery, where the FEMS student will be interacting with the
software, at a dedicated computer laboratory.

 The What? Refers to the addition of pedagogical information into the fold, enabling the
FEMS student to create knowledge from what they see, hear, read and perceive.

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 The How? Refers to the interactive learning application framework which will have the
software running in the respective dedicated computer laboratories, hosted on the
university servers, accessed through an internet browser.

4.3 Business requirements purpose

The purpose of this Business Requirements Document is for a new application/software
development to support the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in the field of academic
literacy.

4.4 Methodological Framework

Academic literacy software can assist students in learning to read and react strategically. The EMS
Literacy software’s aim is to:

 support students to become confident working with basics
 to make connections
 to gain skills, understanding and insight
 to express themselves clearly
 to be able to compare and contrast both familiar and unfamiliar concepts
 to ask questions when they need help.
The EMS Literacy software will provide constructive feedback frequently which will act as positive re-
enforcement at the successful completion of each activity. Bloom’s Taxonomy, first published in
1956 and still regarded as a standard method of conceptualizing critical thinking, classifies cognitive
processes into categorical level being knowledge, comprehension and application, analysis, synthesis
and evaluation.
Both keywords and the kinds of questions encountered within the EMS Literacy software are what
will help students make progress throughout each cognitive level. It is equally vital for the EMS
Literacy software to provide context clues and to support students’ attempts to organize their
thoughts.

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The EMS Literacy software will also offer students a variety of approaches since effective readers
tend to use various strategies. There should likewise be a good deal of interactivity between student
and computer. Interactivity should comprise a multi-sensory approach, including text-to-speech
capabilities. It is in this manner that the student can become involved in the learning process, as well
as offer first prompts, then guided practice.

It is the theories of Bloom and the more contemporary Constructivists that serve as the foundation
for the EMS Literacy software. The methodology guiding Batshadi Holdings academic literacy
software allows students to:

 encounter self-paced learning,
 encouragement to continue,
 understandable discipline-specific language and interesting content,
 opportunities to approach tasks in different ways,
 clearly delineated steps for dealing with material,
 straightforward instructions and introductions to material.

Students likewise encounter frequent chances to print and see progress. They experience a diversity
of exercises such as fill-ins, multiple-choice, two-answer questions, matching lists and puzzles.

4.5 The relevance of Educational Technology

Using computer technology to complement class work benefits students who are concentrating on
areas needing improvement. If utilized properly, technology can assist students in learning
independently and at an individual pace. In addition, students who are at ease using technology tend
to spend more time doing assignments as well as showing a willingness to try new challenges.

Other recent studies have emphasized biological elements to explain the adaptability of the mind
and brain. Analytic and linguistic ability can be improved through new activities, focus, and practice.
Software usage can dynamically alter learning patterns. Indeed, software offering text-to-speech
capability can rapidly enhance the comprehension skills of struggling students.

Academic literacy software should have multiple impacts on students, including increasing self-
confidence, improving comprehension and retention, and increasing motivation. Therefore, it is vital
to provide students with the right technological tools. The purpose of the EMS Literacy Software is

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to help students both in and out of the classroom since technology augments opportunities to
access, evaluate and communicate knowledge.

Students should be learning more than basics, they should be learning to connect concepts, to solve
unfamiliar problems, and to communicate ideas. They should feel appropriately challenged upon
completing an instructional program, receiving a lasting impression and being able to apply what
they have learned. As such the EMS Literacy Software should not only help to foster excitement
about learning and enable students to complete their own computer-related goals but provide part
of a foundation for advanced teaching and learning in preparation for a future profession.

Academic literacy software should serve as an efficient means to help institutions demonstrate
criterion-referenced academic progress. It should improve learning for all students, from the lowest
to highest quartiles in each class. Academic literacy software should help to enrich critical disparities
in academic expectations, opportunities and outcomes.

Though educational technology can be a useful tool, it can easily be a harmful one. The pressure on
schools to provide accountability that is, consistent academic gain for all levels and sub-groups of
students, can lead to the selection of deficient educational material. Inadequately designed
educational technology can negatively impact students. Rather than fostering learning, such
technology can actually impede students’ ability to learn essential skills. This sort of negative impact
may have far-reaching effects.

