e-Learning Course on Green IT Strategies: Part 2 Learning Outcomes

In part one I decided I am going to use an Open Access licence for an e-learning course write a "Green IT Strategies" in the ACS Computer Professional Education Program (CPE Program). My next task is to provide a description of the course, including learning objectives and competencies based on the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) . The course and assessment then needs to be mapped out.

Fortunately I have the existing CPE Program subjects to use as a model:

1. Business, Legal and Ethical Issues
2. New Technology Alignment
3. Business, Strategy and IT
4. Project Management
5. IT Service Management
6. Adaptive Business Intelligence
   

The most relevant seemed to be IT Service Management, so used that as a start. The first step is to take a copy of the description of the course and paste it into an editing program (I use Open Office 3.0). Then I substituted "Green IT Strategies" for "IT Service Management".

Welcome Unchanged

The first introductory section of the description did not need any changes, apart from substituting the new the course name. This is really an introduction to the philosophy behind the ACS CPe Program, shared by all courses. Not all of this I agree with, as for example the assumption that the students are over-achievers". However, given courses at Australia's leading university, I guess I am surrounded by such overachievers, every day. ;-)

Welcome to our elective subject Green IT Strategies (ITSM) within the Australian Computer Society’s Computer Professional Education Program.

When preparing this subject, as with all the subjects in the Computer Professional Education Program, we have assumed that you and your fellow students are over-achievers; self-motivated, disciplined, and determined to succeed. You have extensive prior knowledge and experience relevant to your study; you are open-minded about sharing your work and educational experiences; and you accept critical thinking as part of the learning process. Further, you are comfortable with, and competent in, written communications; and you recognise that effective learning can occur outside a traditional classroom. Most importantly, you want to control how, when, and where you learn.

Critical to your success in this subject is a regular and disciplined study routine. Only through consistency will you keep up-to-date. Every week there will be specific tasks to complete and, if you fall behind, it will be difficult to catch up.

Also important is that you correspond; at least twice every week; with your fellow students and tutor. Your correspondence must be intelligent and investigative. You will answer questions posed by your tutors, and then debate your answers with your classmates.

Learning Outcomes

Obviously the learning outcome of a course on IT Service management did not fit a course on Green IT, so I started rewriting the text incorporating what someone who had done the course would be expected to be able to do. One difficulty with this was there was no set body of knowledge or accepted practice I could point to, as can be done with IT Service management, which can reference the well established ITIL. So I made the language less strong, pointing out that this is an emerging discipline with no widely accepted approach, practices being developed with methodologies and assessment tools currently being field-tested. Qualification schemes and accreditation are still being established. Those completing this subject may be involved in that development.

In the absence of an accepted approach and texts I had to cite what I considered the best sources available. The ones I have initially chosen are:

1. The Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program, Sustainable IT Lecture Series, Natural Edge Project, 2008

2. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), Green Electronics Council. GEC 2006.
   

3. Energy Star Program , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, 2007

The Sustainable IT Lecture Series, grew out of a series for engineers. At my suggestion, The Natural Edge Project then did a series specifically for IT professionals (Sponsored by HP Australia). The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is an implementation of IEEE 1680 Standard. The Energy Star Program, are from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. EPEAT and Energy Star are required for US Government purchasing and in RFT 0708-705 – Provision of Desktop, LAN, Helpdesk, and Midrange Services, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, 7 August 2008. It is likely these will be adopted by the Australian Government.

The IT SM subject had only three learning objectives, which is possible as the ITIL system it is based on is so well defined. For something less established, more objectives were needed. So I copied in the thirteen objectives from the Project Management subject, eventually trimming this down to seven. The objectives will need to be refined and they use a very specific set of words, the subtleties of which I am not fully conversant with.

Green IT Strategies is an emerging discipline with no widely accepted approach. This subject is drawn from practices being developed in the public and private sectors internationally. Implementation methodologies and assessment tools currently being field-tested are introduced. Qualification schemes and accreditation are yet to be established and it is possible those completing this subject may be involved in that development.

The ACS course on Green IT Strategies is based on:

1. The Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program, Sustainable IT Lecture Series, Natural Edge Project, 2008

2. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), Green Electronics Council. GEC 2006.

3. Energy Star Program , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, 2007

At the completion of this subject the student can:

• Describe need for Green IT Strategies and its relevance to business and the community

• Articulate the benefits of implementing Green ICT, in financial and environmental terms

• Apply the Green IT Strategies practices in their organisation

• Explain the environmental context and the technical developments shaping contemporary Green IT Strategies;

• Explain the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on Green IT Strategies processes;

• Explain the need to address Green ICT in the marketing, commercial, operational and technical viability of projects throughout their lives;

• Apply specific Green IT Strategies techniques such as impact analysis, estimation techniques, energy and material life cycle analysis;

Competencies based on Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)

SFIA was developed by the British Compeer Society as a common reference model for skills needed by ICT professionals. ACS is using SFIA to map courses to the corresponding jobs, at the appropriate level. This is a very complex process, but much of the work has been done for me as the Green IT Strategies subject is classified by ACS as a "Specialism Elective". The ACS have already determined that Level of Responsibility 5 is appropriate for the CPe Program and mapped the "Specialism Elective" to SFIA Generic Skills. It should be noted that SFIA uses terms such as "business" and "customers" which may not be common to some areas, such as government.

1. Influence
   • Influences organisation, customers, suppliers and peers within industry on contribution of specialisation.
2. Complexity
   • Challenging range and variety of complex technical or professional work activities.
   • Work requires application of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable range of contexts.
3. Complexity
• Challenging range and variety of complex technical or professional work activities.
• Work requires application of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable range of contexts.
• Understands relationship between specialism and wider customer/ organisational requirements.
4. Business
   • Advises on the available standards, methods, tools and applications in own area of specialisation and can make correct choices from alternatives.
   • Communicates effectively, formally and informally, with colleagues, subordinates and customers.
   • Clear understanding of the relationship between own area of responsibility/specialisation to the employing organisation and takes customer requirements into account when making proposals.
   • Takes initiative to keep skills up to date.
   • Demonstrates creativity and innovation in applying solutions for the benefit of the user.

But what is not entirely clear to me is what I do with this.