Faculty Contact Information:
Norm Bourque
NAS Sigonella
DSN 624-4389
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Consultation:
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Anytime before or after class, or by appointment.
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Required Texts and Readings:
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There is no text for this course.
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Supplementary Readings:
The standard for papers in the graduate program is the APA style. All participants in this course and all graduate INSS, MGMT, PUAD, and ECON courses should have a copy of the style guide:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Washington DC: Author.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended. In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line.
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Course Description:
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3 semester hours credit. Prerequisites: INSS 540, INSS 550, INSS 620, and advancement to candidacy in the M.S. program. Provides the student with practical experience in analyzing, designing, implementing, and evaluating an information system in educational, industrial, governmental, or military environments. The student completes 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) and is normally conducted over two terms.
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Course Goals:
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1. Critical Thinking: Students should improve their ability to analyze information and develop appropriate summarizing and reporting techniques.
2. Writing Skills: Students should improve writing skills through development of the Project Proposal and project documentation.
3. Oral Presentation Skills: Students should improve their presentation skills through oral presentations and structured walkthroughs of the project in process.
4. Computer Skills: Students are expected to improve their computer skills implementing a systems analysis and design project. In addition, the conduct of the course will make extensive use of the webboard.
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Course Objectives:
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1. Directly apply the SDLC (systems development life cycle) methodology
2. Participate proactively in a structured walk-through of code
3. Evaluate critically (on a managerial level) a systems analysis, design, and implementation proposal
4. Identify, describe and model procedures for information systems projects
5. Demonstrate data reporting and analysis techniques
6. Demonstrate technical writing skills
7. Demonstrate oral reporting skills appropriate for a managerial environment
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Grading Information:
A grade of Pass (P) will be achieved with a minimum of 70%
The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs.
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Course Requirements:
Presentations - 4, totaling 60% of course grade
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% of course grade - due the final date of the class
Content - 25%
Correctness - 25%
Degree of Completion - 25%
Presentation (Quality of English, etc.)- 25%
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Description of Course Requirements:
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 each student is expected to present the first weekend of class.
Each participant in the course should have a formal presentation of the project proposal prepared for the first class. The group will evaluate the strength of each proposal and will recommend appropriate modifications (evaluating the strength of the proposal as well as recommending modifications to the scope.) The Project Proposal Form should have been drafted at that point. This will be the basis for the presentation. A notebook with Power Point as well as a projection device will be available for the presentation.
This not a lecture type of course. The instructor's responsibility will be to guide the student toward successful completion of the project. Students have responsibility to provide constructive suggestions regarding the projects of others.
Project Proposal for Information Systems Practicum -- INSS 680
Project Proposals are due to the instructor in draft form no later than the first class meeting. You are also expected to prepare a presentation of your proposal to be given that weekend. Project Proposals are due in finalized form the second day, incorporating feedback given by the class as appropriate.
The form is designed so that student, faculty, and organization can present a Project Proposal that meets the academic integrity of Bowie State University and UMUC - Europe. Specifically, the proposal must meet the following guidelines:
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 use actual practicum sites independently to acquire practical experience.
The following guidelines must be used when completing the Project Proposal:
Consider the length of the course - one eight week term. Ensure that the project scope does not exceed this very real constraint.
The course description states that the student must "experience" the system-development cycles. This does not require that the student "do" all the steps in the cycle. For example, a student 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. Similarly, a student could "do" the analysis, "do" the design and develop frameworks for implementation and evaluate phases to be completed by other students or teams.
Please note that an INSS 680 Project is not just a "let's do one paper" project. It is expected that the student 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.
The proposal requires a definitive presentation of the tangible results expected from the project. These tangible results are hereinafter referred to as "deliverables".
As a part of the deliverables, work breakdown schedules, budgets and schedules will be developed. The scope of this work must be sufficient to ensure that the reviewing person will have enough information to "approve" the project.
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.
i. A LAN User Manual.
ii. Analysis Documents that could include interviews, periodical research and other tasks associated with the analysis phase.
iii. A detailed Design Document
iv. A Programmer's/System Administrator's Maintenance Manual for an implemented database system.
v. A UNIX System Security Manual for System Administrators on AT&T 3B2 Computers.
vi. Documented installation of a LAN with two (2) file servers, three (3) printers, and fifteen (15) fully functional workstations.
vii. Documented installation of a relational database system.
viii. The creation of a new functional module for an existing database.
ix. The analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation of a reliable Client-Server file transfer system.
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.
Organizations that wish to sponsor a student in the INSS 680 Practicum should be prepared to meet some or 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 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.
All students will log onto the course webboard, and be responsible for checking the webboard for information related to the course. Students are encouraged to use the webboard to share information and resolve technical problems.
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Course Schedule:
Please note that this is a 8 week course.
First weekend (October 25th): presentation of proposals and critical evaluations of such by the group.
Second weekend (November 15th): work in progress reports, with critical evaluations of such by the group, involving structured walkthroughs.
Third weekend (December 6th): Final draft presentation, with critical evaluations of such by the group, involving structured walkthroughs.
Fourth Weekend (December 13th): Formal presentations.
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Academic Policies:
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Please refer to the UMUC - Europe Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/index.html or from your local Education Center, for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
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Faculty Bio:
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Will be discussed in class.
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