MSIT 500
Foundations of Systems
3 Graduate Credit Hours
16 weeks
Winter 2014 (01/06/14 - 04/27/14) Term Code 201430
Link to NSU-SCIS Course Blackboard Environment
Professor: Robert B Lipton, Ph.D.
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314
E-mail:
rlipton@nsu.nova.edu > Note: E-mail is the preferred method of communication
Skype:
Drrlipton
Personal: www.scis.nova.edu/~rlipton
Office Phone: 570-640-7500
Class Location and Format: On-Line
Class Web Site: http://sharklearn.nova.edu
Course Description: Concepts and foundations of the key aspects of computer
systems and networks are presented. Topics include computer architecture, data
storage, data manipulation, program execution, operating systems, networking,
internetworking, data abstractions, and database systems. Additional topics in
graphics, artificial intelligence, and computation will supplement core IT component
knowledge.
All Course Instruction and Communication will occur in Blackboard
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
Exit Competencies and Course Structure:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Discuss the role of algorithms in support of computer systems.
2. Discuss the concepts of abstraction and layering in computer systems.
3. Demonstrate familiarity with the basic computer system hardware and software topics:
Architecture, Data Storage and Manipulation, Operating Systems, Network and Internet, and
Database Systems.
4. Analyze the impact of current and developing technologies on the Information Technology
Industry and Society.
Course Outline:
Course Introduction
 Objectives
 Components
 IT relationship
Data Storage
 Main memory
 Mass storage
Data Manipulation
 Computer architecture
 Program execution
Operating Systems
 History
 Architecture
 Control
 Tasks
Networking and the Internet
 Network fundamentals
 Protocols
Algorithms
 Concepts
 Representation
Programming Languages
 History
 Concepts
Software Engineering
 The discipline
 Life cycle
 Methodologies
Data Abstraction
 Data structures
 Concepts
Database Systems
 Fundamentals
 Relational model
Additional Topics (If Time Permits)
 Graphics
 Artificial intelligence
 Theory of computation
 IT: Bringing it all together
Required Software and Hardware:






Multimedia Capable Computer
Microsoft Office Office 2003, Office 2007, or Office 2010
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or 8.0 or Firefox 3.6 or higher (enable cookies)
Microsoft, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
56.6 kbps or faster Internet connection (A broadband connection is recommended)
An Internet account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
2
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
Required Textbook:
Title:
Computer Science An Overview,11th
Author:
J. Glenn Brookshear
ISBN:
ISBN-13: 9780132569033
Edition:
Eleventh Edition - Copyright 2012
Publisher:
Prentice Hall
Recommended Textbook:
Title:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Author:
American Psychological Association
ISBN
9781433805615
Edition:
6th - Copyright: 2009
Publisher:
American Psychological Association
Course and Class Rules:
The following rules will apply to this course. Each reflects the need to produce graduate level work,
research, skills, and knowledge as defined in the course outcomes listed elsewhere in this document.
1. Graduate level work is expected from all students taking this course.
2. All course work MUST be submitted to NSU Blackboard
3. Note: All written work should conform to the SCIS Writing Policy (listed below).
4. SCIS Writing Policy: Each student must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language in all
work submitted for this course. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, and writing that do not express ideas
clearly will affect your grade. Your professor will not provide remedial help concerning writing problems that
you might have. Students who are unable to write correctly and clearly are urged to contact their program
office for sources of remedial help. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Fourth
Edition) should be used as a guide for form, style, and general writing principles in the preparations of papers
and reports.
5. Writing problems such as formatting, online formatting, spelling, grammar, syntax, sentence construction, and
clarity of meaning, when identified, will result in reduction of grade points.
6. APA form and style must be followed, Grade point reductions will occur when problems are noted. You may
order a copy of the APA manual from NSU's bookstore. Ask for the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 6th Edition. (ISBN-9781433805615)
7. Test may be taken one time (if applicable). Makeup tests, if available, must be taken within one week (3 days)
of the scheduled examination time unless otherwise authorized.
8. A student may neither do additional work nor repeat an examination to raise a final grade.
9. Students must adhere to an honor system and neither gives nor receives help on online tests or other course
assignments.
10. The student submitting the assignment must be the sole author and creator of the work submitted unless the
instructor has previously granted permission.
11. Work must be submitted on or before the listed due dates (VERY IMPORTANT!!).
12. Work submitted after due dates may not be graded and "0" points will be assigned for the deliverables the day
following the product submission deadline. A minimum of 20% of the grade will be deducted!!!!
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
3
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
13. Work submitted in other college/university courses or previously developed on the job or the classroom is not
acceptable for submission in this course unless authorized by the instructor.
