Department ______PCSE_____
Course Number ____CPSC 355____
AREAS OF INQUIRY
Course Name: Electronic Commerce
INFORMAL AND FORMAL
REASONING
This form must be submitted to the Faculty Council on Liberal Learning and Academic Life as part of the submission
process.
Please attach a proposed syllabus for this course and the Undergraduate Curriculum Course Proposal Form.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 16 September 2005
Please answer the following questions:
Check Only One:
x This course is an existing course (in the current curriculum) that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
 This is a new course that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
1. Name and contact information for the department chair administrating this course.
Dr. David Doughty
e-mail: doughty@pcs.cnu.edu
tel: 594-7365
2. In any given semester, how many sections of this course is your department willing to offer?
1 in Spring
3. Why is this course being offered/what is it designed to achieve (Course purpose/goal)?
Electronic commerce is the process of electronically conducting all forms of business between entities in order to
achieve the organization's objectives. Electronic commerce technologies embrace such activities as electronic trading,
EDI, electronic banking, electronic mail, on-line services, and all forms of messaging, multimedia communications
and video-conferencing.
The goal of this course is to provide a fundamental understanding of electronic commerce: its concepts,
infrastructure, and business models. A major focus is on the analysis and design of various e-commerce solutions as
well as on their challenges and promises. Further issues covered are security, social impact, marketing, and
governance. Overall, the course aims to provide students with a firm foundation of the principles of building online
businesses and/or online arms of traditional businesses and evaluating various options of e-commerce platforms.
4. Check at least three objectives below that the course will address.
x Demonstrate competence in the evaluative strategies of inductive and/or deductive reasoning
 Distinguish between formal and informal methods of reasoning and apply each to solve a problem
 Compare various methodologies of proof
 Critique a fallacious argument
x Articulate the structure of, limitations of, and/or comparisons between languages (can include artificial
languages, natural languages, or both)
x Explore the structure of scientific reasoning and/or cognition
5. Briefly explain how this class addresses the above objectives. A course may cover more than three
objectives.
a.) Demonstrate competence in the evaluative strategies of inductive and/or deductive reasoning
A significant portion of the class is spent on problem solving and on strategies to improve the problem solving process.
This includes the identification and description of a problem, which in this case would be an existing or desired
commercial relationship between one or many suppliers and their customers. After identifying a problem, it has to be
analyzed and the requirements have to be determined. Based on the requirements and specifications, a possible
solution can be designed and the system developed.
The overall problem solving process requires a strong ability of deductive reasoning. A given solution can only work if
each individual module is correct and if the modules are put together in a correct way. To do this, students have to
have a good understanding of the principle “if (condition is true) then (perform A) else (perform B)”. Thus, to solve a
problem they need to apply deductive reasoning.
b.) Articulate the structure of, limitations of, and/or comparisons between languages (can include artificial
languages, natural languages, or both)
The structure and the limitations of natural and formal languages are a central theme of this course as system
analysis and design makes heavy use of both of them.
The first step of every system design process is the description of system requirements (i.e., the purpose of the system)
in plain English. In the following, these requirements are “translated” from plain English into formal languages or
design schemata. This process raises the issue of ambiguity of natural languages and brings up the advantages and
limitations of formal languages. When introducing formal languages, we compare them with natural language. As we
go through the development process, the differences between natural language and formal languages are stressed and
their limitations become clear.
c.) Explore the structure of scientific reasoning and/or cognition
The course will include a project, which requires students to design and implement an eCommerce system. As they
develop the system, they will go through the individual steps underlying every design process. This design process is
closely related to the process of scientific reasoning. Both, the scientific process as well as the system design process,
require the characterization of a problem and its modeling at an appropriate abstraction level (“characterization”
and “hypothesis”). In our case, the problem at hand might be a complex economic system, a set of business
relationships, transactions of goods or services, workflows, communication relations, etc. After the specification of the
individual components of a system, the overall structure has to be composed in a way that it meets the given
requirements. This is typically done through a form of deductive reasoning (“prediction”). Finally, the system is
implemented and evaluated (“experiment”).
6. Course Assessment: Identify how this course will accomplish the above objectives (choose at least one).
x Participating in class discussion and debate
x Engaging in teamwork and other collaborative exercises
 Writing analytical or evaluative papers, perhaps incorporating original research
x Making oral presentations
 Creating an artistic product or a performance
 Participating in fieldwork
x Other means – please identify
other means: course project, which requires the analysis of a problem and the design and implementation of a
solution
7. Attach a proposed syllabus, which includes a statement of purpose, course objectives, and how these
objectives will be accomplished.
see attached syllabus
8. Please identify and explain if this course contributes to the Foundations of Liberal Learning expectations for:
 Oral Communication Literacy:
Students are required to make a presentation using appropriate software. Instruction is provided not merely in the
principles of operation of the software, but in the development of effective presentations and their delivery.
 Information Literacy:
Students are required to use library resources as well as the Internet to find literature to certain topics.
 Writing Literacy:
Students have to write a final project report.
