INSS 680

INFORMATION SYSTEMS PRACTICUM

28/29 Oct, 11/12 Nov, 2/3 and 16/17 Dec

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

(3 semester hours) Prerequisites: Advancement to Candidacy in the MIS program and INSS 620. Provides the student with practical experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system in industrial, government, or military environments. The student is assigned a systems development project in which all of the systems development cycles can be experienced. Students can be placed in practicum sites independently or in a team to acquire practical experience. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F).

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To provide the student with experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system. The student is expected to have successfully completed the following courses: Information Management Analysis. Information Systems Design, and Information Systems Policy, and have been advanced to candidacy prior to registering for the course.

EVALUATION:

During this one term course, the student will be evaluated based on bi-weekly presentations of the project decided upon by group or individual and the course grade will be based on the final project to be presented in class. To obtain the grade "P", the student's performance has to be "B" or better. There are no letter grades in this course. This not a lecture type of course. The instructor's responsibility will be to guide the student toward successful completion of the project.

        Presentations - 4 60%

Presentation 1 - Initial Proposal

Content - 15%

Spoken - 5%

Visuals - 5%

Presentation 2 - Work to date

Content - 15%

Spoken - 5%

Visuals - 5%

Presentation 3 - Work to date

Content - 15%

Spoken - 5%

Visuals - 5%

Final Presentation

Content - 15%

Spoken - 5%

Visuals - 5%

Final Report 40%

Content

25%

Correctness

25%

Degree of Completion

25%

Presentation (Quality of English, etc.)

25%

1.

Development of a system for a local firm:

Under supervision, students will develop a small application for a computer-based management information system for a local firm, e.g., insurance company, payroll application, product/goods company.

2.

Development of a system for a university or college:

Under supervision and help from the data processing unit of the university/ college, the student will develop a system to benefit the university/college, e.g., alumni record and followup system, bookstore order/accounting, on-line registration.

3.

Other of interest to the student.

Automation of a small business

University print shop charge back system

Requirement determination and strategic selection for information systems for a particular company

Automating accounting control procedures for a company

Economic analysis of an automated identification card system

Development of an automated order processing system for an office automation system

Maintenance control system for a company

Cost benefit of information system

Personnel tracking system

Inventory system

Since the goal of the project is completion of the project, the bulk of the formal meeting times will be devoted to achieving this goal. This will be accomplished via formal status reports on the projects, beginning with the Project Proposal which will be presented the first weekend.

Each project should be approved ahead of time. Each project team, student or group, should meet with the instructor during the class time on the first Saturday morning for project approval. The Project Proposal Form should have been drafted at that point. This will be used for a working session on the first Saturday and formal presentation on the first Sunday.

This course provides the student with practical experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system in industrial, government, or military environments. The student is assigned a systems development project in which all of the systems development cycles can be experienced. Students can be placed in practicum sites independently or in a team to acquire practical experience.

1.

If you have questions on completing this form, you may email the instructor (jmeinke@faculty.ed.umuc.edu) prior to the beginning of the term.

2.

All Project Proposals will provide the information specified in the Project Proposal Form attached. The form may be submitted as follows:

a.

Complete the attached form by filling in the blanks. If you wish to add more, then do so at the end of the Project Proposal sheets.

b.

Please keep the questions in the same order and include all questions. If you wish to add more, then do so at the end of the Project Proposal sheets.

3.

If the project is worth doing, then it is worth the investment in time and effort to complete this Project Proposal in a professional manner. Please do not invent/create your own/better format at this time. Recommendations for changes to the Project Proposal format for the next time INSS 680 is offered will be gladly accepted.

4.

Any project submitted will not be targeted to a specific student. The instructor reserves the right to assign any student to any project. No project proposal submitted is owned by a student or sponsor.

5.

Consider the length of the term - eight (8), really six (6) weeks. Ensure that the project scope does not exceed this very real constraint.

6.

The course description states that the student must "experience" the system-development cycles.

a.

This does not require that the student "do" all the steps in the cycle.

b.

For example, a student or team could read/study previously created analysis and design documents, "do" the implementation and also prepare an evaluation plan to be completed by other students or teams.

c.

Similarly, a student or team could "do" the analysis, "do" the design and develop frameworks for implementation and evaluate phases to be completed by other students or teams.

7.

Please note that an INSS 680 Project is not just a "let's do one paper" project. It is expected that the student or team will do several tasks or phases in the systems development cycle. While installing a LAN is a neat thing to "do", it does not in and of itself come close to meeting the letter or the spirit of the requirements for INSS 680

8.

The proposal requires a definitive presentation of the tangible results expected from the project. These tangible results are hereinafter referred to as "deliverables".

a.

For example, the document(s) that will be created and the scope and detail that the documents must meet are deliverables, or an operational database with ten (10) input screens and six (6) standard reports are deliverables.

b.

The deliverables must be presented in concrete terms that can be evaluated by a disinterested party.

c.

The following are presented as examples and as the beginning of a list of possible deliverables that a project may require. Remember a successful project will normally consist of several deliverables of this kind.

(1)

A LAN User Manual.

(2)

Analysis Documents that could include interviews, periodical research and other tasks associated with the analysis phase.

(3)

A detailed Design Document

(4)

A Programer's/System Administrator's Maintenance Manual for an implemented database system.

(5)

A UNIX System Security Manual for System Administrators on AT&T 3B2 Computers.

(6)

Documented installation of a LAN with two (2) file servers, three (3) printers, and fifteen (15) fully functional workstations.

(7)

Documented installation of a relational database system.

(8)

The creation of a new functional module for an existing database.

(9)

The analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation of a reliable Client-Server file transfer system.

9.

Any project that "does" an implementation (a deliverable) must also include the development of an evaluation document (a deliverable) that may be used to evaluate the implemented system.

10.

Organizations that wish to sponsor a student or a team in the INSS 680 Practicum should be prepared to meet some of all of the following requirements:

a.

Allow adequate access to software, systems, documentation, and other resources to allow students or teams to complete the project during the term

b.

Sign a Release of Liability with the University of Maryland, Overseas Division.

c.

Provide a specific Point of Contact (POC) for the development and implementation of the project. Additionally, the organization will perform a role in ensuring that the project remains on schedule. This will possibly include meeting with students during the first class so that organizations and students or teams can be matched up.

d.

Organizations wishing to formally present their projects to students at the first class meeting to "drum up support/interest" are most welcome to do so. This is not a requirement, but an invitation, if you wish to sell your project.

11.

Project Proposals are due to the instructor in draft form no later than the first class meeting. They are due in finalized form the following day.

a.

Security Clearance: Yes/No

b.

Other:

a.

What days and times are available for the students to conduct work at your facilities?

b.

What hardware and software will be available for the student or team to use for the project?

c.

What documents, functional descriptions, requirements, etc., are available that will assist the student or team in defining this project?

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