Faculty Contact Information:
Between class sessions we will maintain contact via email and the web. The instructor is often in the UMUC lab and always available by appointment at the email address above.
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Consultation:
Class meetings: 0900-1600
Weekends 31 March/1 April, 21/22 April, 5/6 & 19/20 May
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Required Texts and Readings:
Bruner, R., Eaker, M., Freeman, R., Spekman, R., Teisberg, E., and
Venkataraman, S. (2003). The Portable MBA (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
O'Brien, James A. and Marakas, George M. (2008). Management Information
Systems (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. | |
Supplementary Readings:
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The standard for papers in the graduate program is the APA style. All participants in this course and all graduate INSS, MGMT, PUAD, and ECON courses should have a copy of the style guide:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Washington DC: Author.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
Throughout the course, the instructor will assign specific articles that students are expected to read and discuss as part of the “Participation” component of the course grade. | |
Recommended Journals:
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge, and pay-per-view academic journals are available through the MIS Webboard at http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~mis.
Governing.com is especially useful, as are the publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies). In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line. | |
Course Description:
| 3 semester hours credit. (Formerly INSS 530.) Prerequisites: Undergraduate principles of management and economics, or permission of the Program Director. Introduces basic management information systems concepts and examines the fundamental types of information systems. Personal, work group, and enterprise information systems are discussed. The challenge and use of information to gain competitive advantage are also examined. Other topics to be discussed include: the economics of information, use of value added concepts to evaluate information system effectiveness, and the application of system theory to information system architecture. | |
Course Goals:
As a required course in both the M.S. in Management Information Systems and the M.P.A., as well as the Information Systems Analyst Certificate, the Certificate in E-Government and the Certificate in Public Management, this course seeks primarily to:
1. improve the professional skills of the participants,
2. provide students with a foundational knowledge of the various
roles of information systems in organizations, and
3. assist degree-seeking students in preparing for the comprehensive
exam, and
4. improve the students' comprehension of the link between information
management and public administration. | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the various roles information systems play
in organizations and discuss how these roles are reflected in the
organization's structure,
2. Analyze different organizational situations involving the use of
information systems and/or the application of information
technology and make recommendations for improvement,
3. Analyze and demonstrate the impact of advancements of information
technology on organizational variables (such as: communications,
work groups, management decisionmaking, and security),
4. Demonstrate knowledge of basic techniques and elementary skills in
in using application software (such as: databases and spreadsheets),
5. Demonstrate familiarity with the literature in information systems
or a field of their own interest (e.g., medicine or welfare) with
a focus on the use of information technology in that field,
6. Demonstrate knowledge of the other functional areas of an
organization (such as: finance, marketing or public relations,
operations, human resources, and research and development) so that
information systems analysis of any organization can be performed
in a more comprehensive fashion,
7. Analyze ethical issues surrounding the use of information technology
in organizations,
8. Discuss the importance of networkds to organizations, including
issues of security and privacy,
9. Analyze the extent to which an organization's use of information
technology contributes to its competitive advantage, and
10. Apply value added concepts in the evaluation of information system
effectiveness. | |
Grading Information:
15% Midterm Examination
15% Final Examination
10% Comps-question Responses
10% Portable MBA Presentation
20% Organization Analysis Paper and Presentation
15% Applications Exercises & questions
15% Participation, Discussion Questions
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 92%+ B 80 – 91% C 70-79%
F Below 70% F(a) or regular non-attendance F(n)
Please note that the Bowie State grading system does not include the grade of D.
Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC – Europe policies. Please refer to the UMUC – Europe Graduate Catalog available at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/index.html or your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
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Description of Course Requirements:
Exams may contain both an in class and take home portion.
Comps-question Response and Presentation:
Each student will be assigned one or two comps-type questions to research, using several sources in addition to the textbooks. The student will prepare a written summary answering the questions (to be submitted to the instructor) and a PowerPoint presentation of the answer to present to the class. More than one student may be assigned the same question, but the work is to be done independently.
Chapter Presentation:
Each student will give a 10-minute presentation on a chapter from the portable MBA textbook. The instructor will assign the chapters. Visual aids and inclusion of additional information from sources beyond the textbooks are highly encouraged. These chapters will be covered on the exams. Minimum requirements for the chapter review are:
1. Chapter review must include a summary and at least five (5) major points, and must compare and contrast the ways in which the chapter topics apply in the business world and in public administration.
2. Summary and discussion of major points are to be written up and posted electronically no later than 24 hours prior to the presentation. The other students are encouraged to read this before the in-class presentation, and come prepared for discussion.
Organization Analysis Paper and Presentation:
Each student will select an organization or company, and investigate how it manages its information systems, and the ability of these systems to support the needs of the company or organization in the future. Since there are gaps between the first and second weekends of class we will use email for your topic proposals and instructor feedback. Detailed instructions and examples will be provided in class.
1. You must submit a one-page proposal identifying the organization or company (and the industry in which it operates), a description of why you have chosen this company or organization, and the sources you expect to use for your research (you may add sources as your work progresses). You will receive feedback from the instructor within two days regarding the suitability, scope, etc. of your proposal.