4.6 Instructional software and readability

Since the educational psychologist Edward L. Thorndike began researching English vocabulary lists in
the 1920s, formulas for readability have followed the general premise that the more often a reader
encounters a word, the easier it is for him or her to remember and understand it. Delineating
reading levels and choosing vocabulary lists for academic literacy software just as for traditional
classroom texts requires careful balance. Software reading content must be difficult enough to
challenge students with new words as well as with more complex sentences and constructs.
Discipline-specific content, however, must remain simple enough for students to be able to
complete a software level through reading, concentration and practice.

Academic literacy software should involve an up-to-date approach to readability. First, formula-use
should employ the most effective approaches for calculating readability: estimating the number of
unfamiliar words versus the number of syllables per word and sentence length. Then, a variety of

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additional factors should always be considered. Tone, content, organization and design all influence
the extent to which students regard a particular text as simple or difficult.

One major purpose of educational technology is to help students practice the most crucial reading
skills: figuring out vocabulary from context while re-enforcing key vocabulary words within a
beginning context that demonstrates meaning. These skills should be re-enforced by practice and by
the constant interactivity including text-to-speech capability which the EMS Literacy software
provides. Batshadi Software’s own reading levels and vocabulary lists are based partly on the Dale
List of 3,000 Easy Words, the Harris-Jacobson Core Vocabulary and the EDL Core Vocabulary, along
with advice from leading educational practitioners and language experts in South Africa.

4.7 “As is” – Current state

At the moment, the Centre for Teaching and Learning is offering the Read-On intensive Reading
software to on-campus first-year students as a credit-bearing module. This module is being offered
to full-time students in two dedicated computer laboratories, coupled with a cohort of Student
Instructors to provide system support, should students require assistance. The Read-On software
has been in use since 2014 and has achieved considerable results in improving the literacy rate
amongst those enrolled. The Read-On software is completely outdated in terms of content and
architecture, where its developers have since dissolved the company rendering this software
without official support. Through the wisdom and foresight of the CTL leadership, a much more
thorough and thought-through adaptation is being developed in-house to replace/complement the
Read-On software. This new EMS Literacy Software aims to reflect the evolution of the Read-On
software infusing context-based discipline-specific content in relation to FEMS, within this academic
literacy intervention.

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Figure 8 First year full-time students, attending a compulsory credit-bearing module session using the Read-On intensive
reading software

4.8 “To be” – Future state

By the end of this project, the Centre of Teaching and Learning through it's Reading and Literacy
division will be in a position to replace its current generic academic literacy offering, with a
discipline-specific offering to FEMS students.

4.9 Detailed business requirements

“Development of the EMS Literacy Software”, which will include tracking, reporting and data
collection.

 Description – Development of a software to reflect the Read-On intensive reading software
offered exclusively to full-time FEMS students.

 Priority – Provide Intensive academic literacy software for the Faculty of Economic and
Management Sciences of the NWU. Ensure optimal processing and storage of the
data/results collected.

 Scope – The software should be executable on a desktop/browser. The content must be
structured with the FEMS Student in mind. The content must be embedded in the software,
structured as question banks. The content must be relevant, current and engaging to the

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FEMS student. The interface must be a fresh, savvy blend between multi-media and text.
The software must have help desk functions, chat function to enable communication with
facilitators. The software must have an early warning system, to detect students who are
not meeting targets, not using the software regularly, and non-performing students so that
facilitators can intervene appropriately. The software will produce a monthly and trimester
report and include a feedback form to gauge user experience. The software will also be
Google geo-localization enabled and track IP addresses as an additional mapping feature, for
statistics and other purposes. The information will remain the property of the NWU, and the
software must adhere to the POPI act. The software must be able to provide the Centre of
Teaching and Learning with concrete tools to measure the impact of the EMS Literacy
Software.
 Benefits – A visible solution to introducing technology-enabled learning systems for the
FEMS students, in terms of the NWU’s institutional strategic objectives. Extending discipline-
specific intensive reading to the FEMS students. There will also be improved reporting and
transparency from the results to be collected giving a clearer account of the success of this
intervention.
 Need - Essential to the Center of Teaching and Learning’s FEMS objectives expanding on the
reading programme. The use of the software will allow for enhancements and streamlining
of the EMS Literacy Software.
 Test Approach and Acceptance Criteria – The first year FEMS student will be engaged and
reached. The software will also be promoted in all campuses as a compulsory module.
Training documentation will be developed for the users and facilitators of the software.
Users will be immediately informed of the results of their interaction with the software, by
generating abridged reports.

