Information Systems in Organizations

Department of Management Information Systems, Temple University

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANIZATIONS

MIS 2101.006 ■ SPRING 2019 ■ JACLYN HANSBERRY

About

Welcome to MIS2101, Information Systems in Organizations.  We will not be using Canvas for this class.  Instead we’ll be using this site which is hosted by Community.MIS.Temple.Edu.  This site is built on WordPress, a world class open-source blogging tool.  As part of completing the assignments in MIS2101 you will gain some experience with WordPress and other technologies.

Unlike most intro courses, this course has no required textbook.  The traditional textbook has been replaced by a collection of readings and videos that are freely available over the Internet.  Another way you will find this class very different than most classes you will take at any university is that this class is “activity based”.  With this type of class there is far less traditional lecture.  We will used the time that is freed up from lectures to complete in-class activities that help students develop a deeper and more genuine understanding of the material that is discussed during our class discussions.

On this site you will find all of the required course materials including the syllabus, links to the assigned readings, links to assigned videos, assignments and access to your grades for the course.  In addition announcements will be made in class and/or on this site so it is important that you check this site regularly for announcements.

Course description

Information Systems in Organizations introduces students to core concepts of management information systems. Students learn to identify and analyze organizational systems and processes using techniques including conceptual diagramming, process decomposition, and data modeling; gain experience in identifying and using multiple types of systems used by organizations ranging from start-ups to global enterprises; and, analyze consumer information systems to understand multiple approaches to systems architecture, the power of network effects and platforms, and the importance of digital identity management. Ethical issues in use of information systems and the role of systems in business careers are also covered.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn to apply a core body of MIS specific knowledge to business situations and problems.
  • Develop critical thinking skills through the analysis of business processes and the MIS systems that support them.
  • Develop quantitative reasoning skills by assessing the impact investments in MIS systems have on a business.
  • Develop visual communications skills while learning to model business processes, the information required to perform these processes, and the systems that support these processes.

Course Schedule

MIS2101 Section 006
CRN: 27704
M/W/F 4:00 – 4:50 PM in Alter Hall Room 0A033

Pre-requisite: None

Participation

This course applies an activity based learning model which relies heavily on your active participation in the classroom. You are expected to complete the assigned readings, watch the assigned videos and come prepared to engage the class in meaningful conversation and activities. You are encouraged to use your knowledge and experiences to build, test, and modify your own concepts through dialogues with the instructor and fellow students. Much of your learning will occur as you prepare for and participation in discussions about the course material. The course material has been carefully chosen to bring the real world into class discussion while also illustrating fundamental concepts.

Class

Class will be a mixture of class discussions and class activities.  Do not expect to be taught the material in the assigned readings.  We will assume that you have completed the assigned readings, watched the assigned videos and are prepared to discuss the readings/videos intelligently.  Through this discussion you will gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the core concepts.  If you do not complete the assigned readings and watch the assigned videos you will have trouble following along with the class discussion;  you will not get as much out of class and you may find the exams more challenging. In-class activities provide the core of our activity based learning model.  These activities are designed to be completed in 50 minutes or less and help a student develop a more genuine understanding of the class materials. Each activity has a corresponding worksheet.  Each student must hand in a completed worksheet to receive credit for completing the activity. Worksheets are graded based on displaying due diligence. If the student hands in a completed worksheet and has clearly been engaged in the activity they receive full credit. If a student is absent from class, does not hand in a worksheet or clearly had not done their due diligence, they receive zero credit for the activity.  
 

Preparation for Class

Complete all of the assigned reading and watch all assigned videos. Students are strongly encouraged to create their own study guide from the readings and the videos which they will use during both in-class discussions and in preparation for exams.