Azerbaijan University
Bachelor of Business Administration
CIS 2010 – Introduction to Computer-Based Information Systems
Winter, 2012
Instructor: Mammadov Anar
Class time: See Class Schedule
Office hour: by appointment
AZ 1102, Baku, R.Safarov 17
Telephone: 050 222 00 58
E: mail: mammedov.anar@gmail.com
1. Course General Description
This course provides an introduction to computer and information systems concepts
including hardware, software, databases, data communications, and business
applications. The student is introduced to methods of determining user requirements
and developing application systems using databases and fourth generation languages.
2. Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, each student will be able to:
1. Analyze and apply IT to solve common business problems,
2. Propose and defend effective solutions to business problems, and
3. Create a database application to solve a business problem.
3. Credit Hours: 3.0 credits
4. Course Pre-Requisites
Basics of informatics, Introduction to Computers.
5. Required Computer Skills Prerequisites
Base Knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office
6. Books:
Required text book:
1. R. Kelly Rainer “Introduction to Information Systems
Supporting and
Transforming Business” Wiley 2008 ISBN 0470169001
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2. “Information
Technology
for
Management
Improving
Strategic
and
Operational Performance” by Efraim Turban, Linda Volonino, Eighth edition
Pub. Date: January 18, 2011
3. “Management Information Systems, Moving Business Forward” by R. Kelly
Rainer; Hugh J. Watson Pub. Date: January 18, 2012
7. Course Description
Part
Course Material
Resources
Information Systems: Concepts and Management
Class 1
1. Describe the components of computer-based information
systems.
2. Describe the various types of information systems by breadth of
support.
3. Identify the major information systems that support each
organizational level.
4. Describe strategic information systems (SISs), and explain their
advantages.
5. Describe Porter’s competitive forces and value chain models,
and explain how IT helps companies improve their competitive
positions.
6. Describe five strategies that companies can use to achieve
competitive advantage in their industries.
7. Describe how information resources are managed, and discuss
the roles of the information systems department
and the end users.
2/ch 2
Computer Hardware
Class 2
1.Identify the major hardware components of a computer system.
2. Describe the design and functioning of the central processing
unit.
3. Discuss the relationships between microprocessor component
designs and performance.
4. Describe the main types of primary and secondary storage.
5. Distinguish between primary and secondary storage along the
dimensions of speed, cost, and capacity.
6. Define enterprise storage, and describe the various types of
enterprise storage.
7. Describe the hierarchy of computers according to power and
their respective roles.
8. Differentiate the various types of input and output technologies
and their uses.
9. Discuss the innovations in hardware utilization.
10. Discuss strategic issues that link hardware design to business
strategy
2/tg 1
Computer Software
Class 3
1. Differentiate between the two major types of software.
2. Describe the general functions of the operating system.
3. Describe the major types of application software.
4. Describe the major software issues that organizations face
today.
2/tg 2
2
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open-source
software.
6. Explain how software has evolved and consider trends for the
future.
Basics of Telecommunications and Networks
Class 4
1. Understand the basic telecommunications system.
2. Describe the major types of transmission technologies.
3. Describe the two major types of networks.
4. Describe the Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols.
5. Differentiate between client/server computing and peer-to-peer
computing
2/tg 4
Basics of the Internet and the WWW
Class 5
1. Differentiate among the Internet, the World Wide Web,
intranets, and extranets.
2. Describe how the Internet operates.
3. Discuss the various ways to connect to the Internet.
4. Describe the parts of an Internet address.
2/tg 5
Network Applications
Class 6
1. Describe the four major network applications.
2. Discuss the various technologies, applications, and Web sites
that fall under the umbrella of Web 2.0.
3. Differentiate between e-learning and distance learning.
4. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of
telecommuting for both employers and employees.
2/ch 5
E-Business and E-Commerce
Class 7
1. Describe electronic commerce, including its scope, benefits,
limitations, and types.
2. Distinguish between pure and partial electronic commerce.
3. Understand the basics of how online auctions work.
4. Differentiate among business-to-consumer, business-tobusiness, consumer-to-consumer, business-toemployee, and government-to-citizen electronic commerce.
5. Describe the major e-commerce support services, specifically
payments and logistics.
6. Discuss some ethical and legal issues relating to e-commerce.
2/ch 6
Wireless, Mobile Computing, and Mobile Commerce
Class 8
1. Discuss today’s wireless devices and wireless transmission
media.
2. Describe wireless networks according to their effective distance.
3. Define mobile computing and mobile commerce.
4. Discuss the major m-commerce applications.
5. Define pervasive computing and describe two technologies that
underlie this technology.
6. Discuss the four major threats to wireless networks
2/ch 7
Protecting Your Information Assets
Class 9
Class 10
1. Identify the various behavioral actions you can take to protect
your information assets.
2. Identify the various computer-based actions you can take to
protect your information assets
Ethics, Privacy, and Information Security
1. Describe the major ethical issues related to information
technology and identify situations in which they occur.
2/tg 3
2/ch 3
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2. Identify the many threats to information security.
3. Understand the various defense mechanisms used to protect
information systems.
4. Explain IT auditing and planning for disaster recovery.
Data and Knowledge Management
Class 11
1. Recognize the importance of data, the issues involved in
managing these data, and the data life cycle.
2. Describe the sources of data and explain how data are collected.
3. Explain the advantages of the database approach.
4. Explain the operation of data warehousing and its role in
decision support.
5. Explain data governance and how it helps to produce highquality data.
6. Define knowledge and describe the different types of knowledge
2/ch 4
Organizational Information Systems
Class 12
1. Describe transaction processing systems.
2. Describe management information systems and the support
they provide for each functional area of the organization.
3. Describe enterprise resource planning systems.
4. Describe customer relationship management systems.
5. Describe supply chain management systems.
6. Discuss EDI and extranets
2/ch 8
Managerial Support Systems
Class 13
1. Describe the concepts of management, decision making, and
computerized support for decision making.
2. Describe multidimensional data analysis and data mining.
3. Describe digital dashboards.
4. Describe data visualization, and explain geographical
information systems and virtual reality.
5. Describe artificial intelligence (AI).
6. Define an expert system and identify its components.
7. Describe natural language processing, natural language
generation, and neural networks
2/ch 9
Acquiring Information Systems and Applications
Class 14
1. Describe the IT planning process.
2. Describe the IT justification process and methods.
3. Describe the SDLC and its advantages and limitations.
4. Describe the major alternative methods and tools for building
information systems.
5. List the major IT acquisition options and the criteria for option
selection.
6. Describe the role of hosting vendors.
7. Describe the process of vendor and software selection
Class 15 Projects’ Group presentation
2/ch 10
1/ch 1
8. Instruction Evaluation

