QCD110 Report: Importance of IT Skills for Student Success in Faculty

This report, prepared for ABC Consulting, identifies and discusses four crucial skills necessary for student success in the field of Information Technology: communication, problem-solving, organizational skills, and project management. The report provides two practical methods for developing each skill, supported by secondary research to justify their importance. The most important method for each skill is then highlighted and discussed in detail. The report concludes with recommendations for improving these IT skills, emphasizing the significance of active listening, understanding problems, using to-do lists, and comprehending the project's requirements. The references include a comprehensive list of sources. Furthermore, the report includes a feedback and reflection form for self and peer assessment, along with a criteria sheet detailing the assessment standards for organization, content, and language.

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
The importance of **
for student success in faculty
Client: ***
Title: ***
Organisation: ***
Researcher: ***
Organisation: ABC Consulting
Due date: Thursday *** 2018

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
1.1. Background.................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Purpose........................................................................................................................................1
2.0 Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Communication skills:..................................................................................................................3
2.2 problem solving skills:..................................................................................................................3
2.3 organizational skills......................................................................................................................4
2.4 project management skills...........................................................................................................5
3.0 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
4.0 Recommendation............................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
1.0 Introduction
1.1. Background
Information technology is considered to be the business sector associated with dealing with
the computing which includes the hardware along with the software, telecommunication
and many more. This almost anything which is associated with the transmission of
information or any of the system that is associated with facilitating the communication.
Information technology or the IT is associated with involving various type of things and
many people who are assigned with different kind of responsibilities. The responsibilities
include the keeping of the system to securing the data so as to keep the database running
and up. Some people are assigned with the responsibility of managing the database,
whereas some of them are assigned with the responsibility of doing the programming’s.
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of this report is to identify four major skills that are required in order to
become successful in the faculty area which is the Information technology. For each of the
identified skills two methods are to be proposed that ca be used do as to achieving the skills
and followed by this secondary research is used so as to justify the importance. Amongst the
methods selected the most important one is chosen and discussed. Lastly the report would
be providing recommendations which would be helping in development of the IT skills.
1

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
2

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
2.0 Discussion
2.1 Communication skills:
Success in information technology is possible if good communication skills are
possessed. Both oral as well as written skills are required and acts as the basic
requirement for achieving success in information technology career. However, this type
of skills is not difficult to master. The communication skills involve the precise writing
skills, good oral presentation skills and strong listening skills. It is essential that the
information technology professions are having the capability of writing clearly and
precisely regarding any of the work they are doing. Besides this being confident,
engagement and providing of clear oral presentation skills helps a lot in achieving
success.
methods to achieve the communication skill
 Active listening is the meaningful way which would be helping in increasing the
communication skills. This is the process in which the listener needs to be fully
present and should be aware of what the speaker is saying, or better to say it is
the process of providing the speaker a full and undivided attention.
 There are many people who are having the fear of speaking in public. Getting up
and speaking to those who are entirely unknown is not an easy task. So by having
a confident and strong delivery of the speech is very much helpful. It is essential
that the speaker should think before saying anything.
2.2 problem solving skills:
The IT companies are associated with facing a constant battle of solving the
problems in the information technology. With rapid changes in the technology the needs
of the IT industry are also changing at a very rapid rate. So the IT professionals needs to
have good problem solving skills in order to gain a competitive advantage in the IT
marketplace. The problem solving skills must be including the problem solving strategies
which takes into account the evolution of the marketplace. Besides this the skills helps in
3

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
providing a framework that can be used for getting to the root of the problem as soon as
possible before it becomes a major issue.
methods to achieve the problem solving skill
 Understanding the problem: In order to achieve the problem solving skills it is
essential that the IT professionals are having the capability of understanding the
problem. For doing so they firstly need to define and understand the problem
that is being faced. This would be followed by setting of the goals which are to be
achieved so as to understand the problems that are to be faced by the goals.
 Another way of achieving the problem solving skill is by the gathering of
information regarding the problems and searching for alternatives that would be
helping in overcoming the problems.
2.3 organizational skills
Achieving success in the Information technology career is entirely not possible
without proper organization skills mastering the organization skills helps the IT
professionals by providing them with the tool that is needed for the purpose of
achieving success independently. This in turn is associated with providing a scope of
success for the It organizations. Some of the key areas which would be managed by
making use of the organizational skills includes the scheduling, management of time,
prioritization and planning the essentialities that are associated with any of the
Information technology projects.
methods to achieve the organizational skill:
 this type of skills can be achieved by creation of a to-do list which means a list is
to be created which would be including all the activities that are to be done on a
day and when that task is completed it is to be crossed off. This writing of the
daily tasks would be associated with putting a stress upon the IT professionals to
do the things. And this crossing would be helping a lot in making the IT
professionals think that they are becoming more proactive.
4

