DRAFT
ISTM 190W Section 11 Writing in the Discipline: Information Technology
CRN 95194 Spring 2008
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 3:55 – 5:00 PM
Room: Duques 360
Instructor: Professor E. J. Cherian
Funger Hall Room 515M
2201 G Street, NW
Office Phone (202) 994-8969
E-mail Cherian @gwu.edu
Office hours: Available daily; appointments for the convenience of students
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The uniqueness of this course is in the focus upon writing. There are a variety of writing assignments
throughout the semester that will result in more than 20 deliverable papers. These include case studies,
essays, critical journal article reviews, and two substantial research efforts. Students will work in groups,
and as peer reviewers, as well as on individual writing assignments. A summary of these assignments is
included below.
The discipline is information technology: IT includes the use of computer and communications technology to
create and manage information. More specifically IT deals with creating, storing, processing, protecting, and
transmitting information to solve problems and make decisions in a variety or organizational settings.
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of information technology and the way organizations use the
technology. All organizations require information for problem solving and decision-making, and thus
organizations adopt procedures and develop systems to acquire and organize information.
Students will also make oral class presentations of their work, both as individuals and in groups.
Students successfully completing this course should possess:
-
an understanding of different forms of writing
an overall understanding of the role of information technology in modern organizations
an overview of various information systems used in enterprise management and decision making
an understanding of how the Internet and electronic commerce has changed business
the experience of planning and writing a formal research paper (perhaps for publication)
experience in writing and discussing case studies
the capacity to conduct a critical review of journal articles
improved writing skills in the IT field.
REQUIRED TEXT
Management Information Systems (2007), Laudon & Laudon, 10th edition, Pearson- Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, NJ
The instructor will supplement this text with recent journal articles and other materials relevant to the
assigned subject areas. In order to keep pace with advances in information systems technology, it is
necessary to routinely scan the current literature for articles dealing with relevant technology topics.
Students are encouraged to seek current articles related to class assignments. Some suggested sources are:
Journal of MIS
Harvard Business Review
Sloan Management Review
Information Systems Research
Journal of Systems Management
Management Science
International Journal of Electronic Commerce
The Economist
Business Week
Fortune
The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
Only occasionally can a useful article can be found in trade publications such as; Information Week,
Computerworld, Business 2.0, etc.
PRECEPTOR
This course is fortunate in having a student Preceptor assigned to assist students in their writing and research
tasks. The preceptor’s role is to provide coaching, or feedback and suggestions for improvement of student
writing, but does not include grading or formal evaluation. The preceptor’s tasks include:
- conferring or coaching individual students to help them formulate topics for papers and identify
appropriate reference sources
- provide feedback on draft writings with a view toward improvement of the final product
- being available to consult with students when there are questions about writing efforts.
Students are encouraged to engage the Preceptor’s assistance in all writing assignments, and are required to
meet with her (schedule a specific time) for review on at least one assignment in the course.
Jennifer Lanza is the Preceptor assigned to this course. She will provide students her contact information.
CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT
There will be six short (mini) case study assignments in this course. Students are required to participate in
class discussions concerning the cases and will be graded on their participation. Students are also required to
submit a written response to each case – the preparation for the case discussion. Often questions, which
accompany case studies, serve to provoke student thoughts and to guide one to issues raised in the case;
merely answering the questions is not a valued response. Each written report should be no longer than one
page long; typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, no cover page, and are due the day of the case study assignment.
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There will also be two large (major) case study assignments in this course. Students will be grouped in two
teams and each team will collectively prepare a written response to each major case study assignment. These
case reviews are limited to five pages each, are due the day scheduled, and will be presented in class by each
student team, with approximately 20 minutes for each team’s presentation..
Mini case study assignments not submitted the day of the class case study discussion are of no value without
the presence of the student for discussion. Students who miss class on the day of a major case assignment &
presentation may submit their written report for partial credit. Proper use of the English language is included
in the grading of these assignments.
A brief guide to case study analysis is included as a Teaching Note appended to this course syllabus.
JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW
Students will be provided copies of two journal articles, “IT Doesn’t Matter”, by Nicholas G. Carr, and “Will
you Survive the Services Revolution?” by Uday Karmarker. The assignment is to write a critical review of
each article, defending your position for or against the author’s tenets, assertions and conclusions. Each
critical review will be 3 - 5 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, no cover page). Students are
expected to prepare for this task by researching the subject, seeking other authors’ views on the issues, and
by searching and reviewing other pertinent materials (at least three other sources).
Students should review the Assessment Rubric (Teaching Note 1.7.08) for added guidance in the preparation
and grading of these papers.
Students will present their work for peer review and class discussion in two individual teams; each team will
have approximately 15 minutes to present their views regarding the issues raised in the article. One team
will adopt a position of support for the author’s tenets and the other team will present an opposing/contraire
view. And a rebuttal period (about 5 minutes for each team) will follow.
There is one final “mini” critical journal article review: students will prepare and discuss the article: “Feature
Presentation.” Students are free to respond to this article in any written form they choose, without restriction
on length of paper or writing form.
Grammar, composition, spelling, sentence structure and proper citations are included in the grading of all
papers. Late papers are automatically down-graded.
STUDENT TEAM EFFORTS
The class will be divided into two teams. The major case study assignments, and critical journal article
reviews, noted above, will be team efforts. Each team will meet, organize and present their response to the
two major case efforts. Each student will prepare an individual paper for grading on each of the two cases.
The second team effort is the critical journal article review, outlined above. Again each team will prepare a
response; team 1 will assume the Pro side of the article, IT Doesn’t Matter, and team 2 will assume the Con
side of the argument of this article. For the second journal article review, Will you Survive the Services
Revolution? teams will reverse positions for their presentations. Again, each student will prepare individual
papers for these assignments. In team efforts it is important for all team members to participate equally.
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RESEARCH PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Students are required to independently prepare an original and thoughtful research paper on a topic related to
this course. (See Teaching Note 1.1.08.) The purpose of the paper is three-fold; to demonstrate your ability
to think and write critically, to plan and conduct a research effort related to information technology, and to
be informative to the reader. Two copies of your paper will be submitted for grading; late papers are
automatically downgraded. The paper should be no longer that 10 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, 12
pt font, no cover page) including the bibliography, footnotes and attachments if any.
The paper should include a Summary at the beginning (no more than one-half page long), a Conclusion at the
end (no more than one-half page long), and a Bibliography/Reference section, no more than one page long.
The body of the paper may be arranged any way you wish. If there is a hypothesis to your research, it should
be stated in the summary and answered in the conclusion section. Students are expected to prepare for this
task by researching the subject, seeking other authors’ views on the issues, and by searching and reviewing
other pertinent materials (at least six other sources).
Students will first present an outline for review and approval, and subsequently a draft for review prior to the
final paper due date. Grammar, composition, spelling, sentence structure and proper citations are included in
the grading of papers. If you need additional guidance with English writing, please seek assistance from the
GWU Writing Center.
If this is your first research/critical review paper or if you are unsure about handling reference sources and
quotations, please refer to the attached teaching note concerning plagiarism. If there are issues of doubt
during your writing process, ask your instructor to be sure. Also if you are unsure about the appropriate
format, citations, references, etc. for a research paper, please consult an authoritative source such as one of
the following:
Gibaldi, J. (1995) The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 4th Edition, New York: The Modern
Language Association of America.
Turabian, Kate L. (1996) A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Chicago,
American Psychological Association.
__________ (1993) The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors and
Publishers, 14th Edition, Chicago, University of Chicago.
At the end of your paper (after the conclusion section) the following signed statement should be printed and
signed:
I certify that I am the author of this paper. signature_______________ student name/date.
Attached is a list of pertinent topics for your review and selection. Most of these topics are quite broad: it’s
possible to prepare a number of papers of different titles within the topical area. Select a topic and inform
the instructor of your choice in your outline submission. If none of the topics are of interest to you, propose
a topic for the instructor’s approval. Then conduct your research to narrow the topical area into a title for
your paper.
