INSS 680 Information Systems Practicum
Wiesbaden -- 2002-2003 Term 2

Class Meetings are from 0900-1700 on the following dates:
Sat, 26 Oct; Sun, 27 Oct; Sat, 9 Nov; Sun, 10 Nov;
Sat, 23 Nov; Sun, 24 Nov; Sat, 14 Dec.

Instructor:    Dr. Susan T. Dean                    Phone: 06224/929773
                      sdean@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Description:  (3 semester hours) Prerequisites: Advancement to Candidacy in the MIS program and INSS 620. Provides the student with practical experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system in industrial, government, educational, or military environments. The student is assigned a systems development project in which all of the systems development cycles can be experienced. Students can be placed in practicum sites independently or in a team to acquire practical experience. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F).

Prerequisites:  The student is expected to have successfully completed the following courses: Information Management Analysis. Information Systems Design, and Information Systems Policy, and have been advanced to candidacy prior to registering for the course

Objectives:  To provide the student with experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system.

Evaluation:
During this one term course, the student will be evaluated based on presentations at each class meeting and on the final project as presented on the last day of class. To obtain the grade "P", the student's performance has to be "B" or better (80% of the total). There are no letter grades in this course. This not a lecture type of course. The instructor's responsibility will be to guide the student toward successful completion of the project. Students have responsibility to provide constructive suggestions regarding the projects of others.
 
GRADING SCHEME:

 Presentations - 4 60%
Presentation 1 - Initial Proposal 
 Content - 15% 
 Spoken - 5% 
 Visuals - 5%
Presentation 2 - Work to date
 Content - 15% 
 Spoken - 5% 
 Visuals - 5%
Presentation 3 - Work to date 
 Content - 15% 
 Spoken - 5% 
 Visuals - 5%
Final Presentation
 Content - 15% 
 Spoken - 5% 
 Visuals - 5%

 Final Report 40%
 Content 
    25%
 Correctness 
    25%
 Degree of Completion
   25%
 Presentation (Quality of English, etc.)
    25%

 
POSSIBLE TOPIC AREAS:
  1. Development of a system for a local firm: Under supervision, students will develop a small application for a computer-based management information system for  a local firm, e.g., insurance company, payroll application, product/goods company.
  2. Development of a system for a university or college: Under supervision and help from the data processing unit of the university/ college, the student will develop a system to benefit the university/college, e.g., alumni record and followup system, bookstore order/accounting, on-line registration.
  3. Other of interest to the student.
SAMPLE LIST OF TOPICS:

About the Instructor: Susan T. Dean
Dr. Dean earned the BA in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University, and the MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She has worked at various times as a programmer, programmer/analyst, systems analyst, and project manager in the areas of medical information systems, small business support, and life insurance. Since 1975, she has been involved in teaching and curriculum development in computing, most recently at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.  She has served on the Board of Directors and as President of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (formerly known as the Consortium for Computing in Small Colleges). She serves on the Steering Committee of the CCSC Southeastern Conference. Her areas of interest include curriculum development, database management systems, programming languages, and operating systems.

COURSE CONDUCT:
Since the goal of the project is completion of the project, the bulk of the formal meeting times will be devoted to achieving this goal. This will be accomplished via formal status reports on the projects, beginning with the Project Proposal which each student is expected to present the first weekend of class.

Each participant in the course should have a formal presentation of the project proposal prepared for the first class. The group will evaluate the strength of each proposal and will recommend appropriate modifications (evaluating the strength of the proposal as well as recommending modifications to the scope.) The Project Proposal Form should have been drafted at that point. This will be the basis for the presentation. A notebook with Power Point as well as a projection device will be available for the presentation. Note that while group projects are possible, they are not encouraged, and group projects should not involve more than two participants.

Attendance
Students are expected to be in class unless it is unavoidable (e.g., TDY, family emergency). If you must miss, you should share what you would have brought to the class via the webboard.

