Rubrics for grading

Rubrics that I use

Research Rubric

Equal weight (20 % each)	Mastery (90-100%)	Proficient (80-89%)	Developing (70-79%)
Problem Statement	Provides a well defined and focused statement of the research problem including topics and subtopics.	Provides an adequate statement of the research problem.	The research statement is underdeveloped. Statement may be too broad or narrow.
Sources	Chooses information that is essential and relevant to the research problem. Information adds to the knowledge base for this topic.	Chooses appropriate information. Provides adequate information to add to the knowledge base for this topic of study.	Sources are underdeveloped.
Observations	Thoroughly describes the information culled from the sources.	Adequately describes information from sources.	Observations are underdeveloped.
Summary	Thoroughly derives conclusions, recommendations and possible applications.	Adequately derives conclusions, recommendations and possible applications.	Conclusions, recommendations and possible applications are underdeveloped.
Citation and Bibliography	Information from sources is paraphrased and cited. Provides a bibliography in an accepted format. There are no errors.	There are few documentation errors.	Documentation is underdeveloped.

Writing Rubric

Equal weight (20 % each)	Mastery (90-100%)	Proficient (80-89%)	Developing (70-79%)
1. Focus & Meaning	Establishes and maintains an insightful opinion/position/thesis to effectively persuade the reader. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the purpose and audience. Completes all parts of the task and may go beyond the task.	Establishes an opinion/position/thesis and adequately attempts to persuade the reader. Demonstrates a basic understanding of the purpose and audience. Completes most parts of the task.	States an opinion/position/thesis but may be unclear or underdeveloped. Demonstrates limited understanding of the purpose and audience. Completes some parts of the task.
2.  Content & Development	Effectively develops arguments and ideas. Uses a wide variety of specific, accurate, and relevant detail to support a position.	Adequately develops arguments and ideas. Uses a variety of specific, accurate, and relevant detail to support a position.	Develops arguments and ideas that may be brief and inconsistent. Uses some specific, accurate, and relevant detail to support a position.
3.  Organization	Demonstrates a cohesive and unified structure. Effective use of paragraphing and transitional devices throughout. Exhibits engaging introductions and strong conclusions.	Demonstrates a generally unified structure. Good use of paragraphing and transitional devices throughout. Exhibits noticeable introductions and conclusions.	Demonstrates evidence of structure. Inconsistent use of paragraphing and transitional devices. Exhibits uncertain introductions and conclusions.
4.  Language Use & Style	Demonstrates precise language and word choice, with evidence of a well-defined voice, and a clear sense of audience. Employs well-structured and varied sentences.	Demonstrates appropriate language and word choice, with evidence of voice and a sense of audience. Employs correct sentence structure with some variety.	Demonstrates appropriate language and word choice, with some control of voice and awareness of audience. Relies on simple sentences with insufficient variety and word choice.
5.  Mechanics & Conventions	Few or no errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling.	Few errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling that do not significantly interfere with the communication of the message.	Some errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling that may interfere with the communication of the message.

Discussion Rubric

Equal Weight (12.5 % each)	Mastery (90-100%)	Proficient (80-89%)	Developing (70-79%)
Focus	Posts comments that are especially relevant and thought provoking. Uses an appropriate subject heading.	Posts relevant comments that adequately provoke discussion. Uses an appropriate subject heading.	Posts comments that are somewhat relevant and thought provoking.
Information	Posts comments that are especially informative.	Posts comments that are adequately informative.	Post comments that are somewhat informative.
Clarity and conciseness	Posts comments that are logical and concise.	Posts comments that are adequately logical and concise.	Posts comments that are somewhat logical and concise.
Integration	Effectively expresses opinions and ideas with clear connections to the ideas in the course as well as one’s own work or social life.	Adequately expresses opinions and ideas with clear connections to the ideas in the course as well as one’s own work or social life.	Expresses opinions and ideas with limited connections to the ideas in the course and one’s own work or social life.
Responses	Acknowledges other students’ posts with replies that add to the discussion.	Acknowledges another student’s post with a reply that adds to the discussion.	Responds to another student’s post in a limited way such as with an agreement only.
Synthesis	Effectively brings together or combines the main ideas of other group members. This could be accomplished in a closing remark.	Adequately combines the main ideas of other group members in a closing remark.	Brings together the main ideas of other group members in a limited way.
Promptness	Posts from the beginning and throughout the duration of the discussion	Posts towards the end of the time frame.	Posts one day behind.
Delivery	Posts comments with no errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Properly cites information sources used.	Posts with few errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Cites information sources used with few errors.	Posts with some errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling that that may interfere with the communication of the message. Cites information sources used with some errors.

