Management Information Systems (MIS 370)

Spring 2005

Section 1: Loftsgard Hall 102, 9:30-10:45 TR

Section 2: ABEN 201, 12:30-1:45 TR

 

Instructor: Karl Altenburg, PhD

Office: Minard 401D

Telephone: 231-6651

E-mail: karl.altenburg@ndsu.nodak.edu

Office Hours: 1-2 M, 11-12 TWR, or by appointment.

 

Prerequisites:

CSci 116 (was CSci 146) and Junior Standing

 

Required Text:

Ralph M. Stair and George W. Reynolds.  Fundamentals of Information Systems 2nd Edition. Course Technology, 2003.

New Perspectives on MS Office 200. Course Technology, 2004.

 

Rquired Material:

Prsonal Response System (PRS) student unit.

 

Recommended Text:

If your Excel spreadsheet or Access database knowledge is weak you may want to consider purchasing the text package for CSci 116 (was 146).

 

Course Description:

The impact and usefulness of information systems in everyday life, and especially in the business community, has increased tremendously in the last few years.  This course aims to introduce you to the basic concepts and developments in information systems.  Issues to be examined include computer technology, information system concepts, information systems development, and the use of information systems in organizations.  This course should help you in making decisions about information technology in your role as a user of information or as an IS professional.

 

Specific Course Objectives:

-         Understand the interrelationship between an organization, information systems, and information processing

-         Acquire knowledge of present computer system resources and their influences on firm behavior and the business environment

-         Learn about the different types of business systems that are currently used

-         Gain an appreciation for the complex task of planning and developing information systems

-         Develop a working knowledge of a spreadsheet and database packages

 

Course Grades:

 

Exams

45%

Web Assignments

10%

Database Assignments

15%

Spreadsheet Assignments

15%

Class Participation

15%

 

 

 

Letter grades will not be assigned to individual components of the course requirements.  Only points (numerical scores) will be assigned.  These numerical scores will be weighted according to the percentages shown above and added to obtain a cumulative score.  A final course grade will be assigned based on the following scheme:

 

Cumulative Score          Letter Grade

90 and above                             A

80 - 89.9                                    B

70 - 79.9                                    C

60 - 69.9                                    D

Less than 60                              F

 

Exams:

There will be three exams for the course, two in-term exams and a final exam.  The final exam will be a cumulative exam over the entire course.  The exam portion of your course grade will be calculated as the maximum of:

 

            (exam1  +  exam2  +  finalexam)  /  3

or

            (exam1  +  exam2  +  (2  *  finalexam))  /  4

 

Missing any exam will result in a score of zero for that exam.

 

Each exam may consist of multiple-choice questions and short answer question.  Questions for the exams will be based on assigned chapters in the textbook, lectures, videos, class discussion, database assignments, and spreadsheet assignments.  Bottom line, any material presented in the course is fair game on the exams.

 

An exam review sheet will be distributed at least one class period prior to each exam.

 

Web, Database & Spreadsheet Assignments:

You will be expected to develop web pages and to build end-user systems using Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel software.  It is assumed that you have acquired working knowledge of business application packages at the level of CSci 116 (was 146).  I will do some in-class demonstrations of Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.  You can also consult with me individually or as a group if you run into any problems while completing these exercises.

 

Class Participation & Deportment:

In order to encourage class attendance and cognitive engagement the personal response system will be used during the semester.  Additionally, directed individual questions, unannounced quizzes, in-class assignments, and quick home projects may be given during the semester.  All participation items will carry an equal weight.  I will drop the lowest 20% of these items when determining your grade.  The number of items that will be dropped will be determined by dividing the total number of items by 5 and rounding down (e.g. if 14 items are turned in during the semester then the lowest 2 items will be dropped).

 

There are no make-ups for missed class participation points.  The 20% of the points that will be dropped should be more than sufficient for students who need to miss class for university activities or for personal emergencies.

 

Responses from the personal response system will be recorded in the following fashion:

            correct answer = 2 points

            wrong answer = 1 point

            no answer       = 0 points

 

Directed individual questions means that I will randomly select a student’s name off of the class roster and ask that student a question.  Points for your answer will be awarded using the same distribution as the points for the personal response system.  If you do not wish to be called on in class you may opt out of the directed individual question by sending me an email and asking that I not call on you in class.  If you opt out of the direction individual questions you will give up one-third of the class participation points.

 

It is unfortunate that I run across the occasional student or students who feel that their individual conversations or activities are more important than the material being covered in class.  I will not tolerate behavior that disrupts my class or interferes with the learning experience of other students.  If I ask you to discontinue behavior that I view as disruptive I expect you to comply.  Failure to comply or the need for me to warn you repeatedly will cost you all of your class participation points.  If inappropriate behavior continues you will be dropped from the course.  If you are asked to leave the classroom you will not be allowed to make up missed participation points.

 

Additional Items:

All students must have an email account and must provide me with their email address.  All students are expected to check their email accounts daily (weekends excluded) for messages related to this course.  Each student is responsible for any changes in due dates or course requirements if an email message is sent with at least 48 hours (weekends excluded) notice.

 

I will attempt to make this course as "paperless" as possible.  All assignments will be distributed and collected electronically.  You will need to know how to both send and receive binary attachments to email messages.

 

Academic Honesty:

All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct that can be found at http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm

 

Students are responsible for submitting their own work.  Students who cooperate on oral or written examinations without authorization share the responsibility for violation of academic principles, and the students are subject to disciplinary action even when one of the students is not enrolled in the course where the violation occurred.

The penalty for prohibited academic conduct will be a failing grade for the course.

 

Special Accommodations:

Any student with disabilities who needs accommodation in this course is encouraged to speak to me as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements for these accommodations.

 

Course Schedule:

See course schedule document.