Computer Applications in Management
CAPP-340(3)
University College
Electronic Distance Education
Heidelberg, Germany
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Computer Applications in ManagementCAPP-340(3) |
University
of Maryland University College Electronic Distance Education Heidelberg, Germany |
| DE Term 5, 2000-2001; Dates: 11 June - 5 October 2001 | ||
Course Syllabus |
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Syllabus > Full Syllabus [
Course Requirements > Required Texts > Evaluation
] >Schedule & Assignments > General
Course Guidance >Added DE Protocols > Course Index > Course Specific Notes > Course Locator > < Phil's Place > |
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| Instructor Biographic Sketch |
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| [If you have specific questions about this course, please email me.] | ||
Understand the customer service industry;
Appreciate and interpret current trends in customer service; and
Acquire the fundamental abilities and strategic vision that will lead to successful implementation of customer service activities and programs.
Prerequisites: CAPP 100F and G or equivalent. An overview of the capabilities of computers and their usefulness as managerial tools. Focuses on the use of electronic spreadsheets and databases systems for building business applications. This course builds upon the knowledge of electronic spreadsheets and databases systems acquired in the prerequisite seminars and gives students advanced experience in the use of this software Extensive computer use by students.
This is a core course in the Business and Management Specialized Curricula. This follow-on course to CAPP 100F and G in databases and spreadsheets greatly expands your horizons on what computers mean to a manager.
In this class we focus on expanding your understanding of computer applications used in business and management. We look at IT from the customer and user's perspectives. We review basics of computer hardware, software, and the Internet. We concentrate on single and multi-user systems including multimedia, networks, systems development, specialized applications in manufacturing, etc. This will of course include working through exercises with the Microsoft Office suite of products, especially Excel and Access.
There are two student projects (an Excel project and an Access project) that you will complete largely outside of class. You will use both spreadsheet and database management system software to complete projects based on a business scenario.
Just a brief word about the selection of software. The UMUC computer labs have the Microsoft Office 2000 suite of programs, including both Excel and Access, available although not all of the large variety of functions, templates, aids and examples are loaded because of space limitations. Some of you will have these programs at home or work. If you used the default installation option, and you may not even be aware that more help and power are on your CD-ROM. Take a look; load only what you need, but be aware that there is more for the asking. We want you to learn your way around multiple spreadsheets and databases, not just Microsoft. Our limits happen to be the tools we have available in our computer labs (even for DE) and time. So we will stick with the Microsoft suite. If you do not have or have access to the Microsoft Office suite of programs (Office 97 is fine, but our second book is obviously keyed to MS Office 2000), please contact me.
Senn, James A. Information Technology in Business, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Prentice Hall, Pearson Education: 1998. ISBN: 0-13-857715-3
Although Senn's text is a couple years old, the basic ideas are still current. You will need to update the details by searching out information on the Web and available media and other resources. Visit the author's web site. But be alert, for links are broken and some companies are no more. Check out the web exercises and practice tests. (I do not use the author's web site for testing or grading, however, so do not try to submit work there.)
Cram, Carol M. Microsoft® Office 2000 Projects, Illustrated Project Series. Cambridge, MA, USA: Course Technology, Thompson Learning, 2000. ISBN: 0-7600-6159-9
Although our focus is on spreadsheets and databases, there is no doubt that word processing and presentation software are vital tools in management. So we will work through the entire book. Focus particularly on Excel, Access, and their integration with the various tools that amplify the power of Excel and Access. This is one of the Course Technology books without files on line for you to download.
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This practical, discovery class depends upon active, consistent student involvement. Check our WebTycho classroom and your email at least once every two days and respond to queries within one day if possible, two at the maximum (even if just to say when you will be able to give a more complete answer to the request). Please place the course designator - capp340 - as the first item in the subject line of each email message you send in this course. I will try to allow you time to explore the subject both individually and in small groups while giving you feedback on completed assignments. There will be both individual and small group work. In addition to studying the assigned text, you must satisfactorily complete the following: |
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d. Course Project. |
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| We use WebTycho as our virtual classroom. Discussions take place there and documents are posted for exchange there as well. We will use email as our back-up mode of contact send me an email with your current or changed email address. Please place the course designator - capp340 - as the first item in the subject line of each email message. | |||
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Class Participation: (10% of course grade)
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I will look at these three things that I ask you to do on a continual basis. You will be graded on your consistent, steady progress through this course. We will be working in class on the four challenges in Harris' book. | ||
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Course Projects: (30%) You will develop one integrated spreadsheet-database project using both Excel and Access or one project focused on each of the two programs separately. The key software tools will be MS Excel and MS Access. Access focuses on storage and retrieval of data. Excel focuses on manipulation and calculations.
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You and I will agree on the project(s) you will conduct.
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Project Critique: (10% - 5 % each) You will critique the spreadsheet and database project conducted by one of your classmates. |
Focus on the objectives for the project, implementation strategy and techniques chosen as well as alternative ways to achieve the goal. Your project, prepared as set out above, will also be critiqued by a fellow student. | ||
| Midterm: open-book, take-home (15%). | You will have 48 hours for each of these tests. | ||
| Final exam: open-book, take-home (35%) . | |||
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This is not a correspondence course. Your presence in our virtual classroom is a vital part of the learning experience for everyone in this course. Consequently lack of consistent participation 2-3 times weekly in spite of long hours at work, computer problems, deployments, vacations, business trips, other courses, etc. may earn you a grade of F(n) as such action overrides the grading percentages shown above. |
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| Weekly
Assignments, Class Discussion & Journal: |
10% |
| Course Projects: | 30% |
| Project Critiques (2 @ 5% each): | 10% |
| Mid-term Exam: | 15% |
| Comprehensive Final Exam: | 35% |
| Total: | 100% |
| Lack of regular participation is sufficient cause for the award of the grade of F(n) in spite of any other performance you may have in this DE course. | |
I
will try to help every student earn an "A" by demonstrating a mastery
of course concepts. I do understand that students have many other responsibilities,
but it is your responsibility to your own learning and to assisting the learning
of others in this class that I will be most concerned with. I will work with
every student within reason to help her or him complete this course successfully.
I grade each exam and assignment on a relative scale (A-F; 70-0 points typically).
Your final grade is a weighted average of your separate grades in this course
with some allowance made for technical problems imposed by the delivery method
(WebTycho with email backup). It will come as no surprise that for a variety
of reasons a number of students each term choose not to earn an "A".
Consistent, quality participation and effort are essential if both you and the class as a whole are the reach our goals. You must check your WebTycho and your email at least once every 48 hours and respond to queries within one day (even if just to say when you will be able to give a more complete answer to the request). I will try to allow you time to explore the subject both individually and in small groups while giving you feedback on completed assignments.
Students will take turns leading group discussions.
Finally, do not fall behind. Work ahead if possible. Do some work on this course every day or two. Set aside time to do this. If confused, in doubt, or in need of a clarification on any aspect of the course, contact me first.
This,
then, is the plan. Like all plans, it is subject to change during implementation.
| Phil Richardson; prichard@faculty.ed.umuc.edu | Revised 9 June 2001 |