SISAT

School of Information Systems and Technology

Faculty of Informatics

                                                                                                                                                              

BUSS316 – Information Systems Prototyping Subject Outline

Autumn Session 2007

                                                                                                                                                              

Head of School –Associate Professor Peter Hyland, Student Resource Centre, Tel: (02) 4221 3606

 

General Information

 

Subject Coordinator

Dr Sim Kim Lau

Telephone Number:

4221 4132

Email:

simlau@uow.edu.au

Location:

40.240

 

Dr Lau’s Consultation Times During Session


Day

Time

Tuesday

Thursday

8:30-10:30

10:30-12:30

 


Subject Organisation

Session:

Autumn session, Wollongong Campus

Credit Points

6 credit points

Contact hours per week:

2L, 2CL

Lecture Times & Location:

Tuesday 10.30-12.30 Room 20.5

Tutorial Day, Time and Location can be found at:

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/sols/timetables/index.html

 


 

Students should check the subject’s web site regularly as important information, including details of unavoidable changes in assessment requirements will be posted from time to time.  Any information posted to the web site is deemed to have been notified to all students.

 

Content

 

This subject provides an understanding of the systems development and modification process. It enables students to evaluate and choose an appropriate systems development methodology. It emphasises the factors for effective communication with users and team members and all those associated with development and maintenance of the system. It introduces and describes evolutionary systems development methodologies, and addresses the issues involved in project planning, documentation, management and monitoring of evolutionary development.

 

Objectives

 

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to demonstrate: the ability to identify development circumstances which may benefit from the use of a particular development approach; the ability to use and tailor an appropriate methodology to suit the client's development circumstances; the ability to use the methodology within a Fourth Generation Environment, and use computer-based tools, to develop systems; the ability to gather and analyse information during project development for documentation and management purposes, an understanding of how systems may need to evolve to match changing organisational circumstances.

 

Attendance Requirements

 

It is the responsibility of students to attend all lectures/tutorials/labs/seminars/practical work for subjects for which you are enrolled.

 

 

It should be noted that according to Course Rule 003{Interpretation Point 2 (t)} each credit point for a single session subject has the value of about two hours per week including class attendance.  Therefore, the amount of time spent on each 6 credit point subject should be at least 12 hours per week, which includes lectures/tutorials/labs etc


 

Attendance and participation in lectures, tutorials and web-mediated activities is a requirement for the successful completion of this course.  Failure to do so may result in a fail grade being recorded.  A good indicator of satisfactory attendance is approximately 80% of the allocated contact hours.  Attendance per se is not an assessable component of the course. 

 


Students MUST attend their allocated tutorial unless they have the written permission of the subject coordinator.


Method of Presentation

 

Lectures

In the two-hour lectures, students will be introduced to rapid and evolutionary prototyping techniques, methodologies using prototyping techniques, theoretical concepts and the general principles of prototyping.

All subject notices and announcements will be made during lectures. 

Tutorials

The two-hour tutorials, will be held in the Commerce Student Computer Laboratories (building 40, 2nd floor), will be devoted to hands-on use of Microsoft Access 2003 as rapid and evolutionary prototyping development environments. 

Proposed lecture and tutorial program

Week

Lecture topic

(Textbook: Avison & Fitzgerald)

Tutorial topic (Textbook:

Briggs)

Assessment due date

1

Introduction

(Chapters 1, 2, 3)

No tutorial

 

2

Evolutionary development  (Chapter 7)

Tutorial 1 & 2: Designing database

 

3

Evolutionary development  (Chapter 7)

Tutorial 3: Queries

Programming test 1

4

Data techniques

(Chapter 11)

Tutorial 4: Form design

Programming test 2

5

Process techniques
(Chapter 12)

Discussion on requirement of prototyping assignment

Tutorial 5: Report design

Programming test 3

6

Object-oriented techniques

(Chapter 13)

No tutorial

 

Mid-Session Recess

7

Rapid development methodology
(Chapter 23)

Tutorial 6: Customising user interface

Milestone 1 due

8

Rapid development methodology

(Chapter 23)

Tutorial 7: Using Visual Basic

Programming test 4

9

Agile development (Chapter 7)

Tutorial 8: Trapping errors with VBA

Milestone 2 due

10

Web information systems development (Chapter 23)

Prototyping assignment

Milestone 3 due

11

Prototyping tools and environment (Chapter 23)

Prototyping assignment

Milestone 4 due

12

Future trends

Discussion of final examination format

Prototyping assignment

 

13

Review

No tutorial

 

 

Subject Materials

Required textbook

Avison, D. E. and Fitzgerald, G., Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools, 4th ed., 2006, McGraw Hill International (UK), London

Briggs, A. D., Microsoft Office Access 2003 with Visual Basic for Applications (Advanced), Thomson Course Technology

 


The following readings/references are recommended only and are not intended to be an exhaustive list.  Students are encouraged to use the library catalogue and databases to locate additional readings

Avgerou, C and Cornford T., Developing Information Systems: Concepts, Issues and Practice, 1998, 2nd ed., Macmillan

Beck, K., Extreme Programming Explained, 2000, Addison-Wesley

Checkland, P., Soft systems methodology: a 30-year retrospective; Systems thinking, systems practice, 1999, John Wiley

Cockburn, A., Agile Software Development: Software Through People, 2002, Addison-Wesley

