Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A model for teaching green information systems in higher education
The purpose of this study was to respond to a call to the Information Systems (IS) discipline to provide solutions to address global challenges such as the seventh Millennium Development Goal of ensuring an interconnectedness of society and the environment. Many academic disciplines have recognised...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Information Systems
2018
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613238035742720 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mcgibbon, Carolyn |
| author2 | Ophoff, Jacques |
| author_browse | Mcgibbon, Carolyn Ophoff, Jacques |
| author_facet | Ophoff, Jacques Mcgibbon, Carolyn |
| author_sort | Mcgibbon, Carolyn |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The purpose of this study was to respond to a call to the Information Systems (IS) discipline to provide solutions to address global challenges such as the seventh Millennium Development Goal of ensuring an interconnectedness of society and the environment. Many academic disciplines have recognised that sustainability is one of the most significant challenges of our time and thus needs to be included in curricula; IS, as a discipline, needed to fill this gap. A longitudinal six-year study was undertaken at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of IS to introduce the concept of “Green” IS into a project management course with students required to measure an aspect of the campus carbon footprint. Drawing on Design Science Research, the author used kernel theories of Butler’s Model of Green IS and the Scharmer’s Theory U to inform the design. The goal of the curriculum intervention was to design a model with outputs of key Green IS technical and social competences. The intention was also to create an impact with a reduced Carbon Footprint at UCT, despite the current absence of regulatory pressure. A total of 183 students were involved in the study over a period of six semesters where the theories of Green IS were presented as the underlying frameworks for their course. Key principles were drawn from international best practice, including how to address “wicked” sustainability problems and adopting a focus on developing sustainability solutions. Formative evaluations were conducted at the end of each cycle of the design development. Archival evidence, as well as student reflective essays, was employed, and content analysis and coding of the empirical data were conducted using a data analysis software tool. Experts were invited to summatively evaluate the model in practice, and their questionnaires were also coded in Atlas-ti and tested for co-occurrences. The contributions are provided on two levels. A contribution is made on a theoretical platform by the design of “The Green U’’, a model that evolved iteratively and has its roots in the kernel theories of both Green IS and change management. On a practical level, the research offers guidance to IS educators on how to integrate sustainability into their courses. Via enabling The Green U to be exapted into other emerging IS themes, this research project thus provides the opportunity for a seam of rich possibilities for further quantitative and qualitative research. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/28413 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:57.328Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Department of Information Systems |
| publisherStr | Department of Information Systems |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/28413 A model for teaching green information systems in higher education Mcgibbon, Carolyn Ophoff, Jacques information systems commerce Green Information Systems higher education The purpose of this study was to respond to a call to the Information Systems (IS) discipline to provide solutions to address global challenges such as the seventh Millennium Development Goal of ensuring an interconnectedness of society and the environment. Many academic disciplines have recognised that sustainability is one of the most significant challenges of our time and thus needs to be included in curricula; IS, as a discipline, needed to fill this gap. A longitudinal six-year study was undertaken at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of IS to introduce the concept of “Green” IS into a project management course with students required to measure an aspect of the campus carbon footprint. Drawing on Design Science Research, the author used kernel theories of Butler’s Model of Green IS and the Scharmer’s Theory U to inform the design. The goal of the curriculum intervention was to design a model with outputs of key Green IS technical and social competences. The intention was also to create an impact with a reduced Carbon Footprint at UCT, despite the current absence of regulatory pressure. A total of 183 students were involved in the study over a period of six semesters where the theories of Green IS were presented as the underlying frameworks for their course. Key principles were drawn from international best practice, including how to address “wicked” sustainability problems and adopting a focus on developing sustainability solutions. Formative evaluations were conducted at the end of each cycle of the design development. Archival evidence, as well as student reflective essays, was employed, and content analysis and coding of the empirical data were conducted using a data analysis software tool. Experts were invited to summatively evaluate the model in practice, and their questionnaires were also coded in Atlas-ti and tested for co-occurrences. The contributions are provided on two levels. A contribution is made on a theoretical platform by the design of “The Green U’’, a model that evolved iteratively and has its roots in the kernel theories of both Green IS and change management. On a practical level, the research offers guidance to IS educators on how to integrate sustainability into their courses. Via enabling The Green U to be exapted into other emerging IS themes, this research project thus provides the opportunity for a seam of rich possibilities for further quantitative and qualitative research. 2018-09-06T13:02:13Z 2018-09-06T13:02:13Z 2018 2018-08-24T10:08:12Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28413 eng application/pdf Department of Information Systems Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | information systems commerce Green Information Systems higher education Mcgibbon, Carolyn A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| title_full | A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| title_fullStr | A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| title_full_unstemmed | A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| title_short | A model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| title_sort | model for teaching green information systems in higher education |
| topic | information systems commerce Green Information Systems higher education |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28413 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mcgibboncarolyn amodelforteachinggreeninformationsystemsinhighereducation AT mcgibboncarolyn modelforteachinggreeninformationsystemsinhighereducation |