Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 CISS 492 DEA Senior Seminar in Management Information Systems March 2015 Session 14-54 March 23 May 16, 2015 Course Description Textbooks Required culminating course for graduation as a Management Information Systems (MIS) major. Readings from current literature. Requires original research project or paper. Grade of C or higher required. This course includes a program evaluation component. Prerequisites: CISS 325 (or CISS 320) CISS 365 CISS 430 Senior standing Proctored Exams: None None: this course uses online resources Course Overview This is the capstone course for the MIS degree and provides you an opportunity to bring together material from your MIS studies and to demonstrate your command of the material in the MIS curriculum. Each week you will become acquainted with a variety of current issues in the field. You will research an appropriate topic from current literature in significant depth and write a research paper on the topic. Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office. You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives To assess learning outcomes of the major.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 To acquire and apply research and writing skills appropriate to the field of management information systems. Measurable Learning Outcomes Conduct effective literature searches and create bibliographies pertinent to the current state of research in an area of management information systems. Identify a research direction within an area of management information systems and write a preliminary research proposal which includes papers to be studied, a list of resources required for the project, and a timeline for the project. Conduct research using critical thinking skills and the synthesis of knowledge acquired from other courses. Write effectively through the completion of a research paper of no less than 15 pages in length. Speak effectively and professionally by defending their research orally to a group of their peers. Critically analyze and discuss current literature in the field. Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A 230-255 90-100 B 204-229 80-89 C 179-203 70-79 D 153-178 60-69 F 0-152 0-59 Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussions 50 20% Article Analysis and Summaries Peer Reviews 60 24% -Draft Abstract 5 2% -Draft PowerPoint 5 2% -Abstract Peer Review 5 2% -PowerPoint Peer Review 5 2% Research Paper -Final Abstract 10 4% -Final PowerPoint 10 4% -Bibliography 5 2% -Final Paper 100 39% Total 255 100%
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Schedule of Due Dates Week Assignment Points Due Date 1 Discussion 1a: Introduction 0 Sunday Discussion1b: Plagiarism and Plagiarism Tutorial 5 Wednesday Discussion 1c: Project Management 5 Wednesday Article Analysis and Summary: Project Management 10 Sunday 2 Discussion 2a: Configuration Management 5 Wednesday Discussion 2b: Post your Research Paper Topic 5 Wednesday Article Analysis and Summary: Configuration Management 10 Sunday 3 Discussion 3: Risk Management 5 Wednesday Article Analysis and Summary: Risk Management 10 Sunday 4 Discussion 4: Disaster Recovery 5 Wednesday Peer Review: Post your DRAFT abstract for peer review 5 Sunday Research Paper: Bibliography 5 Sunday Article Analysis and Summary: Disaster Recovery 10 Sunday 5 Discussion 5: Outsourcing 5 Wednesday Peer Review: Post your DRAFT PowerPoint for peer review 5 Sunday Peer Review: Respond to another student s abstract 5 Sunday Article Analysis and Summary: Outsourcing 10 Sunday 6 Discussion 6: Information Security Hackers/Crackers 5 Wednesday Peer Review: Respond to another student s DRAFT PowerPoint 5 Sunday Article Analysis and Summary: Information Security 10 Sunday 7 Discussion 7: New Technology 5 Wednesday Research Paper: Final Abstract 10 Sunday Research Paper: Final PowerPoint 10 Sunday 8 Discussion 8: Information Management 5 Wednesday Research Paper: Final Paper 100 Wednesday Total 255
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 Assignment Overview Discussions: Each week you will be given a question to respond to that relates to the weekly topic. Provide insightful and thorough responses to the questions. You will also post drafts of some of your research work to the discussion for feedback from your peers, including an abstract of your research paper and your PowerPoint presentation. Online discussion postings should be complete by Wednesday of the assigned week. After each week s response to discussion questions are posted, you will need to respond to at least two other student s postings. These responses should further the discussion of the topic. Responses such as I agree and Good posting will not receive any credit. Provide thoughtful responses, questions, or supporting material. These are due by Sunday of the assigned week. Article Analysis and Summary: Each week you are required to find an article related to the assigned weekly subject area and provide a summary of the article. The summaries should be no more than one page and cover all the major areas of the article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? You must also provide the URL for the topic. Each article summary is worth 10 points. Research Paper Topic: Each topic must be approved by your instructor. Since it is possible your initial choice of topic will be unacceptable or need to be modified, you are encouraged to submit your topic as early as possible. Submit your topic in the Discussion area of D2L, under the heading Research Paper Topics. The most common problem is selecting a topic that is too broad. For example, The Effects of the World Wide Web on Office Productivity is too broad a topic. There have been books written on this topic and it would be impossible to do it justice in a 15-page paper. Depth is more important than breadth when considering possible topics, so try to narrow the topic. A wide variety of topics are appropriate and you are encouraged to pick a topic that is of particular interest to you. The topic you choose and the level of discussion is to be appropriate for a seniorlevel culminating-experience course. Example Topics Outsourcing IT The internal and external effects Cyber Security How to protect your company from attacks Strategic IT Planning What and How to plan growth Abstract: Write an abstract of your paper of no more than one page outlining your topic and research. This should summarize your paper, providing an outline of your research and your conclusions. Ensure that you follow MLA guidelines when completing this abstract. During week 4, you will be required to post a DRAFT copy of your abstract in the Discussion area of D2L for peer review. The final copy will be uploaded to the Dropbox area of D2L during week 7. Bibliography: The bibliography for your research paper must contain at least 15 sources and be compliant with MLA standards. All source material must be properly cited in the body of the paper using MLA. I do not expect to see references to articles from popular magazines/books such as Newsweek, Time, Omni, etc. Also, wiki and other collaborative sources are not allowed. All resources should be approved through the instructor prior to using to ensure proper source. During Week 4, you will need to upload your bibliography in the Dropbox area of D2L. I will review and provide comments should any of your resources not meet minimum standards.