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SOME SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
What’s different about ethics in e-commerce?
The federal government and electronic business
How radio-frequency identification devices assist business
Software agents/robots
Electronic privacy
How does society (as a whole) gain from specific information technologies?
Electronic commerce in a third-world country
The value of distance learning versus classroom learning
Should there be a sales tax on business-to-consumer electronic business?
The impact of the U. S. Patriot Act upon individual privacy
How technology has affected learning
Other?
EMPHASIS ON WRITING
The Instructor will ask students to write short essays on topics of his choice related to the weeks IT material;
Writing Exercises. These Writing Exercises will be performed without preparation, and are essentially a
short (10 minutes) essay in nature, and will be peer reviewed. Students are also required to meet individually
with the instructor on different occasions during class periods (refer to the enclosed schedule) in order to
obtain direct feedback on their writing efforts. In addition to these “required” mentoring sessions, students
are encouraged to seek the instructor’s assistance, or the Preceptor’s assistance, in any issues of IT as well as
writing assignments at any time during the semester.
Students will review the different forms of writing and structural issues associated with writing. (See the
Teaching Note in this syllabus regarding forms of writing.)
EMPHASIS ON CLASS PARTICIPATION
All students are expected to participate in class discussions and group presentations. If you don’t participate
(talk, present, comment, argue, etc.) your class participation grade will be a 0. If you are unable (absent) to
participate on a scheduled presentation (other than mini-case studies), you can receive a reduced grade for
your on-time submission without participation.
Class participation evaluation (15% of your final grade) includes: attendance, participation in class
discussions, meeting with the Preceptor, and participation in team assignments.
THE WRITING BOOK
Each student is required to establish and maintain a “writing book”; a loose-leaf binder containing all papers
written in this course, a historical trail of writing products. The books will be for each student’s own use as
well as for the instructor to review in order to identify trends and improvements. By the end of the semester,
students are expected to have 21 writing assignments in the Writing Book for review by the Instructor. See
summary of assignments below.
5
SUMMARY OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Tues Jan 15
Thur Jan 17
Tues Jan 22
Thur Jan 24
Thur Jan 31
Tues Feb 12
Thur Feb 14
Tues Feb 19
Thur Feb 21
Tues Feb 26
Thur Feb 28
Writing Exercise No. 1
Writing Exercise No. 2
Writing Exercise No 3
Mini Case No. 1
Mini Case No. 2
Major Case No. 1 Nancy’s Specialty Foods
Mini Case No. 3
Research Paper Outline
Critical Journal Article Review: “IT Doesn’t Matter”
Writing Exercise No. 4
First Quiz
Tues Mar 4
Thur Mar 6
Tues Mar 11
Thur Mar 13
Thur Mar 27
Thur Apr 10
Tues Apr 15
Mini Case No. 4
Mini Case No 5
Research Paper Draft
Major Case No. 2: Dell Computers
Critical Journal Article Review: “Can you Survive the Services Revolution?“
Mini Case No. 6
Research Paper Final
Writing Exercise No. 5
Writing Exercise No. 6
Mini Cri tical Journal Article Review: “Feature Presentation”
Second Quiz
Thur Apr 17
Tues Apr 22
Thur Apr 24
Written Assignment Summary:
Writing exercises –
6
Mini Case studies –
6
Major case studies –
2
Critical journal article reviews – 3
Research paper 3 (submissions)
Quizzes 2
-Total
22
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Your instructor supports and enforces every aspect of the George Washington University Code of Academic
Integrity. The following is an extract from the Code of Academic Integrity:
"Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking
credit for the work of others without crediting them and without authorization and the fabrication of
information.
Examples of cheating include;
- Using unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any exercise.
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- Fabrication or falsification of information.
- Plagiarism - intentionally misrepresenting another's work, failure to paraphrase.
- Forgery of academic documents.
- Facilitating academic dishonesty."
The full code is at http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmlt.
BLACKBOARD
A Blackboard account has been established for this course. The instructor’s Power Point slides, course
syllabus, and computer lab exercises are posted on Blackboard@gwu.edu. Students are encouraged to
download these items for use.