You are required to complete an Instructor Evaluation Form for this course (you
may also choose not to complete the evaluation, but you must indicate so.)
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
If you need to discuss grade-related issues after the final exam/test, please
contact me only after AU has published your course grades (timing when the
evaluation is still in the progress).
9. Grading Policy and Evaluation
Team Project
10 points
Mid-term exam
20 points
Final exam
40 points
Activity
10 points
Attendance
10 points
Video lectures
10 points
Course total:
100 points
10. Letter Grade Policy
Letter grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
Total points
97-100
93-96.9
90-92.9
87-89.9
83-86.9
80-82.9
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
60-69.9
Below 60
11. Exams (mid-term and final):
The tests will be based on the assigned readings as well as the contented presented
by me and discussed with students during classes. If need for review sessions before
both of exams is identified, I will organize a half class session to review the material
involving students. In general, review questions help students to clarify issues that
they could not completely clarify during classes or own their own.
12. Method of Instruction:
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Various method of teaching will be employed to encourage proactive involvement
of students and make learning process successful. Mostly employed methods and
techniques to expect are discussions, lectures, written and video case-studies. I also
expect students to actively ask questions and discuss the class materials with their
other student colleagues.
13. Projects:
Projects are to be completed by students to demonstrate their competency and
understanding of key concepts using real life data and presenting its findings in the
class. Students are encouraged to work in a group of two to three students. I am
always available to discuss the topics that a group of students chooses for their
projects. It is important that students approach me before brief project statement is
due. I expect students to present their own work and students will be penalized for
copying other’s works without properly citing them. Project topics should be consistent
with course description. Projects include creating sample network solutions using
virtual machines, installing client operating systems, creating sample web pages,
installing and troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks, plan your organization’s hardware,
software and network infrastructure. The students are obliged to prepare projects on
a certain company or firm case. It could be where he/she works or he/she chooses
without any working precondition. Final projects version should be submitted in
three steps, i) determining and distribution of project topics, ii) submitting of draft
version, and iii) submitting of final version. The schedule will be strictly followed by
instructor.
14. Essays:
Instructor will assign one home-essays covering topics related to the class material.
Parallel to this rule student’s suggestions are welcomed. As the essay is a reduced
statement of the scientific article or the monograph with the basic actual conclusions
and generalizations, topics should be defined from this perspective. The essay theme
is defined in the beginning of academic year. Each of those essays must be
completed either independently by students or together with other student-fellow.
Students are encouraged to form group discussions to analyze home-essays but are
expected to honestly turn in their individual home-essays. Home-essays are
expected to be turned in as hard copies, faxes and emails. The deadlines of
submitting essays are before completion of course or review.
15. Activity
To evaluate student activity instructor will look at three criteria, i) quiz results, ii)
participation in discussions, iii) level of chasing deadlines. Instructor will assign
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three quizzes during semester. It will be very short and focus to analyze the level of
student’s lessons understanding. The lessons will be studied in interactive regime,
so there will be opportunities for students to show his/her participation. It is very
important that, student follow the deadlines for submitting of projects and essays. If
they are not submitted in time, it then impedes instructor to do correct evaluation.
16. E-mail: mammedov.anar@gmail.com
Students can contact me for arranging meetings and asking urgent questions by email. But I encourage them to contact me in person to discuss substantive matters
such as a class absence, exams, or grade assignments.
17. Policy on Class Attendance
a. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and take all tests. I
will also grade attendance to ensure the discipline in the class.
b. If the student misses a class, the student is still responsible for catching up
on the material covered in the absence of that student before coming to
the next class session. Therefore, it is responsibility of the student to
arrange with student colleagues to obtain notes if he or she misses a class
or classes.
c. Excessive absence: Four or more classes. Depending on the circumstances,
the instructor may initiate some kind of penalty with dean’s office.
18. Policy on Make-Ups

