Business Information Systems: Design an App for That
Instructor’s Manual
Instructors Manual
Contents
A User Friendly Instructor’s Manual......
Creating the ClassApp Store......
Three keys to teaching......
PowerPoints......
Sample Syllabus......
Description......
Required Text......
Software......
Grading......
Pedagogy......
Assignments......
Caveat......
Required Free Accounts......
General Rules......
Chapter 1: Information Systems in Your Life......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Poll Everywhere......
2. Start with Why......
1. What are information systems?......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
2. Designing Information Systems......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
3. The Big Picture......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment--About Me Slide......
Instructions for students......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
Instructions for students......
2. Information Systems to Enhance Business: Business Process Redesign......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. About Me Slide Show......
2. IBM Boxes commercial......
3. IBM RFID Food......
1. What Is a Business Process?......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
2. Diagramming a Business Process......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment: Diagram Business Processes......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Suggested commercial: IBM RFID Checkout......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
3. Professionalism in Deliverables: Principles of Graphic Design......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Schools kill creativity......
2. Design of the Obama logo......
C.R.A.P. Principles of Graphic Design......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment: Email Signature......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
L2 Assignment: Laptop Hotspot Ad......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading rubric for L2 Assignment......
4. User Centered Design: Design an iPhone App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. There’s an App for That videos......
2. Slideshow of hotspot ads......
MIS and Marketing......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Laws of Branding......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Icon Design......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Plan and Design Your App......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment: A Market and Persona for Your App......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading rubric for L1 Assignment......
L2 Assignment: Demonstrate the Benefits of Your App......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L2 Assignment......
L3 Assignment: Create a Mockup of Your App......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L3 Assignment......
5. Planning Usable Websites: Design a Website to Market the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Slideshow of iPhone Apps......
2. IBM commercial- Is your web designer incompetent?......
3. Sony Usability Lab......
4. Sixth Sense- The Future of Usability......
Top Ten Guidelines for Site Usability......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Designing the Class App Store......
6. Build, Buy, or Reuse Solution: Develop a Website to Market the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
1. Slideshow of the first half of the iPhone app mockups......
Development Considerations......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Google Sites......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Database Integration......
Key Takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L3 Assignment: Develop a Website......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Instructions for students......
Grading Rubric for L3 Assignment......
Shopping......
Grading Rubric for Shopping......
7. Knowledge with Information Systems: Forecast Revenues and Expenses for the App
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Bubble Ball By Robert Nay, 14 year old developer......
2. iPhone Infographic......
3. Volkswagen Commercial......
4. Cloud Computing-Latest Buzzword or a Glimpse of the Future?......
Development Options and Costs......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Discussion I......
Discussion II......
Spreadsheets to Estimate Costs......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment Forecast Revenues/Expenses......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
L2 Assignment More Costs and Sensitivity Analysis......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L2 Assignment......
8. Decision Support: Determine Feasibility of a Business Loan for the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Calculate the Terms of a Loan......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment Calculate Loan Payments......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
L2 Assignment Include Loan Payments in Forecast......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L2 Assignment......
9. Decision Support: Determine Feasibility of a Business Loan for the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Challenger Tribute......
2. January 2010 AdMob Mobile Metrics......
3. Apple Making Verizon-Ready iPhone by Year End......
4. IBTIMES.com What app developers want......
5. iPhone C Section Comics......
6. iPhone Users Prefer Chicken, Android Users Ribs......
7. AdMob Mobile Metrics Highlights-May 2010......
Big Picture: Industry Analysis......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Representing Industry Information Using Graphs......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Assignment S.W.O.T. and Porter’s......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L1 Assignment......
L2 Assignment Show App Trends in Excel......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L2 Assignment......
Instructions for students......
10. Business Intelligence: Analysis of App Sales Data......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Possible hooks to gain student interest......
1. Short Story......
Business Intelligence......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Databases......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L3 Assignment Sales Data Analysis......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L3 Assignment......
11. Writing the Business Case: Design a Report for the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
1. Simon Sinek-Start with Why......
2.Harley Davidson-Live by It......
Pros and Cons of PowerPoint......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Schematic Report......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
Template for the Report......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L3 Assignment Create a Schematic Report......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L3 Assignment......
Instructions for students......
12. Decision Support: Determine Feasibility of a Business Loan for the App......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Designing Presentations......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L3 Professional Presentation Development......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
Grading Rubric for L3 Assignment......