Project Proposal for Information Systems Practicum -- INSS 680
The form is designed so that student, faculty, and organization can present a Project Proposal that meets the academic integrity of Bowie State University and the University System of Maryland. Specifically, the proposal must meet the following guidelines:
This course provides the student with practical experience in analyzing, designing, implementing and evaluating an information system in industrial, government, or military environments. The student is assigned a systems development project in which all of the systems development cycles can be experienced. Students can be placed in practicum sites independently or in a team to acquire practical experience.
The following guidelines must be used when completing the Project Proposal:
  1. If you have questions on completing this form, you may email the instructor (sdean@faculty.ed.umuc.edu) prior to the beginning of the term.
  1. All Project Proposals will provide the information specified in the Project Proposal Form attached. The form may be submitted as follows:
a. Complete the attached form by filling in the blanks. If you wish to add more, then do so at the end of the Project Proposal sheets. 
b. Please keep the questions in the same order and include all questions. If you wish to add more, then do so at the end of the Project Proposal sheets.
  1. If the project is worth doing, then it is worth the investment in time and effort to complete this Project Proposal in a professional manner. Please do not invent/create your own/better format at this time. Recommendations for changes to the Project Proposal format for the next time INSS 680 is offered will be gladly accepted.
  2. Any project submitted will not be targeted to a specific student. The instructor reserves the right to assign any student to any project. No project proposal submitted is owned by a student or sponsor.
  3. Consider the length of the term - eight (8), really seven (7) weeks. Ensure that the project scope does not exceed this very real constraint.
  4. The course description states that the student must "experience" the system-development cycles. a. This does not require that the student "do" all the steps in the cycle. b. For example, a student or team could read/study previously created analysis and design documents, "do" the implementation and also prepare an evaluation plan to be completed by other students or teams. c. Similarly, a student or team could "do" the analysis, "do" the design and develop frameworks for implementation and evaluate phases to be completed by other students or teams.
  5. Please note that an INSS 680 Project is not just a "let's do one paper" project. It is expected that the student or team will do several tasks or phases in the systems development cycle. While installing a LAN is a neat thing to "do", it does not in and of itself come close to meeting the letter or the spirit of the requirements for INSS 680.
  6. The proposal requires a definitive presentation of the tangible results expected from the project. These tangible results are hereinafter referred to as "deliverables". 
  1. For example, the document(s) that will be created and the scope and detail that the documents must meet are deliverables, or an operational database with ten (10) input screens and six (6) standard reports are deliverables. 
  2. The deliverables must be presented in concrete terms that can be evaluated by a disinterested party. 
  3. The following are presented as examples and as the beginning of a list of possible deliverables that a project may require. Remember a successful project will normally consist of several deliverables of this kind.
  1. A LAN User Manual.
  2. Analysis Documents that could include interviews, periodical research and other tasks associated with the analysis phase.
  3. A detailed Design Document
  4. A Programmer's/System Administrator's Maintenance Manual for an implemented database system.
  5. A UNIX System Security Manual for System Administrators on AT&T 3B2 Computers.
  6. Documented installation of a LAN with two (2) file servers, three (3) printers, and fifteen (15) fully functional workstations.
  7. Documented installation of a relational database system.
  8. The creation of a new functional module for an existing database.
  9. The analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation of a reliable Client-Server file transfer system.
  1. Any project that "does" an implementation (a deliverable) must also include the development of an evaluation document (a deliverable) that may be used to evaluate the implemented system.
  2. Organizations that wish to sponsor a student or a team in the INSS 680 Practicum should be prepared to meet some or all of the following requirements:
  1. Allow adequate access to software, systems, documentation, and other resources to allow students or teams to complete the project during the term.
  2. Sign a Release of Liability with the University of Maryland, Overseas Division.
  3. Provide a specific Point of Contact (POC) for the development and implementation of the project. Additionally, the organization will perform a role in ensuring that the project remains on schedule. This will possibly include meeting with students during the first class so that organizations and students or teams can be matched up.
  4. Organizations wishing to formally present their projects to students at the first class meeting to "drum up support/interest" are most welcome to do so. This is not a requirement, but an invitation, if you wish to sell your project.
Project Proposals are due to the instructor in draft form no later than the first class meeting. They are due in finalized form the following day.
The project proposal form is available for download as a Word 2000 document.