IS101 Spring, 2007

IS101 Spring, 2007
Sections IS101.001 & IS101.002
Instructor: S.M. Week, MBA

Note: All due dates, lecture notes and assignments are found on WebCT.

IS 101 Introduction to Information Systems (3 credits)

Introduction to microcomputers, computers in business and microcomputer software tools including word processors, spreadsheets and database management systems.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The three main objectives of this course are:

1. To provide students with the knowledge of computer-related concepts. Topics that will be covered include: computer technology (hardware and software), applications of this technology, its impact on society, careers in computing, local area networks, the Internet, computer security and controls, personal privacy, intellectual property and ethical issues.

2. To provide students with basic skills in using microcomputers to solve problems. The student will be introduced to the following applications and operating systems: Windows operating systems, computer graphics (Photoshop,) and Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.)

3. To prepare the student with the information and skills needed to be successful in the upper division business core.

4. To provide the student with the tools and knowledge necessary to increase personal productivity in study and/or work environments.

Materials Required

You will need:
Book: Succeeding With Technology, 2nd Edition, by Stair and Bauldauf ISBN 1418839280

Software: Sam 2003 Training V3.1, With 'A/T' CD ISBN 142391257
(You may also purchase these items as a package at the ASUN bookstore.)

A few notes about the materials needed:
* You CAN share the Succeeding with Technology book with other students.
* You DO need your own new SAM packet because each student needs to have his/her own account to do the applications training.
* You DO NOT need to buy the applications (Photoshop, Word, Excel Access & Powerpoint) used in the course. They are all available in the COBA Lab computers in AB301. You automatically have an account there by signing up for this course. Note that Adobe has a 30 day free download of Photoshop for Windows users. If you wish to buy the programs; it is suggested that you check with the Computer Den at the ASUN bookstore at UNR. You can buy the Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition of the Microsoft Office Professional suite at a reduced price. See The Computer Den at the ASUN Bookstore for more information on purchasing Office software at an educational price.

* The Office 2007 interface looks quite different from Office 2003. The instructor and the lab assistants will support Office 2003 for the Spring 2007 semester. If a student decides to upgrade to 2007, he/she will need to deal with the differences in product.

Student Accounts

The student will use two computer accounts.

NetID for WebCT
NetID for COBA Lab
SAM (login is unr-NETID) See the SAM login instructions on WebCT for password and other important information.

SAM Account

Your SAM account is created for you. You use the number found in your SAM packet to validate the login. See the SAM Instructions link on WebCT for information on how to log on to SAM. If you add the class late, you should see the instructor or teaching assistant if you are unable to log into SAM.

COBA Lab Account

The COBA Lab is located in AB301 and AB309 in the Ansari Business Building on the University of Nevada Campus. The COBA Lab has all of the programs you need for this class – including SAM. Your NetID will be your COBA Lab login.

Student’s Role and Responsibilities

Students must take responsibility for learning. Students share with the instructor the responsibility for providing an environment conducive to learning. Students should personally:

be actively engaged with the material and with the process of education;
build their own knowledge and skills (faculty guide students to materials and methods, but the learning is up to the student);
participate in discussions on WebCT;
adhere to the dates set forth on the WebCT calendar;
be punctual in completing assignments;
share responsibility for the flow of communication concerning a course (this involves regularly checking WebCT and responding to email from the instructor;)
be familiar with and adhere to matters of academic integrity as identified by the University;
participate in objective and constructive evaluations of the instructor and of the course (this helps to clarify problems and strengths that will help the instructor to improve the course in subsequent semesters).

Course Policies

1. University policy specifies that in cases of academic dishonesty, students may either receive an “F” for the assignment or exam, receive an “F” for the course or be expelled from the University. Please see the University of Nevada's Academic Standards.

2. All exams are closed-book, closed-note. They may not use any electronic devices during exams excepting translation devices as delineated in #4. All electronic devices must be completely turned off during exams. Students with any type of electronic device that is found to be in the power on state when in AB106 during the exam – whether or not the exam has not yet been taken, is in progress or has been completed will receive a zero and will be referred to Student Judicial Affairs.