Presentation Rubric

  

ATTRIBUTE	EMERGING	COMPETENT	EXEMPLARY
	4.25	4.5	4.75
VOICE Personal, expressive, revealing; compels involvement from audience.	Presentor seems univolved. Indifferent. Work is flat, stiff. All tell, no show. Anyone could have done it.	Personality, flavor, style of presentor shows sometimes. Pleasant, acceptable,earnest, cautious, routine.	Confident, vital, honest style gives viewer a powerful sense of presentor's convictions. Natural language amuses, provokes, delights.
THINKING In-depth, divergent.	Takes an unreflective and routine approach to the subject. Little evidence of gaining new understandings.	Takes a successful but ordinary approach to the subject. Remains at knowledge level thinking.	Unique, insightful, or fresh approach. Analyzes, synthesizes, evaluates and applies new knowledge.
IDEA & CONTENT Clearly developed.	Central idea is undeveloped. Strays from topic. Hard to follow. Lacks details and examples.	Central idea with support is obvious. Stays on topic. Predictable.	Central idea is focused, clear, and specific. Fresh and original insights. Details keep viewers attention.
ORGANIZATION Work is easy to understand	Order is confusing. Ideas, details, and events not shaped yet. The beginning and end are vague and undefined.	Order of presentation makes sense. Beginning, middle, and end are obvious. Most details are in the right place.	Clear direction moves audience through the presentation. Beginning gains attention. Details fit and build to main point. End provokes thought.

Syllabus

 

Management Information Systems – Nov 08-12 2010

faculty:                              Ramesh Subramanian
PHONE:                                   97907-82203

OFFICE LOCATION:             NMS Faculty Offices

Office Hours:                     Immediately after class sessions

EMAIL:                                   rameshs@quinnipiac.edu

Class meeting time:        Mon-Fri: 11:00-1:00 & 3:00-5:00

                                                                                                                                               

Course Description

This case-based course will focus on Computer and Information resources and services within an organizational context.  In particular, we will examine how information Technology (IT) enables organizations to conduct business in radically different and more effective ways. We will focus on:

• The impact of IT on industries and markets
• New organizational capabilities, management/leadership principles, and sources of value that arises within networked companies
• Operational issues at the interface of business and technology
• Leadership and management of IT activities focusing on the four key constituents ─ business executives, IT executives, users and IT partners

We will conclude by summarizing key frameworks, insights, and themes and discussing the integrated issues that arise as we shift from an industrial economy to a networked economy.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Reference Text Used

·         Corporate Information Strategy and Management ─ Text and Cases –Sixth & Seventh Editions-   by Lynda M. Applegate, Robert D. Austin, F. Warren McFarlan. Publisher: McGraw-Hill Irwin 2003, 2007

·         Managing and Using Information Systems: A Strategic Approach – By Kari E. Pearlson and Carol S. Saunders. 3^rd Edition. Publisher: Wiley, 2006.

Note: Students need not purchase these books.

                                                                                                                                               

Instructional  Methods

• Case studies

·         Brief topical lectures

• Class discussions of key concepts and readings
• Supplemental readings

• Team  projects

• Exams

Attendance

The success of this course hinges on student participation. Attendance at all class meetings is required. Your preparation (keeping current with the text and outside reading assignments) and in-class participation will be very important. If you miss classes or are not prepared to participate in the discussions it will impact your grade in this course.

Grading Policy

Grading will be based on the following:

Case presentations (Team): 20 points

Class participation: 10 points

IT use in Organizations (Team project) – Judged on quality and completeness of your written report plus “on-line” presentation**: 30+20 points

Final exam: 20 points

**Note: We may not have time to do the final presentations in class. Therefore you may have to mail your presentations. For preparing your presentation, you are welcome to use some online video presentation tools such as Jing and Screen Toaster. These tools are free and have a short learning curve. Tutorial Documents will be provided.

Case Presentations

Each team will be responsible for developing a presentation and leading the discussion on an assigned case; the team will also be responsible for preparing an executive summary of the case for distribution to the class.

Participation and Case Notes

When not presenting a group case or formal written case, individuals are expected to prepare “case notes”. These notes are your outline for class discussion of the assigned cases. Each student is expected to submit a minimum of three case note write-ups during the semester for review and formal evaluation by the instructor. Generally a one-to-two page (250-500 words) word-processed write-up is sufficient.

Your contribution/involvement in class discussions will be an important aspect of the score that you receive for class participation. As a rule in courses like these, it is expected that each student will contribute to the case discussion at least once every two sessions. I will randomly ask students to produce her/his case notes. Lack of notes will affect class-participation grades.