5. Economic and Management Sciences Literacy Software

The EMS Literacy Software will be designed as a stand-alone application which will be operated on
the Reading laboratory computers. A client-server model will this be applicable in this setting,
meaning that the client application will be running on the desktops and the server application
running on the NWU’s remote server. The roles of each stakeholder in the project are defined as
follow:

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 Facilitator/CTL – Design and develop faculty-based content for the EMS module, prepare
tests, quizzes, interacting with the FEMS students using communication tools which will be
embedded in the EMS Literacy Software.

 FEMS students – Take the course, complete the tests, quizzes and activities as set by the
facilitators/Centre of Teaching and Learning, send feedback and queries related to the
software, and interact with the facilitator.

 Software developer – Provide predefined templates for contextualizing/framing the tests,
quizzes and activities, develop the framework where the content designed by CTL can be
presented in a pre-formatted, manner to the FEMS student when they launch the software,
design the Graphical user interface and environment the FEMS student will be using to
access the content, provide adequate communication platforms between the student and
the facilitator

5.1 Design considerations

The EMS Literacy Software must adhere to the following requirements:

 Microsoft Windows 7
 Internet Explorer 10 or higher
 Google Chrome version 75 or higher
 Minimum 800 x 600-pixel screen display.
 Compatibility with Novell server products

In order to design the EMS Literacy Software, we will have to keep a number of factors in mind:

 Users expect an immediate response from their devices. As a result, a situation where users
tempted to switch to other screens while the pre-loaders are loading bulky content should
be avoided, and content should not take longer than five seconds to load. Video, images and
audio sizes and resolutions should be kept to an acceptable minimum to enable faster
loading and viewing times.

 Too many features tend to confuse users. It is therefore important to keep the design simple
yet sophisticated to operate.

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5.2 HTML-based content

Key aspects of the HTML-based content of the EMS Literacy Software will be as follow:

 Self-contained content - All content should be self-contained, meaning it should not rely on
an active Internet connection and should contain all of the necessary HTML, video, audio,
and graphics that it needs. Therefore, all URL and object references should be relative and
not absolute.

 Images - Supported formats include PNG, JPG, GIF, and Animated GIF. File size and
dimensions should be considered carefully.

 Flash content – Flash content should be avoided and desired animated content should be
converted to an MP4 format and presented as videos.

 Scrolling of content – The user should not be required to scroll down for a long time to
reach the navigation buttons. The content must fit at a single glance into the screen
resolutions we need to support.

 Table support - HTML tables are supported but should be kept simple and straightforward,
where nested table structures must be avoided.

 Quizzes and assessments - Questions can be included in HTML, JavaScript content, including
multiple-choice, multiple responses etc. Assessments will happen immediately once user
feedback and interaction is received, and must allow for tracking of responses.

6. The EMS Literacy Software Prototype

A prototype of the EMS Literacy Software will be developed operating on a desktop environment,
which will be available as a resource for the FEMS student. The software will allow FEMS students to
utilize reading laboratory desktops and have access to valuable faculty-based educational content.
Experimental Testing of the prototype and getting feedback will enable us to make changes
regarding the look and feel of the application, effecting improvements on the content, structure of
content delivery, functionality ensuring that the technology adoption process flows smoothly.

The figure below outlines the envisaged system design of EMS Literacy Software.

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Figure 9 Prototype database architecture

The application in terms of the figure above will consist of two parts being the client and server-side
applications, which are discussed below.

 Client-side applications – These applications will be written in HTML 5/6, CSS 3 and
JavaScript programming languages. The Graphical user interface (GUI) will be coded using
Bootstrap (4.0) responsive web development including a series of additional cross-platform
technologies which will allow us to achieve desired end results, where the software will be
running on Microsoft Windows devices.

 Server-side applications – The server-side applications will be coded in PHP. The server will
store all information regarding the floors/rooms, including all multi-media. Server-side
applications also handle the client authentication and authorization procedures which will
allow us to generate information on each FEMS student using the software. This application
further allows the software to track student progress, and accurately store data in cache for
the offline capability requirements of the software. When the software is connected to the
internet in the event of an interruption, these server-side applications will check the cache
validity fetching data from the server and pushing student progress to the server for
immediate evaluation.

 Database – This data tier comprises of the database/data storage system and data access
layer using MySQL.

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6.1 Application development

The EMS Literacy Software prototype will be developed specifically as a support initiative for first-
year FEMS students to develop their cognitive academic language proficiency skills. As such the
software will be viewed as a learning support resource which is currently not available specifically
for FEMS students effectively complimenting other literacy tools which may exist. The prototype
content design is currently being developed on participatory grounds, with a content development
team in place, with regular meetings headed by Dr Morule as the person responsible for the FEMS
literacy component part of the course, and other stakeholders. The EMS Literacy Software prototype
will be developed over a period of six months. The first series of meetings with the project sponsor,
content developers, Information system developers and FEMS representatives took place during July
2019.

Following the agile software development method, the application programming work will be a
continuous and regular collaborative effort between the aforementioned stakeholders. Discussions
will be held with the NWU’s IT department to determine whether the prototype can be hosted on
the institution's servers, or whether through the utilisation of a hosting service provider. The agile
development paradigm recommends that each and every phase of the SDLC be continuously
revisited to ensure alignment, as the development process including requirements may change
along the way. For the testing of the prototype, we intend to invite a small segment of FEMS
students as users to interact with the prototype, testing a multitude of features and scenarios.
Instructional animation, audios, graphics will be incorporated into the prototype of which the testing
team will be required to give an opinion on, regarding improvements and omissions.

Several academic literacy software were reviewed and were found to not be suitable for the
integration into a formal educational course for a number of reasons, such as they offered generic
content, as the NWU has shifted towards faculty-based, context-specific intensive reading
interventions. The other reasons were such that many were focused on one aspect of language
learning and not a wide array of different language skills. Licensing fees also impacted on the
decision to develop the software in-house.

In order for the FEMS students to access the content of the application, they will be required to log
in using their Student Number and Password through the NWU’s Central Authentication Service. This
will empower the Centre for Teaching and Learning to study FEMS student’s individual use of the
application, and derive statistical information, such as the time spent using the application, the type
of devices used to access the application, and which activities the student is struggling with.

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6.2 Application content

As mentioned under application development, most applications which are available in the
marketplace were found not to be suitable for the EMS business requirements, in such they focussed
on specific language aspects such as generic vocabulary learning and reading. The EMS Literacy
Software will incorporate vocabulary, listening, grammar and writing delivered as activities using a
context-based approach to benefit students according to their respective departments. The
application content will be adapted to the formal course material echoed through the Centre for
Teaching and Learning’s curriculum. The application intends to establish seamless navigation,
enabling a link to be established to the structure of the course material.

The modules will consist of three dominant features, being the grammar\structure, vocabulary and
the applied use of the English language forming dialogical learning scenarios. The critical listening
and the reading task will then be integrated into all scenarios.

6.3 Graphical User Interface

The objective of the application is to achieve user-friendly navigation, extending features such as
variable screen size, texts for the visually impaired, and interactivity to ensure that the FEMS student
is appropriately engaged with the application content. Uniformity will be a critical feature where the
software must look and function/perform the same as with other sister academic literacy
interventions such as the Law Literacy Software. The size of the application should not be too large,
considering that there will be in excess of 144 separate tests/activities, which will require attention
to the navigation feature, so as to make it simpler and effective.

The EMS Literacy Software will focus on engaging the user, thus making it as interactive as possible,
where the activities relating to vocabulary learning and grammar will be delivered through, context-
based practice rooms, memorisation, quizzes, associations etc. which will provide instant feedback
to the student, which we deem to be a critical success factor for the EMS Literacy Software.