14. Proprietary material may not be submitted as part of any course assignment.
15. The intellectual property rights of others will be respected and when work of others is used it will be cited
using the appropriate APA form and style guidelines.
16. All course work may ONLY be submitted once unless getting permission from the instructor. Under no
circumstances can any assignment be resubmitted once it has been evaluated!
17. The tone of writing within documents submitted must be scholarly in tone, nature, and language.
18. References are expected for all written work submitted for this course.
19. References appearing in a document reference-list should be previously cited within the text (in-text citation)
of the document.
20. Work for this course should be submitted in some version of Microsoft Word 2000/XP/2003 /2007) or
Mac/Apple equivalent MS Office Suite. Help on submitting assignments can be found at
http://www.scis.nova.edu/NSS/Help/
21. Students living in distance time zones and overseas must meet all established deadlines for assignments,
discussion conferences, and tests. Students living within the continental United States must also meet all for
assignments, discussion conferences and tests.
22. Any software used in this course should be appropriately licensed to the individual or institution.
23. All assignments will include Use APA style which will include a cover page that states the students name,
course ID, assignment name and number, date, and supervising professor. All assignments will include page
numbers, headings, proper spacing, formatting, and work-cited/bibliography (APA Style). Failure to do so will
automatically reduce your assessment by 20%.
24. All submitted assignments will have additional outside sources cited (APA Style) in the reference area and if
applicable within the body of the assignment.
25. Coding/Development Skills: - I shall not provide remedial help concerning coding problems that you might
have. Students are responsible for the setup of their own coding environment. As well, each student must
debug their own code.
26. When the file(s) is/are submitted, they will be named in this manner. Use your issued NSU Email_ID followed
by an underscore (_) and the abbreviation "assn" and the numeric assignment number. Example:
"rlipton_assn1.doc or docx" Failure to name your file in this manner may result in a 10% reduction in your
grade assessment
27. All assignments must have a Certificate of Authorship (COA) as specified by NSU-SCIS. Please see “Sample
below”
28. Failure to include Certificate Of Authorship document will result in the assignment not being accepted and
a minimum of 20% of the grade will be deducted
Submitted to (Professor’s Name) (Sample)
Student’s Name:
Date of Submission:
Purpose and Title of Submission:
Certification of Authorship: (CoA) I hereby certify that I am the author of this document and that any assistance
I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the document. I have also cited all sources
from which I obtained data, ideas, or words that are copied directly or paraphrased in the document. Sources
are properly credited according to accepted standards for professional publications. I also certify that this
paper was prepared by me for this purpose.
Student's Signature: (You May Word Process your Name here in a Signature type font or scan your name here)
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
4
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
School and University Policies and Procedures:
Students must comply with the policies published in the school’s Graduate Catalog and the NSU
Student Handbook, some of which are included or referenced below. The catalog is at
http://www.scis.nova.edu/documents/catalog.pdf . The handbook is at
http://www.nova.edu/cwis/studentaffairs/forms/ustudenthandbook.pdf.
1. Standards of Academic Integrity For the university-wide policy on academic standards, see the
section Code of Student Conduct and Academic Responsibility in the NSU Student Handbook.
Also see the section Student Misconduct in the GSCIS catalog.
Each student is responsible for maintaining academic integrity and intellectual honesty in his or her academic
work. It is the policy of the school that each student must:
Submit his or her own work, not that of another person
Not falsify data or records (including admission materials and academic work)
Not engage in cheating (e.g., giving or receiving help during examinations; acquiring and/or transmitting test
questions prior to an examination; or using unauthorized materials, such as notes, during an examination)
Not receive or give aid on assigned work that requires independent effort
Properly credit the words or ideas of others according to accepted standards for professional publications (see the
next section Crediting Words or Ideas)
Not use or consult paper writing services, software coding services, or similar services for the purpose of
obtaining assistance in the preparation of materials to be submitted for course assignments or for theses or
dissertations.
Not commit plagiarism (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2004) defines plagiarism as “stealing or passing
off ideas or words of another as one’s own” and “the use of a created production without crediting the
source.”) (See Crediting Words or Ideas below)
Crediting Words or Ideas
When using the exact words from another work, quotation marks must be used for short quotations (fewer than 40
words), and block quotation style must be used for longer quotations. In either case, a proper citation must
also be provided. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition, contains
standards and examples on quotation methods.
