Syllabus for CMP-202-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Foundations of Information Technology provides an overview of the fundamental ideas and principles behind information systems. The course approaches traditional computer concepts from a managerial perspective geared to the requirements of businesses and organizations. Within this context students use case studies to analyze and discuss design concepts and approaches to managing information and implementing technology solutions. The course introduces students to the role of information systems in business, society, and private life, to the role of critical decision makers, and to important decision support tools. It further addresses core ethical issues, principles, and procedures. Students are expected to develop critical thinking as well as analytical and problem-solving skills.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

On successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

You will need the following textbook to do the work of the course. It is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Fundamentals of Information Systems, 5th ed., by Ralph Stair and George Reynolds (Boston: Thomson Course Technology, 2010; ISBN-13: 978-1-4239-2581-1).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Foundations of Information Technology is a 3-credit online course, consisting of five (5) assignment modules.

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in five (5) graded discussion forums and to complete five (5) case study assignments and five (5) written assignments. You are also required to take five module quizzes and to complete a final project.

Assignment modules comprise learning objectives, a study assignment, an online discussion, a case study assignment, a written assignment, and a module-ending quiz. Each study assignment, in turn, includes an overview, a list of topics, a textbook reading assignment, media (chapter PowerPoints), and self-check practice quizzes.

For the course's five assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

Foundations of Information Technology requires you to participate in five (5) graded discussion forums (worth 15 percent of your course grade). There is also an ungraded but required introduction forum in module 1.

Discussion questions—for which you will have a choice in each module—are drawn from end-of-chapter discussion questions in the textbook. All class discussions take place on the class Discussion Board.

Communication and collaboration among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

You are required to complete five (5) case study assignments (worth 20 percent of your course grade) and five (5) written assignments (also worth 20 percent of your course grade). The case study assignments are based on the running Web site case about Whitmann Price Consulting and include written discussion questions and critical thinking questions. The written assignments consist of short-answer essay questions and a choice of projects.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the case study and written assignment questions before you begin each module. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials), citing text materials and outside sources where appropriate and in an appropriate manner.

Prepare your case study and written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

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QUIZZES

At the conclusion of each module, following the written assignment, is an online module quiz. The quizzes for modules 1, 4, and 5 consist of thirty (30) true-or-false and multiple-choice questions and are thirty minutes long. The quizzes for modules 2 and 3 consist of sixty (60) true-or false and multiple-choice questions and are sixty minutes long.

Module quizzes (together worth 15 percent of your course grade) may be taken only once. To access quiz links, go to Tests & Quizzes > Module Quizzes. Consult the course Calendar for quiz deadlines. A good way to prepare for the module quizzes is to take the chapter practice quizzes designated in each study assignment.

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FINAL PROJECT

In lieu of a final exam, you are required to complete a final project (worth 30 percent of your course grade).

The final project asks you to write an 8–10 page research report (typed, double-spaced) or a 4–5 page research report with accompanying PowerPoint presentation (15–20 slides) in which you describe a company of your choice, the nature of its business, a specific product or service, and how that product or service is produced and distributed by the company and then recommend the information technology system you think should be in place and why. The project entails two stages:

Stage 1: Submit a 1–2 page project plan (worth 5 percent of your course grade) in which you identify and briefly describe the company, business sector, and product you wish to investigate and provide a preliminary bibliography (using APA style) of the sources (articles and Web sites) you intend to use in gathering information about the company.

Stage 2: Complete and submit the final project (worth 25 percent of your course grade).

Please see the Final Project area of the course Web site for further details.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, exams, and projects are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for posting discussion replies and comments, submitting assignments, and taking module tests. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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