MIS 204 Introduction to Business Information Systems
Course Syllabus
Section 001
Instructor: Maurie Caitlin Kelly, Ph.D.
ClassTimes: Tuesday & Thursday, 4:05-5:20pm
Room: 258 Hawthorn
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change based on the needs of the course.
Overview
Welcome to M I S 204!
You are embarking on the study of a fascinating topic. Information systems affect nearly every
aspect of our lives. In today's world we must be aware of the impact of information systems. The
effective use of information systems often makes the difference between outstanding business
success stories and disappointing failures. The successes of companies such as Dell and WalMart are due in large part to their successful management and use of information systems.
Effective use of management information systems can give an organization a critical competitive
edge. Use of technology in higher education can provide competitive opportunities for
institutions through enrollment management and the creative delivery of courses and degree
programs. Information and information systems are key competitive tools that require careful
management.
The responsibility for the management of information systems and the stewardship of
organization information resources is not the sole responsibility of the technology staff. All
business leaders have responsibility for organization information and information system
resources. Leaders of today and tomorrow must be prepared to compete effectively in a
competitive, global environment. They (you) must know how to employ information systems to
lead their organizations in this competitive and rapidly changing world. This change is one of the
most exciting and challenging aspects of the information systems field. It is changing constantly.
On any given day you can pick up a newspaper or magazine, listen to a podcast, view a Web site,
or hear a news broadcast announcing a new development in the field of information systems and
technology. One of the key components and requirements of this course is to monitor the pulse
of this ever-changing field. You are encouraged to regularly read the popular business literature
such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, and other publications to
find out what's happening in the field. A particularly informative technology publication is CIO
magazine.
Success in this course does not require prior knowledge of information systems or technology.
However, what you will learn in this course should enhance your understanding of the diverse
applications of information systems in business. You will learn how information systems are
applied in a variety of business functions such as marketing, accounting, finance, management,
and supply chain management. In addition, you will have the opportunity to improve your basic
hands-on skills with spreadsheets, databases, and Web-based tools.
This course will not prepare you to be a programmer, technical specialist, or the chief
information officer of an organization, but it can provide you with the tools to interact
knowledgeably with technology professionals.
Course Objectives
By the time you complete this course, you should have learned about the following:
How to use technology tools productively and creatively;
What an information system is;
What the role of an information system is within an
organization;
Why, when, and how information systems are developed;
How information systems can be shaped to meet the needs
of organizations;
How organizations can be shaped by information systems;
How to communicate business requirements with
technology professionals.
Course Textbook
Introduction to Information Systems, 3rd Edition, Rainer & Cegielski.
Textbooks can be acquired from any number of textbook sellers.
Learning Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to provide an overview of (1) the role of information
systems in business process design, (2) the current technologies used for obtaining, storing, and
communicating information in support of operations and decision-making within a business
organization, and (3) the concepts and principles of popular spreadsheet and database tools.
Applications focus on important problems and issues found in business disciplines, including
accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain operations, and general management.
Method of Instruction
First—Questions?
If you ever have any questions at all about assignments, reports, exams please let me know
immediately. Log on to Angel and send me a note. I will respond in most cases within 24 hours
or less.
This course will include lectures, discussions, and hands on activities. You will work both
individually and in groups to address questions and cases in the text and from outside sources.
Thursday Technology in the News: Each Thursday you will be asked to come to class and
discuss a news item related to technology in business. You can find these items on sites such
as Business Week, the New York Times, MSN, CNN, and other online journals and news
papers.
Library Resources
You will be expected to access and use library resources to complete some of your assignments.
If you are unfamiliar with using these resources, we will have a librarian come to class for a
presentation.
Access to the library is through http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/home.html
Course Schedule
Readings:
Week 1 January 11 & 13
Ch 1: The Modern Organization in the Global, Web Based
Environment (be sure to read Santa Cruz case at end of chapter)
Review Technology Guide 1: Computer Hardware p.420
Assignments:
Tuesday 1/11—Introduce yourself and list 2 desired outcomes from
the course.
