OSRA Technological Solutions for Business

Organizational & End-user Information Systems

Curriculum Model

Information and Media Management

Course Description

This course provides a detailed treatment of information and media management. Media is defined as the information storage format, and includes paper, microrecords, electronic, video, and other forms of information generation, recording, and storage. Students develop an understanding of the information life cycle, information value, and how information serves as a critical organizational asset.

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

Describe the variety and scope of information and media that are an integral part of contemporary organizations
Discuss information resource management philosophies, practices, and tools
Apply the information records life cycle to situations
Discuss legal and ethical issues related to information management and retention
List proprietary, legal, and tax issues related to information media
Categorize back-up and disaster recovery systems and procedures
Give examples of varying cultural conventions governing information management in a number of different societies

Course Approach

The introductory portions of this course may be devoted to lectures, discussions, and class projects that review basic information management concepts and establish information management as a component of business processes. In leading the discussion, the instructor could identify issues related to effective information flow and control, and the management of information within and among organizations. Case studies could be the basis for analysis and evaluation for discussion of information management in contemporary organizations.

Vendor presentations and demonstrations are recommended. The American Records Management Association (ARMA), both national and local, could recommend vendors and guest lecturers. Trade and professional publications can supplement basic texts. Selected articles from professional journals would provide students with problems and solutions in the professional workplace. Group- and individual course projects could be based either on cases or real life situations. Such analyses are considered an addition to students' portfolios of pre-professional experiences.

1. The Varieties and Scope of Information and Media. (20%) Skill level 1

Material covered: Description and application of information, documents, and media; the information life cycle. The promises and limitations of various formats for information used in organizations, including paper, film, electronic, image, and encrypted materials

2. The Techniques and Technologies for Organizing and Managing Information Resources (20%) Skill level 2

Material covered: The philosophy and description of information resource management, practices, and techniques. Organizing and managing information resources

3. The Information Life Cycle (20%) Skill levels 2 and 3

Material covered: Analysis of information and records from conception, execution, distribution, use, and storage. Record retrieval from various formats: original, paper, electronic, photographic, and optical. Developing schedules for records destruction. Legal, tax, and ethical considerations. Proprietary considerations

4. Back Up and Disaster Recovery Systems (20%) Skill levels 2 and 3

Material covered: Automated back-up and retrieval systems; long-term protection storage systems for records preservation

5. Cultural Considerations (20%) Skill level 2

Material covered: Global information management issues and how practices may vary in other nations. Legal, ethical, and proprietary considerations in multi-national organizations

Resources

Journals: Proceedings of the Annual ARMA Conference, Records Management Quarterly, Datamation, Managing Office Technology, Modern Office Technology, The Office

Gill, S. (1993). File management & information retrieval systems: A manual for technicians and managers. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Bikson, T. K., & Frinking, E. J. (1993). Preserving the present: Toward viable electronic records. The Hague: Sdu Publishers. (also available as RAND reprint #RP- 257).

Ricks, B. R., Swafford, A. J., & Gow, K. F. (1992). Information and image management: A records systems approach. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western Publishing Co.

The OSRA Curriculum Revision Group

page design by Preston Lathrop
last revised: December 23, 1996