BUS341A – Information Systems Analysis

Spring Term: January 17 – May 4, 2006

 

Instructor: Dr. Vladimir V. Riabov

Office: STH-312; Phone: (603) 897-8613, E-mail: vriabov@rivier.edu

Web:      http://www.rivier.edu/faculty/vriabov/

Office Hours: Tu: 4:00 - 5:30 PM; Wed 2:30 - 4:30 PM, and Th: 4:00 - 7:30 PM

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is a study of the activities necessary for analyzing large or small business information systems. The analysis encompasses the problem definition phase, the feasibility phase, system design, system implementation and systems operation and support phase. Case studies are utilized to examine various viewpoints that need to be traded off while encouraging critical thinking that is shared via class discussions. A continuing case study that spans all phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC) is used to promote active participation in learning about systems analysis and design. A blend of traditional development with current technologies is used to present a practical approach to system design and analysis. A student project is required.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

·         Define and describe in detail the five phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC): Systems Planning; Systems Analysis; System Design; System Implementation; and System Operation and Support.

·         Gain knowledge of a comprehensive System Analysis Toolkit that highlights the importance of communications, economic analysis, and project planning skills across all phases of the SDLC.

·         Gain an in-depth understanding of how information systems support business requirements in today’s intensely competitive environment.

·         Make use of the World Wide Web as an online information resource.

·         Learn real-world systems analysis and design skills in the context of solving realistic problems while presenting practical guidelines.

·         Provide a clear picture of how systems analysts interact with users, management, and other information systems professionals in a typical business organization.

 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK FOR THE COURSE:

·         Shelly, Gary B.; Cashman, Thomas J.; and Rosenblatt, Harry J.: Systems Analysis and Design, Sixth Edition, Cambridge, MA, Course Technology, 2006.

·         Lecture slides, laboratory manuals, links to additional topics of interest, and links to materials developed by other scholars can be downloaded from http://www.rivier.edu/faculty/vriabov/.

 

REQUIRED MATERIAL:

 

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

·         Hoffer, J. A.; George, J. F.; and Valacich, J. S.: Modern System Analysis and Design, 4th Edition; Prentice Hall, 2005.

·         Marakas, G. M.: System Analysis and Design: An Active Approach, 2nd Edition; Mc-Graw-Hill, 2006.

·         Kendall, K. E.; and Kendall, J. E.: System Analysis and Design, 5th Edition; Prentice Hall, 2002.

·         (SAD) Fertuck, Len: System Analysis and Design; Business & Educational Technologies, 1995.

·         Frenzel, C. W.; and Frenzel, J. C.: Management of Information Technology, 4th Edition; Cambridge, MA, Course Technology, 2004.

·         (OOD) Dennis, Wixom, and Tegarden: System Analysis & Design: An Object-Oriented Approach with UML, 2nd Edition; John Wiley & Sons, 2005 (Resources: http://www.wiley.com/college/dennis/).

·         Schach, S. R.: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design with UML and the Unified Process, McGraw-Hill, 2004 (Resources: http://www.mhhe.com/schach/).

·         Satzinger; Jackson; and Burd: Object-Oriented Systems Analysis & Design with the Unified Process, Cambridge, MA, Course Technology, 2004.

·         George, J. F.; Batra, D.; Valacich, J. S., and Hoffer, J. A.: Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design, Prentice Hall, 2005.

·         Dewitz, S.; and Olson, M.: Semantic Object Modeling with SALSA: A Casebook; Mc-Graw-Hill, 1994.

·         Brigham, E. F.; and Gapenski, L. C.: Financial Management: Theory and Practice, 8th Edition; Dryden Press, 1997.

·         Thommes, Mauren; and Carey, Jane: Using Visible Analyst Workbench for Windows; Dryden Press, 1995.

·         Dittman: Student Edition for Use with System Architect; Irvin, 1995.

 

SOFTWARE:

 

CLASSROOM POLICIES:

 

a)       Attendance: Active participation requires attendance and arrival to class in time to be prepared for work when the class period begins. You are expected to attend all classes. Much of the learning will take place in classroom activities that cannot be duplicated easily outside of class. If you miss class, you are responsible for doing all classroom activities you missed, getting the notes from a classmate, and turning in all work on the day it is due. If you miss more than two classes, your absences will be reported to the registrar and you must meet with the professor to discuss the advisability of your remaining in the course for the remainder of the semester. Students who miss three classes may be withdrawn from the course and receive disciplinary action from the college (see Rivier College Attendance Policy). If you anticipate that job-related duties or prior commitments will cause several absences, please discuss the matter with the instructor outside of class.

b)       Honesty policy: All work turned in on tests, quizzes, and the final must be entirely your own. Behavior contrary to this will result in a grade of F on the test. Serious infractions may result in an F for the course.  Similarly, the paper you write for your project must not be plagiarized. See library discussion on plagiarism.  Regarding homework, the instructor will not give you credit for any work that is copied from another source (from a classmate, instructor, a text, the answer key, web assistance, tutor, etc.). Take notes while getting help, but put aside the notes as you attempt to do the problems on your own. 

