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INFM 603
Information Technology and Organizational Context
Fall 2011
Course Description
Catalog Description
Application of communication and information technologies to support
work processes, including technology-enhanced communication networks,
computer-supported collaborative work, decision-support systems,
interactive systems, and systems analysis. Acquisition of information
systems and their integration into the organization.
Enrollment Policy
This is a core course in the MIM program. Students enrolled in other
programs (including iSchool Ph.D. students) should consult with the
instructor to determine whether their academic preparation is
appropriate for this course. Students who have completed LBSC 690 may
not register for INFM 603.
MIM students who believe that their background has adequately prepared
them in terms of the the knowledge and experience that would be gained
in this course may request to instead take an additional advanced
technology course that better matches their needs. Such requests are
made using the College's process for waiver of a requirement, which is
described in the Master's
Student Handbook. Waiver requests that are complete in every
required detail on or before August 22 will normally be decided by
August 29. Waiver requests that are complete in every detail on or
before August 29 will normally be decided by September 2; students are
advised to attend class and complete class requirements until being
notified that a waiver has been approved. Waiver requests submitted
after August 29 will not be considered in time for the resulting
decision to affect Fall enrollment.
Goals
- Demonstrate mastery of foundational technologies for networked
information management.
- Understand how these technologies are deployed in an
organizational context.
Approach
The first eight weeks of the class are designed to build a
progressively richer understanding of how specific foundational
capabilities (physical infrastructure, content representation,
structural markup, programming, and service-oriented architecture) are
used together to both process information and create the user
experience. Homework assignments will be used to demonstrate mastery
of specific technologies. In the second half of the course, class
sessions will be devoted to more holistic consideration of how those
capabilities are used together to support the activities of an
organization. During this part of the semester, students will
complete a term project in which they demonstrate mastery of the
integrated use of technologies that were mastered individually during
the first half of the semester. By examining technologies first
individually and then more holistically, students will have the
opportunity to enrich their understanding of how specific technologies
interact to help achieve the objectives of an organization.
Contact Information
I am available by appointment to discuss material from class, the
readings, homework assignments, the project, etc. Email is the best
way to reach me to set up an appointment, and it is also a good way to
get a quick answer to a simple question.
Schedule
| Day | Time (P.M.) | Activity | Room
|
|---|
| Thursday | 5:15-5:45 | Office Hours | HBK 2118F
|
| Thursday | 6:00-8:45 | Class | HBK 2119
|
A syllabus that summarizes what we will
cover each week can be found on the class Web
site. There are no scheduled lab sessions.
Course Materials
The class Web site at http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~oard/teaching/603/fall11/
contains the most recent version of all material produced for this
course. Among other things, this course description, the syllabus,
the reading list, slides used in class, and homework assignments can
be found there.
Textbook and supplemental reading assignments for each week can be
found on the syllabus. The principal text
for this course is P.J. Deitel and H.M. Deitel, Internet
and World Wide Web: How to Program, Fourth Edition. The book may
be purchased at the campus bookstore or through online booksellers.
Students are encouraged to use the course mailing list to share
information that would be of general interest or for any other purpose
that seems reasonable. Mail sent to that address will reach the
instructor and all students. If you have not received a message from
the mailing list yet, please contact the instructor to make sure that
your correct address is included.
When possible, lectures will be recorded and made available online
using Panopto. This
system has not been used previously in our classroom, so we may have a
few teething pains. Please don't count on the availability of the
video until it has been demonstrated!
Grading
Course grades will be assigned based on homework, a term project, and
an in-class final examination. With the exception noted below, scores
on each component will be combined to produce a single overall score
for each student as follows:
| Component | Portion of Grade
|
| Homework | 30% (5% each for the best 6 of the 7)
|
| Project | 35%
|
| Final Exam | 35%
|
The homework assignments are designed to provide an opportunity for
students to explore specific topics in a structured way. Students may
work together on the homework assignments, but all of the material
that is turned in for grading must be produced individually. For
example, students may form study groups and work out homework
solutions together on a chalkboard or by each working separately on
different terminals and then sharing what they have learned, but it
would not be permissible for one student to prepare an answer set and
then for other students to copy those answers and submit it as their
own work. Turning in copied files is specifically prohibited; each
student must individually type or handwrite any materials that are
submitted for grading, including computer programs.
A term project will be completed by each student before the end of the
semester. Each project will involve implementation of an information
system using technologies covered during the first part of the course.
Students will be assigned to two-person teams; the assignment process
will be based on preferences submitted at the same time as Homework
Assignment 6. Additional details are provided on the project plan Web page.
The University of Maryland is one of a small number of universities
with a student-administered Honor Code and an Honor Pledge. The Code
prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers,
submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without
authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and
forging signatures. Students must write the following signed statement
on each examination or assignment:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any
unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment).
Compliance with the code is administered by the Student Honor Council,
which strives to promote a community of trust. Allegations of
academic dishonesty should be reported directly to the Honor Council
(301-314-8450) by any member of the campus community. Cases are decided
by joint faculty-student boards. For additional information, consult
the Office of Student Conduct Web
site.
Class Attendance
This is a graduate course in which each student is responsible for
making their own decisions regarding how best to master the material.
Students will be help accountable for all content covered in class, in
the assigned readings, and in homework and project assignments.
Experience strongly suggests that students should attend class when
they are able to, and that when events preclude class attendance they
should carefully review the video (if available) and the posted slides
and then discuss what they missed with one or more classmates before
the next class session. Class attendance for the student
presentations on term projects (December 8) and the final exam
(December 13) is required; students whose schedule requires that they
miss a class on another date do not require permission from the
instructor.
Accommodations for Religious Holidays and Other Special
Circumstances
Students wishing to discuss accommodations for religious holidays on
dates that assignments are due, or other circumstances not addressed
in this course information page, should discuss those circumstances
with me before the third class session in order to permit
adequate time for planning. Only accommodations for unforeseeable
circumstances will be considered after that date.
Accommodations for Disabilities
The University is legally obligated to provide appropriate
accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Accommodations will be made only in accordance with University policy.
Students who are entitled to accommodations due to disabilities must
first set up an appointment with the Disability Support Services (DSS)
in the Counseling Center, 301-314-7682. To permit adequate planning,
this process must be completed and the instructor notified by
DSS at least two weeks before the session in which the
accommodation is required.
Doug
Oard
Last modified: Fri Sep 23 20:09:32 2011