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 PowerPoint Presentation: You are required to create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for your research paper. The PowerPoint should cover all main points of your paper and be easy to follow. Slides should have talking points only. Design should be professional; as if you are presenting to the president of your company. During week 5, you will need to post a DRAFT copy of your presentation in the Discussion area of D2L for peer review. The final copy will be uploaded to the Dropbox area of D2L during week 7. The presentation should include the following: Title Page No more than 20 supporting slides Professional Template Slide transitions Bibliography All graphs, statistics and quotes must be cited properly Format: The final paper must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document of at least 15 and no more than 20 pages in length (double-spaced). Pages must be numbered. Use MLA style for your citations. The final paper is due WEDNESDAY of week 8 and should be uploaded to the dropbox marked as such. The final paper should include: title page (which does not count in the 15-page requirement) abstract introduction body summary/conclusions reference page(s) Originality: Research papers must be original work for this course. Do not submit a paper used in another course. Your paper will be checked for originality through turnitin.com. Ensure you understand plagiarism and MLA standards for citing your sources. Plagiarism will result in receiving zero credit on the assignment and will be reported. Due Date: Your final research paper should be submitted no later than Wednesday at midnight of the eighth week of the term. You are strongly encouraged to submit an early draft of your paper. I will be pleased to make suggestions and provide feedback that might improve the quality of your paper. If you decide to do this, send me a draft at least a week prior to the due date. It will take me a day or two to look over your work and send my comments back to you and you will need a few days to make whatever modifications were suggested.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Course Schedule Week 1 Project Management Discussion 1a: Introduction In this discussion we want to get to know you a little better. Provide an introduction to yourself. Include information such as: name, hobbies, family, interests, etc. 1b: Plagiarism Do you have any questions about the definition of plagiarism, or how to properly reference copied material so as not to be guilty? Under the Quizzes section of the D2L course, you will find a quiz on plagiarism. Please take a moment to complete the exam during your first week of class. 1c: Question 1 What differences (if any) are there in managing a business project and one in Information Technology? Article Analysis and Summary Project Management - Find a current article that has been published online about project management. Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. Week 2 Configuration Management Discussion 2a: Question 2 - What are the pros and cons to using configuration management for software code, design documents, and requirements? 2b: Research Paper Topic - Pick a topic for your research paper and post it in the discussion. You only need to put enough information so that the other students and I understand what you are going to research. The article must be related to MIS and be approved by me. Your approval will be in a response to the posting. No two papers can be the same. Ensure that you post early to get your first choice. Article Analysis and Summary Configuration Management - Find a current article that has been published online about configuration management. The article can cover tools used for CMMI or general configuration management practices. Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. Week 3 Risk Management Discussion 3 Should companies manage all risks or just those that might hurt the bottom line?.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 Article Analysis and Summary Risk Management - Find a current article published online about risk management. Week 4 Disaster Recovery Discussion 4 Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. Why should (or should not) a company test its disaster recovery plan? Article Analysis and Summary Disaster Recovery - Find a current article published online about disaster recovery. Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. Research Paper Peer Review Week 5 Outsourcing Discussion 5 Bibliography Create a bibliography for your research paper in Microsoft Word and submit it to the Dropbox. DRAFT Research Paper Abstract Write an abstract of your paper of no more than one page, outlining your topic and research. Post the abstract in the discussion. This is a draft. The final product will be due in week 7. Defend or attack the position of outsourcing IT. Article Analysis and Summary Peer Review Outsourcing - Find a current article published online about outsourcing. Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. DRAFT Research Paper PowerPoint Create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for your research paper.