Information Systems Department College of Computing Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology CIS677-102/4: Information Systems Principles, Spring 2005 Professor Bieber
A Public Research University

Quick Links: [677 Home] [Schedule] [Syllabus] [Team-based Learning] [WebBoard access/info] [Links] [Summaries] [Article review guidelines/assignment] [Extra credit participation]

Schedule

The schedule presented here is tentative. We may add or remove weeks to some modules, and we may add an additional module or topics within modules.

Also, additional materials will be added during the weeks before each module. It will be your responsibility to check updates to the latest schedule posted on the course Web Site (http://web.njit.edu/~bieber/CIS677S05/ - that's zero-five) to determine the proper materials to study.

In keeping with the principles of team-based learning, you will be expected to have studied all of a module's materials by the first class for that module, when you and your team will be tested on it (with the Readiness Assessment Tests). Since the dates may change, you should be prepared to complete studying the materials with one week's notice.

Individual Assignments/Exams

• Extra Credit (participate in developing class activities): throughout the semester until May 3rd
• Homework 1 - Biography and Communication Infrastructure: by Saturday, January 22
• Individual Article Review #1
  • Post article for approval on WebBoard: February 8
  • Article Review Due: February 22
• Individual Article Review #2
  • Post article for approval on WebBoard: March 22
  • Article Review Due: April 5

Course Events

• Preliminary Peer Evaluation: February 22
• Formal Peer Evaluation: May 3

Course Modules

All chapters are in the O'Brien text. Please read all the cases in each chapter, even if you have to read only part of the chapter.

Module 0: Course Introduction

• Class: January 18
• Tasks:

Choose groups Introduce Team-based Learning Introduce the course Teams can ask 1 question Initial iRAT and tRAT

Determine grade weights Name your team Team photos Describe CCS class representative Review homework for next week

Module 1: Foundation Concepts

• Classes: January 25, February 1 and February 8
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 1/24 and article summaries by 1/25
• Materials to study for RATs on 1/25:
  • Chapter 1: Foundations of IS
  • Chapter 2: Competing with IT
  • Carr, N.G. "IT Doesn't Matter," Harvard Business Review (May) 2003, pp. 41-50. (you need to summarize this)
  • Alter, Steven, "The Work System Method for Understanding Information Systems and Information System Research," Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 9, 2002) 90-104. (you need to summarize this)
  • Schneider National case (page 1 and page 2) (not to be tested on the RAT)
    
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 2/1
  • GM case (you do not need to summarize cases)
    
• Additional Assignment for Tuesday 2/8
  • In preparation for the class discussion, and also to help our guest instructor, please take the following survey before class: http://westwing.njit.edu/dezhi/timeunder2.cfm. This is optional, but as a "thank you" we will give you a small amount of extra credit for the course. Note that your responses will be held in total confidence and be treated anonymously. Giving your name is simply to ensure that you get the extra credit.
    
• Additional Reading for Tuesday 2/8
  • Schrage, M. Why IT Really Does Matter, CIO (August 1, 2003; volume 16, issue 20) - (no summary required)
    
• Note: Individual article review #1 due date: posting - 2/8

Module 2: Information and Computing Technologies

• Class: February 15, 22
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 2/14 and article summaries by 2/15
• Materials to study for RATs on 2/15:
  • Chapter 4: Telecommunications and Networks (including real-world cases)
  • Chapter 13: Computer Hardware (including real-world cases)
    • While you should know everything in this chapter as an IS/IT professional, we will concentrate on the first half (Section I) only.
  • Chapter 14: Computer Software (including real-world cases)
    • You should know everything in this chapter as an IS/IT professional. There may be some concepts in the second half (Section II) with which you may not be familiar. We will concentrate on this section only.
  • Kavanagh, J. Resistance as Motivation for Innovation: Open Source Software, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 13, 2004) 615-628. (you need to summarize this)
  • Smith, H. and B. Konsynski, Radio Frequency Indentification (RFID) - An Internet for Physical Objects, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 12, 2003) 301-311. (you need to summarize this)
  • Whitworth, B., J. Fjermestad and E. Mahinda, The Web of System Performance: A multi-goal model of information system performance, under submission. (you need to summarize this)
  • and pages 273-275 from: Whitworth, B. and M. Zaic, The WOSP Model: Balanced Information System Design and Evaluation, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 12, 2003) 250-275. (no need to summarize; will be on the RAT)
  • bring the Schneider National case to class (not to be tested on the RAT).
    
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 2/22
  • O'Brien "Real World Cases" 13-3 (Moving to Linux on the Mainframe - pg. 491), 13-4 (Business Benefits of Server Consolidation - pg. 492), 14-2 (The Business Case for Linux - pg. 509), 14-3 (Evaluating Software Suite Alternatives - pg. 527)
  • Levin, Carol. "Little Devices Will Think." PC Magazine. Vol. 18. No 12. June 22, 1999.
    
