B. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course introduces aspects of information systems from a business perspective:

●   Introduction to Business Technology Management, what it means to manage technology.

○   Includes a high level exposure to the many aspects of BTM and how organizational strategies, missions and goals can guide and infl uence technology decisions.

●   Database Management Systems, including technical foundations.

●   System implementations: Business Process Modelling and Information Systems Development, including Systems Analysis and Design.

●   Business analytics and artificial intelligence: An exposure to these topics and how they are becoming more important in the daily operation of organizations large and small.

●   Emerging topics in Information and Communications Technology Management & Strategy.

We will examine how information systems are used in business organizations and some of the managerial, organizational and social implications. This will provide an appreciation of the major challenges that we face today in applying information technology effectively. The material will provide us with an understanding of and a basic foundation for computing and systems literacy. Most importantly, we will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are necessary to solve complex business problems.

The course schedule outlines the topics and requirements for the course. Please note that the outline is a plan, and this plan is subject to change (e.g. changing the delivery of classes or content due to the pandemic or other unforeseen circumstances).

C. LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. At the end of this course, you will have developed the following course specific skills or knowledge:

●   Gain a basic understanding and awareness of a variety of BTM topics that are expanded on in other 400-level classes.

●   Learn about database structure and construction, and about how business systems rely on them.

●   Learn how information systems are developed, and experience the development of a simple system (which includes a database, SQL queries for creating tables and retrieving information)

●   Learn how to use Microsoft Power BI to visualize data and publish the visualization to a web-based dashboard.

●   Discuss emerging topics in information technology, especially as they relate to information and communications technology management and strategy including analytics, artificial intelligence, security, privacy and ethics.

2. This course incorporates the Learning Goals of the BCom Program, in particular:

3. Final grading in this class is done on the basis of individual student achievement of the course and program outcomes. These outcomes are measured by the following assessments:

Assignments & In-Class Work

●   Business Concepts and Theories, Entrepreneurial Thinking and Business Communication skills will be applied to some assignments and in-class questions.

●   Assesses Business Concepts and Theories and the grasp of quantitative material (DBMS   design, business analytic integration, and project planning and implementation) over entire course.

● Assesses Ethical Awareness related to interpretation of different ethical viewpoints.

Final Exam

●   Covers high level knowledge of all the in class lectures through the semester

●   Assesses Business Concepts and Theories, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Business

Communication, Ethical Awareness related to interpretation of different ethical viewpoints

D. COURSE MATERIALS

D1. Required

● Lecture notes

● Lab manuals

● Additional materials provided by instructors via eClass

D2. Textbook

●   (Optional) Kroenke, D. M., Boyle, R., Gemino, A., & Tingling, P. (2019). Experiencing MIS 5th Canadian Edition. Pearson. ISBN: 9780134711669

D3. eClass

All information to be successful in the course will be distributed through eClass. It will also be where announcements and other information regarding the course will be made. Please plan to check this   site regularly and/or make sure your settings in eClass will send you emails when there are updates.

● https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/

E. EVALUATION AND COURSE ACTIVITIES

E1. Course Work Weighting

Under normal circumstances, assessments will be graded and returned within 10 days.

E2. Assignments

All assignments are to be submitted individually, and each assignment will specifically outline the submission instructions. Assignments are submitted through the eClass Assignment Submission tool.

You are required to complete and submit five (5) lab assignments, as follows:

● Assignment A: A requirements definition document, which you will complete using an MS-Word template. (Windows and Mac compatible)

● Assignment B: Data modelling, using Entity-Relationship diagrams: based on a business case description, you will design the data model and complete it using Diagrams.net (draw,io)

(https://www.diagrams.net/). (Windows and Mac compatible)

● Assignment C: Project Planning with MS-Project: you will develop a project plan and schedule   based on a business case description, including critical path analysis and labour allocation and load levelling. (Requires Windows) – an optional, alternate version using MS-PowerPoint and MS-Excel may be provided (Windows and Mac compatible)

● Assignment D: Database implementation with SQLite: you will develop a SQLite database

using the Structured Query Language (SQL). SQLite Studio GUI will be used to implement the data model, Data Manipulation Language (DML) will be used to write business queries.

(Windows and Mac compatible)

● Assignment E: Business Analytics using MS-Power BI: you will create data visualizations you described in Assignment A. (Requires Windows) – an optional, alternate version using Tableau may be provided (Windows and Mac compatible).

E3. Requesting an Extension

All students will experience challenges in managing the deadlines of assignments and exams

throughout a semester. Managing your time and commitments is an important component of your

education, and we place value on being proactive in your work. Waiting until the last day to start work on an assignment will impact your level of stress and performance.

If you have an academically acceptable reason for an individual extension due to an incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or for other compelling reasons, including religious observation per the Academic Regulations - Attendance1 policy, you may request an individual extension from your lecture instructor.

All extensions must be approved by your lecture instructor PRIOR to the submission deadline for the assignment. Extensions will be granted when the instructor deems that it is the appropriate approach to the challenges the student faces. The extension due date will be provided by your instructor at the  time of approval. In most circumstances, any requests for extension after the submission deadline has passed will not be considered.

