The Instructor:
Jeremy Shafer (jeremy@temple.edu)
Physical Office: 209D Speakman Hall
Phone: (215) 204-6432
Profile: http://community.mis.temple.edu/jshafer
Office Hours:
- Monday through Friday – Speakman 209D – 9:30am – 10:30am
- Office hours are in effect 1/16 through 4/29/2024
- Other times by appointment
- Be sure to use Canvas messaging when emailing the instructor
Class Locations and Time:
Section 3: 3pm to 3:50pm, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, In Person, A035
Section 3 on the web: https://community.mis.temple.edu/mis2502sec003spring2024
Prerequisites:
Grade of C or better in MIS2101.
Course Description:
The course provides a foundation for designing database systems and analyzing business data to enhance firm competitiveness. Concepts introduced in this course aim to develop an understanding of the different types of business data, various analytical approaches, and the application of these approaches to solve business problems. Students will have hands-on experience with current, cutting-edge tools such as MySQL and Python.
Course Objectives:
- Articulate the key components of an organization’s information infrastructure.
- Understand and use a transactional database from a model based on both SQL and NoSQL.
- Create an analytical data store by extracting relevant data from a transactional database.
- Perform extract, transform, and load (ETL) functions such as data sourcing, pre-processing, and cleansing.
- Discover trends in analytical data stores using the data mining techniques of clustering, segmentation, association, and decision trees.
- Present data visually for clear communication to a managerial audience.
Required Textbook:
There is no required textbook for this course.
Course Websites:
We will use both the MIS community site and the Canvas site. The detailed usage of the two sites is as follows.
- MIS Community Site: https://community.mis.temple.edu
The community site has an up-to-date copy of the syllabus, schedule, class announcements, links to slide decks, In-class activities, assignment instructions, as well as other course documents. While I will try to make announcements both in class and on the community site, it is a good idea for you to check the web site regularly. - Canvas: https://canvas.temple.edu
The Canvas site is primarily for assignment submission.
Evaluation and Grading
Items
|
Item |
Percentage |
|
Exams (3) |
60% |
|
Assignments (9) |
35% |
|
In-class activities |
5% |
Scale
|
94 – 100 |
A |
73 – 76.99 |
C |
|
90 – 93.99 |
A- |
70 – 72.99 |
C- |
|
87 – 89.99 |
B+ |
67 – 69.99 |
D+ |
|
83 – 86.99 |
B |
63 – 66.99 |
D |
|
80 – 82.99 |
B- |
60 – 62.99 |
D- |
|
77 – 79.99 |
C+ |
Below 60 |
F |
Students who fail to earn the required MIS PRO points will receive an “Incomplete” for this course regardless of performance on exams or class participation! See the MIS Department PRO Points Requirement section of this document for details.
Exams
There will be three exams during the semester. The dates of these are documented in the class schedule. There will be no impromptu (‘pop’) quizzes or exams.
Makeup Exams
Makeup exams present a lot of logistical challenges. Out of fairness to all students taking the course, makeup examinations will only be given in accordance with the official University policy. Exceptions are granted at the instructor’s discretion and are typically limited to extreme circumstances such as documented hospitalization. If a student is permitted to take a make-up exam, the instructor reserves the right to substitute an alternate exam with different content. Students may find the content of the make-up exam to be more difficult than the original. It is, therefore, to a student’s advantage to show up for each exam at the scheduled time and take it with the rest of the class.
Assignments
There will be nine assignments. All assignments should be submitted via Canvas before the due date . They are to be done individually and should represent your own work. If you need help, you may consult with your instructor or the GTA/ITA for the course.
|
# |
Assignment |
|
1 |
Database Schema |
|
2 |
SQL #1 – Basic queries |
|
3 |
SQL #2 – Advanced queries |
|
4 |
Python Basics |
|
5 |
Python and JSON |
|
6 |
Python and Pandas |
|
7 |
Decision Trees |
|
8 |
Clustering |
|
9 |
Association Rules |
Late Assignment Policy
All assignments are graded on a 100 point scale. If an assignment is turned in on or before its due date, it is on time. Assignments turned in later are automatically assigned a 20 point penalty, no matter what the reason. Assignments may not be turned in more than three days late. These assignments get a grade of zero.
For the assignment to be considered “on time,” you must attach all necessary files specified in the assignment instructions by the due date. If additional/revised/corrected documents are received after the due date, then the 20 point penalty will be applied to the assignment.
A Note on Regrade Requests:
The instructor will make every effort to return exam/assignment grades within 1 week of submission. If you believe that your grade is inaccurate, you may request a regrade under the following conditions:
- Regrade requests must be submitted within 1 week of the date when the grade was returned.
- For assignment and ICAs grades, regrade requests must be emailed to the instructor or TA and must outline the reasons you deserve a higher grade. Referencing another student’s grade is inappropriate and irrelevant. While we do our best to apply an even standard across students, we can’t discuss anyone else’s grade with you, so we need to deal with the merits of your particular case.
- For exam grades, regrade requests must be made during office hours.
- I reserve the right to regrade the entire assignment/project/exam, and thus your grade may go up or down.