• Note: Preliminary peer evaluation due 2/22
  
• Note: Individual article review #1 due date: review - 2/22

   

Module 3: Ethical Aspects

• Classes: March 1, 8, 22
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 2/28 and article summaries by 3/1
• Materials to study for RATs on 3/1 (in this order)
  1. Richard O. Mason, Four Ethical Issues of the Information Age, Management Information Systems Quarterly (html, pdf)
     • (you need to summarize this)
     • You should know all the definitions, concepts, problems and opportunities, but you don't need to memorize the details of the cases.
  2. text chapter: Johnson, Chapter 2 (Johnson has no picture on the front page)
     • We shall be using these theories to analyze the cases and situations discussed in this module (and others). Therefore, you should understand the dialetic process. You also should know all the definitions, ethical theories and approaches and aspects. You do not need to memorize the nitty gritty details, but you should understand the reasoning the author uses. the study questions at the back of the chapter list a comprehensive set of topics to study.
     • (no need to summarize text chapters)
  3. text chapter: Baase, Chapter 2 (first half and second half - Baase has a picture of a sculpture on the front page)
     1. (additional scans of page 44, 45, 56, 57, 66 and 67)
  4. Munro, Neil, "The Ever-Expanding Network of Local and Federal Databases," Communications of the ACM 45(7), 2002, 17- 19. (no need to summarize; but it will be on the RAT)
  5. text chapter: Johnson, Chapter 6
     
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 3/8
  • Gotterbarn, D., K. Miller and S. Rogerson, "Software Engineering Code of Ethics is Approved," Communications of the ACM 42(10), 1999, 102-107. (you need to summarize this)
  • Read the case study "Unethical behavior compounds a system development failure" in our textbook (pages 41-43 in the back). (you do not need to summarize cases)
    
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 3/22
  • Hiltz, S. R., H. Han and V. Briller, Proceedings of the 36th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences, IEEE Press.
    • read pages 1-3 only (the rest is optional)
    • (no need to summarize)
  • other materials to be distributed
    
• Note: Individual article review #2 due date: posting - 3/22

Module 4: Business Systems

• Classes: March 29 and April 5
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 3/28 and article summaries by 3/29
• Materials to study for RATs on 3/29:
  • Chapter 5: Introduction to e-Business Systems
  • Chapter 6: Enterprise e-Business Systems
  • Chapter 7: Electronic Commerce Systems
  • Gallaugher, John, E-Commerce and the Undulating Distribution Channel, Communications of the ACM, volume 45, number 7, July 2002, 89-95 (you need to summarize this)
  • Read the case study "Making Mass Customization Possible at Andersen" in our textbook (pages 22-26 in the back). (you do not need to summarize cases)
    
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 4/5
  • J.D. Edwards case (includes .wmv videos on-line) (you do not need to summarize cases)
  • other materials to be posted
    
  • Note: Individual article review #2 due date: review - 4/5

Module 5: Decision and Knowledge Support

• Classes: April 12 and 19
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 4/11 and article summaries by 4/12
• Materials to study for RATs on 4/12:
  • Chapter 8: Decision Support Systems
  • Coakes, E., "Knowledge Management - A Primer," Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 14, 2004), 406-489.
    • DO NOT PRINT THE ENTIRE ARTICLE!
    • You only need to read sections 1 and 3.
    • You do NOT need to summarize this tutorial.
  • Smith, H. and J. McKeen, Knowledge-Enabling Business Processes, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 13, 2004) 25-38. (you need to summarize this)
  • Perez, E., Intelligent Agents: It's Nice to get Stuff Done For You, Online, May/June 2002, 51-56. (you need to summarize this)
    
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 4/19
  • Read the case study "How a DSS Was Developed for Banking and the Lessons Learned" in our textbook (pages 18-21 in the back). (you do not need to summarize cases)
    
• Video (used in class)
  • Apple Computer, Knowledge Navigator (MPG (65m), page with streaming link)

Module 6: Management Challenges and Global Systems

• Classes: April 26 and May 10 (no class on May 3rd, which follows a Friday schedule)
• Standard Homeworks: post review notes by 4/25 and article summaries by 4/26
• Materials to study for RATs on 4/26:
  • Chapter 11: Security Management of IT
  • Chapter 12: Enterprise and Global Management of IT
  • Stafford, T. and A. Urbaczewski, Spyware: The Ghost in the Machine, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 14, 2004) 291-306. (you need to summarize this)
  • Lehmann, H., The Australasian Produce Cooperative: a Global Information Systems Project, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 13, 2004) 250-275. (you do not need to summarize cases)
    
• Note: Individual Peer Evaluation due date: Tuesday 5/3
  
• Additional Readings for Tuesday 5/10
  • Wolcott, P. and S. Goodman, Global Diffusion of the Internet I: India: Is the Elephant Learning to Dance?, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 11, 2003) 560-646. (you need to summarize this)
    • note: This is a long report (65 pages), but many of the pages are figures and tables. You do not need to read the report deeply, but have a basic understanding of it as it will form the basis for most of the discussion in this class.
  • Berstein, A. and S. Goodman, Global Diffusion of the Internet IV: The Internet in Togo, Communications of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 15, 2005) 371-392. (you do not need to summarize this report)
    • note: Just look over this report deeply enough to be able to compare Togo's situation with India's. Note that the information in this article was collected about 18 months after that of the report on India.