Course Description | Resources | Course Grading | Class Schedule | Tasks & Deliverables
| INSTRUCTOR: | Ryan Nelson |
| OFFICE: | 339 Monroe Hall |
| OFFICE HOURS: | MW 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. and by appointment |
| PHONE NUMBER: | 924-7587 |
| E-MAIL: | RNELSON @ VIRGINIA.EDU |
This course provides an overview of contemporary issues and solutions inherent to the successful integration of information technology within organizations. During the Spring 1997 semester, we will focus on the area of electronic commerce; i.e., the course will provide students with an understanding of tools, skills, strategic business opportunities, and critical management issues surrounding the emergence of electronic commerce within organizations. Given that COMM 428 is a “capstone course,” we will attempt to integrate material from all previous courses. Learning will be accomplished through assigned reading, class discussion, hands-on use of state-of-the-art technology, and direct client interaction.
Prerequisites: COMM 427 or permission of instructor.
Final grade will be computed as follows:
|
Percentages |
20% |
|
10% |
|
c. Exam |
20% |
d. Project |
50% |
Notes:
Week |
Topic(s) |
Assignment |
1/15 |
Introduction to Course |
|
1/20 |
Emerging Technologies & The World Wide Web |
E-Book: Introduction & Chapter 1 |
1/27 |
Introduction to HTML |
E-Book: Chapters 2-6 |
2/3 |
Electronic Commerce |
Personal Web Site Due (2/5) |
2/10 |
Introduction to Microsoft FrontPage |
Work on FrontPage |
2/17 |
|
Work on FrontPage |
2/24 |
Exam (2/24) |
Work on FrontPage |
3/3 |
|
Project Proposal Due (3/7, 5 p.m.) |
3/10 |
Spring Break |
Relax! |
3/17 |
Testing |
Case Analysis Due (3/21, 5 p.m.) |
3/24 |
|
Project Prototype Due (3/28, 5 p.m.) |
3/31 |
Webmaster Panel |
|
4/7 |
Documentation |
|
4/14 |
Training |
Project Due (4/18, 5 p.m.) |
4/21 |
Pre-Foxfield Party (4/26, 10-12) |
|
4/28 |
Course Wrap-Up |
The information technology arena is fast paced and constantly changing; because of this the IS professional is consistently called upon to learn, implement, and teach new technologies. This course assists the student in developing the skills necessary to develop a plan of self study when learning a new technology, and to help them grow in his/her capacity to monitor, and guide his/her own learning and thinking. These skills will be incorporated in the work place, and will result in an efficient and productive manner in which the student will achieve desired learning goals.
Each student, working individually, is required to develop a Personal Web Site on their Unix account. The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate your skill attainment in the various areas covered by Lemay in Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML in 14 Days, (on CD-ROM), including the following:
Authorized aid on this assignment includes any published material (hardcopy or Web-based) of an informational or tutorial nature. The “reuse” of existing code or an HTML assistant, editor, or converter without the instructor’s permission (and explicit documentation) is strictly prohibited (i.e., such action will be considered an honor offense).
In addition, each student will be expected to learn (via personal learning goals/objectives, process, and outcomes) more advanced Web development skills such as the following:
The objective of CLC is to provide a means of assessing the degree to which individuals contribute to the learning of their peers. More specifically, CLC is designed to go beyond the traditional "class participation grade" by capturing knowledge dissemination and skill transference both inside and outside the classroom. To this end, students will be asked to evaluate their peers (via GroupSystems) using the following instructions:
Think about the people who have contributed to your learning in this class. Perhaps someone has provided you with a relevant article, helped you solve a problem in the computer lab, or provoked a new idea during a verbal discussion (inside or outside of class). Mentally consider all students on the list and ask yourself, "What have you [the other student] done for me this semester?" Select that student from the outline, and share your comments. "Sign" each comment with your name or initials. You will not be able to view comments submitted about a student, either your own comments or another person's comments.
An exam will be used to evaluate each students understanding of the basic concepts and terminology necessary to develop Web-based systems. In preparation for this exam students should develop a glossary of key terms and supporting definitions. Examples of key Web-related terms include: internet, WWW, http, ftp, gopher, hypermedia, Java, JavaScript, VBScript, Active X, cookie, CGI, server-side includes, etc.
The primary purpose of the project is to provide an opportunity for each student to gain experience working directly with a client on the development of an information system. Specific learning objectives include:
Project proposal. A formal, written (2-5 page, single-spaced) presentation of the initial project specifications.
The proposal will serve as a “contract” between you and your client and should include the following:
Project prototype. A working model of the system, demonstrating structure, navigation, and page layout. The prototype will serve as the basis for user testing. Each team should submit a one-page e-mail describing their test plan.
Final project. The fully functional, documented, and bug-free system. Documentation should include revised information from the project proposal, structure chart, design issues, file descriptions, test plan and results, training/maintenance information, and project management log (i.e., hours per person by task).
Evaluation. Each project will be evaluated by the instructor, the client, and each member of the class. The weight of each evaluation will be determined by the instructor at the end of the semester. See project evaluation template.
Date last modified: May 23, 2000
Copyright © 1997 R. Ryan Nelson, RNELSON@VIRGINIA.EDU