This assignment has two components:
A) Critical deconstruction of literature
B) Completion of the "Fact Check" micro-credential and reflection
Both components, combined, should total 2,250 words (+/- 10%), excluding references. We recommend
you devote 2,000 words to Part A) Critical deconstruction of literature, and 250 words to Part B, your
reflection on the "Fact Check" micro-credential.
A) Critical deconstruction of literature
This assignment provides you with the foundations you need to complete Assignments 2 and 3. By
completing this part of the assignment you will learn how to critically analyse and deconstruct scholarly
arguments.
To complete this assignment you must analyse and deconstruct four readings (details provided below),
reconciling them to the four paradigms discussed in the lectures and in the following paper:
Hirschheim, R. & Klein, H. K. (1989). Four paradigms of information systems development.
Communications of the ACM, Vol. 32(10): 1199-1216.
To do well in this assignment, you must demonstrate a good understanding of how knowledge is legitimised.
That is, how writers attempt to convince you of the merits of their ideas. To assist you to complete the
assignment, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Learn the four paradigms
Study Hirschheim and Klein's (1989) paper in depth.
Listen to the lectures during which the four perspectives motivating organisational analysis were identified
and discussed.
Watch the four video overviews provided by Dr Keith Toh, below, on each of the paradigms:
Understanding the functionalist paradigm
Understanding the social relativist paradigm
Understanding the radical structuralist paradigm
Understanding the neohumanist paradigm
Search out additional literature to aid your understanding, which you should then cite in your
deconstruction.
Build your knowledge of the relevant disciplinary-language.
Discuss the four paradigms with your tutor, and seek clarification during your tutorials as required.
Step 2: Use the template, below, as a guide to help you deconstruct and classify the given four scholarly
readings
The assignment template provides you with guidelines to help you deconstruct each reading, and match
each reading to the most appropriate paradigm. Please note that if students wish they may fill in the
template for each reading, and submit the four completed templates (collapsed into a single document).
Using the template, however, is not compulsory. Please refer to the rubric to see the criteria against which
you will be marked for this assignment.
Assignment 1 TemplatePreview the document.
The four readings you must read, deconstruct, and match to the most appropriate paradigm are:
Reading Paradigm
Howard, S.K., Thompson, K., Yang, J. & Ma, J. (2017). Working the system: Development of a system
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model of technology integration to inform learning task design. British Journal of Educational Technology,
50(1): 326–341.
Which paradigm informed the authors' work and why did you draw this conclusion?
Almas, A. G. & Krumsvik, R. (2008). Teaching in technology-rich classrooms: Is there a gap between
teachers’ intentions and ICT practices? Research in Comparative and International Education, 3(2): 103–
- Which paradigm informed the authors' work and why did you draw this conclusion?
Haugsbakk, G. & Nordkvelle, Y. (2007). The rhetoric of ICT and the new language of learning: A critical
analysis of the use of ICT in the curricular field. European Educational Research Journal, 6(1): 1–12. Which
paradigm informed the authors' work and why did you draw this conclusion?
Biesta, G. (2005). Against learning. Reclaiming a language for education in an age of learning. Nordic
Studies in Education, 25: 54–66. Which paradigm informed the author's work and why did you draw this
conclusion?
B) Completion of "fact check" micro-credential and reflection - for on-shore students
This credential complements Part A of the assessment by helping you to learn how to critically analyse and
deconstruct lay arguments.
As part of this assessment, please complete the critical thinking micro-credential "Fact Check". You may
access this micro-credential through this Canvas site by clicking "Modules" on the left-hand sidebar and
navigating to the Creds module.
A copy of the badge or the unique URL is required for submission in this assignment. Use the instructions
linked on the credential launch page in Canvas to claim your badge and to get your unique URL.
In order to qualify for a badge you will need to achieve the stated requirements for the credential. Please
refer to the credential launch page for more details including marking turnaround times on submission-type
assessments. Note that badges may take up to 24 hours to be issued.
Write a paragraph of 250 words reflecting on:
how members of society (including politicians) attempt to legitimate their views
the role that evidence and scholarly knowledge might play in informing public debate
and, therefore, the importance of having the skills not only to deconstruct lay arguments, but also the
scholarly argumentation upon which lay opinions are based.
Include this paragraph at the end of Part 1A of your assignment (your critical deconstruction of the scholarly
literature).
Copy and paste a copy of your unique URL at the end of your reflective paragraph, so that completion of
the micro-credential may be verified.
B) Reflective exercise - for off-shore students
This part of Assignment 1 complements Part A of the assessment by helping you to learn how to critically
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analyse and deconstruct lay arguments.
Find two on-line news articles about the same issue, which put forward opposing, or at least different,
views. This might be an article about climate change, for example, or an article about the regulation of the
finance and banking sector, or Big Pharma's role in solving the Corona Virus crisis, or corporate welfare
(bailing out banks, etc., after a crisis).
Write a paragraph of 250 words reflecting on:
how the authors attempt to legitimate their views
the role that evidence and scholarly knowledge:
appears to have played in informing the authors' views; and
might play in informing public debate; and
the importance of having the skills not only to deconstruct lay arguments, but also the scholarly
argumentation upon which lay opinions are based.
Include this paragraph at the end of Part 1A of your assignment (your critical deconstruction of the scholarly
literature).
Copy and paste URLs to your two articles at the end of your reflective paragraph, so that your teaching
team member may review the articles.
Additional information pertaining to Assessment 1
If you need an extension, please read: Extensions of time for submission of assessable work (Links to an
external site.)
Assessment declaration
I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment, I have read, understood, and agree to the Course
Learning Outcomes and rubric. When you submit work electronically at RMIT, you will be asked to agree to
the Assessment declaration.
Sample Solution