3. Students are expected to complete homework individually. Each student must create his or her own files and must physically input each command into these files. The student should note that the instructor is able to verify file integrity. Students that violate this policy will receive a failing grade for the course and will be referred to Student Judicial Affairs for the first incidence of cheating.

4. If English is not the student’s native language, a word for word translation device may be used during exams with the following stipulations: such device will be approved by the instructor and will be used by an individual student. Dictionaries are not permitted.

5. Assignment of Incomplete for a course grade is solely at the discretion of the instructor. Note that an Incomplete cannot be assigned if a student is not passing the course due to University statute. Students with issues that may result in a request for an Incomplete should see the instructor at the first sign of a problem.

6. Students will show respect to others when posting messages to the course discussion board. Students will refrain from using language and or graphics that might offend others.

7. Students will use proper punctuation, and complete words and sentences when emailing the instructor, teaching assistant, other students in the course and when posting to the discussion boards.

8. Students are responsible for assignments and assessment due dates regardless of technical difficulties. Plan ahead!

9. Students having class and/or work schedule conflicts with all posted office hours should make appointments with the instructor or well in advance of need.

10. Assignments are accepted only once. If you turn in a partially completed assignment, you may not turn in the remaining portion at a later date.

11. Students may turn in assignments (Nameplate, Word, Excel & Access) and SAM Training (Windows XP, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access) up to seven calendar days late. Assignments up to three calendar days late will be penalized 10%. Homework up to seven calendar days late will be penalized 30%. Assignments are not accepted after seven calendar days have elapsed.

12. Students may bring food and/or drinks into the classroom. It is asked that students refrain from eating noisy foods and that they clean up after themselves.

13. Students may use laptop or notebook computers during class to take notes and work on IS101 coursework. Students will not share a computer display with others. Computers are for personal use only. Students will not play games, do homework for other classes, communicate with others via email, IM, etc. Students will not "surf the web" during class. Students using these devices will refrain from having any material on their screens that others may find offensive. Students (even inadvertently) showing nudity, pornography, offensive words or websites will not be allowed to use electronics in the classroom for the remainder of the semester and will be referred to Student Judicial Affairs for counseling. To use a computer in the classroom, students will sit in the "computer zone." You may not sit in the computer zone without a computer. You may not use a computer outside of the "computer zone."

14. Students will not use cell phones or PDAs in the classroom. Students will not use headphones, earbuds, or any other technology not otherwise covered in these policies unless used to compensate for a disability. Documentation from the Disability Resource Center will be necessary in order to use these items.

15. Students are asked to refrain from talking and other disruptive behaviors during class.

16. It is not possible to complete assessments after the due date/time.

17. Students will not be given extensions on assignments or assessments for any reason, including failure of computing devices.

18. There are no make-up exams. A student who knows that he/she cannot be at an exam may take an exam early. Let the instructor know that you want to take an early exam between ten days and two weeks before the date you wish to take the exam. Students who miss the exam due to illness, death in the family, oversleeping etc. may take the final exam to replace the missed exam.

19. The lowest of the four exam scores is dropped. If a student misses an exam; he/she takes the final and the missed exam score is dropped. If a student does not take the final exam; it is the lowest exam score and is dropped. If the student takes all four exams, the lowest score is dropped. Taking the final exam cannot hurt your score. If you’ve taken all three of the regular exams and your worst score is the final exam; it is dropped.

20. Students may not take the final exam early. If the student has a conflict with the exam time, i.e. another professor has scheduled exams during the IS101 exam time, please see the instructor approximately two weeks before the end of the semester.

21. Students will name all files with the last name then the first name then the assignment as directed on each assignment. This is very important for grading accuracy for everyone in the class.

22. Students shall not be late to class as it is disturbing to the instructor and to other students. If a student is being held over in a class where he/she is not able to get to IS101 on time; the instructor will willingly discuss the issue with the professor of the earlier class.