IT use in Organizations Team Project

The team project has multiple parts and is comprehensive in nature. Working in small (two or three-person) groups, students will research the use of IT by at least four major firms within the same industry. The report will focus on firm use of IT for competitive advantage, the impact of IT on firm performance, major IT initiatives currently underway, and best (IT) practices within the industry. You might refer to some of the trade publications – Computer World, Computer Week, PC Week, E-Week, Baseline, etc. to do the project. Each project will be presented to the entire class towards the end of the semester. The selection of a specific industry to work in is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note: Your team can also conduct a small research survey.

Exams 

I plan to give one exam (take-home or  in-class exams), depending on the pace of the course. In case of take-home exams, potential exam questions will be distributed at least a week in advance and each student will be required to answer the questions by the due date.  There will be maximum word limit for your answers to the exam questions.

Note on “Critical Questions”

A Critical Question is a written, open-ended query that emanates from critiquing the assigned material and, when asked in class, causes a spontaneous critical thinking discussion.

These qualifying criteria define an effective Critical Question:

1.       It draws upon the existing knowledge and experience of other students (and instructor) about the material. It is always written with an emanation (reference) point in the textual material duly noted (and announced when asked),

2.       It is discussable (or answerable) without the need to refer to some second source unavailable at the time of discussion,

3.       It is clear, concise, and non-confusing as written; that is, it does not require paraphrasing to be understood,

4.       It is well-focused to avoid vague generalizations or rampant speculation during discussion, and,

5.       It cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

In essence, any proposed Critical Question that does not meet the above definition or the criteria is judged ineffective. Given this information, students (you) can be evaluated on generating effective Critical Questions as a useful measure of subject matter assimilation. Note that measuring the effectiveness of the discussion itself is a separate issue.

You are cautioned that, in the context of the above definition, critical does not mean “most important.” It connotes instead the image of a student acting in the role of “critic” relating to the subject matter at hand.

Topics to be covered

1. Introduction: Challenges of managing in a networked economy
1. Analyzing the strategic impact of IT
2. Business Impacts of IT
1. IT and Strategy
2. IT and the Organization
3. Making the case for IT
3. Managing networked infrastructures and operations
1. Understanding Internetworking infrastructure
2. Assuring reliable and secure IT services
3. Managing diverse IT infrastructures
4. Leadership Issues
1. Organizing and leading the IT function
2. Managing outsourcing
3. Emerging Global IT issues

Course Schedule

Session	Date	Topics
1	Nov 08	·         IT Trends ─ Contemporary approaches; Challenges of managing in a networked economy; IT Extending the Enterprise ·         Case: Li and Fung – Internet Issues (class discussion)
2	Nov 08	·         IT and Strategy; The business case for IT ·         Group1: IT doesn’t Matter Article
3	Nov 09	·         Network Business Models ·         Group2: BrightCove and Internet TV Case
4	Nov 09	·         IT and the Business ·         Group3: Infosys Consulting Case
5	Nov 10	·         IT Architectures and Networking Infrastructure ·         Group4: CareGroup Case
6	Nov 10	·         IT Assurance and Security ·         Group5: The myth of secure computing article + Secom: Managing Internet Security Case
7	Nov 11                                                                  Dell Online	·         (Possible Quiz on IT Networking) ·         Managing Diverse IT Infrastructures ·         Group6: Accenture Case
8	Nov 11	·         Organizing and Leading the IT function ·         Organizational structures ·         IT Policy ·         Group7: Wikipedia Case
9	Nov 12                                                        AMM 6, 9; KR 5	·         IT Outsourcing ·         Group8: Technovate BPO Case
10	Nov 12	·         Global IT and emerging issues ·         Group9: Google and China Case
	Date/time to be decided	Final Exam

  

Grading the project: The written part of the project report will be worth 30% of the total grade for the course. The presentation will be worth 20%. The style and level of writing should be commensurate with that usually expected of graduate students. Therefore I expect work of high quality.

All final project papers must contain:

• A title page with the title, author’s name and affiliation, and email address.
• The paper should start on a new page. The top of this page should contain the title. The sections that follow should consist of:

o   The Abstract (with 5 key words)

o   The main sections and subsections, consisting of:

§  What is it about? (Introduction)

§  How and why it came about? (Background)

§  What work has been done in this area, as far as you can see? (Background/prior work)

§  Is there a problem in using or implementing this? (Problem)

§  Do you have a solution? If so, what is it? (Suggested solution)

§  What would be an ideal version or solution of this from the point of a (future) investigator? (Ideal solution – could be the same as suggested solution)

§  What problems do you anticipate in achieving this ideal solution? (Problems/work to be done)

§  Analysis & conclusions

o   List of References (which lists the details of citations made within the paper)

o   Appendix (if any)

• The paper should follow the APA style