XBIS 219 Complete Course

Week One

Course Assignments

Readings

Read Appendix A regarding the final project requirements.

Read Ch. 1, 2, & 4 of Introduction to Information Systems.

Read Technology guides 2 & 5 in the text.

Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings.

CheckPoint: The Information Systems Department

Review Ch. 2 in the text.

Select two organizational departments in a business.

Write a paragraph of at least 200 words in which you identify the roles of information systems within those departments.

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Discussion Questions

Choose one of the organizational departments of a business, such as accounting, finance, and human resources. What is the role of this department? What types of information does the department need? How does the department use that information?

What are information resources? What types of information resources does a business usually need? Why is it important for a general manager to be knowledgeable about information technology?

Week Two

Course Assignments

CheckPoint: A Microfinance MIS

Visit the Mifos Initiative Web site at. The Mifos Initiative is a technology program sponsored by the Grameen Foundation to provide open source MIS software to microfinance institutions in developing countries.

Follow the links for the software demo. Click Product on the right side of the screen. Click Demo the Software from the listing on the left.

Write a 200-word description of what the software offers. Identify the components of the Mifos database.

Format your description according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Assignment: Amazon Evolution

Purpose This assignment is intended to help students gain a better understanding of the importance of information systems to business by looking at an industry leader, Amazon.com. Students will examine Amazons core strategy and the use of its vast customer database as the company evolves from bookseller to service provider.

Resources Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business.

Read the Case Study, Amazon: From Book Seller to Service Provider, at the end of Ch. 1 in the text (p. 26).

Write a 350- to 700-word paper, describing Amazons strategy. Discuss whether the company is moving away from its core competency of being a leading online retailer. Discuss whether this is a wise strategy and address the following: Describe the components of the Amazon database and how Amazon uses each component. What data management issues may be encountered by Amazon? Describe the relationship among data, information, and knowledge, and how Amazon addresses each.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines. Create title and reference pages. Check the sample paper at

Save the paper in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Week Three

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Course Assignments

CheckPoint: Online Auction

Imagine you recently cleaned out and reorganized your garage and now find yourself with many items in good condition but no longer needed. You are thinking about trying to sell some items on eBay but do not know anything about online auctions.

Access the eBay Web site at to learn about their online auction system. Click on the Help tab in the upper right and choose Learning Center from the pull down menu. The site offers several tutorials to help prospective sellers and buyers learn about and use the auction system. The recommended tutorials are listed on the left. Most of the tutorials contain links to additional information.

Write a 200-word paper addressing the following: Briefly describe how eBay works. What advantages and disadvantages do you think eBay offers to small-scale sellers and large-scale sellers? There's a difference between large-scale and small-scale sellers. They don't have the same advantages and disadvantages. Based on what you have learned, if you wanted to start an electronic retail (e-tail) business, would you use eBay? Explain your reasoning.

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Discussion Questions

Define e-business and e-commerce. How are they similar? How do they differ? Can the two terms be used interchangeably?

What are B2B, B2C, and G2C transactions? How do they differ? How does each type of transaction benefit from conducting business using the Internet?

Week Four

Course Assignments

Readings

Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings.

CheckPoint: Picture the Supply Chain

Resource Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business; Appendix B

Read the Case Study 8.3, The Digital Supply Chain at Warner Bros. Entertainment, in the text.

Complete the chart in Appendix B outlining the supply chain at Warner Bros. Entertainment for their digital content.

Choose one of these components (upstream, internal, or downstream) and make a recommendation for an improvement to that area of the supply chain. Explain your reasoning for the change.

Format your recommendation according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Assignment: Club IT, Part 1

Purpose: Students will undertake a review of the information systems currently used by a virtual business, Club IT, to gain an understanding of the clubs IT resources and how they are used. This is the first of three assignments involving Club IT.

Resources: Appendix C and www.wiley.com/college/rainer

Read Appendix C with background information on Club IT.

Visit the Club IT Web site, for additional information about the business. Click on Student Companion Site for the course text. Click on Club IT under the Browse by Resource tab on the left. Click on Club IT. Click on the links on the left to access different information about Club IT.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper addressing the mission and clientele of Club IT. Include functional areas and how they use information resources including intranet (for example, the password to log-in is clubit), to accomplish their mission and serve their clients. Identify their use of organizational information systems, such as enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management, to accomplish their mission and serve their clients. This is a review of the information systems used by Club IT.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines. Create title and reference pages. Check the sample paper at

Save the paper in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Week Five

Course Assignments

Readings

Read Ch. Ch. 9 & 10 in Introduction to Information Systems.

Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings.

CheckPoint: Problems at JetBlue

Resource Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business

Read the Closing Case section of Ch. 8, Meltdown at JetBlue, in the text.

Two debate threads are created: Management Issues Team and Technological Issues Team. You will be assigned to one of these two debate teams. The Management Issues Team will argue that JetBlues problems were caused by management issues. The Technological Issues Team will argue that the technological issues were the cause.

Check your assigned team and post your 200-word original position statement. Start the debate with the team members. This is a teamwork, so compile a summary of what the team has discussed and find a volunteer to post it in the team's summary thread.

Check the other team's summary thread to read the argument. In your team's thread, discuss the other team's summary and formulate a 200-word rebuttal. Get a volunteer to post the team's rebuttal in the other team's summary thread.