EVALUATION
There will be two quizzes; each approximately one hour long, which will cover all text assignments, class
handouts, and class discussions held during the first and second halves of the semester. Make-up quizzes
will not be provided students who miss a quiz except in very special cases, and only prior to the scheduled
quiz date.
Each student is responsible for identifying/obtaining materials and assignments that were covered during any
missed class session. (Suggestion: find a classmate who can become your "friend" - with whom you can
share notes and information in the event you miss a class session.)
Student grades (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D or F) will approximately consist of the following elements:
-
-
Class participation
Case study assignments- mini
- major
Writing Exercises/Writing Book
Research paper
- outline
- draft
- final paper
Critical review of journal articles
Quizzes
15%
10%
10%
10%
5%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Students are encouraged to work together, cooperatively, in all assignments and activities, except in taking
quizzes.
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ISTM 190W-11
DRAFT
Course Outline/Schedule
Session
Spring 2008
Assignment
Tues Jan15
Course Overview
Student/Instructor Expectations
Writing Exercise No. 1: What Makes Writing Hard?
Thur Jan 17
Forms of Writing
The research paper
Writing Exercise No. 2: What I Expect to Learn from this Course
Tues Jan 22
The Information Society
Writing Exercise No 3: The Next Era?
Ch 1
Thur Jan 24
Introduction to Information Technology
Mini Case No. 1: Can Information Systems Help . . . (page 77)
Ch 2
Tues Jan 29
Information Systems and Organizations
Major Case Team formation; meetings
Ch 3
Thur Jan 31
Information Technology Infrastructure
- hardware
- software
Mini Case No. 2: Merrill Lynch Connects . . . (page 219)
Tues Feb 5
Individual Student Meetings/Instructor
Thur Feb 7
Team meetings: Case preparation
Tues Feb 12
Major Case No. 1: Information Technology at COSCO
Thur Feb 14
Databases and Information Management
Mini Case No. 3: Panasonic Creates . . . (page 257)
Tues Feb 19
Telecommunications and Enterprise Networks
Research Paper Outline Due
Thur Feb 21
Critical Journal Article Review: “IT Doesn’t Matter”; Pros and Cons Team Presentations
Tue Feb 26
The Internet and other networks
Writing Exercise No. 4: My Internet
Thur Feb 28
First Quiz
Ch 5
Team Presentations
Ch 6
Ch 7
Ch 7
8
Tues Mar 4
Electronic Commerce
Mini Case No. 4: Stonyfield Farm Blogs . . . (page 408)
Ch 10
Thur Mar 6
Management Information Systems
Mini Case No 5: Can Information Systems Make Your . . . (page 505)
Ch 12
Tues Mar 11
Decision Support Systems
Research Paper Draft due
Ch 12
Thur Mar 13
Major Case No. 2: Infosys Consulting in 2006
Tues/Thur Mar 18/20
Team Presentations
Spring Break – No Classes
Tues mar 25
Individual Student Meetings/Instructor
Thur Mar 27
Critical Journal Article Review: “Can you Survive the Services . .“
Tues Apr 1
Team One students individually meet with Preceptor
Thur Apr 3
Team Two students individually meet with Preceptor
Tues Apr 8
Enterprise Applications
Knowledge Management
Ch 9
Ch 11
Thur Apr 10
Information Security
Mini Case No. 6: A Stolen laptop . . . (page 348)
Ch 8
Tues Apr 15
Ethical & Social Issues in Information Systems
Research Paper Final due
Writing Exercise No. 5: My Ethical Dilemma
Ch 4
Thur Apr 17
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- Expert Systems
Writing Exercise No. 6: How I would Use Artificial Intelligence
Ch 13
Tues Apr 22
Emerging Information Technologies
Mini journal article critique: “Feature Presentation”
Thur Apr 24
Second Quiz
Pros and Cons
Team Presentations
Student Review
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Teaching Note: 7.2.00
*
Some Notes On The Case Method
Edward J. Cherian
There is no single approach to case teaching and learning any more than there is a single answer to a case
study. The case method has proven to be a valuable learning technique and we use case discussions to
accomplish what cases do better than other pedagogical methods.
