Skip to main content
Log in

Identifying didactic knowledge: An empirical study of the educationally critical aspects of learning about information systems

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper backgrounds and illustrates an approach to researching didactic knowledge. Underlying the approach are some of the frameworks developed from the student learning research. Based on these frameworks the experience of learning about a particular phenomenon is theorised as having educationally critical aspects. Without addressing these aspects in learning experiences, students are highly unlikely to achieve the target understanding desired by the teacher. The approach developed to research educationally critical aspects compares scholarly and student experiences of learning about a phenomenon using the analytical framework of a structure of awareness. An application of the approach is reported in the form of a phenomenographic study which researched didactic knowledge about the concept of an information system (IS). Multiple, previously unreported, educationally critical aspects of learning about the concept of an IS were identified. Some implications of this finding for the design of IS undergraduate curricula, textbooks, teaching strategies and learning tasks are proposed. Finally, the research approach is promoted as a means to investigate didactic knowledge about other phenomena.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alter, S. (1999). ‘A general, yet useful theory of information systems’, Communications of the Association for Information Systems 1(13). Online cais.isworld.org/articles/default.asp?vol=1&art=13.

  • Babinec, T. and Mehta, C. (1999). Thinking about exact statistics. Online www.spss.com/downloads/Papers.cfm?prod_familyID=00005&Name=SPSS.

  • P. Beynon-Davies (1998) Information Systems Development EditionNumber3 MacMillan Press London

    Google Scholar 

  • J.B. Biggs (1988) ArticleTitleAssessing student approaches to learning Australian Psychologist 23 197–206

    Google Scholar 

  • J.B. Biggs (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University SRHE and Open University Press Buckingham

    Google Scholar 

  • S.A. Booth (1992) Learning to program: A phenomenographic perspective Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis Göteborg

    Google Scholar 

  • S.A. Booth (1994) ‘On phenomenography, learning and teaching’ R. Ballantyne C. Bruce (Eds) Proceedings of Phenomenography: Philosophy and Practice. Brisbane QUT Publications and Printing Queensland 3–6

    Google Scholar 

  • S.A. Booth (1997) ArticleTitleOn phenomenography, learning and teaching Higher Education Research and Development 16 IssueID2 135–157

    Google Scholar 

  • J.A. Bowden F. Marton (1998) The University of Learning: Beyond Quality and Competence in Higher Education Kogan Page London

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Checkland (1981) Systems Thinking, Systems Practice Wiley Chichester, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. (1992). Extra-organisational systems: A challenge to the software engineering paradigm. Presented at the IFIP World Congress, Madrid. Online www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/SOS/PaperExtraOrgSys.html.

  • Cope, C.J. (2000a). Educationally Critical Aspects of the Experience of Learning About the Concept of an Information System. Doctoral dissertation, La Trobe University, Australia. Online ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/~cope/cope-thesis.pdf.

  • Cope, C.J. (2000b). ‘Educationally critical aspects of a deep understanding of the concept of an information system’. Presented at the Fourth Australasian Computing Education Conference, Monash University, Australia.

  • C.J. Cope (2002) ArticleTitleEducationally critical aspects of the concept of an information system Informing Science Journal 5 67–78

    Google Scholar 

  • C.J. Cope (2003) ArticleTitleEducationally Critical characteristics of deep approaches to learning about the concept of an information system Journal of IT Education 2 415–427

    Google Scholar 

  • C.J. Cope P. Horan (1997) ArticleTitleThe role played case: An experiential approach to teaching introductory information systems development Journal of Information Systems Education 8 IssueID2–3 33–39

    Google Scholar 

  • C.J. Cope P. Horan M. Garner (1997) ArticleTitleConceptions of an information system and their use in teaching about IS Informing Science Journal 1 IssueID1 7–19

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Crawford S. Gordon J. Nicholas M. Prosser (1994) ArticleTitleConceptions of mathematics and how it is learned: The perspectives of students entering university Learning and Instruction 4 331–345

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Crawford S. Gordon J. Nicholas M. Prosser (1998) ArticleTitleQualitatively different experiences of learning mathematics at university Learning and Instruction 8 455–468

    Google Scholar 

  • N.J. Entwistle (1979) ArticleTitleStages, levels, styles or strategies: Dilemmas in the description of thinking Educational Review 31 123–132

    Google Scholar 

  • N.J. Entwistle (1997) ArticleTitleIntroduction: Phenomenography in higher education Higher Education Research and Development 16 IssueID2 127–134

    Google Scholar 

  • N.J. Entwistle (1998) ‘Improving teaching through research on student learning’ J.F.F. Forest (Eds) University Teaching: International Perspectives Garland Publishing New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Entwistle, N.J. (2000). ‘Promoting deep learning through teaching and assessment: conceptual frameworks and educational contexts’. Presented at TLRP Conference, Leicester. Online www.ed.ac.uk/etl/publications.html.

  • Entwistle, N.J. (2003). ‘Concepts and conceptual frameworks underpinning the ETL project’, Occasional paper 3, ETL project, School of Education, University of Edinburgh. Online www.ed.ac.uk/etl.

  • N.J. Entwistle M. Hanley G. Ratcliffe (1979) ArticleTitleApproaches to learning and levels of understanding British Educational Research Journal 5 99–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Entwistle, N.J., McCune, V. and Hounsell, J. (2002). ‘Approaches to studying and perceptions of University teaching–learning environments: Concepts, measures and preliminary findings’, Occasional Report 1, ETL Project, School of Education, University of Edinburgh. Online www.ed.ac.uk/etl.