Write a 200-word paragraph summarizing your thoughts on the issues that contributed to the service shutdown based on the discussion in your team. What would you have done differently?

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Discussion Questions

What are the main responsibilities of managers? What are the advantages for managers to use IT support in business decision-making?

What are digital dashboards and management cockpits? What are the capabilities of these information tools?

Week Six

Course Assignments

CheckPoint: Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Resource Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business

Review Section 10.3 in the text.

Outline the phases of SDLC by explaining what they are and identify the different personnel that participate in this process.

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Assignment: Club IT, Part 2

Purpose: this assignment introduces students to information systems project development. Students will undertake the process of analyzing the information systems status at Club IT and identifying three current business problems. After choosing one of the project development methodologies described in the text, students will use this methodology to guide their analysis. This is the second of three assignments involving Club IT.

Resources: Appendix D and

Read Appendix D with additional information on Club IT.

Review the project development methodologies in Ch. 10 of the text.

Choose one of the project development methodologies to guide your analysis of Club IT. This part 2 is only about the analysis of the IT status of Club IT. If you select SDLC, you only use the system analysis phase of the methodology. You don't do the whole thing.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper using the information gathered from your review of the Club IT Web site and interviews with Ruben and the staff to perform an analysis of the Information Technology status of the business. Identify three business problems you see at Club IT in terms of resources, customers, and supply chain.

The specifics about identifying the 3 problems are through the systems analysis. The analysis of the current system should produce the following information: (1) strengths and weaknesses of the existing system, (2) functions that the new system must have in order to solve the business problem, and (3) user information requirements for the new system.

For example when you discuss the dialup connection, discuss the weakness and strength why Club IT uses the dialup connection. The weakness is that it's too slow and it cannot allow to support the sale of the tickets online. The strength is that it's cheap and if the Website is not used, there's no need to upgrade the bandwidth. So now based on this analysis, you can recommend a solution. If you recommend the online selling of the tickets, then you recommend upgrading the bandwidth. This is one problem. You do the same with the other 2 problems.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines. Create title and reference pages. Check the sample paper at

Save the paper in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Week Seven

Course Assignments

CheckPoint: Internet Privacy

Resource Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business

Review Ch. 3 in the text.

Evaluate how information privacy and security relates to the Internet, which is the major information conduit for businesses and individuals.

Write a paragraph of at least 200 words addressing the following: Explain how your expectations for Internet privacy differ for the following situations: Accessing the Web at home, at work, and in a public setting, such as a library computer lab or WiFi zone. What is the basis for your expectations? Is it legal to use your neighbors wireless Internet signal? Is it ethical? Explain your reasoning.

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Discussion Questions

What are the three fundamental tenets of a code of ethics? What ethical issues can arise with the widespread use of information systems? What preemptive measures can a business take to avoid ethical problems?

What are the basic provisions of the SarbanesOxley Act and the USA Patriot Act? What effects are these pieces of legislation having on information security? What measures have businesses implemented to ensure they are in compliance?

Week Eight

Course Assignments

CheckPoint: Web 2.0

Resource Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business

Review Section 5.2 in the text.

Write a paragraph of at least 200 words addressing the following: How would you describe Web 2.0 to someone who has not taken a course in information systems? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Web 2.0? How has Web 2.0 impacted business?

Format your paragraph according to APA guidelines. Save it in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.

Assignment: Where Did You Find that Book?

Purpose: this assignment is intended to have students look at real world examples of Web 2.0 by examining its uses by three different booksellers.

Resources: Amazons Web Site, Barnes & Noble Web site, and the Web site of a local bookseller

Conduct research on the following three booksellers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and a local bookseller of your choice in terms of business model, competition, and m-commerce capabilities. At click on Investor Relations and Careers on the bottom of the Web site. , click Barnes & Noble, Inc. at the bottom of their Web site.

Prepare a six- to eight-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, including speakers notes. Address the following: Define each booksellers business model and describe how they compete with each other. Identify the communication technologies used by each bookstore. Describe the m-commerce capabilities of each bookstore and how each conducts its m-commerce activities. What advantages and disadvantages does m-commerce provide for each bookseller?

Use APA formatting guidelines. Attach the PowerPoint presentation to the Assignments page to earn points.

Week Nine

Course Assignments

Capstone Discussion Question

What are the most important concepts you have learned in this course? How do you think you will use these concepts in your further studies and in your career?

Final Project: Club IT, Part 3

Purpose: this assignment provides students the opportunity to formulate a technology plan. Students will develop technology solutions to the three business problems identified in the Week Six assignment, Club IT, Part Two. A sample technology plan is provided in Appendix F to guide students in formulating their plan. This is the final of three assignments involving Club IT.

Resources: Appendix A, Appendix E, Appendix F, and

Read Appendix E with additional information on Club IT.

Use Appendix F as a template for the form of your technology plan.

Write a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper identifying technology solutions to the business problems at Club IT you cited in your Week Six analysis. Develop a technology plan, a proposal of your technology recommendations, for addressing those problems. Follow the seven criteria in Appendix F and answer all the questions. Include the introduction and conclusion. Find the information about the inventory by checking the technology guides at

Format your paper according to APA guidelines. Create title and reference pages. Check the sample paper at

Save the paper in a Microsoft Word document and attach it to the Assignments page to earn points.