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7. Ethical considerations

The use of technologies in the higher education sector may bring about a change in student learning
practices, which brings about a set of ethical concerns and challenges. These challenges relate to
various contexts through which such technology-mediated learning takes place, which is typically
connected to the internet and may raise potential privacy issues. The envisaged software may
provide various kinds of personal information about the FEMS students, through GPS location and
other features, and ethics ought to be considered in relation to its cultural and social contexts. We
intend to follow the ethical guidelines and recommendations offered by the North-West University,
Council for Higher Education as well as provisions as set out by the Protection of Personal
Information Act (4 of 2013).

In simple terms, in relation to the South African higher education environment, the purpose of the
Act is to ensure that all institutions conduct themselves in a responsible manner when collecting,
processing, storing and sharing another entity's personal information by holding them accountable
should they abuse or compromise your personal information in any way.

The Act considers personal information as extremely valuable and therefor bestows on an individual,
as the owner of the personal information, certain rights of protection and the ability to exercise
control over:

 When and how you choose to share your information (requires consent);
 The type and extent of information you choose to share;
 Transparency and accountability on how your information will be used;
 Providing you with access to your own information as well as the right to have your

information destroyed;
 Who has access to your information
 How and where your information is stored; and
 The integrity and continued accuracy of your information.

We have to accept that we now live in an information age and along with this progress comes the
responsibility for each individual to take care of and protect their own information. To protect the
individual's right to privacy and guard against abuse of information, data protection legislation has
become necessary and therefore the Protection of Personal Information Act was enacted.

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Batshadi Holdings aims to ensure that all processes and procedures are in place to ensure that
personal information is managed in an effective and correct manner as prescribed by the Act in
order to ensure good corporate governance.

The Act, however, cannot protect the individual if the individual does not take care to protect
themselves. Individuals must be informed about their rights, and when asked to exercise a choice in
terms of the Act, make an informed decision.

Batshadi Holdings furthermore intends to adhere to the set policies and guidelines of the North-
West University highlighted below:

 Records Management Policy

Policy statement

It is the policy of the North-West University to manage its records in an accountable, effective and
efficient manner through the implementation of a records management programme that takes into
account related objectives such as orderly classification of records, retention and disposal,
accessibility, security and confidentiality, training and performance and quality management.
The North-West University is dependent on its records as its corporate memory to operate
efficiently, consistently and productively and to account for its actions. This policy defines a
structure for the North-West University to ensure that official records are identified and maintained
and that they are managed and controlled effectively and at best value, commensurate with the
NWU’s vision, values and mission as well as legal, operational and information requirements.
It is furthermore the policy of the NWU to comply with the Promotion of Access to Information Act
(No 2 of 2000) (PAIA) and the broad principles of records management that are required by the
National Archives and Records Service Act (No 43 of 1996), the International Standard for Records
Management (ISO15489) and the South African National Standard for Records Management (SANS
15489) together with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and other applicable
legislation.

 Policy on the responsible use of Information and Communication Technology, Networks
and Information Resources at the North-West University

Policy statement

It is the policy of the University to maintain access for its community to local, national and
international sources of information and to provide an atmosphere that encourages access to
knowledge and sharing of information. As a part of the physical and social learning infrastructure,

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the North-West University acquires, develops, and maintains information and communications
technology and systems. These information and communication technology resources and systems
are intended for University-related purposes, including direct and indirect support of the University's
teaching and learning, research, and community engagement activities; of University administrative
functions; of student and campus life activities; and of the free exchange of ideas among members
of the University community and between the University community and the wider local, national,
and world communities.

It is the policy of the University that information resources will be used by members of its
community with respect for the public trust through which they have been provided and in
accordance with policy and rules established from time to time by the University and its operating
units.

 Teaching and Learning Policy of the NWU

Policy statement

The Teaching and Learning Policy of North-West University is based on the following premise: In
agreement with the National Education Policy for Outcomes-based Education and the level
descriptors of the National Qualifications Framework, the teaching and learning approach of the
NWU is one of guided, independent, outcomes-based study within a blended teaching and learning
environment. The lecturer guides learners to attain the outcomes unique to a programme and its
composite modules through active learning activities suitable to the level of autonomy expected of
learners on a specific level of study.