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
 Taking of notes while talking to people is another step for achieving success. This
would be acting as an important step forward towards achieving success and this
type of activity is very much helpful while having business conversations.
2.4 project management skills
The IT professionals should also have good project management skills as well in
order to handle any kind of projects related to IT. Some of the most important project
management skills includes good leadership qualities so as to lead the project towards
success, good communication skills so as to communicate all the information amongst
the participants of the project, good planning skills so as to plan the project in a proper
way by identification of the scope, budget and the time that is required to complete the
project, good time management skills so as to make sure that everything associated with
the project is being done within the time assigned, and negotiation skills so a s to
negotiate any type of conflicts being faced by the project.
methods to achieve the project management skill
 the simplest way of achieving the project management skills is by understanding
he project properly. Understanding the project would be helping a lot in future
management of the projects.
 Another way of achieving success is by the adaptation of proper planning where
all the details are to be put together. The details mainly includes the project
budget, the project time, the requirements of the clients and many more.
5

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
6

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
3.0 Conclusion
3.1 Active listening is more important because of the reason that it is the way
which can be used for the purpose of understanding whatever the speaker is trying to
say along with understanding the main constituents so as to communicate properly
without occurrence of any kind of problem. Besides this active listening helps in
communicating the information as ell in a proper way.
3.2 Understanding the problem is the most important factor as this not only
helps in understanding the problems but also helps in determining the factors
responsible for the problem and how they can be mitigated.
3.3 To-do list is more important as it helps in understanding and finding out what
are the tasks that are to be done. Besides this in case if any of the task is left behind then
it can easily be detected so as to organize and complete the task immediately.
3.4 Understand any of the IT project is also very Important as without
understanding the project it is not at all possible to achieving success so the IT
professionals associated with the projects should be associated with determine the IT
needs of the project it order to make it available anytime while the project is being
conducted.
7

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
4.0 Recommendation
4.1. Active hearing can be better improved by means of more concentration to
whatever the speaker is saying in order to understand the information being provided.
4.2 The problems need to be analyzed more accurately so as to understand what
the reasons responsible for the problems.
4.3 Making sure that everything that is noted in the to-do list is being done
sequentially so as to makes sure that none of the tasks are being missed.
4.4 Understanding the project and basic constituents of the project needs to
clear so as make sure that the IT professional are capable of understanding the basic
requirements of the project that is to be completed.
8

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
References
Avgerou, C., & Walsham, G. (Eds.). (2017). Information Technology in Context: Studies from
the Perspective of Developing Countries: Studies from the Perspective of Developing
Countries. Routledge.
Bloom, N., Garicano, L., Sadun, R., & Van Reenen, J. (2014). The distinct effects of
information technology and communication technology on firm
organization. Management Science, 60(12), 2859-2885.
Dahlstrom, E., & Bichsel, J. (2014). ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information
Technology, 2014. Educause.
Eason, K. D. (2014). Information technology and organisational change. CRC Press.
Lloyd, I. (2017). Information technology law. Oxford University Press.
Marchewka, J. T. (2014). Information technology project management. John Wiley & Sons.
Mithas, S., & Rust, R. T. (2016). HOW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY AND
INVESTMENTS INFLUENCE FIRM PERFORMANCE: CONJECTURE AND EMPIRICAL
EVIDENCE1. Mis Quarterly, 40(1).
Noble, D. D. (2017). The classroom arsenal: Military research, information technology and
public education. Routledge.
Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Stein, M. K., Newell, S., Wagner, E. L., & Galliers, R. D. (2015). Coping with information
technology: mixed emotions, vacillation and non-conforming use patterns. Mis
Quarterly, 39(2).
Webster, J. (2014). Shaping women's work: Gender, employment and information
technology. Routledge.
9

[Unit code] [Student name] [Tutor name]
Appendix
QCD110 3b Final Report Feedback and reflection form Name: Student Number:
Criterion Standard 5 Self-Assessment pre-submission against
criterion
Peer assessment pre-submission
Student name: ______________
Student number: ___________
Self-assessment post-submission reflecting on
tutor feedback and performance.
(This will require you to access and read your tutor
feedback on TurnItIn).
Content 50%
Relevant content supported by a competent
use of sources.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
Opening paragraph of the report. It should include
the following:
- What the issue is (broad to narrow)
- A citation to validate the importance of the
targeted skill
- Who the client is
- Why the issue is important to the client
- Date for the report to be finished
1.2 Purpose
The client's broad and narrow objective.
2.0 Discussion
Linked to the targeted skill
Focused on student success
Do you feel you have met this standard?
Yes/No. Above/Below? Standard: _____
Describe what you did well:
Has this student met this standard?
Yes/No. Above/Below? Standard: ____
Describe what this student did well:
What aspect of this criterion do you need to improve?
10