2. Once approved, perform an analysis of the company or organization. This should consist of an in-depth study that provides a brief overview of the company or organization, discussing the appropriateness of their current systems, and assessing the future potential of these systems to support growth, reduce costs, maintain competitive advantages, and otherwise support the future needs of the organization. The results of the analysis should be presented as by a consultant hired to recommend an improved system to the 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.
3. Documentation should consist of a 10-12 page paper, double-spaced, with 1" margins and 12 pt font.
The final version of your paper will be due, again via email and as a Word, WordPerfect, or pdf document by the 15th of May. You are encouraged to submit a rough draft earlier for feedback.
4. You will give a Powerpoint presentation on your findings the last weekend of class.
All papers must conform to the APA style.
Applications Exercises, Questions:
Exercises and questions from the O’Brien text (and other sources) will be assigned throughout the course. Some of these will be done in-class, others will be assigned as homework exercises. Details of these assignments will be posted electronically.
Participation, Discussion Questions:
Every member of the class will be provided with access to the Webboard for this class (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~mis/) and will be expected to check there frequently.
From time-to-time, questions will be asked in class (by the instructor and/or by students) for which you will be told to search out an answer (using the web, library, or other sources) and share the information found with the rest of the class via the Webboard. This is part of “Participation,” as the Webboard is our mechanism for communication during the weeks between class meetings.
The remainder of the “Participation” component of the grade comes from traditional in-class discussions.
Absences:
If you must miss class, you are responsible for getting information from fellow students regarding what you missed. Assume that there will be discussion and/or lecture information that is not in the textbook. Realize also that the Course Schedule shown below is subject to change by the instructor as needed. The instructor is willing to help you regarding what you missed, but will not have notes regarding the discussions that take place in the classroom, nor on the presentations, and cannot repeat the class. Your “Participation” for the missed class should come in the form of postings to the Webboard.
If you must miss an exam, you are responsible for making arrangements with the instructor, in advance if possible.
You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
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Course Schedule:
Projected Course Schedule:
Note that chapters indicated in parentheses are in the O’Brien text.
Students are expected to have read the chapter(s) and other assigned readings BEFORE the class period in which they are to be covered.
31 Mar AM Introduction; Discussion of the roles of information systems in organizations.
Foundations of Information Systems (Ch. 1)
-------PM Competing with Information Technology (Ch. 2)
01 Apr AM Basics – Computer Hardware, Software (Ch 3 & 4)
-------PM Telecommunications and networks (Ch 6)
Assignment of Comps Questions and MBA chapters to be presented 21 Apr.
Submit written summaries prior to 19 Apr. Note: Students will give ONE presentation per weekend--if you are assigned an early comps question, you will be given a later MBA chapter.
21 Apr AM: Comps presentations & Data Resource Management (Ch 5)
-------PM: MBA Ch 9 – Innovation & Technology Management
-------Student Presentations of Topics from the Portable MBA:
Fundamentals of Organizations, Public and Private
22 Apr AM: Ch 7&8 Electronic & Enterprise Business Systems.
-------PM Question time; Midterm Exam (comprehensive)
Assignment of Comps Questions and MBA chapters to be presented 5 May.
Submit written summaries prior to 3 May.
Rough draft of Organization Analysis Paper encouraged by 3 May for feedback.
05 May AM: Electronic Commerce Systems (Ch 9)
-------PM: Decision Support Systems (Ch. 10)
-------Student Comps question Presentations
6 May AM: Developing Business/IT Strategies & Solutions (Ch 11 & 12)
------PM: Student Presentations MBA Chapter 13 – Strategy: Defining and Developing Competitive Advantage
Organization Analysis Paper due by 15 May.
19 May AM: Security and Ethical Challenges (Ch. 13)
-------PM: Case Study / Organizational analysis presentations
20 May AM: Enterprise and Global Management of IT (Ch. 14)
Bringing it All Together, Review and Course Wrap-up.
-------PM: Final Exam
(Comprehensive, with heavier emphasis on material since the Mid-term)
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Academic Policies:
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The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course.
Students with disabilities should contact the appropriate support office at UMUC-Europe.
Jan Keller, Director of Student Services
UMUC-Europe, Heidelberg
Phone: +49-6221-378299
Email: edstudent_svc@ed.umuc.edu
Mailing Address: Unit 29216, APO AE 09102 OR Im Bosseldorn 30, D-69126 Heidelberg, Germany
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Code of Civility
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
In addition to an undergraduate degree in English and a Master's in Information technology I admit to being part of the Bill Gates conspiracy for World domination...testing for MCP, MMI, MCSE and MOUSE (I wanted a hat with ears but they sent a lapel pin instead.)
I wish someone had warned me when I first considered majors that computers would mean I'd have to study for the rest of my life. I might have become a mathematician instead. Luckily I LOVE what I do (at least the teaching part of it) and have almost as much fun going to work as I do with the rest of my time.
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