Module 8 — The People in Information Systems

Module 8 · week of 10/19/2026 · Tech+: IT Concepts and Professionalism — IT roles and career paths, the CompTIA certification ladder (Tech+ → A+ → Network+ → Security+), teamwork, communication, and professional conduct. · Download .docx

Objectives

Evaluate ethical principles in emerging technologies as they apply to academic and professional life.

Key terms

Systems analyst: The IT professional who studies how an organization works and designs systems to meet its needs.
Programmer: The person who writes the code that makes software work; also called a software developer.
Database administrator (DBA): The professional who designs, secures, and maintains an organization's databases.
Network administrator: The professional who keeps networks, servers, and connections running.
Cybersecurity analyst: The professional who monitors systems for attacks and responds to security incidents.
Help desk technician: The first line of technical support for users with computer problems.
Chief information officer (CIO): The executive responsible for an organization's overall technology strategy.
Project manager: The person who plans, schedules, and leads a technology project and its team.
Data analyst / data scientist: Professionals who turn data into information and decisions using statistics and software.
Systems development life cycle (SDLC): The phases of building a system: planning, analysis, design, implementation, maintenance.
Super user: A person in a department who knows a system deeply and helps train and support others.
Certification: A credential that verifies a specific skill through an exam, such as CompTIA Tech+ or A+.
CompTIA: The nonprofit IT association whose certifications (Tech+, A+, Network+, Security+) are industry standards.
Soft skills: Communication, teamwork, reliability, and problem solving — valued in every IT role.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to pay, growth, and education for each occupation.
O*NET: The U.S. Department of Labor database of tasks, skills, and knowledge for each occupation.
Code of ethics: Professional rules (ACM, CompTIA) for confidentiality, honesty, and responsible use of access.

The concept

People are the most important component of an information system. Hardware and software do nothing until people design, build, run, support, and use them. This module is about who those people are — and which of them you could become.

Technical roles that build systems: the systems analyst studies how an organization works and designs systems to meet its needs; the programmer (software developer) writes the code; the computer engineer designs hardware; the database administrator (DBA) designs, secures, and maintains databases.

Roles that run and protect systems: the network administrator keeps the network and servers working; the cybersecurity analyst monitors for attacks and responds to incidents; the help desk technician is the first line of support when a user has a problem.

Leadership roles: the chief information officer (CIO) sets the organization's technology strategy; the IT manager or project manager leads teams and projects; the information security officer owns the security program.

Newer roles: data scientist and data analyst (turn data into decisions), cloud engineer, UX designer, DevOps engineer, AI/ML engineer. Titles change; the skills underneath — problem solving, systems thinking, communication — do not.

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is how people build systems together: planning → analysis → design → implementation (build and test) → maintenance. Each phase has people responsible for it; the analyst leads early, programmers lead the build, support and users own maintenance.

Users and super users: everyday users are part of the system too, and a super user is a person in a department who knows the system deeply and helps train others. Good systems are designed with users, not just for them.

Credentials: a degree (associate, bachelor's) shows breadth; a certification shows a specific verified skill. The CompTIA ladder P-TECH IT runs is Tech+ (fundamentals) → A+ (hardware and support) → Network+ → Security+. Cloud and vendor certifications (AWS, Microsoft, Cisco) stack on top.

Soft skills employers name first: clear communication (written and spoken), teamwork, reliability, curiosity, and the ability to explain a technical idea to someone who is not technical. Every job posting in IT lists them.

Research careers with real sources: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (pay, growth, education required), O*NET Online (tasks and skills), and CompTIA's career pathways — not social media claims about six-figure jobs with no training.

For the Course Career Research Project, the criteria that matter are the ones you can verify: job duties, education and certifications required, median pay, projected growth, work environment, and the path from where you are now (a 9th grader with Tech+ ahead) to that job.

Ethics in IT careers: the people who run systems can see everything in them. Professional codes (ACM, CompTIA) say: protect confidentiality, do not misuse access, tell the truth about what a system can do, and give credit for others' work.

Module 8 items: Careers and Criteria Discussion (10), Course Career Research Project (80), and Module 8 Quiz (20) — 110 points, the week of Oct 19. The Career Project is the biggest single item in the course; its presentations are 11/16–11/24.

Worked examples

Example 1: Largo HS wants a new app for after-school sign-in. Name the role that does each job: figures out what the school needs, writes the code, keeps the student data safe, and helps teachers when it breaks. — Systems analyst (studies the need and designs the system), programmer (writes the code), database administrator or cybersecurity analyst (protects the data), help desk technician (supports the teachers). A project manager keeps them on schedule.

Example 2: A classmate says a TikTok video proved cybersecurity analysts make $150,000 with no degree or certification. What sources do you use for the Career Research Project instead, and what criteria do you check? — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for median pay, growth, and typical education; O*NET for tasks and skills; CompTIA career pathways for certifications. Check duties, education/certifications required, median pay, projected growth, work environment, and the path from 9th grade (Tech+ → A+ → Network+ → Security+) to that job.

Example 3: Put these SDLC phases in order and say who leads each: implementation, planning, maintenance, analysis, design. — Planning (managers and the analyst decide what and why) → analysis (the systems analyst studies needs) → design (analyst and designers specify how) → implementation (programmers build and test) → maintenance (support staff, super users, and users keep it running and improve it).

Common mistakes

"You need a four-year degree before any IT job." Many roles start with a certification (Tech+, A+) and grow; a degree adds breadth later.
"The help desk is not a real IT career." It is the most common entry point and where many analysts, administrators, and security professionals began.
"A social media post is a source for the Career Project." Use the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, O*NET, and CompTIA pathways — verifiable pay, growth, and requirements.

Self-check

Try each one before you look. A miss here costs nothing and tells you exactly what to reread.

1. Which IT professional studies how an organization works and designs systems to meet its needs?

2. Which professional is responsible for designing, securing, and maintaining an organization's databases?

3. Which professional monitors systems for attacks and responds to security incidents?

4. Which role provides first-line technical support to users with computer problems?

5. Which executive is responsible for an organization's overall technology strategy?

Canvas is the official record. This companion enhances the PGCC curriculum; it does not replace it. Last name and class year only. Students with a 504 plan or IEP: your accommodations apply.

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