An Assignment on Information System Modeling: On Teaching Data and Process Integration

An information system is an integrated system of components that cooperatively aim to collect, store, manipulate, process, and disseminate data, information, and knowledge, often offered as digital products. A model of an existing or envisioned information system is its simplified representation developed to serve a purpose for a target audience. A model may represent various aspects of the system, including the structure of information, data constraints, processes that govern information, and organizational rules. Traditionally, the teaching of information system modeling is carried out in a fragmented way, i.e., modeling of different aspects of information systems is taught separately, often across different subjects. The authors’ teaching experience in this area suggests the shortcomings of such fragmented approach, evidenced by the lack of students’ ability to exploit the synergy between data and process constraints in the produced models of information systems. This paper proposes an assignment for undergraduate students which requests to model an information system of an envisioned private teaching institute. The assignment comprises a plethora of requirements grounded in the interplay of data and process constraints, and is accompanied by a tool that supports their explicit representation.