Thursday 1/13—Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Complete the Technology Survey
Angel Review: Review resources on Angel and send an e-mail to
instructor via Angel
Sign up for or confirm Pass Space
Group Discussion
Readings:
Week 2 January 18 & 20
Ch 2: Information Systems: Concepts and Management (be sure to
read New York Life at the end of the chapter)
Assignments:
Thursday Technology in the News 1/20
In Class Labs
and Activities
Intro to Power Point—Students will develop and submit a power point
presentation during class
Group Discussion
Readings:
Week 3 January 25 & 27
Ch 3 Ethics, Privacy, and Information Security (be sure to read
International Fund for Animal Welfare case at end of chapter)
Review Technology Guide 2: Computer Software p. 450
Assignments:
Thursday 1/27—Thursday Technology in the News
1/27 Quiz 1: Chapters 1-3
In Class Labs
and Activities
Intro to HTML
Group Discussion—Ethics, Privacy and Security
Readings:
Week 4 February 1 & 3
Ch 4: Data and Knowledge Management (be sure to read Proctor &
Gamble case at end of chapter)
Review Technology Guide 5: Basics of the Internet and the WWW p.
516
Assignments:
For Thursday 2/3—Identify at least two business related websites
and be prepared to discuss these based on the evaluation criteria
provided to you in class.
Thursday 2/3—Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Continue HTML
Discussion—Website Evaluations—What makes an effective
business website?
Readings:
Week 5 February 8 & 10
Ch 5: Network Applications (be sure to read Aurora Health case at end
of chapter)
Assignments:
Thursday Technology in the News
Thursday 2/10—Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Group Activity—page 191
Google Docs—Students must have gmail account
Readings:
Week 6 February 15 & 17
Ch 6: E-Business and E-Commerce Network Applications (be sure to
read Zvents case at end of chapter)
Assignments:
2/17 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Intro to Access
Readings:
Week 7 February 22 & 24
Ch 7: Wireless, Mobile Computing, and Mobile Commerce (be sure to
read Census Bureau case at end of chapter)
Assignments:
2/24 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Group Activity—Wireless/Mobile Devices
Access Continued
Readings:
Week 8 March 1 & 3
Ch 8: Organizational Information Systems (be sure to read No Fly
Zonecase at end of chapter)
September 11th article (In Readings Folder on Angel)
Assignments:
Quiz 2—Chapters 4-8
3/3 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Class Discussion—Crises and their impact on information
systems/September 11th Impact
Access Continued
SPRING BREAK—March 6-12, 2011 NO CLASS
Readings:
Week 9 March 15 & 17
Ch 9: Customer Relationship Management (be sure to read the Tesco
case at end of chapter)
Assignments:
3/17 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Readings:
Guest Speaker
I-Movie Hands On Workshop
Assign Groups for Video Project
Week 10 March 22 & 24
Ch 10: Supply Chain Management & Additional Reading on Angel
Be sure to read the Anheuser-Busch case at end of chapter
Assignments:
3/24 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
Guest Speaker
Work on Videos
Readings:
Week 11 March 29 & 31
Ch 11: Managerial Support Systems (be sure to read Papa Ginos case
at end of chapter)
Assignments:
Quiz 3—Chapters 9-11
3/31 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
GIS Hands On
Group Activity
Readings:
Assignments:
In Class Labs
and Activities
Readings:
Week 12 April 5 & 7
Ch 12: Acquiring Information Systems and Applications
Update on Videos
4/7 Thursday Technology in the News
Intro to Excel
Group Discussion Activity/Case Study
Week 13 April 12 & 14
Ch 13: Managerial Support Systems (be sure to read Papa Ginos case
at end of chapter)
Assignments:
4/14 Thursday Technology in the News
Update on Videos
In Class Labs
and Activities
Excel continued
GIS Hands On Activity
Group Activity
Readings:
Assignments:
Week 14 April 19 & 21
Social Networks, Crowdsourcing, & MIS (In Readings Folder on
Angel)
4/21 Thursday Technology in the News
Update on Videos
Quiz 4: Chapters 12-13 and readings
In Class Labs
and Activities
Social Networking Group Activity
Upload Videos to You Tube by Monday 4/25
Week 15 April 26 & 28
Cloud Computing (In Readings Folder on Angel)
Readings:
Assignments:
4/28 Thursday Technology in the News
In Class Labs
and Activities
View Videos
– FINAL EXAM WEEK -Assignments: There is no final exam in this course.