For approved extensions:

●   A 2% penalty for each 24-hour period provided will be assessed for extensions that are not related to an academically acceptable reason

Showing your progress of work completed is important when requesting an extension, and is

preferred. Don’t wait for an extension approval, continue to do the work and submit your deliverable when complete.

E4. Late Penalties

All late exercises, assignments and exams will be penalized 10% for every 24-hour period past the published due date and due time. Under normal circumstances, assignments will be grades and returned within 10 days.

E5. Weekly Participation Exercises (WPE)

There will be weekly, online exercises throughout the semester which will count as the Participation   component of your final grade. These exercises force students to think about abstract concepts and  to communicate an idea in a short amount of space (e.g. a 30-second elevator pitch). There will be a total of twelve (12) weekly participation exercises (one per week) of which ten (10) will count towards the Participation component of your final grade.

The weekly participation exercises are based on the weekly lecture topics and will be available in eClass (under the Weekly Participation Exercise folder) during the times specified below:

●   Tuesday from 12:00 (Noon) until 23:59 Mountain Time (12 hours)

●   Thursday from 12:00 (Noon) until 23:59 Mountain Time (12 hours)

●   Friday from 12:00 (Noon) until 18:00 Mountain Time (6 hours)

Once you begin an exercise, you will have one (1) hour in which to complete and submit the exercise.

You may complete the weekly exercises at anytime during the times of availability, but it is recommended that you attend your registered lecture and study the lecture materials before completing the exercises.

Your submission for each exercise will be assessed by the following criteria:

●   You must address the case study provided with each exercise

●   The level of engagement and completeness of your answers (e.g. are you discussing the questions with supporting “facts” rather than ONLY identifying “facts”?)

●   Your answer is between 180 and 220 words (an example of length for answers is provided below)

●   You provide citations (which are not included in the word count) for:

○   Work that is not your own, including the use of AI tools (see Section J for more information)

○ Answer you wrote without the use of AI tools, be sure to include that fact

F1. Midterm Exam

There is no Midterm Exam in this course, however, Assignment A is intended to serve this purpose.

F2. Final Exam

The consolidated, online final exam (minimum 2 hours, all sections) is tentatively scheduled for

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 14:00 subject to change from the University. The Final Exam will be an

online, written project that is cumulative, covering all material from the beginning of the term. Specific logistics regarding the Final Exam will be provided at least four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled Final  Exam date through both an eClass announcement and in class discussion.

F2.1. Deferred Final Exam Requests

Requests for a deferred Final Exam requires coordination with the Undergrad Office and requires students to have an "academically acceptable" reason for the deferral.

Note that writing multiple exams during the same time period DOES NOT qualify for an "academically acceptable" reason, as the exam schedule is published on the University of Alberta website.2

Students who miss the final exam must apply through the Undergraduate Office for an alternate final exam.

F2.2. Absences from Final Exam

Occasionally life events occur that require a student to miss term work, term examinations, or final examinations. However, excused absences are not granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons such as incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction, or religious convictions.

Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to, personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements. When a student is absent without an acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the work missed. Any student who applies for or obtains an excused absence by making false statements will be liable under the Code of Student Behaviour.

The Attendance – Absence from Final Exam3 Section of the Calendar provides the University Regulations regarding procedures in the case of a missed final examination.

Students who miss the final exam must apply through the Undergraduate Office for an alternate final exam. For additional details regarding absence from exams, please see the university’s calendar.

F2.3. Exams Remarking Policy

For information regarding applying for a reappraisal of your final exam please see the Examinations – Exam section of the Calendar.

Link to official U of A Academic Regulations documents:

● https://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=33&navoid=9816

F3. Final Grade

Your grade in this course will be based on the marks you obtain on five (5) lab assignments, weekly exercises, and a comprehensive final exam. Your weighted achievement on these assessments will determine your total percentage mark in the course.

Letter grades will be assigned to the percentage marks in accordance with University Regulations section of Evaluation Procedures and Grading System4 of the University Calendar. Grades in this  course will be based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance.

These grades represent the only marks available to students. No additional work or extra credit is available.

F3.1. Converting Raw Achievement Scores To Final Grade Letters

After all assignments and exams are marked, they will be weighted according to Section E1 and the weighted scores will then be added together to produce a total “raw” achievement score (total weighting = 100%) for each student over the entire course.

These “raw” scores will then be combined and ranked (from high to low), producing an ordered list of the achievements of all students. Your overall ranking becomes a key measure when determining your final grade letter.

Then, the list of “raw” scores will be examined for natural “breakpoints” that distinguish one or a group of students from another. By looking at these natural breakpoints, as well as possibly considering: students’ relative examination scores on major examinations; any special circumstances in the technical delivery of the course; and an instructor-assessment of where the breakpoints will ultimately be established and students’ achievements will be clustered into grade-levels.

Instructor judgments in this area are based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class. Grade letters of any graduate students are established separately from those of undergraduate students.

F3.1.1 Description of Grade Levels

Letter grades are only assigned to the final total weighted average achieved by a student in the   course. The process for assigning grade letters begins with the following general cut-off points.