INLS 582_001, Systems Analysis

Syllabus

• What is the information system doing now?
• What should it be doing?
• What needs to change to make it do the right thing?
• How can we best implement the changes?

In-class activities
Class meetings will typically consist of 3 sections.

Assignments
Individual assignments will provide more opportunities for practicing specific skills, and let you demonstrate to me what you have learned. Team assignments are the deliverables for your project.

• You will learn a lot of new terms and concepts -- here's a partial list.  You may find them useful in learning and organizing the material, as well as speaking like a systems analyst.
• Plan ahead! Success in this course requires the same kind of project management that your team project does.
• Coordinate the work schedule for this class with the schedules for your other classes, work, and other activities. You are likely to have many deadlines toward the end of the semester, so it's important  for you to keep up.
• Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for each class. If you are not prepared for class, you will not be able to fully participate in (and benefit from) the in-class activities.
  
• There is often more than one good or correct way to model or design a situation. There are always many more bad and incorrect ways to do so!
  

• We are professionals,  therefore I expect professional behavior.
• I will be prepared for class, and be ready to start class on time. If unforeseeable circumstances prevent this for any reason, I will try to notify you beforehand if at all possible.
• I expect the same of you: be prepared for class and be ready to start class on time.
• If you know in advance that you must miss a class, please let me know in advance. If you must miss a class session unexpectedly, get in touch with me as soon as possible to tell me why. Unexplained absences are unprofessional.
• If you miss a class for whatever reason,  you are responsible for learning what you missed from a classmate.
•  I do take attendance. Repeated tardiness or missed classes will lower your participation grade: you cannot participate in in-class exercises and discussions if you are not present.
• You are encouraged and expected to be an active participant in class, including full class discussions, small group discussions, in-class exercises. Similarly, you are expected to be an active participant in your project teams. Participation is not just about talking; listening to others' ideas and facilitating discussions to make sure everyone has a chance to participate is also important.
• If there is something you don't understand ask a question! Post questions on the Sakai wiki, ask a question during class, come to my office hours, or contact me by email.
• Participation counts for a percentage of your final grade, but there are many ways to participate. Quality is more important than sheer quantity.

• Assignments must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on the day they are due. (Except for the final specifications.)
• A late assignment will be penalized 5% for every day it is late. If you have a real problem submitting an assignment on time, please talk to me before the due date. Getting a late start on an assignment does not count as a real problem.
• All assignments should conform to these submission instructions.
• Pay attention to detail! Proofreading and clarity of presentation are important for information professionals.
• Start working on assignments well in advance of the due date. It is usually a good idea to give yourself time to let your work sit for a bit, then come back to review it. Do not wait until the last minute (or hour or day) to ask questions about the assignment -- I may not be available for consultation.
• For assignments containing models, here are some additional Guidelines.

• If your team is having difficulty with some aspect of your project, please come to see me. One of the educational outcomes of this class should be an increase in your effectiveness in getting advice from more experienced colleagues.
• The Honor Code, which prohibits giving or receiving unauthorized aid in the completion of assignments, is in effect in this class. The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance gives examples of actions that constitute academic dishonesty. There are some specific guidelines for this class.
  • You may give and receive assistance regarding the use of hardware and software.
  • You are welcome to work together on class preparation; discussing articles, walking through examples, working on exercises, etc. You may also ask your classmates for clarification of class notes.
  • Individual home work assignments are to be done individually. You may consult the course readings and slides, your notes, and even other print or web sources. (Keep in mind, however, that what you find in other sources may not be consistent with what I want you to do.) You may not consult your classmates or other people; all questions should be addressed to me.
  • Team assignments are to be done as a team, with the team taking responsibility for all products. Work on the project should be distributed equitably among team members. I expect team members to discuss, consult, and even debate with each other about the project throughout the term.

• You are not required to bring your computer to every class. For the couple of classes for which you do need your laptop, I will remind you in advance.
• In-class activities will often involve sketching out draft models or taking brief notes in a break-out group for reporting back to the class. You may use your computer or other device, or pencil and paper. (Personally, I prefer drafting models on paper.)
• Laptops, tablets, phones, and similar devices should be used only for class purposes. Unrelated activities such as reading email ,texting, web-browsing, or playing games divert your attention from the class and are distracting and discourteous to others.
• Please remember to mute your cellphone before class starts.

I will send out a test message or two the first week of class. I will use the list to send out announcements. You can use the list to ask questions of the class in general, to share helpful hints about software, etc. To post to the list, you can send email to inls582_001@listerv.unc.edu, or go to the list's web page.

Individual work
Problem definition: 10%
Work models: 20%
Entity-relation diagram: 10%

Team project work
Information gathering plan: 10%
Presentation to class/client: 10%
Final specifications: 25%

Participation: 15%
Leading a case study discussion group
Participation in case study discussions
Participation in in-class activities
Team participation