INSS 540 INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS & DESIGN and

IFSM 436 STRUCTURED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS & DESIGN 
COURSE OUTLINE

Pre-requisite: All pre-requisite classes as listed in catalog or permission of the lecturer

TEXTBOOK: Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World by Satzinger, Jackson, and Burd, 1st Edition, Course Technology, 2000.

INSS 540: The Portable MBA 3rd edition by Robert Bruner et al, John Wiley, 1998 

HANDOUTS: Will be distributed from time-to-time; you will be responsible for this material

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an in-depth look at all phases of information systems development.  Requirements acquisition methodologies are reviewed and evaluated with respect to different application areas.  Logical design is reviewed and implementation issues are addressed.  Data-centered as well as process-centered approaches to system design are reviewed.  Particular design methodologies, including structured design, are discussed.  Life cycle as well as heuristic approaches to system development are examined and discussed.  Organizational and behavioral issues with respect to information system development are examined.  An analysis and design project will be required. 

ASSIGNMENTS

Project--Students will be divided into small teams and will analyze a typical business problem. This problem will be carried through the different phases of the SDLC: initial study and investigation, project management, DFDs, ERDs, cause-and-effect diagrams,  state transition diagrams, and implementation.  Projects will be graded 80% content, 20% presentation. Presentation must be at a business level and should include some form of graphic display, preferably Power Point. A System Manual will be due to the Lecturer, in which all of the documentation of the study, the models, etc., will be included along with the presentation materials. If possible, graduate students will act as Project Managers and be responsible for the scheduling and planning of the project.

Subject Research and Class Participation---Graduate students will select one topic from a list of current Systems Analysis and Design topics (tentative list at bottom of syllabus). The student  will make a 10- to 15-minute class presentation,  turn in a 5-page summary along with a page of resources used,  (use the APA format for this bibliography, as provided on the UofM Library website), and   provide each class member a 1-page handout.  Students will be graded on the quality of their presentations and summations along with their classroom discussion.  By the end of the class every student should have an elementary understanding of these topics; this material will be eligible for testing on exams.  Students also are expected to be able to discuss the concepts in the book and demonstrate their applications through discussion of real-world problems.  This part of the course will familiarize students with the concepts in SA&D and the respected researchers in the field. Undergraduate students will select a consulting company recognized in the Systems Design and Development field, research the background and future prospects for the company, produce a 2-3 page report on the organization, and make a class report.

Midterm/Final--Graduate midterm and final exams will consist of essay questions related to the goals listed at the beginning of each chapter and the outside readings and a comprehensive exam question. This portion of the tests (worth 100 points) will be graded exactly like comprehensives; that is: 75% for content, 25% for English and organization. Undergraduate midterm and final exams will contain 50% objective questions and 50% short answer discussion questions.

*   ATTENDANCE POLICY: Regular class attendance is expected, both mornings and afternoons of weekend classes. If you should miss a meeting, it is your responsibility to obtain information concerning the material covered and upcoming assignments. If there is a quiz or other assignment due on that class period, previous arrangements should be made with the instructor whenever possible. Please note that those students receiving tuition assistance from the Federal Government must not miss three consecutive class meetings without prior approval, or the education Services Officer (ESO) must be notified by the instructor.

*  ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students are expected to do their own work. Cheating on tests, plagiarism on written assignments, or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in a "0" for the assignment. Note that a D or an F usually results in at least 60 or 50 points, where violation of academic honesty results in none. See the European Division Catalog for the UMUC policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

*  ASSIGNMENT/TEST SCHEDULES: Students are expected to hand in all assignments and complete all tests on the days they are due. If a student fails to complete any assignment or test, the resulting grade will be a "0," rather than an "F." Any other assignments will be marked down half a letter grade for each half week the assignment is late. Quizzes cannot be made-up unless the student had an excused absence. Major tests to be missed must be taken before the date the test is to be given in class. On the date of research presentations or project presentations, each person must be in attendance for the first presentation. Otherwise, the presentation will be deemed late and a 10% reduction will be made for all presentations given that the student missed.

*  CLASS PREPARATION: Students are expected to come to class prepared. This means they should have read the materials assigned for class for that session and have prepared any pertinent assignments. Quizzes may be given.

Develop models using  Project Management tools 

Identify classes of Information Systems utilized within business structures 

Identify, describe and model problems and their underlying causes 

Develop data collection methods and initial project studies 

Develop feasibility studies with cost/benefit analysis, including Executive Summaries 

Develop logical and physical system designs using various modeling methodologies

Producing DFDs, ERDs, Class Diagrams, Use Case diagrams, Collaboration and Sequence Diagrams

Explain evaluation criteria used in Requesting hardware/software new systems 

Explain alternative approaches in acquiring systems, identifying advantages/disadvantages

Develop Program Specification Requirements 

Describe the process for developing applications, including development of Program Specification Requirements

Identify CASE modules and adaptation to systems design and development

Identify major theories and concepts in the field

The activities and assignments for this course are designed to help the student know, comprehend, and apply the basic concepts of systems analysis and design.  In addition to the academic objectives, students are expected to improve their skills in the following areas:

1. Critical Thinking: Students should improve their ability to analyze computer user situations and make appropriate suggestions for resolving business problems through computer systems.  The  projects in this class encourage students to think critically about real-world situations.

2. Writing Skills: Students should improve writing skills through development of the Feasibility Study and formal report on the major project and on the mid-term and final.

3. Oral Presentation Skills: Students should improve their presentation skills through their oral reports on the major project, class discussions, and group presentations.

4.  Computer Skills: Students are expected to improve their computer skills by using word processing and project management software.  The use of  Internet and e-mail are also encouraged.

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