Course Syllabus MMIS 660

Instructor:

Eric S. Ackerman, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Programs
Nova Southeastern University
Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences
3301 College Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314
(954) 262-2063
1-800-986-2247 ext 2063
esa@nova.edu

Course Description:

Analysis of requirements for information systems. Elicitation/fact-finding, problem analysis, decomposition, and the requirements document. Concepts, methods, techniques, and tools for systems analysis, modeling and simulation, and prototyping. Structured and object-oriented analysis. Role of the systems analyst in the organization. Gaining user commitment and fulfilling user needs. Concepts, tools, and techniques for systems design. Design principles, quality factors, decomposition of complex systems, and modularization techniques. Design methods such as object oriented and function-oriented design. Comparison of analysis and design techniques.

Required Software:

All software used can be downloaded at no cost directly from the course web site.

Exit Competencies:

Upon completion of this course, the student will comprehend the following objectives:

The role and responsibilities of the systems analyst
The business trends that are affecting the systems analyst
The systems development life cycle and methodology
Strategies, tools, and techniques for project management
Fact-finding and information gathering techniques
The process of systems analysis
Data modeling as a systems analysis tool
Requirements discovery tools and techniques
The process of systems design, application architecture and process design
Data, processes, and interfaces - the building blocks of all information systems
Computer outputs, inputs, and user interfaces
System Implementation phases to construct and deliver the final system
System conversion strategies

Course Outline:

I. FOUNDATIONS FOR SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT.
o The Systems Development Environment.
o The Origins of Software.
o Managing the Information Systems Project.

II. PLANNING.
o Identifying and Selecting Systems Development Projects.
o Initiating and Planning Development Projects.

III. ANALYSIS.
o Determining System Requirements.
o Structuring System Process Requirements.
o Structuring System Logic Requirements.
o Structuring System Data Requirements.

IV. DESIGN.
o Designing Databases.
o Designing Forms and Reports.
o Designing Interfaces and Dialogues.
o Finalizing Design Specifications.
o Designing Distributed and Internet Systems.

V. IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE.
o Implementing Systems.
o Maintaining Information Systems.

Instruction Methods and Tools:

Students will submit work using WebCT

Assignments:

Five Written Assignments - 20% each individual assignment for a total score of 100%

Grading Criteria:

Student grades will be based upon the level of performance in meeting course requirements. These requirements include product content, product organization, scholarship (in text citations and references list), writing style, and timely submission. Course products found deficient in these areas are subject to grade point reduction.

Note that a cumulative course percentage below 70% earns an 'F'.

School and University Policies and Procedures:

1. Standards of Academic Integrity For the university-wide policy on academic standards, see the section Code of Student Conduct and Academic Responsibility in the NSU Student Handbook. Also see the section Student Misconduct in the GSCIS catalog.
Each student is responsible for maintaining academic integrity and intellectual honesty in his or her academic work. It is the policy of the school that each student must:

• Submit his or her own work, not that of another person

• Not falsify data or records (including admission materials and academic work)

• Not engage in cheating (e.g., giving or receiving help during examinations; acquiring and/or transmitting test questions prior to an examination; or using unauthorized materials, such as notes, during an examination)

• Not receive or give aid on assigned work that requires independent effort

• Properly credit the words or ideas of others according to accepted standards for professional publications (see the next section Crediting the Words or Ideas of Others)
  
  
• Not use or consult paper writing services, software coding services, or similar services for the purpose of obtaining assistance in the preparation of of materials to be submitted for course assignments or for theses or dissertations.
  
  
• Not use term paper writing services or consult such services for the purpose of obtaining assistance in the preparation of materials to be submitted in courses or for theses or dissertations

• Not commit plagiarism (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2004) defines plagiarism as “stealing or passing off ideas or words of another as one’s own” and “the use of a created production without crediting the source.”) (see Crediting the Words or Ideas of Others below)

Crediting the Words or Ideas of Others

When using the exact words of another, quotation marks must be used for short quotations (fewer than 40 words), and block quotation style must be used for longer quotations. In either case, a proper citation must also be provided. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition, (2001, pp. 117 and 292) contains standards and examples on quotation methods.

When paraphrasing (summarizing, or rewriting) the words or ideas of another, a proper citation must be provided. (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition (2001) contains standards and examples on citation methods (pp. 207–214) and reference lists (pp. 215–281)). The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) defines paraphrase as “An expression in other words, usually fuller and clearer, of the sense of a written or spoken passage or text…Express the meaning (of a word, phrase, passage, or work) in other words, usually with the object of clarification…”. Changing word order, deleting words, or substituting synonyms is not acceptable paraphrasing—it is plagiarism, even when properly cited. Rather than make changes of this nature, the source should be quoted as written.

