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Information Systems
Department
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A Public Research University |
This course introduces the field of Information Systems. We examine the major areas in the field, analyzing the major issues, trends and problems. We survey the role of information systems in organizations and how they relate to organizational objectives and organizational structure. We discuss basic concepts such as the systems point of view, the organization of a system, and the nature of information and information flows. We examine various types of information system applications for supporting different departments and operations inside organizations, decision support, knowledge management and electronic commerce. We also will focus on ethical issues concerning information and systems.
How do we distinguish Information Systems (IS) from Computer Science (CS)?
Information Systems (IS): The field of IS is the study of how people and organizations should use information and communications technologies (ICTs) effectively. IS is a very broad field ranging from determining a company's IS and ICT strategy; to data use policies; to supporting end users in various departments; to effective user interface design; to systems analysis, design and implementation (software engineering focused on the end users); to supporting decision analysis; and so forth.
When IS supports businesses, we call this Management Information Systems (MIS). But the field of IS is much broader than MIS. Information system applications are also used in education, government and non-profit organizations, by engineers and scientists, as well as the general public at home.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) include computer hardware and software, telecommunications and networks, cell phones, fax machines, email, computer conferencing systems, and so on.
Computer Science (CS): The field of CS is the study of how to make information and communications software more efficient.
Course objectives include:
Class members come to CIS677 a myriad of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. Some of you will have no IS experience at all! Everyone will benefit from everyone else's knowledge. Teams will be constructed so each includes members with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
We will be using team-based learning (TBL). TBL is being used very successfully by long-time professors at several other universities. TBL's student-centered approach fosters active learning by class participants, instead of an instructor-centered approach based on lecturing. TBL is structured to avoid many of the complaints students typically have about groups.
Much of the course structure, including the format of classes and the attendance and grading policies, is molded on materials in Michaelsen, Knight & Fink [2004] and materials on http://www.teambasedlearning.org/.
We shall be using the WebBoard Computer Conferencing system (links above). You can access WebBoard from your computer and modem at home, from the labs at NJIT (and Rutgers), or from any computer with access to the Internet network. Our class will have several "conferences" or discussion areas, once you log on. You will be responsible for the contents of any administrative conferences, as well as all other appropriate conferences for class assignments and your team.
In addition, every team will have a private WebBoard conference.
Most graded projects will be team activities conducted in-class. In addition, each participant will write several article summaries and two individual article reviews.
In the workplace, when someone is gone, the team has to pick up the slack, but the absent member still benefits from the team's work. If the absent person has a good reason for being gone, explains the reason to the team, and does his or her best to make amends, most teams will gladly support this person. If, however, members have doubts about the reason for the absence or feel like the person is not putting in his or her share of the work, the team will likely not forgive the person.
So if you have to miss class, let your team members know in advance and make sure you do your best to make up for it. Also, please email the instructor.
If you miss a test, you should contact the instructor to make it up.
Unfortunately, we must address plagiarism or copying work that other people have written in homework, reports, articles or on the Web. If you are going to use more than a few words from someone or somewhere else you must put it in quotation marks and you must cite it (state where you found it). If you paraphrase information from someone or somewhere else, you do not need to put it in quotation marks, but again you must cite it. Generally there is nothing wrong with incorporating other people's ideas to a limited degree, but you must make it clear when you are using and building upon other people's ideas.
Any evidence of cheating in any form, including plagiarism, will be dealt with according to the honor code of NJIT (course failure and suspension or expulsion). Please note: There will be no warnings or chances with regard to cheating. Any discovered case of cheating will be immediately passed to the Dean of Students for further investigation. This unfortunately has happened to several students in the past in CIS677. This is your warning now. Cheating is not worth it - you may not only fail this course, but also be suspended from NJIT. The full text of the NJIT Honor Code is available for your review at http://www.njit.edu/academics/honorcode.php
During the first class, the participants will decide the grading weights. There will be grades for the following course elements:
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Michaelsen, Larry, Arletta Bauman Knight and L. Dee Fink (editors), Team-based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching, Stylus Publishing, LLC, Sterling VA, 2004.
This page: http://web.njit.edu/~bieber/CIS677S05/syllabus.html last updated: 1/17/2005 - Version
1.2
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