MIS 111: Introduction to Computing — Syllabus (Fall 2001)

Management Information Systems 111 (Introduction to Computing) is an introductory computing course offered by the Department of Management Information Systems at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. This page reproduces the complete Fall 2001 course syllabus. The original document is also available to download: Download the MIS 111 Fall 2001 syllabus (Word .doc).

Course Time & Location

This course meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00–9:15 a.m., in Room N210 of the Steward Observatory.

Instructor

• Name: Chris Ballam
• Email: [email protected]
• Office: McClelland Hall, Room 431
• Course website (original): www.u.arizona.edu/~ballam/MIS111

Office Hours

• Monday: 1:00–2:30, McClelland Hall 431
• Wednesday: 9:30–11:00, McClelland Hall 431

About the MIS Department

Over the past ten years, Management Information Systems (MIS) have emerged from obscurity to become one of the most highly recognized functional areas in business and government. It is virtually impossible for most organizations to function without computer-aided information systems to record, organize, and manipulate the quantities of data required by modern payroll, inventory, record, and accounting systems. Organizations are likely to become even more dependent upon MIS in the future for critical decision-making.

By definition, a Management Information System is a combination of hardware, personnel, databases, and procedures that coordinates information within an organization, giving managers a more knowledgeable means of handling decision making. The Department of Management Information Systems at the University of Arizona was founded in 1977 in response to the need for highly qualified personnel.

Since its inception, the department has grown rapidly and now includes about 1,000 undergraduate majors, 85 MS and MBA students specializing in MIS, and 45 Ph.D. candidates. Within the last ten years, the department has been awarded over $10 million in grants, significantly strengthening the program by supporting instruction and research and by providing state-of-the-art technology for laboratories and classrooms. At the time of this syllabus, the department was ranked #5 nationally in undergraduate education and #4 nationally in graduate education by U.S. News & World Report.

Course Objectives

This course provides an introduction to computer literacy, basic computer hardware and software concepts, problem solving and program development concepts, systems development and computer systems concepts, applications of information technology, computer ethics, ergonomics, and career opportunities. Hands-on applications in Microsoft Office include electronic spreadsheets using Excel 2000, database applications using Access 2000, presentations using PowerPoint 2000, and network applications using Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.

Required Materials

• Discovering Computers 2002: Concepts for a Digital World, Complete Edition; Shelly, Gary B., Cashman, Thomas J., Vermaat, Misty E., Walker, Tim J.; Course Technology; Cambridge, Massachusetts; 2001.
• Microsoft Excel 2000: Introductory Concepts and Techniques; Shelly, Gary B., Cashman, Thomas J., and Quasney, James S.; Course Technology; Cambridge, Massachusetts; 2000.
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000: Introductory Concepts and Techniques; Shelly, Gary B., Cashman, Thomas J., Sebok, Susan L.; Course Technology; Cambridge, Massachusetts; 2000.
• Microsoft Access 2000: Introductory Concepts and Techniques; Shelly, Gary B., Cashman, Thomas J., Green, and Pratt, Philip J.; Course Technology; Cambridge, Massachusetts; 1997.
• HTML: Introductory Concepts and Techniques; Shelly, Gary B., Cashman, Thomas J., and Woods, Denise M.; Course Technology; Cambridge, Massachusetts; 2000.

Commitment

Any computer course requires a large amount of work outside of class. We assume that by registering for this course, you have allocated a sufficient block of free time to complete the homework assignments. Once enrolled, it is your responsibility to complete all assignments on time.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to be regular and punctual in class attendance. Excessive absences can be the basis for either cancellation of registration or an administrative withdrawal with a grade of “E.” If the instructor files this action with the college dean by the end of the fourth week of classes, it will result in cancellation of registration in the course. After the end of the fourth week of class, it will result in a failing grade being awarded in the course.

Computing Facilities

Please use the CCIT and BITS microcomputer access sites located on campus for MIS 111 assignments unless you have access to a personal computer with Microsoft Office 2000. Consultants are available in the labs to answer questions about the hardware and operating procedures — you are encouraged to ask if you do not understand them. Please do not experiment with the equipment. Consultants are not permitted to and will not provide solutions to homework assignments.

Technology

Announcements, notes, handouts, and other pertinent information are posted on the course website. Each student needs an email account in order to contact the instructor outside of class and office hours and to receive messages from the instructor. You may use any email account you choose for class correspondence, but you will need a university (u.arizona.edu) account for some in-class assignments, so it is a good idea to set one up early.

Assignments

All assignments are collected at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Points may be deducted for assignments submitted at the end of the class period. Assignments may also be submitted to the instructor’s mailbox in the MIS office by 5 p.m. on their due date for half credit; if you choose this option, it is your responsibility to ensure the assignment is delivered to the mailbox. The instructor takes no responsibility for assignments not received, and work that is not received earns no credit. Unless you receive prior approval, assignments may not be submitted via email.

Multi-page assignments must be stapled together; point deductions are made if pages are not stapled. All assignments must be an individual effort. If you encounter difficulties, please see the instructor for assistance.

Quizzes

Throughout the semester, six unannounced quizzes are administered, each worth 10 points. Only five of the six count toward your semester grade (the lowest 10-point quiz is dropped). Quizzes cover material discussed in class, homework assignments, or readings, and consist of multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or short-essay questions. You must be present in class to take a quiz. No make-up or special quizzes are given, regardless of the reason for missing class; missing a quiz results in a score of 0.