c)       Four Homework Assignments are Case Studies that the student completes presenting “real-company” examples of studies to further illustrate the concepts taught during the class lecture. The Case Studies are usually several page papers that answer various assignments covering unique features of each applicable chapter in the context of business requiring system analysis and design. Appropriate Case Studies are assigned regularly for credit and require a sincere effort and amount of a student’s time (additionally at least four hours a week) to ensure success. All assignments must be completed on time (see Class Schedule section) according to the given parameters (otherwise grade loss will result) and submitted electronically to BlackBoard Drop-Box and by e-mail to vriabov@rivier.edu. Any late assignments will receive a 10% grade discount. Only those situations involving instructor’s permission will be exempt from this policy. Instructor must know in advance of class that a student will not be present or an assignment will be late.

d)       Quizzes:  There will be four short quizzes that will consist of ten (10) Multiple Choice or True/False Questions similar to those questions that are at the end of each of the Chapters in your book. These quizzes are meant to give the student an evaluation of their understanding of the material while providing a preview of the types of questions that will be on the midterm and final exams.

e)       Group Project:  The group project is a written and oral package that utilizes the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) concepts in a business context. Your group of ~3 people will write a 10+ page MS-Word paper describing your system analysis and design approach with diagrams. A handout will be provided with further details on the system analysis and design approach selected by the group. The group will also create a MS PowerPoint presentation (based on the project paper) that will be presented orally by each member of the group.

f)        Lecture/Problem solutions: The primary source of exam material is derived from what is done in class. Your notes are keys to success on exams. Each student should maintain a notebook exclusively for this course.

g)       Midterm and Final Examinations: There will be midterm and final in-class written examinations that consist of a combination of Multiple Choice, True/False, Matching, and/or Short Essay Questions, for all the material covering in the course. Midterm Exam is scheduled in EDU-305 classroom on Thursday, March 2, 2006, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM. Final Exam is scheduled in EDU-305 classroom on Thursday, May 4, 2006, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

h)       In Computer Lab, students will complete exercises and section labs from the CD-ROM in the main textbook and Labs published on the BUS341 Website: http://www.rivier.edu/faculty/vriabov/bus341a_labs.htm.

i)        Students need to have computer-resources-, blackboard-, and e-mail accounts, know how to access their accounts, and organize course labs and projects properly in designated bus341 folders in their accounts.

j)        Classes and labs are scheduled on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM.

 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA):

Rivier College wants to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. To accomplish this goal effectively and to ensure the best use of our resources, timely notice of a disability must be provided to the Office of Special Services for verification and for evaluation of available options. Any student whose disabilities fall within ADA should inform the instructor within the first two weeks of the term of any special needs or equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements for the course. To obtain current information on this procedure, contact the Office of Special Services at telephone extension 8497.

 

EXAMINATIONS and GRADING:

       

Four Homework Assignments                   16%

        Four Labs                                                      16%

        Four Quizzes                                                 8%

        Project                                                            15%

Midterm Exam                                               20%

        Final Exam                                                     25%       

 

Grades for all exams, quizzes, and assignments will not be determined by curves. Letter grades submitted to the Registrar’s Office would be based on the Rivier College Grading system. The conversion from numerical grade to letter grade will be based on the following table:

 

                        Letter Grade                          Honor Points                                Numerical Grade

                                                A                                             4.0                                           93-100

                                A-                                           3.67                                         90-92

                                B+                                           3.33                                         87-89

                                B                                             3.0                                           83-86

                                B-                                            2.67                                         80-82

                                C+                                           2.33                                         77-79

                                C                                             2.0                                           73-76

                                C-                                            1.67                                         70-72

                                D+                                           1.33                                         67-69

                                D                                             1.00                                         63-66

                                F                                              0.0                                           Below 62

 

COMPUTER LABORATORY:

Students will be required to use computers in the Computer Lab and classroom for completing section labs and projects. If you have any problems with the equipment, contact Sister Martha’s office in the Computer Lab.

 

INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY:

The instructor will be available before and after class, during the office hours at my office (STH-312) and via telephone: (603) 897-8613 or E-mail: vriabov@rivier.edu (E-mail is a preferable form for communication).

 

CLASS SCHEDULE (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM):

 

Date

Subject

Output from Class

Main Text Reading

Optional Reading

Jan. 17

Intro to Info Systems Analysis & Design; Toolkit 1: Guidelines for Written and Oral Communication

System Development Life Cycle; Structured Analysis Method

Ch. 1; Toolkit 1

Online resources

Jan. 19

System Development Tools, Techniques, and Methods; Toolkit 2: CASE Tools

Modeling, Prototyping, CASE tools; Object-Oriented Approach

Ch. 1; Toolkit 2

OOD, Ch. 1; Online resources

Jan. 24

Info System Planning (Phase 1); Toolkit 3: Financial Analysis Tools;

Project Groups are created

Quiz #1; Feasibility Analysis Techniques

Ch. 2;

