Assessment Task 1
Overview
Task description:
This assessment task requires you to apply theories about information and cognition you learn in Weeks 2-4 to a chosen decision scenario, as well as critically compare them.
Critical analysis is an important skill both for academic study and the workplace. The ability to critically analyse how information affects decision making is an advanced skill. In addition, demonstrating an understanding of how the cognitive aspects of human information processing impacts information-based decisions provides a transdisciplinary analytical foundation for modelling real-world human decision making which is technology agnostic.
Unit Learning Outcomes assessed:
When successfully completed, this assessment task should evidence:
your understanding of selected information theories in order to critique them.
your ability to think critically about the information theories, and apply them to a given information scenario.
your ability to compare the information theories by identifying their relative strengths and weaknesses.
your understanding of relevant components of human cognition in the context of the given information scenario.
your ability to apply your understanding of human cognition to an analysis of theories of information.
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Weighting |
Group or Individual |
How I will be assessed |
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40% of final grade |
Individual |
Using a 7-Point grading scale |
What you need to do
Carefully read the Assignment 1 Guide: IFN521-AssessTask1-Critique-23s1_Final.pdf Download IFN521-AssessTask1-Critique-23s1_Final.pdf.
A walk-through of the assignment guide was given during the Week 2 Live lecture. If you weren’t at this session, a recording of this is in the Week 2 module on Canvas, in the Live lecture section.
Review and select one (1) scenario from the list below with which to apply your critique
Watch the video description for your scenario, taking notes (see links next to each scenario in the table). Note – the video associated with each scenario contains all the vital information you need for the scenario. Whilst you can add some small assumptions to fill in any gaps (provided you state these clearly in your critique), please ensure that you do not diverge or contradict the details of the scenario as laid out in the associated video.
Engage with and review video lectures, live lectures and tutorials throughout weeks 2-4 to gain background and practice to prepare you for the assignment
Throughout weeks 2-4, begin writing each section of your critique, following requirements set out in the above Assignment Guide.
| Scenario | Short description | Decision | Person A | Person B | Video Link (essential detail about the scenario) | |
| 1 | Themis Search Tool | A company has created what they hope will be a tool that can prompt balanced search behaviour. An analyst must use data to find out if it is effective | Data analyst – is Person A & B’s search behaviour balanced? | A white, middle-aged man who is described as right-wing and has low trust in government | A female international student of engineering who is active in student politics | Scenario 1Links to an external site. |
| 2 | Home Buyers | A house is on the market, which has some signs of holes in the wooden pillars | Person A & B – should a deposit be put down on the house? | An investor who is inter-state | A first home buyer who lives in the neighbourhood | Scenario 2Links to an external site. |
| 3 | Panic Attack or Heart Attack | A person comes to the emergency room (ER) with symptoms that could be either a panic attack or a heart attack | Person A & B – is it a panic attack or a heart attack? | A triage nurse in the ER | The person who is experiencing the symptoms | Scenario 3Links to an external site. |
Additional Materials
One of the key aspects of applying Shannon and Dretske’s theories is extracting relevant event-propositions. This PDF provides some additional guidance and tips for this process: Event-proposition-support.pdf Download Event-proposition-support.pdf.
Another important aspect is being able to describe the difference between persons A & B in your chosen scenario in terms of the information and cognitive theories. Part of this will be about using specific terminology to show your understanding of these concepts in your application of them to the scenario. An overview of the key topics we have covered are in this document: Cues for talking points – Critical Analysis.pdf Download Cues for talking points – Critical Analysis.pdf, or, if you’d prefer to view them in a more interactive way, a clickable summary for you to explore is also here: https://lozelise.github.io/IFN521/index.html.Links to an external site.