Information Systems Analysis and Design
INLS 382_001, Fall 2009

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Assignments

Grading & Deliverables | Submission Instructions | Modeling Software | Guidelines for Creating Models

Grading & Deliverables

Click on link for an assignment to view assignment details.

Participation: 10% of your final grade

Participation in class discussions
Participation in in-class exercises
Answering textbook review questions
Submitting exam review questions

Individual work: 30% of your final grade

Artifact model: 20 points
Assigned 9/24/09
Due 10/8/09

Data flow diagrams: 30 points
Assigned 10/6/09
Due 10/27/09

Structured English: 20 points
Assigned 10/27/09
Due 11/5/09

Entity relation diagram: 30 points
Assigned 11/5/09
Due 11/24/09

Exams: 60% of your final grade

Midterm: 100 points for 30% of your final grade
10/20/09 during regular class time

Final: 100 points for 30% of your final grade
12/18/09 at 12:00pm

See the Grading Scale on the Syllabus for information on how letter grades are determined.

Exam Review Questions

You will also be asked to create 3 exam review questions for the Midterm and the Final each. When I assign the review questions, you should begin thinking about what you would guess I would ask on the exam. Then pick the 3 questions you think I am most likely to test you on or that you feel the fuzziest on and would appreciate further clarification. I will then pool all the questions submitted by the class and we will use these as the basis for the exam review. I may also add some of my own questions to get you thinking about important topics, especially if those topics were not included in the questions you submitted. We may not be able to cover all the questions submitted during the exam review; so I will order the questions in terms of their likeliness to appear on the exam. Also, please be aware that I will not ask you the questions we review verbatim on the exam. Don't be thrown by this. One of the purposes of this is to help you learn how to study for the exams in an efficient and productive manner, not provide you with the exact set of questions you will be tested on. I don't want you to spend exhorbitant amounts of time rereading notes. I'd rather you focus your studying on specific targets and I hope the exam reviews will help you do this.

Submitting exam review questions counts towards your participation grade.

Midterm Exam Review Questions
Assigned 10/1/09
Due 10/13/09

Final Exam Review Questions
Assigned 11/24/09
Due 12/3/09

Submission Instructions

• All assignments should be submitted in electronic form as an email attachment.
• I must receive the email containing your assignment no later than 11:30 am on the day it is due.
• Review the Assignments Policies on the Syllabus for more on late assignments.
• Proofread your assignment before you send it to me! I do not want to receive multiple submissions of the same assignment because you thought of something you wanted to change.
• Each file should be named using the following conventions:
  YourLastName_Assignment.format, for example, christopherson_artifact.pdf or christopherson_erd.vsd
• You may submit homework in the following formats:
  .doc .docx .txt .rtf .pdf .ppt .pptx .vsd .odg
• If you are submitting multiple models for a single assignment using PowerPoint, Visio, or Open Office, please put them on separate pages in the same file, rather than submitting one model per file.
• You will receive comments and grades in one of two ways, depending on the assignment. I will either send you email with comments and your grade; or I will send you an email with your assignment attached. I will have added comments and grades as annotations to the document.

Modeling Software

You will need a graphics tool for creating models. Visio, PowerPoint, and Open Office Draw are some tools you can use. All of these are available in the SILS Computer Lab downstairs in the Library. Open Office is free should you wish to download and install it on your computer.

It is your responsibility to learn how to use these tools. As an information professional, you will be expected to learn new software all the time and doing so in this class is good preparation for when you are on the job. Remember, you can get assistance from other classmates on the use of the software as long as you are not discussing or sharing answers about the homework assignment. Visio is probably the most complicated of these tools. I have created all the models I will show you in Open Office or PowerPoint and these are very easy to use.

For the data flow diagrams assignment, I recommend using PowerPoint and the template I will provide you. There are no process and data store objects that match the Gane and Sarson style in any of these programs. So you will want to copy/paste and edit the objects on the template I will give you; and this template is a PowerPoint slide.

Be sure you acquire the tool in plenty of time for your homework assignments! I will take a very dim view of your asking me for help with software a few days before the assignment is due. I recommend you start your semester by visiting the SILS Computer Lab and playing with the software available so you can choose which one you like best.

Guidelines for Creating Models

Completeness: Does the model include all the important entities, actions, or ideas from the description or scenario?

Over-completeness: Does the model include unimportant details, distracter items, or ideas not in the scope of the description or scenario?

Assumptions: Does the model make unusual or unrealistic assumptions about the situation? A description or scenario may not completely specify the situation; you may need to make further assumptions. If you do:

• Check to be sure the information isn’t already in the description,
• Don’t contradict (directly or by inference) information given in the description,
• Make sure your assumptions realistic and reasonable, and
• Document any assumptions you make as part of your homework.

In real life, having to make assumptions might be a sign that you need to gather more information from your client.

Naming: Does the model use good naming practice? Names should be taken from the scenario description (or, when on the job, the client) wherever possible. If no names are given, or the names are confusing, you should develop your own naming scheme. Names should be clear, descriptive, and non-repetitive. Check to make sure you are using the appropriate parts of speech. For example, entities in ERDs are named with nouns and processes in DFDs use verbs.

Basics first: Prepare the basic structure and content of your model first. Play with color, fonts, etc. only when you’re satisfied with the basics and if you really think it’s important. Although color and other features may enhance the presentation, they aren’t crucial components of most models.

Clarity: A model is more effective if it is well-arranged on the paper or screen; but sometimes a model is complex. If it is very crowded on the page and is confusing as a result, you should try to rearrange or layer it; but don’t fuss unnecessarily.

Policy on second chances: My goal in assigning homework is to give you a chance to practice using models. I want you to understand what they represent and how to design them. If your homework demonstrates that you really didn’t understand it, I will consider providing a makeup assignment for credit.

• Talk to me first; and I’ll decide if you should redo the same scenario or a new one.
• You may not redo an assignment for credit if the original grade was 80 or above. If you want additional practice, however, I’m always happy to look at a new attempt.
• The new version is due within two weeks of the date on which you received the grade and comments on the original.
• The final grade for the assignment will be the average of the grades on the original and the redo.