The essence of case discussion is the airing of conflict between two or more opposing views. The best
discussions include opposing views that are supportable and reasonable.
The case method depends upon the active and effective participation of all students. Students have the
primary responsibility for learning, and have to accept and maintain ownership of the discussion.
Students should be committed to:
-
Preparation; read and analyze the case beforehand
Presence; be present and prompt in order to participate
Participation; share your understanding and judgments with the class to advance the group's collective
skills and knowledge
Plan; have a plan of action for the protagonist in the case.
The instructor is responsible for preparation of material and for guiding the case discussion when and where
it is necessary. The instructor is primarily a listener in the case discussion. The instructor may make
summary and "off-line" comments that review and highlight the discussion, but such comments should only
consist of a few minutes of lecture.
In writing a response to a case study, try to avoid re-stating the case. You can/should refer to facts in the case
as you present your analysis. Do use the facts of the case to support your analysis, but don’t waste your time
describing the case. Take the role of an “outside” consultant in presenting how you see the case; how you
would have handled the situation; what decisions you would make, if any, that are different than those made
in the case.
Lastly, learning is sometimes hard work but can also be an enjoyable experience with a bit of lightness and
humor.
____________________
* Largely from Hints For Case Teaching, Benson P. Shapiro, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston,
MA 1984.
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Teaching Note: 11.4.98
PLAGIARISM*
Edward J. Cherian
Plagiarism can be defined as copying or imitating the language, ideas, and thoughts of another author and
passing off the same as one's original work. Plagiarism is a form of cheating; a false assumption of
ownership, or intellectual theft.
During research and writing it is important to guard against the possibility of inadvertent plagiarism by
keeping notes that distinguish your work and thoughts and the thoughts and material you gather from others.
You may certainly use other persons' words and thoughts in your writing, but the borrowed material must not
appear to be your creation.
Suppose for example, that you want to use the material in the following passage, which appears on page 625
of an essay by Wendy Martin in the book Columbia Literary History of the United States.
Some of Dickinson's most powerful poems express her firmly held conviction that life
cannot be fully comprehended without an understanding of death.
If you write the following sentence without any documentation you commit plagiarism.
Emily Dickinson strongly believed that we cannot understand life fully unless we also
comprehend death.
But you may present the material if you cite your source.
As Wendy Martin has suggested, Emily Dickinson strongly believed that we cannot
understand life fully unless we also comprehend death (625).
Here the source is indicated, in accordance with the MLA style guide, by the name of the author and a page
reference. The named author must also appear in the works-cited list or bibliography, which appears at the
end of the paper.
In writing your paper, then, you must document everything you borrow - not only direct quotations and
paraphrases but also information and ideas. Of course, common sense as well as ethics should determine
what one documents. For example, you rarely need to give sources for familiar proverbs ("You can't judge a
book by its cover"), or well-known quotations ("We shall overcome"), or common knowledge ("George
Washington was the first president of the United States"). But you must indicate the source of any
appropriated material that a reader might mistake for your own work.
If you have any doubts about whether or not you are committing plagiarism, cite your source(s).
In situations of doubt, ask your instructor if you are uncertain as to how to acknowledge sources or
contributions.
______________________
* Largely from: Gibaldi, J. (1995) The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers . 4th Edition, New
York: The Modern Language Association of America.
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Teaching Note: 11.1.07
Forms of Writing
ISTM 190 WID: Information Technology
Edward J. Cherian
There are many different forms of writing, and many more different styles of writing. Here is a list of only
some of the different forms of writing you may encounter in a lifetime:
- proposal
- resume
- plan
- research paper
- essay (writing exercise)
- business letter
- case study
- fiction/fantasy
- news report
- autobiography/memories
- critical journal article review
- book report
- trip/observation report
- directions/how to do something
- thesis/dissertation
- poetry
- journal/diary
- memo
In this course we will use four (italicized) of the above: essay or writing exercise, case study, research paper,
and critical journal article review.