Examination Policy

All examinations are held in the classroom where the class meets for lectures. A UA student ID is checked at all exam sessions, and only No. 2 pencils may be used on exams.

Missed exams. There are three ways you could miss an exam:

1. A known scheduling conflict you can identify by the third week of classes (for example, an unchangeable obligation already scheduled for an exam date). You may take the exam early, and only if you notify the instructor by the end of class on Tuesday, September 10, 2001. This applies to all exams.
2. An emergency before the exam (for example, a family emergency requiring you to leave Tucson). You may take the exam at another time only if you (a) discuss the problem with the instructor, or at least email, before the exam, and (b) provide written documentation that the emergency occurred, including the name and phone number of someone who can verify it. The make-up time is set very soon after the regular exam, using a different (make-up) exam.
3. Sleeping through the exam, or having no written documentation. You receive a score of zero for the exam.

There are no make-up exams for events such as holiday travel plans or any non-emergency.

Grading Criteria

Course requirements and point values

Component	Detail	Points	Weight
Exams	4 exams, 100 points each	400	71.4%
Assignments	9 assignments, various point values	110	19.7%
Quizzes	5 quizzes counted, 10 points each	50	8.9%
Total		560	100%

Grading scale:

• 502–560 points (90%+): A
• 446–501 points (80%+): B
• 390–445 points (70%+): C
• 334–389 points (60%+): D
• 0–333 points (59% and below): E

Academic Integrity

Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit. The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student’s submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be that student’s own work. Violations of the Code include:

• Representing the work of others as their own.
• Using or obtaining unauthorized assistance in any academic work.
• Giving unauthorized assistance to other students.
• Modifying, without faculty approval, an examination, paper, record, or report for the purpose of obtaining additional credit.
• Failing to meet other conditions of academic integrity required by a faculty member for a specific course.

A student found guilty of violating the Code may be subject to a combination of penalties, including loss of credit for the work involved, a failing grade in the course, disciplinary probation for a specified period, suspension from the University, a permanent-record notation of the violation, and other penalties determined by the faculty member or the Committee. Alleged violations may be handled through assignment of a penalty by the faculty member, a faculty–student conference, arbitration by the Dean of Students, or a Committee hearing.

Course Outline

MIS 111 Fall 2001 weekly schedule

Date	Week	Topic	Assignment	Reading
Tue 8/21	1	Introduction to the course
Thu 8/23	1	Intro to the world of computing; using computers	Discuss #1	Ch. 1
Tue 8/28	2	The Internet		Ch. 2
Thu 8/30	2	The World Wide Web	#1 due; Discuss #2	Ch. 2
Tue 9/4	3	Application software		Ch. 3
Thu 9/6	3	System unit components (how chips are made)	#2 due; Discuss #3	Ch. 4
Tue 9/11	4	Data representation; numbering systems		Appendix A
Thu 9/13	4	History of computing; Exam 1 review (last day to drop w/o record, change to/from Pass–Fail, or change Credit to Audit: 9/14)		pp. 1.48–1.59
Tue 9/18	5	Exam 1 (Chapters 1–4)
Thu 9/20	5	Exam review; input equipment		Ch. 5
Tue 9/25	6	Input, cont’d.	Discuss #4	Ch. 5
Thu 9/27	6	Spreadsheets		Excel Guide
Tue 10/2	7	Output equipment	#4 due; Discuss #5	Ch. 6
Thu 10/4	7	Storage media/devices		Ch. 7
Tue 10/9	8	Storage, cont’d.; Exam 2 review	#5 due	Ch. 7
Thu 10/11	8	Exam 2 (Chapters 5–7, Excel)	#3 due
Tue 10/16	9	Exam review; operating systems & utility programs	Discuss #6	Ch. 8
Thu 10/18	9	Operating systems & utility programs, cont’d.		Ch. 8
Tue 10/23	10	Introduction to HTML & building a web page	#6 due; Discuss #7	HTML Guide / Handouts
Thu 10/25	10	Building a web page, cont’d.		HTML Guide / Handouts
Tue 10/30	11	Telecommunications & networks; PowerPoint	Discuss #8	Ch. 9
Thu 11/1	11	Telecommunications, cont’d.; e-commerce		Ch. 9, 10
Tue 11/6	12	E-commerce; Exam 3 review	#8 due	Ch. 10
Thu 11/8	12	Exam 3 (Chapters 8–10, HTML)
Tue 11/13	13	Exam review; computers & society: security & privacy		Ch. 12
Thu 11/15	13	Databases & information management		Ch. 13
Tue 11/20	14	Databases & information management, cont’d.	#7 due; Discuss #9	Ch. 13
Thu 11/22	14	Thanksgiving break — no class
Tue 11/27	15	Computer careers & certification		Ch. 16
Thu 11/29	15	Information systems development	#9 due	Ch. 14
Tue 12/4	16	Information systems development, cont’d.; Exam 4 review		Ch. 14
Tue 12/11	17	Exam 4 / Final Exam (Chapters 12, 13, 14, 16), 8:00–10:00 a.m.

Download the Full Syllabus

The complete original syllabus is available as a Microsoft Word document: Download the MIS 111 Fall 2001 syllabus (Word .doc).