Text - We will use the textbook from IS 350 as a reference.

Course Description - This course teaches the application of software engineering techniques in the development of information systems. This course includes the use of project management techniques and the application of formal analysis, design, and implementation techniques to produce an information system. This course will provide hands-on experience for teams as they work through the phases of system development and system implementation.  Team members will use widely used modeling tools for project planning, analysis and design.  A CASE tool will also be used during part of the semester for hands-on practice with automated systems development tools. Prerequisite: IS 350/540 with a grade of C or better.

The student will also have participated in writing project reports and creating a project web page to facilitate project management.

If you miss an exam due to illness, work, or a university-sponsored activity, you must provide proper notification to the instructor as soon as possible. If no valid excuse is provided the student will receive a score of zero for the missed exam.

Individual Assignments - There will be some individual assignments given throughout the semester to enable each student to practice the techniques and software being taught.  Besides the CASE exercises, the individual assignments will make up approximately 15% of the overall grade.  Late exercises will be accepted but there will be a 50% penalty for each day. Assignments too late to be earn points must still be submitted to complete this course.  Note: An exercise due at the beginning of class will have a 5% penalty if it is turned in any time later that same day.  

There will be an individual project using a CASE tool, typically Oracle Designer.  After completing some tutorials, each student will use the CASE tool to design and implement a portion of the group project he/she participated in.  The individual tutorial and project will be about 20% of the overall grade.

All individual assignments must be completed.  A student will not receive a passing final grade until all assignments have been submitted, even if the late penalty reduces the points possible to zero.  All late submissions must be turned in by noon on Friday before the week of final exams.     

Teams and SCRUM:  For the spring 2009 semester teams will follow SCRUM as a way to organize and implement their project.  There is a SCRUM subsection in the Handouts section of WebCT for this course.

Project Web Page:  Each group will maintain a project web page to help manage the project by providing links to reports, documentation, prototypes, etc.  (The project web page will also provide students with a good demonstration of their project work that can be used during interviews.  Many students say their project web page was very useful when talking to employers.  I strongly recommend you keep a copy of your team's complete project web page on a CD once the semester is over.  At the end of the semester I will make a copy for anyone who asks me to.)

Project Evaluation:  The group project will be approximately 40% of the overall course grade (the total points includes the peer evaluation score described below).  The group project will be implemented in MS Access unless a group gets permission from the instructor to use something else.  Producing deliverables within deadlines during the project will be part of the overall project grade.  In other words, the final version of the project application is not the only thing that's graded.  It's important to do well and meet deadlines throughout the project.  

Peer Evaluation:  Each student will be evaluated by his/her teammates in confidential evaluations.  This will account for a portion of the student's project grade.  In other words, everyone on the team may not receive the same grade for the project.  Also, there is a 15-point penalty if for anyone who does not submit a peer evaluation by the deadline given by the instructor when the evaluation form is given out.

Team Evaluation:  Each team will meet with the instructor and demonstrate their completed project.   

Attendance Policy - ATTENDANCE  IS REQUIRED while the group project is going on.  When time is allocated for project work students must show up to work with their team. If a student must be absent due to illness, work, or a university-sponsored activity, proper notification must be given to the instructor. Otherwise, each absence will cost the student 5 points. 

If a class is missed, it is the student's responsibility to obtain notes from a student who attended class and to obtain any assignments from the instructor or another students.

Online Procedures - Most of the course material will be available through the WebCT site for this class.  Check the Handouts section, the Bulletin Board section, and other sections created by the instructor during the semester.

There are topics areas in the Bulletin Board (BB) section for the major topics of this course.  If you have a question about an assignment, please post the question in the BB section where everyone can benefit from the information.  However, don't use the BB sections for personal communications unless it's your team's private BB section.  If you send a question about an assignment through WebCT email, I may ask you to post in the BB section before I respond.  Again, everyone should benefit from questions and answers about an assignment.

Please note: If you have a question about an exam or assignment score because the score is missing in WebCT, please feel free to email me about the missing score.  If you want to know why you got a particular score, i.e., what did you miss and why, please come see me in my office.  I will not respond to emails that ask, "Why did I miss 5 points?" or "What did I do wrong on problem 6?"  It takes too much time to review an exam or assignment and type out a lengthy explanation via email.  I want us to review the score in question together.  Often it is quickly clear to the student what the error is when we review it and sometimes the student is able to explain something about his/her answer which I believe justifies additional credit.

If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the Coordinator for SSD. Call 646-3333 with any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be held in strict confidence.

Scholastic Dishonesty - Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The penalty for dishonest behavior can range from receiving a zero for an assignment or exam to censure from the University.