When paraphrasing (summarizing, or rewriting) the words or ideas from another work, a proper citation must be
provided. (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition contains standards
and examples on citation methods. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) defines paraphrase as
“An expression in other words, usually fuller and clearer, of the sense of a written or spoken passage or
text…Express the meaning (of a word, phrase, passage, or work) in other words, usually with the object of
clarification…”. Changing word order, deleting words, or substituting synonyms is not acceptable
paraphrasing—it is plagiarism, even when properly cited. Rather than make changes of this nature, the
source should be quoted as written.
Original Work
Assignments, exams, projects, papers, theses, dissertations, etc., must be the original work of the student.
Original work may include the thoughts and words of others, but such thoughts or words must be identified
using quotation marks or indentation and must properly identify the source (see the previous section Crediting
Words or Ideas). At all times, students are expected to comply with the school’s accepted citation practice and
policy.
Work is not original when it has been submitted previously by the author or by anyone else for academic credit.
Work is not original when it has been copied or partially copied from any other source, including another
student, unless such copying is acknowledged by the person submitting the work for the credit at the time the
work is being submitted, or unless copying, sharing, or joint authorship is an express part of the assignment.
Exams and tests are original work when no unauthorized aid is given, received, or used before or during the
course of the examination, reexamination, and/or remediation.
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
5
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
2. Writing Skills
Students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language. Grammatical errors, spelling errors,
and writing that fails to express ideas clearly will affect their grades and the completion of their academic
programs. The faculty will not provide remedial help concerning grammatical errors or other writing difficulties.
It is the student’s responsibility to proofread and edit his or her work, which, in both form and content, should
be letter-perfect. Work that is not properly edited will be rejected.
3. Disabilities and ADA
NSU complies with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The university’s detailed policy on disabilities is
contained in the NSU Student Handbook. Student requests for accommodation based on ADA will be
considered on an individual basis. Students with disabilities should discuss their needs with NSU’s ADA
Coordinator before the commencement of classes if possible.
4. Communication by Email
Students must use their NSU email accounts when sending email to faculty and staff and must clearly
identify their names and other appropriate information, e.g., course or program. When
communicating with students via email, faculty and staff members will send mail only to NSU email
accounts using NSU-recognized usernames. Students who forward their NSU-generated email to
other email accounts do so at their own risk. GSCIS uses various course management tools that use
private internal email systems. Students enrolled in courses using these tools should check both the
private internal email system and NSU’s regular email system. NSU offers students web-based email
access. Students are encouraged to check their NSU email account and their course management
email daily.
5. The Temporary Grade of Incomplete (I)
The temporary grade of Incomplete (I) will be granted only in cases of extreme hardship. Students do not have a
right to an incomplete, which may be granted only when there is evidence of just cause. A student desiring an
incomplete must submit a written appeal to the course professor at least two weeks prior to the end of the term. In
the appeal, the student must: (1) provide a rationale; (2) demonstrate that he/she has been making a sincere
effort to complete the assignments during the term; and (3) explain how all the possibilities to complete the
assignments on time have been exhausted. Should the course professor agree, an incomplete contract will be
prepared by the student and signed by both student and the professor. The incomplete contract must contain a
description of the work to be completed and a timetable. The completion period should be the shortest possible.
The completion date will not typically extend beyond 30 days from the last day of the term for master’s courses or
beyond 60 days from the last day of the term for doctoral courses. The incomplete contract will accompany the
submission of the professor’s final grade roster to the program office. The program office will monitor each
incomplete contract. When the incomplete contract ends the course professor will assign a grade based upon the
work completed. No student may graduate with an “I” on his or her record.
6. Grade Policy Regarding Withdrawals
Course withdrawal requests must be submitted to the program office in writing by the student. Requests for
withdrawal must be received by the program office by the withdrawal deadline (see dates in the academic
calendar in the catalog and program brochures or websites). Withdrawals sent by email must be sent from the
student’s assigned NSU email account. Requests for withdrawal received after 11:59 p.m. EST on the withdrawal
deadline date will not be accepted. Failure to attend class or participate in course activities will not automatically
drop or withdraw a student from the class or the university. Students who have not withdrawn by the withdrawal
deadline will receive letter grades that reflect their performance in the course. When a withdrawal request is
approved, the transcript will show a grade of W (Withdrawn) for the course. Students with four withdrawals will be
dismissed from the program. Depending on the date of withdrawal, the student may be eligible for a partial refund
(see the appropriate catalog section Refund Policy Regarding Withdrawals).
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
6
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
7. Acceptable Use of Computing Resources
Students must comply with the university’s Policy on Acceptable Use of Computing Resources (see NSU Student
Handbook).
8. Academic Progress, Grade Requirements, and Academic Standing
Students must be familiar with the school’s policies, which are contained in the NSU GSCIS catalog.