  • N.J. Entwistle P. Ramsden (1983) Understanding Student Learning Croom Helm London

    Google Scholar 

  • N.J. Entwistle C. Smith (2002) ArticleTitlePersonal understanding and target understanding: Mapping influences on the outcomes of learning British Journal of Educational Psychology 71 321–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Falkenberg, E.D., Hesse, W., Lindgreen, P., Nilsson, B.E., Han Oei, J.L., Rolland, C., Stamper, R.K., van Assche, F.J.M., Verrijn-Stuart, A.A. and Voss, K. (1996). A Framework of Information Systems Concepts. Report of the IFIP WG 8.1 Task Group FRISCO.

  • R.M. Godfrey (1995) ArticleTitleStudents as end-users: Participative design of the I/S learning experience Journal of Computer Information Systems 36 IssueID1 17–22

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Gurwitsch (1964) The Field of Consciousness Duquense University Press Pittsburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Hazel M. Prosser K. Trigwell (1996) ArticleTitleStudent learning of biology concepts in different university contexts Research and Development in Higher Education 19 323–326

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Hazel M. Prosser K. Trigwell (2002) ArticleTitleVariation in learning orchestration in university biology courses International Journal of Science Education 24 737–751

    Google Scholar 

  • Horan, P. (2002) A new and flexible graphic organiser for IS learning: The Rich Picture. Proceedings of Informing Science conference, Cork, Ireland. Online ecommerce.lebow.drexel.edu/eli/2002Proceedings/papers/Horan133Newan.

  • B. Johansson F. Marton L. Svensson (1985) ‘An approach to describing learning as change between qualitatively different conceptions’ A.L. Pines L.H.T. West (Eds) Cognitive Structure and Conceptual Change Academic Press New York 233–258

    Google Scholar 

  • FF. Land (1992) ‘The information systems domain’ R. Galliers (Eds) Information Systems Research: Issues, Methods and Practical Guidelines Blackwell Scientific Publications Oxford, UK 6–13

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Lu (1994) ArticleTitleA preliminary study of student responses to different CIS course teaching strategies Journal of Computer Information Systems 34 IssueID4 31–36

    Google Scholar 

  • L. Lybeck F. Marton H. Strömdahl A. Tullberg (1988) ‘The phenomenography of the ‘Mole Concept’ in chemistry’ P. Ramsden (Eds) Improving Learning. New Perspectives Kogan Page London 81–108

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Marton (1981) ArticleTitlePhenomenography–describing conceptions of the world around us Instructional Science 10 177–200

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Marton (1998) ‘Towards a theory of quality in higher education’ B. Dart G. Boulton-Lewis (Eds) Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Australian Council for Educational Research Camberwell, Vic., Australia 177–200

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Marton S. Booth (1996) ‘The learner’s experience of learning’ D.R. Olson N. Torrance (Eds) The Handbook of Education and Human Development: New Models of Learning, Teaching and Schooling Blackwell Oxford 534–564

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Marton S. Booth (1997) Learning and Awareness Erlbaum Mahwah, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • F. Marton R. Säljö (1976) ArticleTitle‘On qualitative differences in learning. I. Outcome and process’ British Journal of Educational Psychology 46 4–11

    Google Scholar 

  • McCune, V. and Entwistle, N.J. (2000). ‘The deep approach to learning: Analytic abstraction and idiosyncratic development’, Paper presented at the Innovations in Higher Education Conference, Helsinki. Online www.ed.ac.uk/etl/publications.html.

  • J.H.F. Meyer R. Land (2003) ‘Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (1): linkages to thinking and practising within the disciplines’ C. Rust (Eds) Improving Student Learning: Improving Student Learning Theory and Practice\ten years OCSLD Oxford 412–424

    Google Scholar 

  • J.H.F. Meyer R. Land (2005) ArticleTitle‘Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning’ Higher Education 49 IssueID3 373–388

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Prosser R. Millar (1989) ArticleTitleThe how and what of learning physics European Journal of Psychology in Education 4 513–528 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF03172714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Ramsden (1997) ‘The context of learning’ F. Marton D. Hounsell N.J. Entwistle (Eds) The Experience of Learning EditionNumber2 Scottish Academic Press Edinburgh 198–216

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Ramsden (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education EditionNumber2 RoutledgeFalmer London

    Google Scholar 

  • L. Svensson (1997) ‘Skill in learning’ F. Marton D. Hounsell N.J. Entwistle (Eds) The Experience of Learning EditionNumber2 Scottish Academic Press Edinburgh 59–71

    Google Scholar 

  • N.S. Thomson (1994) ArticleTitleUsing TQM principles to teach current topics in information systems Journal of Information Systems Education 6 IssueID2 65–72

    Google Scholar 

  • W. P. Wagner (1997) ArticleTitleTeaching information systems concepts using World-Wide Web-Based content Journal of Computer Information Systems 38 IssueID2 76–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. Wand R. Weber (1995) ArticleTitleOn the deep structure of information systems Information Systems Journal 5 203–223

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Weber (1996) ‘A neglected aspect of the information systems curriculum: What is an information system?’ D. Arnott K. Dampney A. Scollary (Eds) The Australian Debate on Information Systems Curriculum. Proceedings of the Australian Information Systems Curriculum Working Conference Monash University, Department of Information Systems Melbourne 71–75

    Google Scholar 

  • M.C. Winter D.H. Brown P.B. Checkland (1995) ArticleTitleA role for soft systems methodology in information systems development European Journal of Information Systems 4 130–142 Occurrence Handle10.1057/ejis.1995.17

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chris Cope.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cope, C., Prosser, M. Identifying didactic knowledge: An empirical study of the educationally critical aspects of learning about information systems. High Educ 49, 345–372 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6677-x

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6677-x

Keywords

Navigation