APPROVED

EXAMINATION PAPER: ACADEMIC SESSION 2008/2009Campus Maritime

GreenwichSchool Computing and Mathematical SciencesDepartment Information
System and Digital MediaLevel ThreeTITLE OF PAPER Information Systems
EngineeringCOURSE CODE COMP1304Date and Time Thursday 28
th
May 2009Duration 2 hours BAHRAIN 15:00GREECE 15:00KENYA 16:00MALAYSIA
18:30MALAWI 14:00MYANMAR 15:30SAUDI ARABIA 16:00SRI LANKA
18:30SYRIA 14:00TRINIDAD 09:30ZAMBIA 15:00BOTSWANA 15:00HONG KONG
18:30LONDON 13:00MALTA 14:00MAURITIUS 18:00RWANDA 14:00SINGAPORE
17:30SOUTH AFRICA 15:00TANZANIA 16:00UAE 17:00You MUST answer question
1 from Section A which is worth 40 marksAND TWO questions from section B which
are worth 30 marks each.If you answer more than two questions from section B, marks
will ONLY be awarded foryour TWO best answers.CALCULATORS AND
ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE
NOT
PERMITTED

 
Section A (Compulsory)
1. Stamper’s Semiotic Framework provides the system developer with a structure
tounderstand the development process. The framework is shown in figure 1.
Figure 1 – Stamper’s Semiotic Framework 

 
Figure 1 – Stamper’s Semiotic Framework 
(a) Using a case study with which you are familiar, describe the key systemdevelopment
activities that should take place in the Social World, Pragmaticand Semantic layers.[10
marks]
(b) For the Social World layer, identify the key issues that should be consideredby the
developer. For example, organisational culture would have an impacton the development
of an information system.[10 marks](c) Discuss why it is important for the developer to
understand issues of beliefs,culture, law, commitments and expectations when building
informationsystems.[20 marks
Section B (Answer any TWO questions)
2. (a) Explain why it is important to abstract and model as part of the
requirementsanalysis process. Provide a relevant example in support of your answer.[15
marks]
(b) Identify two modelling techniques with which you are familiar (e.g. RichPictures and
Use Case modelling) and for each one discuss how it supports theanalyst in nderstanding
requirements at an early stage in the developmentprocess.[15 marks]
3. (a) Discuss three reasons why systems failure still occurs after systems havecompleted
the development life-cycle. In your answer, comment upon the rolethat a formal
development method or framework may play in supportingsuccessful system
development.[20 marks]
(b) How does user participation in the development process help with thedevelopment of
successful systems?[10 marks]
4. (a) The Soft Systems Method (SSM) allows for the modelling of real world activities
and system world activities. Discuss why both of these views areimportant when building
Human Activity Systems.[20 marks]
(b) Distinguish between hard and soft approaches to developing informationsystems, and
explain why a combination of these approaches might be bestwhen carrying out system
development