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 The presentation should cover all main points of your paper and be easy to follow. Slides should have talking points only. Design should be professional, as if you are presenting to the president of your company. Post this as an attachment to the discussion for review. This is a draft. The final product will be due in week 7. Response to Abstract Pick one of the other student s abstracts and provide constructive feedback. Title your discussion post the same as the topic you are critiquing. No two students can critique the same abstract/powerpoint. Post early so that you get a pick of topics to critique. This assignment provides a chance to give and receive positive and constructive feedback that will help everyone before submitting the final product on week 7. Be constructive in your critique. Some suggested points to address: Does the abstract tell you what the paper is about? Do the topics flow between paragraphs smoothly? Does the abstract provide an intro? Does the abstract provide a conclusion? Is it free of spelling errors? Is it grammatically correct? Week 6 Information Security Discussion 6 Should penalties for hackers, crackers, and virus creators be determined by the severity of the attack? Why or why not? Article Analysis and Summary Information Security - Find a current article published online about information security. Peer Review Summarize the article in a couple of paragraphs, providing a link to the article so that I can read the original article. Along with the summary, provide a one paragraph analysis of the article, relating the material to your work or the environment around you. Basically, how does this article affect you? Submit your article analysis and summary in the dropbox area of D2L under the appropriate week. Response to PowerPoint Pick one of the other student s PowerPoint presentations and provide constructive feedback. Title your discussion post the same as the topic you are critiquing. No two students can critique the same abstract/powerpoint. Post early so that you get the pick of topics to critique. This assignment provides a chance to give and receive positive and constructive feedback that will help everyone before submitting the final product on week 7. Be constructive in your critique. Does it have all the structural criteria required? Does it use a professional template? Is the color schema professional (no green on yellow, etc.)
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 Does it appear complete? Do the slide topics transition well? Are all graphs and stats cited? Course Evaluation: You will have the opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open on Sunday of Week 5 and will remain open until Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Week 7 New Technologies Discussion 7 Research Paper What new technology will change the world? Why? Final Abstract Submit your final copy of the abstract to the dropbox. Your final version should incorporate some or all of the feedback you received on your draft. Final PowerPoint Presentation Submit your final copy of the PowerPoint presentation to the dropbox. Your final version should incorporate some or all of the feedback you received on your draft. Week 8 Final Wrap Up Discussion 8 What area of concentration do you feel is the most valuable to the business of information management? Why? Research Paper Course Policies Student Conduct Plagiarism Submit your final research paper and bibliography to the Dropbox by midnight Wednesday. All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at 573-875-7400. The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar E-mail All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail providers. Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. NO late assignments will be received for credit.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 11 Course Evaluation You will have the opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open on Sunday of Week 5 and will remain open until Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu 800-231-2391 ex. 4357 helpdesk@desire2learn.com 877-325-7778 Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. The Writing Center can be used for writing assistance in any course. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources. Library Resources It may be helpful for you to become acquainted with Columbia College s numerous library resources for any necessary research. Accessing the databases from your home computer is straightforward, but may require some practice if you are new to the process. Columbia College's library databases are available at: http://www.ccis.edu/offices/library/resources.asp (You may access them using your CougarTrack login and password when prompted.)
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 12 Grading Criteria Discussions Criteria Description Points Possible Original Post Content Substantial, original contribution; completely answers question or addresses the topic Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 1.0 Punctuality Posted by the deadline 0.5 Response Content Substantively contributes to extending the discussion by adding new points or raising new questions Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 0.5 Punctuality Posted by the deadline 0.5 Total 5.0 Abstract Criteria Description Points Possible Content Clearly defines the topic and explains what the paper is about 4 Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 2 Format Intro, body, and conclusion; logical flow between sections 2 Length No longer than one page or 120 words 2 Response Content Substantively contributes to extending the discussion by adding new points or raising new questions Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 0.5 Punctuality Posted by the deadline 0.5 Total 15 2.0 0.5 0.5
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 13 PowerPoint Criteria Description Points Possible Content Clearly defines the topic and explains what the paper is about 4 Provides graphs, statistics, and/or quotations; cites sources; includes bibliography Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 2 Format Title page Transitions between slides Professional template Length No longer than 20 slides 1 Response Content Substantively contributes to extending the discussion by adding new points or raising new questions Mechanics Well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors 0.5 Punctuality Posted by the deadline 0.5 Total 15 Bibliography Criteria Description Points Possible Content References are from reliable sources 2 Mechanics Annotations provide information about how the sources will be used Citations and annotations are well formatted; free from grammatical and spelling errors Length Includes at least 15 sources 1 Total 5 Final Paper Criteria Description Points Possible Content Organization Mechanics Format Presents results clearly and persuasively; justifies all arguments through application of appropriate types of reason and evidence. Uses illustration and support through relevant examples and details. Avoids expressions of personal opinions 10 Is well-organized and unified, has good flow, and opens and closes effectively Free of errors in grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling Includes title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference list Length At least 15 and no more than 20 pages 5 References Includes at least 15 references from reliable sources. 5 References appropriately formatted 5 Total 100 1 2 0.5 1 1 30 20 10 10 5