NCHNAL594 Information Technology Service Management Course Descriptor

Course Summary

This course examines the frameworks and strategic approaches for the life cycle management of IT products—including planning, designing, developing, delivering—and for improving the IT services from a higher-level enterprise perspective—including managing disparate servers throughout the organisation. In the context of cloud computing, this course focuses on the strategic management of IT infrastructure, agile IT service, configuration, data and information security, and disaster recovery. Explores the strategies to provide values to customers.  Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of IT service management using industry-standard cloud-based technology e.g. using ServiceNow training.

Course Aims

• Train students in the fundamental principles of IT Service Management (ITSM) and best practice.
• Train students in understanding service organisations, drivers and relationships.
• Train students in Management Practices: General, Service and Technical.
• Give students the opportunity to explore ITSM practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Professional Skills

Teaching and Learning

This is an e-learning course, taught throughout the year.

This course can be offered as a standalone short course.

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include: 

• Online learning
• Online discussion groups
• Online assessment

Course information and supplementary materials will be available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal and timetabled sessions for this course. Students are also expected to manage their self-directed learning and independent study in support of the course.

The course learning and teaching hours will be structured as follows:

● Learning and teaching (6 days x 8 hours) = 48 hours 

● Independent study = 102 hours 

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150 hours 

Assignments (see below) will be completed as part of private study.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be formatively assessed during the course by means of set assignments. These will not count towards the final degree but will provide students with developmental feedback. 

Summative

All summative assessments will be assessed in accordance with the assessment aims set out in the Programme Specification.

Feedback

Students will receive formal feedback in a variety of ways: written (via email or VLE correspondence) and indirectly through online discussion groups. Students will also attend a formal meeting with their Mentor. These reviews will monitor and evaluate the student’s progress.

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.

Books 

Smith, K. J., (2017), The Practical Guide to World-Class IT Service Management, The Anima Group

Addy, R. (2007), Effective IT Service Management To ITIL and Beyond!, Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Journals

Students are encouraged to consult relevant journals on IT service management. 

Electronic Resources

Students are encouraged to consult relevant electronic resources on IT service management.

Indicative Topics

• Introduction to the elements of IT Service Management
• Incidents, Service Requests, Service Catalogue and Problems Management
• Knowledge Base, Service Level, Asset and Configuration Management