O'Brien, James A., Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise (5^th edition), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. (MIS).

The objectives are listed as "Learning Objectives" at the beginning of every chapter. At the end of the class, students should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the various roles information systems plays in organizations and how these roles are reflected in the organization's structure
• Identify the basic concepts that will be the foundation for subsequent courses regarding user requirements, information flows, and the nature of information systems
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic techniques and elementary skills in representing information systems structure and general purpose applications
• Analyze different organizational situations involving the use of information systems and/or the application of information technology and make recommendations for improvement
• Analyze and demonstrate the impact of advancement of information technology on organizational variables
• Demonstrate greater familiarity with the literature in information systems or a field of their own interest (e.g., medicine) with a focus on the use of information technology in that field
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the other functional areas of a business so that analysis of any organization can be performed in a more comprehensive fashion

Grades for this class will be based on...

And will be awarded as follows:

Each student is to work independently on all assignments. While interaction with fellow students is part of the educational process, submitting common work and plagiarism is not. Any incidence of dishonesty will result in a failing grade on the assignment or exam for all parties involved. (See the European Division Catalog for the UMUC Policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism.)

Articles: Each person will make one 10 - 15 minute presentation on articles related to the chapters under current discussion. Visual aids and class participation are highly encouraged. The articles need to meet the following minimum conditions:

• The article is due before the chapter under discussion (see schedule).
• Article time frame is 1999 to the present, unless the article is a classic.
• Articles must relate to chapters under current class discussion.
• Articles must include a summary and at least five (5) major points.
• You will be asked to share with the class the summary and five (5) major points of the article that relate to the class discussion. So, please have your summary and 5 points typed up (one page only in bullet format) and stapled to the copy of the article you are going to turn in.

Project: Each student will be expected to describe an organization or company and elaborate on how it manages its information system and the ability of these information systems to allow th company to grow and remain competitive in the future.

• Submit by the end of class 3 (week 2) a written proposal identifying the organization, the industry in which the organization operates, and a summary of the students desire to study this organization.
• Once approved, perform the analysis of the organization. This should consist of an in-depth study that provides a brief overview of the organization, identifies the appropriateness of their current systems, and assesses the future potential of these systems to yield growth, reduce costs, and maintain competitive advantages. The focus should be on recommending an improved system concept to the company’s board of directors, which outlines a go-forward systems approach for the next decade and beyond. Include financial (cost to implement) and Return on Investment (ROI) data.
• Documentation should consist of a minimum 8 page and maximum 10 page report, double-spaced, with standard margins and type font/pitch. This is due Saturday, class 7 (week 4).
• Prepare a minimum 15-minute presentation with visual aids for the class. Due Sunday (week 4).