Original Work

Assignments, exams, projects, papers, theses, dissertations, etc., must be the original work of the student. Original work may include the thoughts and words of others but such thoughts or words must be identified using quotation marks or indentation and must properly identify the source (see the previous section Crediting the Words or Ideas of Others). At all times, students are expected to comply with the school’s accepted citation practice and policy.

Work is not original when it has been submitted previously by the author or by anyone else for academic credit. Work is not original when it has been copied or partially copied from any other source, including another student, unless such copying is acknowledged by the person submitting the work for credit at the time the work is being submitted, or unless copying, sharing, or joint authorship is an express part of the assignment. Exams and tests are original work when no unauthorized aid is given, received, or used before or during the course of the examination, reexamination, and/or remediation.

2. Writing Skills

Students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, and writing that fails to express ideas clearly will affect their grades and the completion of their academic programs. The faculty will not provide remedial help concerning grammatical errors or other writing difficulties. It is the student’s responsibility to proofread and edit his or her work which, in both form and content, should be letter-perfect. Work that is not properly edited will be rejected. It is university policy that students must submit their own work, not that of another person. Consequently, they should refrain from using outside editors to redo their work.

Several books contain general guidelines for writing. On Writing Well (Zinsser, 2006) is an excellent guide to clear, logical, and organized writing. The Elements of Style (Strunk and White, 2000) is a compact handbook on the basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and writing style. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (2001), a comprehensive handbook on writing for publication, addresses editorial style, grammar, and organization. Give particular attention to Chapter 1, Content and Organization of a Manuscript; Chapter 2, Expressing Ideas and Reducing Bias in Language; and Chapter 3, APA Editorial Style. Chapter 2 also has good advice on writing style and grammar. Another excellent handbook on writing for publication is The Chicago Manual of Style (2003). The APA manual and the Chicago manual contain guidance on punctuation, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, quotations, numbers, statistical and mathematical material, tables, figures, footnotes, appendixes, and reference citations in text. Students should use a good dictionary such as Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.).

3. Disabilities and ADA

NSU complies with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The universitys detailed policy on disabilities is contained in the NSU Student Handbook. Student requests for accommodation based on ADA will be considered on an individual basis. Students with disabilities should discuss their needs with their academic advisors before the commencement of classes if possible.

4. Communication by Email

Students must use their NSU email accounts when sending email to faculty and staff and must clearly identify their names and other appropriate information, e.g., course or program. When communicating with students via email, faculty and staff members will send mail only to NSU email accounts using NSU-recognized usernames. Students who forward their NSU-generated email to other email accounts do so at their own risk. GSCIS uses various course management tools that use private internal email systems. Students enrolled in courses using these tools should check both the private internal email system and NSU’s regular email system. NSU offers students web-based email access. Students are encouraged to check their NSU email account and their course management email daily.

5. The Temporary Grade of Incomplete (I)

Course withdrawal requests must be submitted to the program office in writing by the student. Requests for withdrawal must be received by the program office by the calendar midpoint of the course (see dates in the academic calendar in the catalog and program brochures or websites). Withdrawals sent by email must be sent from the student’s assigned NSU email account. Requests for withdrawal received after 11:59 p.m. EST on the withdrawal deadline date will not be accepted. Failure to attend class or participate in course activities will not automatically drop or withdraw a student from the class or the university. Students who have not withdrawn by the withdrawal deadline will receive letter grades that reflect their performance in the course. When a withdrawal request is approved, the transcript will show a grade of W (Withdrawn) for the course. Students with four withdrawals will be dismissed from the program. Depending on the date of withdrawal, the student may be eligible for a partial refund (see the appropriate catalog section Refund Policy Regarding Withdrawals).

7. Acceptable Use of Computing Resources

Students must comply with the university’s Policy on Acceptable Use of Computing Resources (see NSU Student Handbook).

8. Academic Progress, Grade Requirements, and Academic Standing

Students must be familiar with the school’s policies which are contained in its catalog.

9. Student Research Involving Human Subjects

Students must be familiar with the university’s policy (see paragraph in catalog).

10. Responsibility for Payment of Tuition and Fees

Once registered, students are personally responsible for the payment of their tuition and fees.  Returned checks, cancelled credit cards, employer or agency refusal to pay, ineligibility for financial aid, and other reasons for non-payment may result in a direct bill to the student, and/or referral to a collection agency.

Payment and refund policies are based on the view that a student registering for a class is reserving a place in that class and that tuition and fees cover the opportunity to secure that place in the class. Since no other person can purchase that place, the student is responsible for the tuition and fees associated with it.  Simply not attending does not constitute a reason for non-payment.