------------In addition, there are some structural issues to note in almost all forms of writing, specifically:
Paragraph: A group of sentences that speak to one idea. Six sentences are about the right length, and put
together in a way that makes sense and relates to the main idea.
Introduction: This is a first impression offered to readers, in hopes it will interest them to read the entire
paper. It often helps to write an introduction at the same time when you write a conclusion; tie them together.
Conclusion: A conclusion wraps up the argument or position offered in a paper and leaves the reader with
the major thesis of the paper. It answers the question, Why are these ideas important? Don’t add more
details or introduce new material in a conclusion.
Summary: A summary is a brief account of the main points of the paper. State the main ideas of the paper,
together, in a logical way.
-----------There are four basic modes, or categories, of writing:
Descriptive writing – writing to describe a person, place or event so as to detail a picture for the reader.
Expository writing – to provide information
Narrative writing – to describe an experience, or sequence of events in the form of a story.
Persuasive writing – to offer an opinion, with supporting evidence, and try to influence the reader’s way of
thinking.
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Teaching Note 1.1.08
Writing a Research Paper
Edward J. Cherian
1) General Guidance
The two most important things in writing a research paper are to: 1) choose a topic that is of sufficient
interest to you that will engage you through the process, and 2) perform preliminary research to make
sure that there is sufficient information from reputable sources to enable you to write a scholarly paper.
Print media are the most reliable and reputable sources. Students are encouraged to seek these research
materials. If you focus your research on Web sites, try to again stay with print media sources; all the
reputable ones have Web sites. Top level domain sites, e.g. .gov and .edu are the best; .com sites are
inappropriate and the least reliable.
2) Format
A short paper – 10 pages or less – doesn’t necessarily require a separate title page. The title, author’s
name, course, date, etc. can all be placed at the top of the first page of the paper.
A summary or abstract is required, but not both. Limit the summary to half a page. It should be written
after the rest of the paper is completed. It should briefly summarize the paper and include, perhaps, a
hypothesis or overall question, results, and one important finding or conclusion.
An introduction is not necessary in a short research paper, but may be included in the beginning of the
body of the paper.
The body of the paper can be organized in many ways:
- Describe the problem, issue(s), or hypothesis, the intent of the paper
- Present data and /or findings
- Present the views of experts from research sources – the sources cited in your bibliography, reference
or works cited section
- Discuss, summarize the results
Do not make unsupported assertions. This is the most common error made in research papers. Do not
write; “most CIOs agree”, “several studies show”, “it is well known”. Be specific in referring to research
sources. Where possible go directly to the original sources, don’t use secondary sources to get facts since
these sources may interpret incorrectly.
The conclusion is your analysis/logic of the facts/data/findings presented above. Do not introduce any
new data or findings in this section.
Finally the last page should be the bibliography or reference section. Be sure to use one of the
accepted/approved citation methods noted in the syllabus – and be consistent in the form used.
3) Using an Outline
It is usually valuable to use a numbering system to divide your paper. It allows the reader to easily see
where you are taking her/him. For example:
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I. Summary
II. The main body of the paper, to include findings, study results, discussion, etc. Use subheadings
where appropriate, like:
A.
B.
C.
D.
III. Conclusion
IV. Bibliography
This format may already exist if you prepared an outline prior to writing your research paper.
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Teaching Note: 1.7.08
ISTM 190 WID - Critical Journal Article Review - Assessment Rubric
Student Task
Task
Weighting
1. Provides support, or contradiction,
for the journal article author’s tenets
20%
2. Student supports his/her facts and
conclusions
15%
3. Correct use of grammar, punctuation,
sentence structure, spelling
15%
4. Uses strong and appropriate research
references
15%
5. Uses proper citations and references
in paper
5
Excellent
10%
6. Has a logical paper organization and
Structure
8%
7. Minimum repeat of article details
8%
8. Paper focused on the subject article
5%
9. Paper contains appropriate title,
and notes Pro or Con position
2%
10. Paper appropriate specification length
2%
15
4
Good
Assessment
3
2
Adequate Poor
1
Unacceptable