New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Computer and Information Science Department (CIS)
CIS677: Information System Principles, Spring 2001
Professor: Michael Bieber

Quick Links: [677 Home] [Schedule] [WebBoard] [To Know] [Links] [Homeworks] [Syllabus] [Chunking] [Mentoring]

CIS677 Course Flow or What to Do Each Week & Overview of the Homework Assignments
(Distance sections)

Version 3.1 (fixed discussion assignment references) - 2/27/2001

There is a lot going on in CIS677, and it might take 2-3 weeks for things to fall into a pattern. This page should help lay out what to do. It consolidates information from various handouts posted on the course Web Site for the first several weeks of class.

Page Outline

Weekly Overview

Each of you will participate in three discussion conferences on WebBoard (please use the ones corresponding to the first letter of your last name).

Here is the general flow of class discussion - see the description below and in the chunking and additional discussion homework assignments for details:

By Tuesday Night

By Saturday Night

  1. read the text chapters (listed on the schedule)
  2. read the articles and any other assigned readings (listed on the schedule)
  3. posted their 2 chunking entries

By Sunday Night

Everyone should have:

  1. watched the video lecture (listed on the schedule)
  2. posted 4 comments in their Article Critique conference
  3. posted 1 comment in their Discussion conference

By Monday Night

Everyone should have posted their 2 chunking replies

By Wednesday Night:

Everyone should have posted 3 replies: 1 for each of the two articles in their article critique conference, and 1 in their discussion conference.

To Do As Soon As Possible

  1. Read the Welcome Letter
  2. Get a WebBoard account under CIS677
  3. Get the textbook (Zwass). Besides NJIT's bookstore and the standard on-line booktores, you can also try on-line text services such as http://www.bn.com, http://www.bookpool.com and http://www.varsitybooks.com. (I am not endorsing any of these.)
  4. Get the CD-ROM containing the course videos from the NJIT bookstore.

To Do for the Week of 1/20

From the course schedule for 1/20:

1/20 Introduction
Text: Zwass Ch. 1, 2, 8
Video: Lecture 1
Deadline: on-line biographical sketch; weekly discussion

We're trying a new approach for distributing the workload more evenly this semester. We're going to try to cover most of the textbook chapters during the first month of class, in part to give an overview of the course, and in part to reduce the workload later in the semester.

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 1/20:

  1. Read all the readings posted on the course schedule. These are Chapters 1, 2 and 8 in the Zwass text.
  2. Watch the first CIS677 video on the CD-ROM or through NJIT's Virtual Private Network (see the course Web site for details). The accompanying handouts are on the CD-ROM and on the course Web site (and in the course pack). Lecture notes are available from the link on the schedule, from the link on the course home page or the link on the CD-ROM.
  3. Follow the instructions in the Getting to Know You assignment, as noted on the class schedule. This will involve posting a short biographical sketch on-line on the WebBoard system.
  4. There is no article critiquing this week.
  5. By Sunday night 1/21, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials. (Your discussion conference will be designated by the first letter of your last name.) Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  6. By Wednesday night 1/24, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.

To Do for the Week of 2/3

From the course schedule for 2/3:

2/3 Information Structure of Organizations
Text: Zwass Ch. 9, 10, 12, 13.1
Video: Lecture 2a
Deadline: weekly discussion

We skipped a week because several people are having trouble getting the course materials. Instead, we'll be holding a debate on WebBoard.

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 2/3:

  1. Participate in the debate on WebBoard. Details are posted in the discussion conferences.
  2. Read all the readings for 2/3's week posted on the course schedule. These are Chapters 9, 10 and 12 in the Zwass text, as well as section 13.1.
  3. Watch Part A of the second CIS677 video on the CD-ROM or through NJIT's Virtual Private Network (see the course Web site for details). The accompanying handouts are on the CD-ROM and on the course Web site (and in the course pack). Lecture notes are available from the link on the schedule, from the link on the course home page or the link on the CD-ROM.
  4. There is no article critiquing this week.
  5. By Sunday night 2/4, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials. (Your discussion conference will be designated by the first letter of your last name.) Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  6. By Wednesday night 2/7, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.

To Do for the Week of 2/10

From the course schedule for 2/10:

2/10 Information Structure of Organizations, Cont.
Text: Zwass Ch. 3; Zwass 1992 Ch. 12; Dekleva 2000
Video: Lecture 2b
Deadline: choose mentoring teams; weekly discussion; intermediate discussion evaluation form  

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 2/10:

  1. Read all the readings for 2/10's week posted on the course schedule. These are Chapter 3 in the Zwass 1998 text, and two additional readings from the course pack: Chapter 12 from the Zwass 1992 text and the article by Deklava.
  2. Watch Part B of the second CIS677 video. The accompanying handouts are on the CD-ROM, on the course Web site and in the course pack. Lecture notes are available from the link on the schedule, from the link on the course home page or the link on the CD-ROM.
  3. There is no article critiquing this week.
  4. By Sunday night 2/11, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials. (Your discussion conference will be designated by the first letter of your last name.) Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  5. By Wednesday night 2/14, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  6. So that I receive it by 2/14, please mail or fax me your intermediate discussion evaluation form #1. In it please honestly evaluate the quality of everyone's discussion until now. See the discussion homework assignment for an explanation.
  7. You will be choosing mentoring teams on-line in the "Mentoring Team Matchmaking (Distance)" WebBoard conference by 2/14. Each mentoring team will present materials to the class one time during the semester. Think about which class topic from the schedule would interest you. The first mentoring team will be for 2/28's week on Systems Concepts.
  8. The first mentoring team should start preparing this week.