13. Establishing Credentials: Networking and Placement......
Chapter Introduction......
The Big Picture......
Cover Letters, Resumes, Interviews......
Key takeaways......
Questions and Exercises......
L1 Cover Letter Design......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
L2 Resume Design......
Setup......
Content and Style......
Deliverable......
A User Friendly Instructor’s Manual
We worked hard to create an Instructor’s Manual that would be user friendly. We would like you to enjoy teaching the course. Please let us know how we did.
Raymond Frost,
Jacqueline Pike,
Lauren Kenyo,
Sarah Pels,
Creating the ClassApp Store
The class hinges on the construction of an online store for your students to market their App designs. You create the structure of the store and the students fill in the product pages. Fortunately, we have automated most of the construction of the store using a Google Sites template. It is really easy to set up:
Get a Gmail account. Then create a new site using Google Sites. The first option is to pick a template. Search for and select the ClassAppStore template. Like magic the template creates the entire site! It even creates APP and SALES spreadsheets in your Google Docs account! These spreadsheets store all the transaction data. Now you just need to customize the site for your class. Follow the customization instructions that are on the template.
Three keys to teaching
Three keys make an enormous difference in student learning and in teaching evaluations: Hooks, Big Picture View, and Learning Objectives.
Hooks are a way to quickly capture student attention at the beginning of the class. They should take only a couple of minutes. We provide suggestions for each chapter.
Big Picture View means letting students know where they are in the overall plan of the course. Otherwise the course appears to be a random series of topics. We used the Systems Development Life Cycle in order to have a link with the rest of the MIS curriculum. However, we could just as easily have used the outline of the schematic report which students create as their final deliverable.
Learning Objectives are much maligned because so many of them are badly written. However, good learning objectives should be actionable and measureable: “After completing this section you will be able to….” Now the students have something tangible to get excited about.
PowerPoints
We don’t like the PowerPoints that accompany most texts any more than you do. Very few of them are written by the authors. However, our PowerPoints were created by us. They are what we actually use. And we try to practice what we preach. We tend toward Presentation Zen (see chapter 12, Presenting the Business Case) rather than death by PowerPoint. Therefore, our slides are mostly images with few words. The students will be listening to you rather than reading the slides!
Sample Syllabus
Description
This course is designed to teach information design and information literacy concepts in a business setting. Over the course of the quarter, students plan, build, and develop a proposal for an iPhone application. This includes building a website prototype to help market and support the app and forecasting financials. We will be simultaneously learning business concepts and MIS skills.
Required Text
Business Information Systems: Design an App for That The text is available online from Flatworldknowledge.com. Order now to allow time for shipping!
Software
Microsoft Office 2010 or Office 2011 (Mac). Gmail, Kuler Colors, Dropbox, ISMS, Google Sites, and Google Docs are in the cloud.
Grading
For all projects, the requirements, deliverable format, and evaluation criteria will be precisely specified.
93,300-100,000 / A / 90,000-93,200 / A- / 86,700-89,900 / B+83,300-86,600 / B / 80,000-83,200 / B- / 76,700-79,900 / C+
73,300-76,600 / C / 70,000-73,200 / C- / 66,700-69,900 / D+
63,300-66,600 / D / 60,000-63,200 / D- / <60,000 / F
Pedagogy
• Levels 1 and 2 —Mastery of techniques in a business context
• Level 3—Apply concepts to a new business problem
Assignments
There are weekly homework assignments that have a heavy weight in your grade. Please allow 3 to 4 hours each week to complete.
Caveat
Schedule and points distribution are subject to change.
Required Free Accounts
Gmail:
Your Gmail account also gives you access to Google Sites and Google Docs—all of which we will use.
Dropbox:
Kuler:
MockApp:
General Rules
This is a course for aspiring professionals. The following are the expectations and rules for the class:
- Disrespect in anyway, by anybody, toward anybody, will not be tolerated. This includes designing apps that promote unethical behavior—such as drug use or underage drinking.
- Occasionally you may need to turn in an assignment late or miss a class. You begin with three lives. A life may be used to miss one class session (lecture or lab), arrive late, or to turn in an assignment up to 2 days late.
- Your lives can be redeemed for 500 points extra credit each if you preserve them through the end of the quarter.
- You can also earn additional lives. Lives may be earned (up to 6) by perfect attendance for two weeks straight. (1 week in summer).