Toolkit 3

OOD, Ch. 2 Online

Jan. 26

Analyzing the Business Case; Toolkit 4: Project Management Tools

 

Preliminary Investigation Methods

Ch. 2;

Toolkit 4

OOD, Ch. 3 Online

Jan. 31

System Analysis (Phase 2);

Project Topics are selected by Project Groups

UML; Joint-Application & Rapid-Application Development Activities

Ch. 3; Online resources

OOD, Ch. 4; Online resources

Feb. 2

System Requirements Modeling;

Project Plans are approved

Modeling (CASE) Tools; Interview Techniques

Ch. 3

OOD, Ch. 5 Online

Feb. 7

Lab #1: Review of Chapters 1-3, Visible Analyst User’s Manual Review

Homework #1 due;

Lab #1

Chs. 1-3

VisibleAnalyst User’s Manual

Feb. 9

Data Modeling; OOD Use-Case Modeling;

Data Flow Diagrams (SAD handouts);

 Toolkit 5: Object-Oriented Tools

Use-Case Diagrams;

Prep-Lab Exercises;

Data Flow Diagrams

Ch. 4;

Toolkit 5; handouts

OOD, Ch. 6; ArgoUML User’s Manual

Feb. 14

Process Modeling; Structural Modeling;

ArgoUML software tool in depth.

Class and Object Diagrams; Prep-Lab Exercises

Ch. 4;

Online resources

OOD, Ch. 7;

ArgoUML User’s Manual

Feb. 16

Behavioral Modeling;

Draft of Functional Specification submitted by the Project Groups

Sequence Diagrams, Collaboration Diagrams, Statechart Diagrams

Online resources

OOD, Ch. 8;

Online resources

Feb. 21

System Development Strategies; The Impact of the Internet; Toolkit 6: Internet Resource Tools

Quiz #2; Resources Overview on the Internet

Ch. 5;

Toolkit 6

Online resources

Feb. 23

System Design Guidelines; Prototyping. Midterm Exam Preparation

Cost-Benefit Analysis; System Design Guidelines

Ch. 5

Online resources

Feb. 28

Lab #2: Review of Chapters 4-5; Programming with ArgoUML; OOD Use-Case Modeling; Class Diagrams

Homework #2 due;

Lab #2; Diagrams for students’ projects

Chs. 4-5

ArgoUML User’s Manual

OOD, Chs. 6-7

March 2

MIDTERM EXAM

MIDTERM

Chs. 1-5

 

Mar. 7-9

NO CLASSES (Spring Vacation)

NO CLASSES

 

 

Mar. 14

Info System Design (Phase 3); Output Design; Layered Design Architecture

Output Design Techniques; Design Layers; Packages

Ch. 6

OOD, Ch. 9 online

Mar. 16

User Interface Design

User Interface Design Techniques

Ch. 6

OOD, Ch. 11 online

Mar. 21

Data Design Concepts; Navigation Input & Output Data Design Concepts;

Draft of Design Specification submitted by the Project Groups

Quiz #3; Data Design Concepts; Entity-Relationship Diagrams; Normalization

Ch. 7

OOD, Ch. 12 online

Mar. 23

Database Models; Data storage and Access; Object Persistence, Class & Method Design

Tools for Data storage and Access

Ch. 7

OOD, Chs. 13-14 online

Mar. 28

Lab #3: Review of Chapters 6-7, Exploring Visible Analyst Tool

Homework #3 due;

Lab #3

Chs. 6-7

VisibleAnalyst User’s Manual

Mar. 30

System Architecture; Client-Server Approach; Internet-based Approach

Client-Server and Internet-based Architectures

Ch. 8

OOD, Ch. 10; Online resources

Apr. 4

Processing Methods; Network Models;

System Design Specification

Online and Batch Processing; TCP/IP & OSI Reference Models; System Design Specification

Ch. 8

 

Apr. 6

Systems Implementation (Phase 4);

Software Quality Assurance; Coding

Quiz #4; Coding Standards; Software Quality Assurance Methods

Ch. 9

OOD, Ch. 15 online

Apr. 11

Testing the System; Documentation;

Draft of Test Plans submitted by the Project Groups

Unit, Integration, and System Testing Methods; Program, System, Operations, and User’s Documentation

Ch. 9

OOD, Ch. 15 online

Apr. 13

NO CLASSES (Easter Vacation)

NO CLASSES

 

 

Apr. 18

Lab #4: Review of Chapters 8-9, Visible Analyst Tool: Debugging & Testing

Homework #4 due;

Lab #4

 

VisibleAnalyst User’s Manual

Apr. 20

Systems Operation, Support, and Security (Phase 5)

User Support and Maintenance Activities;

System Security Tools.

Ch. 10

OOD, Ch. 16 online

Apr. 25

Project Presentations

Project Presentations

 

 

Apr. 27

Project Presentations; Course Review; Preparation for Final Exam

Project Presentations

 

 

May 2

NO CLASSES (READING DAY)

READING DAY

 

 

May 4

FINAL EXAM (EDU305; 2:00 - 4:00 PM)

FINAL EXAM

Chs. 6-10