8. Explain how this course connects to Vision 2010 – the CNU Strategic Plan
This course “provides students complex and challenging material”. It will “promote learning that treats knowledge as
vibrant and changing” and “cultivate analytical and integrative thinking”. Furthermore, the course will “support,
reinforce and encourage intellectual curiosity and creativity” and “provide learning opportunities that cultivate a
desire for reading and further inquiry”. It is intended to “stimulate a lifelong desire for learning” and last, but not
least, to “provide opportunities for interpersonal growth and group interaction”. (quotations are taken from Vision
2010)
Submission Checklist:
By the deadline, submit a packet with the following documents to the Assistant Dean for Liberal Learning. Please
submit in electronic and hard copy form.
___X__ Area of Inquiry Course Proposal Form
___X__ Syllabus for the Course
_____ Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
CPSC 355: Electronic Commerce (3 – 3 – 0)
SYLLABUS
Department of Physics, Computer Science and Engineering
Christopher Newport University
Instructor:
To be announced
Telephone:
(757) 594 – XXXX
Fax:
(757) 594 – 7919
E-mail:
xxxx@pcs.cnu.edu
Course Schedule:
To be announced
Text:
Foundations of e-Commerce, Effy Oz
Prerequisite:
CPSC 110
Catalog Description
Electronic commerce is the process of electronically conducting all forms of business between entities in order to
achieve the organization's objectives. Electronic commerce technologies embrace such activities as electronic trading,
EDI, electronic banking, electronic mail, on-line services, and all forms of messaging, multimedia communications
and video-conferencing. This course will concentrate on the impact of EDI to the following issues: security, social
impact, marketing, governance and financial transactions.
Educational Objectives
As an academic class at a liberal arts and sciences university, there are several goals, which this class shares with all
other classes in the university. Among these are literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and academic integrity. All four
will be addressed during the semester - you will be required to make use of correct written English and correct
mathematical analysis in the solutions to your assignments. You will need to use (or develop) analytical thinking skills
in order to solve assigned problems and to explain your solutions. Finally, it is expected that you will maintain
academic integrity during the course of the semester.
The specific goal of this course is to provide a fundamental understanding of electronic commerce: its concepts,
infrastructure, and business models. A major focus is on the analysis and design of various e-commerce solutions as
well as on their challenges and promises. Overall, the course aims to provide students with a firm foundation of the
principles of building online businesses and/or online arms of traditional businesses and evaluating various options of
e-commerce platforms.
The main objectives are that you
o learn about fundamental principles and theories,
o gain factual knowledge such as terminology, methods and trends, and
o develop competencies needed by professionals in your field of study.
Course Project
There will be a course project, which will be done in teams of 3-4 students. Each team can choose its
own topic, however, it has to be appropriate for this course. This means that the project should deal with
an e-commerce system of some type. This also means that every team has to discuss the topic with me
and I have to approve it beforehand. A list of possible topics will be provided in class.
The teams are required to work on the projects throughout the semester. This will be enforced through
given milestones such as proposal submission, initial research summary, implementation, oral
presentation and written report. It can be expected that the projects require significant amount of work.
However, it is my sincere hope that you will gain valuable knowledge and experience by doing
independent research and by presenting the results to your fellow students or even to a broader audience.
I expect that you take the projects seriously. Interaction with me outside the classroom is strongly
encouraged. A sloppy or low-effort project will definitely hurt your grades (see the paragraph on
grading).
A note about the written report: The report that you will hand in has to be produced by your team. It
has to be your own intellectual product and you are not allowed to copy text from other sources! You
must correctly cite all used sources. (See the Chicago Manual of Style if you are not sure how to do
this.) The report must have a bibliography, which lists each source you used in completing the project,
including significant discussions with other students or professors. References to the bibliography
should appear in the text where appropriate. Plagiarism will not be accepted! (If you are not sure what
plagiarism is, look it up at wikipedia.com or google it!) Plagiarism will result in an immediate F for
the whole course. Furthermore, a letter will go to the Dean of Students stating that this F was
given for cheating. Two such letters in your academic record is grounds for expulsion from the
university.
Grading
Your semester grade for this class is based on an absolute 100 point scale. This will be constructed from homework,
exams, and the course project.
Homework
Homework sets will be assigned usually every 1 to 2 weeks. The questions will be posted on the course
website. The homework assignments will make up a significant part of your learning experience during
the semester. Doing them is essential for understanding the material - and the exams will assume that
you have studied these problems.
Grading for homework




Homework assignments will be due in class on the due date given on the web page.
Each homework assignment counts for a maximum of 100 points. At the end of the semester, the average over
all assignments is determined.
Partial credit will be awarded based on how many mistakes you make, how severe they are, and how well you
explain what you're doing. If you help me by explaining your thinking, you'll generally get more credit than if
you present a few lines of computation or comments and make me guess what you understand and what you
don't.
Late homework will not be accepted.
Course Project
You can achieve a total of 100 points for the project. The total is made up of following parts:
 observance of deadlines (milestones): 10 points
 realization/implementation/results: 60 points
 oral presentation: 15 points
 written report: 15 points
Exact details will be provided in class.