23. Students may not leave class and then reenter. It is advised that if a student must leave class early that he/she should let the instructor know before class starts. Students that leave class must not reenter the classroom. If a student leaves the classroom without his/her things, the instructor will stop lecture and ask the student to collect his/her belongings. Please remember that attendance is not mandatory for this course. Therefore, it is expected, as with all professional level meetings, that students be on time and stay for the duration of the meeting. If a student has a physical or other problem that will not allow him/her to sit through a 75-minute class period, he/she must meet with the instructor during office hours to discuss this issue so that alternate arrangements may be made.

24. Students home computers and personal laptops are not supported by the instructor, teaching assistants, lab assistants and/or consultants. The COBA lab has all programs needed to do all required components of this course. Installation, maintenance and other computer issues cannot be diagnosed and/or fixed by the instructor or other staff.

25. A student that feels he/she has been offended by the instructor or other students (no matter how minor the offense) is encouraged to visit with or email the instructor as soon as possible. It is important that all students feel welcome and safe at the University in general and in IS101 in particular.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS
Based on my own experience as a student and those of my students from previous semesters, I offer these suggestions for success in this class:
-Do SAM in the COBA Lab. Do not try to set up SAM on a home computing device. You will spend more time trying to get SAM to work than you will doing the actual training.
· The Week by Week page has been designed to keep the student well ahead of due dates. The student is advised to complete assignments and assessments based on the Week by Week link rather than the due dates on the calendar page.
· Although many prefer Mozilla and FireFox, use the latest version of Internet Explorer to view the web sites. (WebCT and SAM work best with IE.)
· Check WebCT at least twice a week.
· Read assigned chapter material prior to taking the assessments. The student may open the assessment and view it before reading, then reopen the assessment, enter the answers and submit.
-Complete the WebCT assessments well before the due date as they are not accessible after that date and time.
· Allow time to deal with “technical difficulties”. Accept that sometimes working with a computer is very frustrating and it’s better to turn it off and come back at a later time rather than continuing to frustrate yourself. This, of course, requires you to not wait until the last minute to do your assignments and assessments.
· Keep backup copies of all materials created. Print out your SAM reports when assignments are completed.
· Keep all items returned to you until after your final grade is posted on ePaws.
· Turn in assignments when they are due even if they aren't complete. Partial credit is better than no credit.
· Actively participate in the WebCT discussion board. If you know the answer to a classmate's question - answer it!
· Use the Discussion Board to find study partners and/or others for tutoring groups.
· Communicate with your instructor at the first sign of trouble. Waiting until the end of the semester limits the options that are available to you.
· Be honest with yourself about the amount of time you can or will give to this course. If you are “too busy” to do the assigned work, you cannot be successful in the course. Be sure that you include time in your schedule to work on SAM in the COBA Lab.
· This course is time consuming as you are developing a skill as well and learning vocabulary and concepts. To learn a skill takes practice. Practice takes time.
· Read and understand the syllabus and clarify any questions you have with your instructor as early in the semester as possible.
· Trade contact information with others early in the course.
- Use all technology possible to develop study relationships with your peers. The phone, chat, email, discussion board are excellent conduits to support your success in this course.

A Note on Academic Dishonesty: Almost every semester the instructor is forced to charge students with academic dishonesty. (For example, sixteen people were charged Fall, 2006.) The instructor’s policy is to fail the student for the entire class on any one act of dishonesty. It is the instructor’s opinion that a student that cheats on one assignment has probably done so on others. UNR policy is that a student may not withdraw from a class in order to avoid receiving an “F” for academic dishonesty. Even though creating the case and writing the letters necessary to charge a student with dishonesty is distasteful and time-consuming - the instructor will do so. Please do not take the chance of being charged with dishonesty – it is not worth it!

