34054-011-Dragan
Using Information Systems for Solving
Business Problems
M&IS 34054 - 011
Summer 2014
CRN: 10339
Course description
An overview of the role of information systems in business today, current trends in information
systems and the basics of Web site creation.
Location Online
Instructor Natalia Dragan, Ph.D. ndragan at kent dot edu
Prerequisite M&IS 24053
Notes: students in the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the
class; this course, M&IS 34054, will not count toward a CIS major or minor.
Enrollment
Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes. You are advised to
review your official class schedule (using Student Tools/Flashfast) to ensure you are properly
enrolled in this class and section. Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until
Tuesday, May 20, 2014 to correct the error with your advising office. If registration errors are
not corrected by this date and you continue to participate in classes for which you are not
officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the
semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.
Course Goals
To gain knowledge of information systems necessary for management. To become familiar with
current topics in IT. To complete different types of assignments/projects: management decision
problems, a hands-on application software exercise using Microsoft Excel, Access, or Web page
and blog creation tools, and a project that develops Internet business skills.
Summary of key components of the course
• Role of information systems in the organization
• Ethical and social issues surrounding use of information systems
• Securing information systems
• Types and components of system hardware
• Types of software, languages and business applications
• Managing data resources: databases and information management, big data, cloud
computing
• Telecommunications and networks
• Internet and information systems infrastructure
• Enterprise applications
• Ecommerce: digital markets and goods
Textbook Kenneth C. and Jane P. Laudon, Essentials of Management Information
Systems Plus 2014 MyMISLab, Prentice-Hall, Eleventh Edition, 2013, ISBN-
9780133869972
Software MyMISLab (provided by Pearson) will be used for all the assignments (you must have
it for the 1st day if the class); for a few assignments you will need Microsoft Access and Excel,
which are part of the Microsoft Office Suite. Office 2010 is available in the labs in BSA. It is
probably available in other labs on the Kent and regional campuses as well. An offer for
students to purchase Microsoft Office 365 is available through the KSU bookstore or online
Microsoft Office 365 University ($79.95 4-year subscription) or you can try the Education plan
with the free 30-day trial option.
Learn and MyMISLab
The Blackboard Learn and MyMISLab sites will manage the course. The syllabus, assignments,
Power Point slides, quizzes, exams, discussions and other course information will be found there.
If you need help with Learn, this is the student training site, complete with videos.
The link to the MyMISLab site is under the 'Course Content' (home page of the course). If you
click on MyMISLab XL Course Home it will bring you to the Pearson MyMISLab site.
When there are schedule changes or other announcements, the instructor will e-mail you using
your KSU e-mail address. Check this frequently. If you commonly use another address, forward
your Kent e-mail to that address. In your Google e-mail, go to Settings and then Forwarding and
POP/IMAP.
Course Requirements
1. 5 homework assignments: (90 points each): 450 points
2. 10 quizzes: (10 points each) 100 points
3. 3 course exams: (150 points each): 450 points
1000 points
Homework Assignments
Assignments will be posted on the Blackboard and have to be done in MyMISLab, a Web-based
assessment and tutorial tool that provides testing and practice. The assignments include:
• different types of hands-on projects using: Excel and Access
• collaboration and teamwork project(s) using open-source collaboration tools to build a
collaborative website;
• discussions on chapter and learning tracks topics;
• analysis of business video cases and learning tracks;
• automated simulations for learning chapter concepts.
All assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the date given.
Discussion Forums for Homework Questions
Discussion forums on the Blackboard, one for each homework assignment are available as a
means for students and the instructor to ask and answer questions about the assignments. I
expect you to get your assignment questions answered through these forums, not by e-mail.
Only e-mail me if you have personal questions.
Quizzes
There will be 10 quizzes – one for each chapter. The quizzes will be multiple choice and
true/false questions. The quizzes cover topics from the book chapters and/or additional to the
book, learning and practicing, material provided by the publisher in business video cases,
simulation activities, dynamic study modules and learning tracks (using MyMISLab software).
Reading/Practicing assignments will be given for each chapter and have to be done before taking
the quiz.
Exams
There will be three exams during the course, worth 150 points each. The exams are closed books
and closed notes. They will each be 100-150 multiple-choice and true/false questions, and might
have short essay questions (e.g., define the term, describe the difference between terms or main
steps of the process). The material covered will be the book chapters indicated on Blackboard
for each exam. Additional details on content for each exam will be posted on Blackboard.