Exams
There will be two mid-term exams and one final exam, all of which are cumulative. The exams are
closed book and closed notes. No make-up exams are given. If you miss a midterm exam due to
extenuating circumstances, your grade for that missed exam will be whatever your grade is on the final
exam. If you miss an exam without a valid reason, your grade will be 85% of your final exam grade.
Note carefully
If you will have a problem with a deadline (for work or family related reasons) let me know before the
deadline. After-the-fact excuses are too late.
Your numerical semester grade will consist of:
Mid Term 1
15 percent
Mid Term 2
15 percent
Final Exam
25 percent
Homework
10 percent
Course Project
35 percent
Final grades are assigned as follows:
Score
Grade
100 – 92
91 – 90
A
A-
89 – 88
87 – 82
81 – 80
B+
B
B-
79 – 70
77 – 72
71 – 70
C+
C
C-
69 – 68
67 – 62
61 – 60
D+
D
D-
< 60
F
Academic Integrity
The students and faculty of Christopher Newport University have instituted a strict honor code:
On my honor, I will maintain the highest possible standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility.
That means I will not lie, cheat, or steal and as a member of this academic community,
I am committed to creating an environment of respect and mutual trust.
Academic integrity means that you will be honest and straightforward in conduct in the class, you will treat your
classmates and instructors with respect, you will make a concerted effort to cite all sources of ideas which you used in
your work, you will quote and acknowledge any work you include verbatim in your own, and you will promote the
free and open discussion of ideas, even if you don’t agree with them.
The academic policy for this class is designed to reduce/eliminate cheating. The policy is open enough that there
should be no need for an honest, willing student to cheat - enough sources of help and information are available.
You may discuss any assignments with your instructor at any time (unless explicitly told otherwise in the instructions
for that assignment). Homework must be done by yourself. You may use your textbook and any other books you find
useful. You may also discuss the problem with your classmates and work in a group. However, the solution that you
submit must be entirely your own. If you cannot explain each step and reproduce a solution without help it isn’t your
work - do the problem again.
Exams must be done solely by you. No external help of any kind is permitted, save asking your instructor for
clarification. All exams are cumulative, closed book, closed notes and closed neighbor.
Student Success
We want you to succeed at CNU! Therefore I may notify the Academic Advising Center if you seem to be having
problems with this course. Someone may contact you to help you determine what help you need to succeed. You will
be sent a copy of the referral form.
In any way, I urge you to come and see me as soon as you realize that you are having problems. Do not wait until I
find out about it through bad test grades. Believe me: If you have no idea what we are talking about in class and if you
have trouble solving the homework questions or lab assignments, denial and procrastination won't work! The chances
that you will suddenly start understanding everything are very slim. It is more likely that you will do rather poorly on
the next test. And then it might be too late to make up for it. Therefore, the sooner you come and talk to me the better
I can help you succeed!
Writing Center
Because all writers can benefit from readers’ responses to their work, I strongly encourage - and may occasionally
require - you to visit the CNU Writing Center. Consultants there can help you at any stage of the writing process,
from invention, to development of ideas, to polishing a final draft. The Center is not a proofreading service, but its
consultants can help you to recognize and correct grammar and punctuation errors in your work. The Writing
Center is in Ratcliffe 110; you can call (594-7684) or email (wcenter@cnu.edu) for an appointment or just drop in. Go
as early in the writing process as you can, and go often! I will announce hours in class. The Writing Center’s web site
provides handouts and links to other writing resources on the web:
it is available at
http://www.cnu.edu/wcenter/index.htm.
Disabilities
Any student who believes that he or she is disabled should make an appointment to see me to discuss your needs. In
order to receive an accommodation, your disability must be on record in the Academic Advising Center
Preliminary Course Outline
The following schedule is approximate. I reserve the right to change it, or even discard it completely if the situation
warrants such changes.
Week
1
2
3
4
Subject
Chapter
Administrative Matters, Introduction, and Outline
The Internet: Past and Present
1
The Internet: Past and Present
1
Essentials of Telecommunications
2
Levels of Web Sites
3
Web Software
4
Dynamic Websites, Databases
Notes
Formal Description Languages: HTML, XML
5
Establishing a Web Site
Exam I
6
7
8
Notes
5
1 – 5, Notes
Business-to-Business Models
7
Business-to-Business Models
7
Business-to-Consumer Models
8
Business-to-Consumer Models
8
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
9
10
System Specification Tools/Languages (UML, SDL)
Notes
System Design and Development
Notes
System Design and Development
Notes
Exam II
11
12
13
14
Marketing on the Web
9
Security and Privacy Issues
10
Security and Privacy Issues
10
Legal Issues
11
E-Money
12
The Future of E-Commerce
13
Project Presentations + Demonstrations
Project Presentations + Demonstrations
15
Project Presentations + Demonstrations
Project Presentations + Demonstrations
16
1 – 8, Notes
FINAL EXAM (COMPREHENSIVE)