 Policy on the Management of Intellectual Property at the NWU

Policy statement

It is the policy of the North-West University to deal with the ownership, distribution and commercial
exploitation of intellectual property developed by staff, students and other parties concerned at
North-West University (hereafter referred to as “the University”). The University takes cognisance of
the Intellectual Property Rights for Publicly Funded Research and Development Act, 51 of 2008 in so

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far as its stipulations are applicable to the University as well as all other relevant legislation and
state the intention to comply with same to the extent that it is reasonably required in law. The policy
is applicable to all campuses of the University, to all temporary and permanent employees on the
staff establishment of the University, to contract workers of the University, and to all registered
students of the University.

8. Code of Ethics

The following code of ethics will be followed by Batshadi Holdings outlining our ethical and
professional obligations as software developers. The code will instruct us about the standards our
clients will expect us to meet, and what is expected from one another.

8.1 Principle 1: Public

Batshadi Holdings shall act consistently with the public interest. In particular, Batshadi Holdings
shall, as appropriate:

8.1.1 Accept full responsibility for their own work.
8.1.2 Moderate the interests of the software engineer, the employer, the client and the
8.1.3 users with the public good.
Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets
8.1.4 specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish
privacy or harm the environment. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the
8.1.5 public good.
8.1.6 Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger to the
8.1.7 user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be associated
with software or related documents.
Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave public concern caused by software, its
installation, maintenance, support or documentation.
Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones, concerning
software or related documents, methods and tools.
Consider issues of physical disabilities, allocation of resources, economic disadvantage
and other factors that can diminish access to the benefits of software.

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8.1.8 Be encouraged to volunteer professional skills to good causes and to contribute to
public education concerning the discipline.

8.2 Principle 2: Client and Employer

Batshadi Holdings shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer,
consistent with the public interest. In particular, Batshadi Holdings shall, as appropriate:

8.2.1 Provide service in their areas of competence, being honest and forthright about any
8.2.2 limitations of their experience and education.
8.2.3 Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.
8.2.4 Use the property of a client or employer only in ways properly authorized, and with the
8.2.5 client's or employer's knowledge and consent.
8.2.6 Ensure that any document upon which they rely has been approved, when required, by
someone authorized to approve it.
8.2.7 Keep private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where
8.2.8 such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with the law.
Identify, document, collect evidence and report to the client or the employer promptly
if, in their opinion, a project is likely to fail, to prove too expensive, to violate
intellectual property law, or otherwise to be problematic.
Identify, document, and report significant issues of social concern, of which they are
aware, in software or related documents, to the employer or the client.
Promote no interest adverse to their employer or client, unless a higher ethical
concern is being compromised; in that case, inform the employer or another
appropriate authority of the ethical concern.

8.3 Principle 3: Product

Batshadi Holdings shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest
professional standards possible. In particular, Batshadi Holdings shall, as appropriate:

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8.3.1 Strive for high quality, acceptable cost, and a reasonable schedule, ensuring significant
tradeoffs are clear to and accepted by the employer and the client, and are available
for consideration by the user and the public.

8.3.2 Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work
or propose.

8.3.3 Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues
related to work projects.

8.3.4 Ensure that they are qualified for any project on which they work or propose to work,
by an appropriate combination of education, training, and experience.

8.3.5 Ensure that an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or
propose to work.

8.3.6 Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for
the task at hand, departing from these only when ethically or technically justified.

8.3.7 Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
8.3.8 Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well

documented, satisfy the users' requirements and have the appropriate approvals.
8.3.9 Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, scheduling, personnel, quality and

outcomes on any project on which they work or propose to work and provide an
uncertainty assessment of these estimates.
8.3.10 Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on
which they work.
8.3.11 Ensure adequate documentation, including significant problems discovered and
solutions adopted, for any project on which they work.
8.3.12 Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those
who will be affected by that software.
8.3.13 Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it
only in ways properly authorized.
8.3.14 Maintain the integrity of data, being sensitive to outdated or flawed occurrences.
8.3.15 Treat all forms of software maintenance with the same professionalism as new
development.