Mid-term and final: do not miss them. There are no exceptions for those.

Home-essays and project presentations are due on the dates announced and
late submission means no grade for that home-essays and presentations.

Requests for make-ups may be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Avoid requests for reasons of personal convenience;

Any make-up exams, if granted, must be taken prior to the next meeting of
the class.

If you miss a test without prior notice or arrangement, no grade (zero grades)
is automatically assigned to the missed test.
19. Class discipline
a. Please arrive on time to the class. Being late to class without a reason is no
respect to the instructor and student colleagues as it interprets the session.
b. Do not eat food in class: please use lounge or other related areas.
c. Cell phones, e-mails, and any possible other electronic devices must be
turned OFF while in class and during the test.
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d. Students are expected to talk about class topics and no other topics are
expected to be discussed.
20. Academic dishonesty
Azerbaijan University has no tolerance for acts of academic dishonesty. The
responsibilities of both students and faculty with regard to academic dishonesty are
defined by education policy of Azerbaijan University. By teaching this course, I have
agreed to observe the entire faculty responsibilities described in that document. By
enrolling in this class, you have agreed to observe the entire student responsibilities
described in that document. Academic dishonesty in this course includes copying or
collaborating during an exam, discussing or divulging the contents of an exam with
another student who will take the test, and use of homework solutions from another
students.
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