You will take the exams online (on Blackboard or MyMISLab) on the date it is due. There is a
two hour time limit on all exams. It can be taken anytime in the 24 hours of that day, 12:00
AM—11:59 PM, but can not be taken before or after that date. Detailed instructions on how to
take exams will be posted before the exam on the Blackboard.
Academic Honesty
College of Business Policy
Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work
(e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit. In addition, it is
considered to be cheating when one cooperates with another in any such misrepresentation. The
use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious
academic offense. It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a
failing grade for the work or course. Repeat offenses may result in dismissal from the
University.
Course Policy
Academic honesty is expected and required. HELPING fellow students is acceptable.
COPYING is NOT acceptable, and will result in loss of credit for the assignment, and possibly
failure of the course for all students involved.
If copying is suspected, both (or all) students involved will receive zeros for that assignment at
the least, and possibly a failure for the course. DO NOT GIVE OTHERS YOUR WORK.
Grading Scale
This scale is followed closely. Anything above .5 will be rounded up. Nothing else will be
rounded up, no matter how close. There is no extra credit.
Once I have completed grading for the semester I will enter grades into Learn and on FlashLine.
Per university policy, "once grades are submitted, they are final and will not be changed except
in the cases of administrative error". There are no exceptions to this policy.
A (4.0) 93-100
A- (3.7) 90-92
B+ (3.3) 87-89
B (3.0) 83-86
B- (2.7) 80-82
C+ (2.3) 77-79
C (2.0) 73-76
C- (1.7) 70-72
D+ (1.3) 67-69
D (1.0) 60-66
F (0.0) 0-59
Graduation
It is your responsibility to apply for graduation before the set deadline. If you apply after the
deadline you will be assessed a $200 late fee. Please see your academic advisor as soon as
possible if you are uncertain as to your progress toward graduation. The graduation application
deadlines are follows:
Graduation Application Deadlines:
May Graduation: Apply before September 15th
August Graduation: Apply before December 15th
December Graduation: Apply before March 15th
To apply for graduation complete the following steps:
1. Log onto your Flashline account
2. Click on the Student Tools tab
3. Look in the Graduation Planning Tool Box
4. Click on Application for Graduation
**If an error message appears, you must contact your advisor.
Students with Disabilities
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable
accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented
disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the
semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first
verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or
visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).
Tentative Schedule
In all likelihood the schedule will be followed as given. The schedule with updates and/or exact
dates of homework, quiz assignment will be posted on Learn and MyMISLab. If a change is
needed, I will email you at your Kent address and post an announcement of the change on Learn.
All assignments, quizzes and exams are due at 11:59 PM on the date given. You will need to be
learning the material from the book, Power Point slides for the exams, practicing/doing quizzes
and homework, participating in discussions/projects. Do not procrastinate until the last minute. I
will be available for help in the forums, but not 24/7. Remember this is an online class. There
will be no office hours. Leave yourself enough time to ask questions.
Week Day Date Assignment
Due
Text Reading
Week 1 Monday 05/19 Quiz (Ch1) Ch1
Tuesday 05/20 Quiz (Ch4) Ch4
Wednesday 05/21 Quiz (Ch8) Ch8
Thursday 05/22 HW1 (Ch1,4,8)
Friday 05/23 Exam 1 (Ch 1, 4, 8)
Saturday 05/24 Quiz (Ch5) Ch5
Sunday 05/25 HW2 (Ch5)
Week 2 Monday (Memorial Day) 05/26
Tuesday 05/27 Quiz (Ch6) Ch6
Wednesday 05/28 Quiz (Ch7) Ch7
Thursday 05/29 HW3 (Ch6, 7)
Friday Last day to withdraw 05/30 Exam 2 (Ch 5, 6,7)
Saturday 05/31 Quiz (Ch9) Ch9
Sunday 06/01 Quiz (Ch10) Ch10
Week 3 Monday 06/02 HW4(Ch9,10)
Tuesday 06/03 Quiz (Ch11) Ch11
Wednesday 06/04 Quiz (Ch12) Ch12
Thursday 06/05 Exam 3 (Ch 9,10,11,12)
Friday 06/06 HW5(Ch11,12)