- The student will act honorably at all times. Honesty is valued at 1 letter grade for a first offense, and 3 letter grades for a second offense—i.e., failing the course. This means, among other things, the student will not cheat - to do such is an insult to your soul. If you do this, you are not of the caliber of student I want to graduate.
- Any out-of-class e-mail communication from the instructor will be through your email account. You must make sure that you check your email on a regular basis because you are responsible for any information contained in such messages.
- When the instructor is talking to the class, everyone is to pay attention quietly.
- Trips to the restrooms are to be made only in cases of emergency and only during the activity phases of the class, not while the instructor is talking. Bring a water bottle to class so that trips to the drinking fountain are not necessary.
- Students will not pack up to leave until you are told to do so.
- A student may not attend another class section, even if it is taught by the same instructor, unless they have made advance prior arrangements with the instructor.
Chapter 1:Information Systems in Your Life
Chapter Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of the information systems field. It defines information systems, discusses types of information systems, and talks about the process by which systems are designed.
The Big Picture
Possible hooks to gain student interest
1. Poll Everywhere
Shock your students by having them take out rather than put away their cellphones at the start of class.
Show what an information system is by having prepared a Poll Everywhere ( poll that the students respond to using their cell phones. For example, they can text what they did for break (qualitative) or favorite football team (bar graph). Discuss how this simple example incorporates all three dimensions of an information system: people, process, information technology.
This hook requires a bit of setup as you will need to create a free Poll Everywhere poll before class. The free account also only allows 32 responses—great for a small class, but in a big class only the first ones to text in get counted.
2. Start with Why
Another possible hook is to let your students know what you believe about teaching and about them. Why did you decide to choose an unconventional and fun text? What does that say about you, and about what you believe with respect to teaching and learning?
1. What are information systems?
- Understand the parts of an information system
- Identify companies that practice user centered design
- Identify typical careers for information systems graduates
Key Takeaways
- The information systems triangle includes people, processes, and information technology. It is a good reminder that MIS is about much more than just technology.
- Well-designed information systems keep the user in mind at each step of the process.
- Information systems are used by every functional area of business--marketing, management, finance, and accounting. For this reason it is good to have a strong background in information systems.
- Careers in information systems tend to be dynamic, team based, and focused on problem solving.
- Few information systems careers involve programming. However, IS professionals must be able to communicate with programmers.
Questions and Exercises
1. Search for news stories on the Bristol Palin vote controversy. What systems did ABC put in place to catch voter fraud?
Answer:They have various security checks that go over the votes before they are calculated such as spotting IP addresses and seeing if one computer sends in a ton of votes, and if it does, they discard them. Excessive votes aren’t counted. They discard anything that looks suspicious. They don’t reveal all systems though so that people don’t look for ways around them.
2. Pick a user centered web site other than Amazon.com and explain why you think it is well designed.
Answer:EBay would be another example of a user-centered web site. Its focus is its users and the way they interact with one another. I think it is well-designed because it has links that help show how to buy or sell, different sections for different items, and many people who use it once can’t help but to get addicted and use it repeatedly because they get good results – either finding desired items or receiving a decent amount of money for selling things. With this website it is true that one man’s trash can be another’s treasure. The visual design of the website itself is also very user friendly because the coloring and format make it easy and fun to use even for people with minimal computer skills.
3. Find job descriptions for two information systems jobs. Do the job descriptions emphasize soft skills or technical skills or both?
Answer: One job description I found was for a computer and IS manager position and it seemed to emphasize both soft skills and technical skills because they need to be able to both work with personnel and machines to get their jobs done with computers information systems. The other job description I found was for a Geographic information systems specialist, which focused a bit more on the technical skills than soft skills because it has more to do with the information itself than translating the information for people.
2. Designing Information Systems
- Compare and contrast usability, graphic design and analytical design.
- Outline the steps by which an information system should be designed.
Key Takeaways
- The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is an approach for designing and developing MIS solutions. It proceeds in stages: analysis, requirements (vision of future state), design, development, and implementation.
- Information systems professionals often make the equivalent of a sketch of the design of the final system. When the sketches are crude they are called wireframes; when they are more refined they are called mockups. However, sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
Questions and Exercises
1. Watch a home improvement show such as Curb Appeal and identify all five stages of the SDLC in the show. About how much time does the show devote to each stage?