To Do for the Week of 2/17

From the course schedule for 2/17:

2/17 On-Going IS Overview
Text: Zwass Ch. 18; Davis & Olsen Ch. 8
Article: Brynjolfsson & Hitt 1998
Deadline: weekly chunking (on the article); weekly discussion; individual review article #1 check

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 2/17:

  1. Read all the readings for 2/17's week posted on the course schedule. These are chapter 18 in the Zwass text, Chapter 18 from the Davis and Olsen text (in your course pack) and the Brynjolfsson & Hitt article (in your course pack).
  2. This is the only week when we will not watch a videotaped lecture.
  3. You will need to "chunk" the Brynjolfsson & Hitt article. Follow the instructions in the chunking assignment. As these instructions note, because you have 1 article this week, you should post 1 comment in your chunking conference on the WebBoard system. Your comment will contain one chunk and 2-3 questions for that reading, so you will do 1 chunk in all. Post your chunk by Saturday evening 2/17.
  4. You should reply to one of somebody else's chunks by Monday evening 2/19.
  5. By Sunday night 2/18, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials.
  6. We will only be critiquing one article this week. By Sunday night 2/18, post at least two comments in your article critique conference on WebBoard about the Brynjolfsson & Hitt article. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  7. By Wednesday night 2/21, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard, and 1 reply to any comment in your article critique conference for the Brynjolfsson & Hitt article. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  8. Choose a research-oriented article to review. Follow the instructions in the individual review article assignment.
  9. The first and second mentoring teams should be preparing this week.

To Do for the Week of 2/24

From the course schedule for 2/24:

2/24 Systems Concepts
Text: Zwass 1992 Ch. 10; Alter 1996
Articles: Alter 1999; Malone et al. 1987
Video: Lecture 9
Deadline: weekly chunking; weekly discussion

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 2/24:

  1. Read all the readings for 2/24's week posted on the course schedule. These are chapter 10 in the Zwass 1992 text and the first few pages of the Alter 1996 text. Both are found in the course pack. Also read the Alter 1999 and Malone, Yates and Benjamin articles found in the course pack. (Be sure to read the Alter text chapter before reading the Alter Article.)
  2. Watch CIS677 video #9 on the second CD-ROM. The accompanying handouts are on the course Web site, on the CD-ROM and in the course pack. Lecture notes are available from the links on the schedule, on the course home page or on the CD-ROM.
  3. You will need to "chunk" both the Alter 1999 and the Malone et al. articles. Follow the instructions in the chunking assignment. Post your chunks by Saturday evening 2/24.
  4. Post a chunking reply to a chunk for each article by Monday evening 2/26.
  5. By Sunday night 2/25, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials.
  6. By Sunday night 2/25, post at least two comments in your article critique conference on WebBoard about the Alter 1999 article, and at least two comments about the Malone et al. article. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  7. By Wednesday night 2/28, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard, and 1 reply to any comment for each of two articles in your article critique conference. Follow the instructions in the discussion homework assignment.
  8. The first mentoring team will be managing the discussion on-line this week.
  9. The second and third mentoring teams should be preparing this week.

To Do for the Week of 3/3

From the course schedule for 3/3:

3/3 Cognitive Aspects of Systems
Articles: Daft & Lengel 1986; Benbasat & Taylor 1983
Video: Lecture 8
Deadline: weekly chunking; weekly discussion; individual review article #1; intermediate discussion evaluation form; intermediate discussion record form

Please do the following in preparation for and during the week of 3/3:

  1. Read all the readings for 3/3's week posted on the course schedule. These are the classic Daft & Lengel and Benbasat & Taylor articles.
  2. Watch CIS677 video #8 on the CD-ROM.
  3. Chunk both the Daft & Lengel and Benbasat & Taylor articles. Post your chunks by Saturday evening 3/3.
  4. Post a chunking reply to a chunk for each article by Monday evening 3/5.
  5. By Sunday night 3/4, post at least one comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard about some aspect of the week's materials.
  6. By Sunday night 3/4, post at least two comments in your article critique conference on WebBoard about the two articles.
  7. By Wednesday night 3/7, post at least 1 reply to any comment in your discussion conference on WebBoard, and 1 reply to any comment for each of two articles in your article critique conference.
  8. Turn in your first individual article review. Follow the instructions in the assignment.
  9. Turn in your second discussion evaluation form and first discussion record form. Follow the instructions on the forms.
  10. The second mentoring team will be managing the discussion on-line this week.
  11. The third and fourth mentoring teams should be preparing this week.

Overview of the Homework Assignments

CIS677 has several assignments. All are described in documents posted on the class Web site.

 

* Getting Started on the WebBoard Conferencing System

You should do this assignment as soon as possible. It involves getting an account on the WebBoard computer conferencing system in the CIS677 area.

 

* Getting to Know You

This assignment is due the first week of class. It involves entering a short introduction to yourself in a WebBoard conference.

 

* Chunking

A chunk is a single idea or piece of information. The motivation behind the chunking assignment is to encourage you to think more deeply about each of the readings. Every week, for every major reading, you will post a chunking comment. Each comment contains a chunk from that reading that you find interesting for some reason, the reason why, and 2-3 questions that arise from the reading. You also will need to post some replies to others' chunks.

 

* Class Mentoring

Everyone will be part of a mentoring team. Each mentoring team is responsible for leading the discussion on the class materials for one class period across the semester.

 

* Mentoring Article Reviews

Your mentoring team will have to write a critical article review for each of your two mentoring articles. Follow the article review guidelines posted on the course Web site.

 

* Individual Article Reviews

You will analyze an article this semester. The motivation for this is to learn how to think critically about research articles in the IS field. Follow the article review guidelines posted on the course Web site.

last updated: 2/27/2001 - Version 3.1 (shifted weeks; added missing discussion assignment in last weeks)

This page: http://www.cis.njit.edu/~bieber/CIS677S01/course-flowdl.html