Course Grading

Points Breakdown
Points Breakdown
SAM	SAM XP	30
	SAM Word	45
	SAM Excel	60	220	22.00%
	SAM PowerPoint	40
	SAM Acess	45
Assignments	Nameplate	25
	Word	30
	Excel	50	195	19.50%
	PowerPoint	30
	Access	60
Assessments	Orientation	15
	Chapter 1	15
	Chapter 2	15
	Chapter 3	15
	Chapter 4	15	135	13.50%
	Chapter 5	15
	Chapter 7	15
	Chapter 9	15
	Chapter 11	15
Exams	Exam Ch. 1-3	150
	Exam Ch. 4,5,7	150	450	45.00%
	Exam Ch. 6,8,App.	150
	Optional Comp. Final**	0
	Final Score	1000		100.00%
	**Can replace a lower exam score.

Grades will be assigned according to the following table:

Student Score			Final Grade
930	to	1,000	A
900	to	929.99	A-
870	to	899.99	B+
830	to	869.99	B
800	to	829.99	B-
770	to	799.99	C+
730	to	769.99	C
700	to	729.99	C-
670	to	699.99	D+
630	to	669.99	D
600	to	629.99	D-
0	to	599.99	F

Week by Week Page
The Week by Week page breaks down what the student should accomplish each week. Students may get ahead, but should not get behind. Due dates are listed on the Calendar page.

Assessments
Students will complete eight 15-point assessments based on the Succeeding with Technology book. There is an additional 15-point course orientation assessment. Assessments are launched from the Assessment page. Students may have assessments reset up to 48 hours before the availability has ended. Students may view the assessment and exit without submitting in order to view assessment questions before answering. There is no time limit on assessments. It is not possible to take an assessment after its availability has ended.

SAM
SAM reviews and enhances students’ knowledge of computer applications. The student will do SAM training on Windows XP, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Students should complete all SAM training in the first few weeks of the course. A student may do the training up to seven days late. Up to three days late is 10% off. Up to seven days late is 30% off. SAM Training is not accepted after seven calendar days have elapsed.

Assignments
Assignments shall be turned in via WebCT and are found on the Assignments page. Instructions on how to turn in assignments are found on the Start Here link. Assignments up to three calendar days late will be penalized 10%. Assignments up to seven calendar days late will be penalized 30%. Assignments are not accepted after seven calendar days have elapsed.

Students may work in the lab or at home to complete assignments. All software used in this course is available in the COBA Lab. Microsoft Office XP Professional is the supported system software for this course. Office Professional includes all four of the applications used in this class, e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. Students working on earlier versions of Office will find that they may encounter some difficulties. Microsoft Works does not have the functionality needed to complete assignments for this course.

Please note the difference between the Standard Office package and the Office Professional package. The Standard Office package does not include Access software. The student will work on hi/hers own to complete all assignments. That means that each keystroke must be input by the student on his/her own file. Please see Course Policies for information on Academic dishonesty.

Exams
The student will take three in-class 150-point exams during the semester and may take an optional 150-point comprehensive final. See Course Policies and Suggestions for Success for more information on exams. See the calendar for exam dates and chapters covered for each exam. Exams are never given after they have been offered to the class. Therefore, if the student needs to take an exam at a different time, he/she must communicate that need to the instructor ten to fourteen days before the exam needs to be taken. Students missing an exam due to sudden illness or other occurrence may take the optional final to replace the score.

EQUAL ACCESS STATEMENT

The Department of Accounting/IS supports equal access for students with disabilities. If you are in need of special services due to a disability, please contact the instructor or the Disability Resource Center. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides accommodations for students with verified disabilities. When appropriate, reasonable accommodations can include the following: alternative testing, readers, note takers, interpreters, and adaptive equipment. For more information and/or to determine eligibility, please contact Independent Learning or DRC in Thompson Building, room 101.

Disability Resource Center/079 University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557 (775) 784-6000

NOTE ON CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS & SCHEDULE

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus and the schedule anytime throughout the semester. Changes will be reflected in this document in blue-colored font and will be announced in class. Changes to the schedule will be reflected in the Week by Week link and the Calendar in WebCT. Changes to the schedule will be announced in class and via the Discussion Board in WebCT.

Your continued registration in this class after the initial drop date signifies that you have read and understand the syllabus for IS 101 Spring Session 2007 and will abide by the course policies in the syllabus.