Individual Paper Due
Grading
Area
# of Points
4 Quizzes
300
Class Discussions & Participation
200
Individual Paper
100
Labs
200
Final Group Presentation
200
TOTAL
1,000
Letter grades will be based on the following scale:
A = 930 to 1,000
A- = 900 to 929
C+ = 770 to 799
C = 700 to 769
B+ = 870 to 899
B = 830 to 869
B- = 800 to 829
D = 600 to 699
F = Below 600
Late Policy
Students who cannot submit assignments on time because of emergency, unexpected events, or
extreme illness should contact me as soon as possible. You must send me a note via Angel before
the due date if possible.
I cannot accept late assignments without having made prior arrangements.
Assignments and Quizzes
This outline provide you with information on the specific assignments/quizzes we will having in
this course.
Assignments & Quizzes
Description
There will be four (4) quizzes based on the lessons for a given time period. Each
4 quizzes 75 points each for
quiz is worth 75 points. The quizzes may contain multiple choice, true/false and/or
a total of 300 points
short answer questions.
Class Discussions &
Participation 200 points
You will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, in particular case
discussions, Thursday Technology in the News, and group work.
Individual Paper 100
points
At the end of the semester, you will submit a 5 page paper on a topic discussed in
class.
Labs 200 points
Lab activities are an important component of this course. You will be expected to
submit a number of labs on Angel.
Final Group Presentation
200 points
Your final presentation will be a video on a particular topic discussed in class.
The following rubric will be used to grade the individual paper.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Individual Paper
Introduction
Needs
Improvement
Adequate
Very
Good
Excellent
0-5
6-7
8
9-10
Analysis of topic
0-41
42-47
48-53
54-60
Application of course terms/concepts to analysis
0-41
42-47
48-53
54-60
Typing, spelling, grammar
0-5
6-7
8
9-10
Conclusion
0-5
6-7
8
9-10
Needs
Improvement
Adequate
Very
Good
Excellent
Demonstrates basic understanding
0-5
6-7
8-9
10
Completed assignment as given.
0-4
5-9
10-14
15
Spelling and Grammar (where applicable)
0-5
6-7
8-9
10
Labs (200 Points)
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Final Presentation Video
The final presentation will be given in class. The following rubric will be used to grade the final
presentation.
Needs
Improvement
Adequate
Very
Good
Excellent
Opening – Creativity, Introduction to topic,
Attention getting, led into topic
0-2
3
4
5
Body - Key content questions covered, logical
flow, relation to course
0-34
35-39
40-44
45-50
Conclusion - Effectiveness
0-2
3
4
5
EVALUATION CRITERIA - Presentation
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity Statement
Penn State defines academic integrity as the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and
responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’
dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can
succeed through the fruits of their efforts (Faculty Senate Policy 49-20).
Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of
academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting
work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering
with the academic work of other students. Students who are found to be dishonest will receive
academic sanctions and will be reported to the University’s Judicial Affairs office for possible
further disciplinary sanction.
Disability Access Statement
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in
its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access
to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to
ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal
authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions
about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Attendance
If you must miss class due to illness, family emergency, participation in a varsity sport, or
religious holiday, please be sure to do the following:
**Let me know in advance by email via Angel that you will have to miss a class.**
If work is due that day, make arrangements to get it to me. You may contact me via Angel.
Work due when you are absent is still due.
A quiz or test given on a day when you are absent cannot be made up.
It is your responsibility to find out what happened in class on a day when you were absent,
including any announcements, changes to the class schedule, or assignments. Plan to get this
information from a classmate so that you will be prepared for the next class.
For more information see the University policy ―Senate Policy 42-27, Class Attendance,
http://www.psu.edu/ufs/policies‖, which states ―A student whose irregular attendance causes him
or her, in the judgment of the instructor, to become deficient scholastically, may run the risk of
receiving a failing grade or receiving a lower grade than the student might have secured had the
student been in regular attendance.‖
Respect for the classroom environment, including the instructor and other students, is expected.
Disruptive behavior in class will not be tolerated; if you do disrupt the class, you may be asked
to leave. Disruptive behavior will result in a lower participation grade. Disruptive behavior
includes:
Coming to class late or leaving early
Leaving and reentering the room while class is in session (go to the bathroom
before class starts)
Using a cell phone (all cell phones must be turned off and put away in class!)
Talking or whispering with other students
Refusing to participate in class activities, including group work
Reading a book or newspaper and/or doing homework
Drinking and eating.