9. Student Research Involving Human Subjects
Students must be familiar with the university’s policy (see paragraph in catalog).
10. Responsibility for Payment of Tuition and Fees
Once registered, students are personally responsible for the payment of their tuition and fees. Returned checks,
cancelled credit cards, employer or agency refusal to pay, ineligibility for financial aid, and other reasons for nonpayment may result in a direct bill to the student, and/or referral to a collection agency.
Payment and refund policies are based on the view that a student registering for a class is reserving a place in
that class and that tuition and fees cover the opportunity to secure that place in the class. Since no other person
can purchase that place, the student is responsible for the tuition and fees associated with it. Simply not attending
does not constitute a reason for non-payment.
Winter 2014 (01/06/14 - 04/27/14) Term Code 201430
Registration Period (no Late Fees):
Late Registration Period (with Late Fees):
First Day of Term:
Drop/Add Deadline:
Observed Holiday:
Observed Holiday:
Last Day to Withdraw from a course with final grade of W:
Last Day to Request an Incomplete:
Last Day of the Term:
10/14/13 – 12/25/13
12/26/13 – 01/05/14
01/06/14
01/12/14
01/20/14 (Martin Luther King Day)
04/20/14 (Easter)
04/07/14
04/14/14
04/27/14
Instruction Methods and Tools:
This course will include reading, professional expression and discussion assignments, and course
assignments. Course interaction will consist of on-line content and interaction in Blackboard.
Assignments:
• Reading Assignments
There will be assigned readings from the textbook that correspond to the class topic. Additional
readings may be assigned to supplement the course topics. Specific details for these assignments will
be posted in Blackboard
• Professional Expression and Discussion Assignments
Several professional expression and discussion assignments will supplement the emphasis on
particular course topics. Specific details for these assignments will be posted in Blackboard.
Students must be prepared to discuss their results in Blackboard discussions either in written or oral
form using a variety of web-based tools
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
7
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
• Course Assignments & Quizzes
Students will analyze and solve problems related to course covered topics Specific details for these
assignments will be posted in Blackboard.
Grading Criteria:
\
Grades will be determined based upon student performance in meeting the following course
requirements: Student Discussion Questions in Blackboard, examinations, and required course work
appearance, content, organization, scholarship (citations and references list), writing style, timely
submissions, and use of the American Psychological Association (APA) form and style guidelines.
Course requirements found to be deficient in any of these areas will receive grade point deduction(s).
Click here to access the course and class rules.
The grade of "B" represents the benchmark for this course. It indicates the student has demonstrated
competency in the subject matter of the course, i.e., has fulfilled all course requirements on time, has a
clear grasp of the full range of course materials and concepts, and is able to present and apply these
materials and concepts in clear, reasoned, well-organized and grammatically correct responses,
whether written or oral.
Only students who full meet this standard and, in addition, who demonstrate exceptional
comprehension and application of the course subject matter, merit an "A." Students who do not meet
the benchmark standard of competency fall within the "C" range or lower. They, in effect, have not met
graduate level standards. Where this failure is substantial, they earn an "F."
Points Assignment:
Assignment #1
(20%) = 100 point
Assignment #2
(20%) = 100 point
Assignment #3
(20%) = 100 points
Quizzes
(20%) = 100 points
Discussion Assignments (20%) = 100 points
Total Points = 300
Grading Scale:
A = 94 – 100%
B- = 80 – 82.9%
A- = 90 - 93.9%
C+ = 75 – 79.9%
B+ = 87 - 89.9%
C
= 70 - 74.9%
B = 83 - 86.9%
F
= Below 70%
Assessment Criteria Rationale and Guiding Principles:
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
8
NSU MMIS 620 Winter 2014 - 16 weeks - Dr. Lipton Revised 11-2-2013
Each project grade is for the totality of the effort.
Each grade is made up of a process associated with the project not just the end result. To earn
an "A" means that you have done superior/exemplary work, just satisfying the minimum
requirements will not and does not guarantee an"A" I will not negotiate with a student once a
grade has been assessed to its fairness or its appropriateness.
An example of this would be questioning how many points I assess for a specific deficiency. (A
sports analogy would be attempting to argue balls and strikes with an umpire!)
I can assure you that I do fairly and equitably apply "uniformly" the grading criteria for each and
every assignment based on the specific assignment criteria found in the course syllabus and
that you are graduate students in a technical program.
To contact me, for any/all questions, use the Blackboard email or my email address, which is
rlipton@nova.edu
Any Changes to this course syllabus will be communicated through Blackboard
Syllabus - Updated Dr. Lipton 11-2-2013
9