In-Class Activities:
In-class activities (ICAs) are very hands-on in nature, where students will be expected to work with various examples and data sets based on instructions and class discussions.
After we complete the in-class activities, you are required to submit your solutions through Canvas by the end of the day unless otherwise notified .
ICAs have the same late policy as assignments.
Deliverables from in-class activities will be graded as success (100) , some problems (80), unacceptable (60) or failure (0).
Missed or late submissions will receive a zero (fail) grade. Equipment failure is not an acceptable reason for turning in a deliverable late.
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance and participation are essential.
I strongly encourage your active class participation and discussion. Involvement during class is also important. Being present in class to ask and answer questions is essential to the learning process. Don’t feel shy to speak up, ask questions, or answer them. All students are expected to come prepared for the class and volunteer answers. I may also “cold call” students in class.
An important note regarding attendance: if a student does miss class, it is the student’s responsibility to catch up on any related material. While every student is encouraged to use office hours to gain a better understanding of class material, office hours are NOT for helping students catch up on material they missed because they were absent.
Attendance Protocol and Your Health:
If you feel unwell, you should not come to campus, and you will not be penalized for your absence. Instructors are required to ensure that attendance is recorded for each in-person or synchronous class session. The primary reason for documentation of attendance is to facilitate contact tracing, so that if a student or instructor with whom you have had close contact tests positive for COVID-19, the university can contact you. Recording of attendance will also provide an opportunity for outreach from student services and/or academic
support units to support students should they become ill. Faculty and students agree to act in good faith and work with mutual flexibility. The expectation is that students will be honest in representing class attendance.
Laptop Requirement:
- The software that we use in the course works on Windows and MacOS. Students should have a laptop to follow the course materials (e.g., ICAs).
- Chromebooks are not considered as laptops as they are a Google tablet/device.
https://its.temple.edu/shoppers-guide - Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi-access, should submit a request outlining their needs using the Student Emergency Aid Fund form . The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism and academic dishonesty can take many forms. The most obvious is copying from another student’s exam, but the following are also forms of this:
- Copying material directly, word-for-word, from a source (including the Internet)
- Using material from a source without a proper citation
- Turning in an assignment from a previous semester as if it were your own
- Having someone else complete your homework or project and submitting it as if it were your own
- Using material from another student’s assignment in your own assignment
- Using ChatGPT or similar AI resources to do your work without the explicit permission of the instructor.
If you use text, figures, and data in reports that were created by someone other than yourself, you must identify the source and clearly differentiate your work from the material that you are referencing. There are many different acceptable formats that you can use to cite the work of others (see some of the resources below). You must clearly show the reader what your work is and what is a reference to somebody else’s work.
Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses. Penalties for such actions are given at my discretion, and can range from a failing grade for the individual assignment, to a failing grade for the entire course, to expulsion from the program.
Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities
The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02
Disability Statement:
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Temple University’s Disability Resources and Services (DRS) office at (215)204-1280 at 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Please contact your instructor and the DRS within the first week of class, at the beginning of the semester. DRS will establish your needs and make necessary arrangements with the faculty. If you choose not to contact DRS and have difficulty, you will be unable to receive accommodations retroactively, once exams are completed and/or course grades are submitted. Such decisions are made jointly between the DRS office and the instructor, at their discretion based on circumstances. Accommodation letters must be received by the instructor during the first two
weeks of the semester.
Class recordings:
Class meetings will be recorded. Class recordings will be made available to the Temple community at the instructors first opportunity. Any student who is not comfortable with this and/or has any related privacy concerns should contact the instructor.
Any recordings permitted in this class can only be used for the student’s personal educational use. Students are not permitted to copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the class session to individuals who are not students in the course or academic program without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission may be a violation of educational privacy law, known as FERPA as well as certain copyright laws. Any recordings made by the instructor or university of this course are the property of Temple University.
MIS Department PRO Points Requirement:
The MIS Department has instituted a PRO point (professional achievement point) requirement for all MIS majors. This class is a checkpoint to ensure that students are focused on this requirement and on track to earn their 1,000 points by graduation. Students in MIS2402 must earn a minimum of 200 points by the end of the semester. Students who fail to earn the required points will receive an “Incomplete” for this course regardless of performance on exams or class participation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If a student fails to earn the minimum number of PRO points within one year from the end of the semester or does not notify their instructor that they have earned the minimum number of points, then their “Incomplete” will be changed to an “F” automatically. The grade of “F” will then be the student’s permanent grade .
Students are STRONGLY encouraged to, at a minimum, do the following to earn points:
1. Create an e-Portfolio and have it listed with the department.
2. Become an active member of AIS and participate in professional development activities.
3. Attend the IT Awards Reception (spring semester only).
4. Participate in the Data Analytics Challenge (fall semester only) and the MIS Department’s Career Fair.
5. Volunteer your time for department-sponsored events.
6. Discuss opportunities to earn MIS PRO points for projects with your MIS instructors. Note that students may not request course/project-related PRO points more than one year after the end of the semester.
Finally, here are two excellent resources that describe why the MIS professional achievement points are important to you.