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8.4 Principle 4: Judgment

Batshadi Holdings shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment. In
particular, Batshadi Holdings shall, as appropriate:

8.4.1 Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
8.4.2 Only endorse documents either prepared under their supervision or within their areas
8.4.3 of competence and with which they are in agreement.
8.4.4 Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents
8.4.5 they are asked to evaluate.
8.4.6 Not engage in deceptive financial practices such as bribery, double billing, or other
improper financial practices.
Disclose to all concerned parties those conflicts of interest that cannot reasonably be
avoided or escaped.
Refuse to participate, as members or advisors, in a private, governmental or
professional body concerned with software related issues, in which they, their
employers or their clients have undisclosed potential conflicts of interest.

8.5 Principle 5: Management

Batshadi Holdings shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of
software development and maintenance. In particular, Batshadi Holdings engineers shall, as
appropriate:

8.5.1 Ensure good management for any project on which they work, including effective
8.5.2 procedures for promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
8.5.3 Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
Ensure that software engineers know the employer's policies and procedures for
8.5.4 protecting passwords, files and information that is confidential to the employer or
confidential to others.
Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and
experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.

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8.5.5 Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, scheduling, personnel, quality and
outcomes on any project on which they work or propose to work, and provide an
uncertainty assessment of these estimates.

8.5.6 Attract potential software engineers only by a full and accurate description of the
conditions of employment.

8.5.7 Offer fair and just remuneration.
8.5.8 Not unjustly prevent someone from taking a position for which that person is suitably

qualified.
8.5.9 Ensure that there is a fair agreement concerning ownership of any software, processes,

research, writing, or other intellectual property to which a software engineer has
contributed.
8.5.10 Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of
this Code.
8.5.11 Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
8.5.12 Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.

8.6 Principle 6: Profession

Batshadi Holdings shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the
public interest. In particular, Batshadi Holdings shall, as appropriate:

8.6.1 Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
8.6.2 Promote public knowledge of software engineering.
8.6.3 Extend software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional
organizations, meetings and publications.
8.6.4 Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this
Code.
8.6.5 Not promote their own interest at the expense of the profession, client or employer.
8.6.6 Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such
compliance is inconsistent with the public interest.
8.6.7 Be accurate in stating the characteristics of software on which they work, avoiding not
only false claims but also claims that might reasonably be supposed to be speculative,
vacuous, deceptive, misleading, or doubtful.

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8.6.8 Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and
associated documents on which they work.

8.6.9 Ensure that clients, employers, and supervisors know of the software engineer's
commitment to this Code of ethics, and the subsequent ramifications of such
commitment.

8.6.10 Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this
code.

8.6.11 Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional
software engineer.

8.6.12 Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are
detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.

8.6.13 Report significant violations of this Code to appropriate authorities when it is clear that
consultation with people involved in these significant violations is impossible, counter-
productive or dangerous.

8.7 Principle 7: Colleagues

Batshadi Holdings shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues. In particular, Batshadi Holdings
shall, as appropriate:

8.7.1 Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
8.7.2 Assist colleagues in professional development.
8.7.3 Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
8.7.4 Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
8.7.5 Give a fair hearing to the opinions, concerns, or complaints of a colleague.
8.7.6 Assist colleagues in being fully aware of current standard work practices including
policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and other confidential
8.7.7 information, and security measures in general.
Not unfairly intervene in the career of any colleague; however, concern for the
8.7.8 employer, the client or public interest may compel software engineers, in good faith, to
question the competence of a colleague.
In situations outside of their own areas of competence, call upon the opinions of other
professionals who have competence in that area.

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8.8 Principle 8: Self

Batshadi Holdings shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and
shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession. In particular, Batshadi Holdings
shall continually endeavor to:

8.8.1 Further their knowledge of developments in the analysis, specification, design,
development, maintenance and testing of software and related documents, together
8.8.2 with the management of the development process
8.8.3 Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and useful quality software at a
8.8.4 reasonable cost and within a reasonable time.
8.8.5 Improve their ability to produce accurate, informative, and well-written
8.8.6 documentation.
8.8.7 Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they
8.8.8 work and of the environment in which they will be used.
8.8.9 Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software
and related documents on which they work.
Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their
work.
Not give unfair treatment to anyone because of any irrelevant prejudices.
Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a
professional software engineer.


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