MIS 330: Systems Analysis and Design

CRN: 44311 | Section A2 | Online|

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name: Belal Abdelfattah, PhD, MBA

Email: babdelfa@gmu.edu

Office Hours: By appointment and/or virtual.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIAL

Technology:

•    Functional laptop with internet connectivity, webcam, and microphone.

•    Standard MS Office suite applications

•    MS Visio and MS Access (free to students |link)

•    Lucidchart.com (the free version – use your .edu email when signing up |link)

•    Respondus Lockdown Browser (link)

•    GMU Zoom Account (link)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The objective of this course is to help students gain a solid foundation in the concepts and processes of analyzing systems, gathering requirements and designing modern applications. Students will also develop skills in using modern System Analysis and Design (SAD) methodologies/techniques and tools which can be applied to real life projects.

Information systems (IS) plays a critical role in the operations of every business. To optimize business success, firms and organizations must ensure that information systems are designed, developed and implemented properly. To accomplish this, IS professionals must bear a unique combination of business  knowledge, communication skills, technical skills, and understanding of the organizational context to develop effective information systems. Likewise, non-IS professionals must be able to understand how to contribute to the systems analysis and design process to support their functional areas.

Related IS Job Functions

The skills and competencies developed in this course may be typically used by Systems Analysts, Programmer Analysts, Business Analysts, and Project Managers, as well as other functions within the Systems Development process.

Prerequisites

Grade of 'C' or higher in MIS 310 (Database Management Systems)

COURSE LEARNING GOALS

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Understand the systems analysis and design process

• Identify and model basic business processes and requirements

• Design database structures based on business requirements

• Conceptualize and design basic user interfaces for communicating with systems

• Identify necessary stages and tools of software development for a given system design

• Plan implementation and support strategies for a given system

COURSE FORMAT

This course encompasses a rich variety of learning materials, including reading materials, instructor videos (when applicable), engaging discussions, and applied assignments and assessments. To ensure you stay on top of the course, be sure to regularly check the announcements posted on Blackboard and your Mason email. These announcements will keep you informed about important updates and deadlines.

It is highly recommended that you review all the content released on Blackboard promptly and in a timely manner. Please note that course materials will be made available gradually throughout the session, and corresponding announcements will be shared accordingly.

Due dates for all graded work, including assignments and assessments, will be clearly posted on Blackboard throughout the course. It's essential to stay aware of these deadlines to manage your time effectively and submit your work punctually.

Below is an overview of the assignment/assessment categories and their grade weights.

Your final course grade will be calculated using the weighted average of each category listed above. The final grade scale is presented below.

ASSIGNMENT/ASSESSMENT CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Quizzes

•    Throughout the course, you can expect to encounter around four quizzes designed to assess your comprehension of the material. To prepare for these quizzes, carefully review the content made  available on Blackboard, such as reading materials, videos, and other relevant resources. To provide you with a clear direction, an overview of the general topics that will be covered in each quiz will be provided.

•    The quizzes may be completed Respondus Lockdown browser (unless otherwise announced).

•   Any quiz submitted late may be accepted at the instructor’s discretion with a 30% late penalty.

Technical Assignments

•    Throughout the course, you will be assigned approximately four technical assignments. These assignments serve as valuable opportunities for you to actively apply different tools, techniques, and approaches related to the Systems Analysis and Design (SAD) process. By completing these assignments, you will gain hands-on experience in the practical application of SAD concepts, allowing you to further develop your skills and deepen your understanding of the subject matter. These assignments are designed to enhance your learning and provide you with a practical foundation in SAD methodologies. Any assignment submitted late may be accepted at the instructor’s discretion with a 30% late penalty.

Discussion

•    Each week, you will find discussion topics presented on the Blackboard discussion board. These prompts will provide you with an opportunity to express your ideas and facilitate engagement among students.

•    When participating in the discussion board, your contributions should be constructive and meaningful. This means engaging in respectful and productive discussions, sharing insights, asking relevant questions, and providing thoughtful responses to your peers' posts if requested.

Individual Writing Assignments

•    You can expect to complete one writing assignment focused on the topic of Systems Analysis and Design (SAD). Detailed instructions and specific requirements for the writing assignment will be provided on Blackboard. Please note that there will be a minimum word count specified for your submission, and it must be submitted through Blackboard with SafeAssign activated to ensure originality and academic integrity.

•    The writing assignment will involve a structured process that includes multiple steps. Firstly, you will be required to submit a draft of your assignment. Following this, you will receive feedback on your draft from the Writing TA Specialist. Based on the feedback received, you will then revise and improve your writing assignment. Throughout this process, the instructor will supervise and guide you to ensure that your assignment meets the desired standards.

•    It is important to emphasize that your writing assignment must be entirely your own work. The    submission should be generated by you, without any assistance from external sources, to uphold  the principles of academic honesty and authenticity. By engaging in this process, you will have   the opportunity to develop and refine your writing skills while demonstrating your understanding of the SAD concepts covered in the course.

•    Any assignment submitted late may be accepted at the instructor’s discretion with a 30% late penalty.

Note : MIS 330 is a Mason Core course that has been approved by GMU’s Writing Across the

Curriculum Committee to fulfill the Writing Intensive requirement in the ISOM major. The writing assignment outlined above will fulfill this requirement.

Exams

•    You will have two exams to evaluate your understanding of the material. The question format for these exams may vary and could include multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, or a    combination of both. The final exam will be comprehensive, covering the entire course content.

•    To ensure the integrity of the exam process, the exams will be conducted using Respondus LockDown Browser with Webcam, unless otherwise specified by the instructor.

•    Exam duration is to be determined.

•    Any exam submitted late may be accepted at the instructor’s discretion with a 30% late penalty.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Process Modeling

3

Discussion board

Midterm Exam

Assignment 2

Writing Assignment - Draft 1 Due

Note: Any updates to the course schedule above will be on Blackboard’s Syllabus Web Page.

DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact me and the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474 (http://ods.gmu.edu) as early as         possible in the term. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.

HONOR CODE / ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

George Mason University has a clearly described University Honor Code administered by the Office for   Academic Integrity. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at GMU for all undergraduate and      graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism.     For more information on the University Honor Code or the Office for Academic Integrity, please visit http://honorcode.gmu.edu. See the last page for honor code violation consequences.

HONOR CODE VIOLOATION: