INFS 622 Syllabus – v1.0:
Initial Syllabus
|
Instructor: Office: Phone: E-mail: Office Hours: |
C. Randall Howard, Ph.D. Volgeneau Engineering Building Room 5323 (703) 899-3608 by appointment |
Graduate Assistant:
Office: Phone: E-mail: Office Hours: |
Megan Iverson miverso2@gmu.edu by appointment |
Course #: INFS 622
Course Title: Systems Analysis and Design
Term: Fall 2011
Section: 002
Time: Wednesdays, 19:20-22:00
Room: West 1001
Prerequisites: INSF 501, 515 and 590 or equivalent.
Textbooks:
Catalog Description:
Integration of computing technologies, system analysis, system design practices, and management criteria in the design of large-scale information management and decision support systems.
Professor’s Description:
INFS622 is a core-course for the CS and Applied-IT programs. Dr. Howard leverages his 28 years of system engineering experience to run heavily mentored group interactions along with industry-relevant lecture material. Students learn the material, and also know how to apply and connect the artifacts together by semester’s end. The result is a valuable skill that enables the students to “sell” a cohesive story that greatly increases the chance of acceptance and approval of any proposal or recommendation. In doing so, students learn to:
· Refine & apply new “translation and “language” skills to mediate between business & technical communities
· Tools to determine best fit to address the problems and shape solutions
·
Explain rationale and recommendations to
stakeholders
Table 1. Grading Distribution
|
Item |
Percentage |
|
Individual Assignments |
15% |
|
Project Work |
40% |
|
Exams |
30% |
|
Professor's Discretion |
15% |
Table 2. Grading Scale
|
Letter Grade |
Numerical Range |
|
A+ |
97-100 |
|
A |
92-96 |
|
A- |
90-91 |
|
B+ |
88-89 |
|
B |
82-87 |
|
B- |
80-81 |
|
C+ |
78-79 |
|
C |
72-77 |
|
C- |
70-71 |
Individual
Assignments:
Assignments are announced during class. The assignments are individual unless otherwise specified. Assignments will be graded on correctness as well as style and presentation. Each assignment is due on the announced date before 12 midnight. There will be a strictly enforced 10% penalty per day for late submissions unless otherwise specified.
Group Project:
There will be a group research project. Each team is responsible for developing an integrated requirements specification and design document. Each group will select a team coordinator who will help coordinate the overall progress of the team. Each team member's individual contribution to the final documents and models must be clearly identified. At the end of the semester each group will have a presentation session.
Exams:
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam covering lectures and readings. The final exam (comprehensive) includes topics covered in the entire semester. Exams must be taken at the scheduled time and place unless prior arrangements are made. Missed exams cannot be made up.
NOTE: All submissions’ file names need to indicate student or group
names. All submissions should be in MS
Word, unless otherwise specified.
Honor Code Statement:
As with all GMU courses, INFS 622 is governed by the GMU Honor Code. In this course, all assignments, exams, and project submissions carry with them an implicit statement that it is the sole work of the author, unless joint work is explicitly authorized. Help may be obtained from the instructor or other students to understand the description of the problem and any technology, but the solution, particularly the design portion, must be the student's own work. If joint work is authorized, all contributing students must be listed on the submission. Any deviation from this is considered an Honor Code violation. (© Jeff Offutt) . For more information, see http://honorcode.gmu.edu/.
INFS622 Class Schedule
V1.0: Initial Schedule
Schedule Notes:
· Order is (re-)arranged to facilitate more time to apply the discussion to the project artifacts
·
Project Artifacts w/in Lectures are highlighted
in yellow.
·
Schedule WILL change as needed to facilitate
learning according to personality & makeup of the class
·
Items marked w/ a “[D] party:” indicate a
deliverable from the party: listed
(e.g., Students, Groups, Professor)
·
Color Legend:
|
Red: Changes are due |
Yellow: Project Artifacts |
Mauve: Items are due |
Pale Blue: Milestones or Events |
Project Work Time Allowed in Class |
|
|
Session # |
Date |
Lecture
Focus |
Project
Focus |
Assignments |
|
Session 1 |
August 31 |
·
Introductions ·
Course &
Text Overview |
·
Project, Groups
and Case Studies Overview ü Project
Instructions ü Project Templates ü Project Charters ü Project Matrixes ü Project Artifact
Relationship Diagram ü Project Rolling
Deliverable Tenets ·
Project Teaming
& Topic Time |
VW Case Study Assigned (Read & Prepare to Discuss at a later
session) |
|
|
September 2 |
|
·
[D} Students:
Member Profiles ·
[D] Groups:
Initial Project Topic Requests Due |
|
|
|
September 4 |
|
·
[D] Professor: Group Assignments Confirmed |
|
|
|
September 6 |
Last Day to Add/Drop |
||
|
Session 2 |
September 7 |
·
Chapter 1 ü
The Systems
Development Environment ü
Architectural
Approaches, Supplemental Text ·
Chapter 3:
Managing the Information Systems Project ü Project Plan ü Project Schedule ü Cost/Benefit
Analysis ü Risks |
·
Groups Present “Project
Charter” ·
Presentation
Tips ·
Visio &
PowerPoint Tips ·
Project Work Time |
·
Preview
Homework ·
Preview Final
Exam |
|
|
September 9 |
|
[D] Groups: Project
Charter "Strawman" or Analysis Section 2.0 Submitted |
|
|
|
September 11 |
|
[D] Professor: Group Subject & Charter Confirmed |
|
|
Session 3 |
September 14 |
·
Chapter 7:
Structuring System Process Requirements ü DFD ü Decision
Tables |
·
Review Project “Charters” ·
Project Work Time |
|
|
Session 4 |
September 21 |
·
Chapter 3:
Managing the Information Systems Project ü Risks ·
Chapter 4:
Identifying & Selecting Systems Development Projects ü Multi-Criteria
Analysis Table ·
Chapter 5:
Initiating and Planning Systems Development Projects ü Breakeven
Analysis ü Risk
Mitigation Table |
·
Review Level-0
DFD Diagrams ·
Project Work Time |
|
|
|
September 24 |
|
Out of Class Work Sessions
for Product #1 (If Needed) |
|
|
Session 5 |
September 28 |
·
Chapter 4:
Identifying & Selecting Systems Development Projects ü Multi-Criteria
Analysis Table ü Analysis of
Alternatives ·
Chapter 5:
Initiating and Planning Systems Development Projects ü Risk
Mitigation |
·
Pulling the
Analysis Proposal Together ·
Project Work Time |
·
[D] Class: Discuss
VW Case Study |
|
Session 6 |
October 5 |
·
Chapter 2: The
Origins of Software ·
Chapter 6:
Determining System Requirements ·
Analysis
Project Time |
·
Exec Summary
Review ·
Presentation
Review ·
“Final Touches” |
|
|
Session 7 |
October 12 |
·
|
·
Project Work Time? |
|
|
Session 8 |
October 19 |
·
Analysis
Proposal Presentations |
[D] Groups:
Analysis Proposal Product & Presentation Due |
|
|
|
|
Midway Point |
|
|
|
Session 9 |
October 26 |
·
Chapter 7a, b
& c: Structuring System Process Requirements ü 7a:Use Cases ü 7b:Activity
Diagrams ü 7c: Sequence
Diagrams ·
Chapter 8:
Structuring System Logic Requirements ü Data Model ü Class Diagram |
·
Analysis
Proposal Reviews Feedback ·
Set Path for
Design Phase |
|
|
Session 10 |
November 2 |
·
Chapter 10:
Designing Forms & Reports ·
Chapter 11:
Designing Interfaces & Dialogues ·
Usability
Slides ·
Final Exam
Preview ·
Pert Diagrams ·
Chapter 9: ·
Designing Databases |
·
Project Work Time? |
[D} Students:
Homework Assignment Due |
|
Session 11 |
November 9 |
·
Chapter 12:
Designing Distributed & Internet Systems |
·
Exec Summary
Review ·
Presentation
Review ·
“Final Touches” |
|
|
|
November 12 |
|
Out of Class Work Sessions
for Product #1 (If Needed) |
|
|
Session 12 |
November 16 |
·
Chapter 13:
System Implementation ·
Chapter 14:
Maintaining Information Systems |
·
Project Work Time? |
|
|
|
November 23 |
Thanksgiving
Break – No Classs |
|
|
|
Session 13 |
November 30 |
·
Design Proposal
Presentations |
[D] Design Proposal Product
& Presentation Due |
|
|
Session 14 |
December 7 |
·
Current Events
Discussions ·
Wrapup ·
Course Evals |
·
Design Proposal
Reviews Feedback |
|
|
Session 15 |
December 14 |
Final Exam |
|
[D]: Students: Final Exam Due |