Connell, J and Shafer, L., Object-Oriented Rapid Prototyping, 1995, Prentice Hall

Crinnion, J., Evolutionary Systems Development: A Practical Guide to the Use of Prototyping Within a Structured Systems Methodology, 1991, Pitman

Hawryszkiewycz, I. T., Introduction to Systems Analysis and Design, 5th ed., 2001, Prentice Hall Australia

Jacobson, I., Booch, G. & Rumbaugh, J., The Unified Software Development Process, 1999, Addison Wesley Longman

Martin, J. Rapid Application Development, 1991, Macmillan Publishing Company

McFadden, F., Hoffer, J. A. and Prescott, M. B., Modern Database Management, 6th ed., 2002, Addison Wesley

Mumford, E., Effective Systems Design And Requirements Analysis. The ETHICS Approach, 1995, Macmillan Press

Pressman, R. S., Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach. 6th Ed, 2005, McGraw-Hill

Stapleton, J., "DSDM Dynamic Systems Development Method, The Method in Practice", 1997, Addison-Wesley

Vidgen, R., Avison, D. E., Wood, R., and Wood-Harper, A. T., Developing Web Information Systems: from Strategy to Implementation, 2002, Butterworth-Heinemann

 
Assessment

This subject has the following assessment components.

Assessment Items & Format

Percentage of Final Mark

Due Date


Programming tests

10%

See notes on assessment below

Prototyping assignment

40%

See notes on assessment below

Final Examination

50%

Formal examination period


 


Notes on Assessment

 


Programming tests

The students are required to sit for the programming test during the allocated tutorial. Each programming test is 30 minutes. The tutor will mark the test during the tutorial. The due date for each programming test is as follows:

Programming test

Test date

Assessment  mark

1: Designing database & queries

During tutorial in week 3

2.5%

2: Form design

During tutorial in week 4

2.5%

3: Report design

During tutorial in week 5

2.5%

4: Customising user interface

During tutorial in week 8

2.5%

Total mark

 

10%

 

Prototyping assignment

You are required to complete the prototyping assignment in a group of four. There are four milestones in this assignment with different due dates and assessment marks (see below). You are required to demonstrate the prototype during the allocated tutorial and it must be submitted for marking on the due date as follows:

Milestone

Due date

Assessment  mark

1: User requirement

During tutorial in Week 7

5%

2: Iteration 1

During tutorial in week 9

10%

3: Iteration 2

During tutorial in week 10

10%

4: Final System

During tutorial in week 11

15%

Total mark

 

40%

 

Information on details and requirements of the prototyping assignment will be available from the subject website on e-Learning (previously Webct) in Week 5. The lecturer will discuss initial requirement of this assignment during the lecture in Week 5 and any subsequent discussion on each milestone assessment will be made during lectures in weeks 6-11. All team members must be present during the demonstration. The tutor will mark the prototype during the demonstration.

 


Final examination

The format and structure of the final examination will be discussed during the lecture in Week 12. 

               

Special consideration

An extension of time for the completion of an assignment may be granted in certain circumstances.  A request for an extension must be made to the Subject Coordinator via SOLs before the due date

 

Additional Information

 

Students must refer to the Faculty Handbook or online references which contains a range of policies on educational issues and student matters.


 


Supplementary Exams

 

While the School normally grants supplementary exams when the student does not sit the standard exam for an acceptable reason, each case will be assessed on its own merit and there is no guarantee a supplementary exam will be granted. If a supplementary exam is granted the date will be determined by the University via ARD.  You will be notified via SOLS Mail the time and date of this supplementary exam. You must follow the instructions given in the email message.

 

Please note that if this is your last session and you are granted a supplementary exam, be aware that your results will not be processed in time to meet the graduation deadline.

 

Plagiarism

 

When you submit an assessment task, you are declaring the following

1.        It is your own work and you did not collaborate with or copy from others.

2.        You have read and understand your responsibilities under the University of Wollongong's policy on plagiarism.

3.        You have not plagiarised from published work (including the internet). Where you have used the work from others, you have referenced it in the text and provided a reference list at the end ot the assignment.

4.        Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

5.        Students are responsible for submitting original work for assessment, without plagiarising or cheating, abiding by the University’s policies on Plagiarism as set out in the Calendar under University Policies, and in Faculty handbooks and subject guides. Plagiarism has led to the expulsion from the University.

 

This outline should be read in conjunction with the following documents:

 

Code of Practice - Teaching and Assessment

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/codesofprac/teaching_code.html

Key Dates

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/dates.html

Code of Practice - Students

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/codesofprac/cop_students.html

Information Literacies Introduction Program

http://www.library.uow.edu.au/helptraining/workshops/ilip/

Acknowledgement Practice Plagiarism will not be tolerated

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/courserules/plagiarism.html

Student Academic Grievance Policy

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/codesofprac/cop_supervision.html#8

Special Consideration Policy

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/courserules/specialconsideration.html

Code of Practice-Honours

http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/honourscode.html

Non-Discriminatory Language Practice and Presentation

http://staff.uow.edu.au/eeo/nondiscrimlanguage.html

Intellectual Property Policy

http://www.uow.edu.au/research/researchmanagement/1998IP.html

Occupational Health and Safety

http://staff.uow.edu.au/ohs/commitment/OHS039-ohspolicy.pdf

SISAT Internet Access & Student Resource Centre

http://www.sitacs.uow.edu.au/info/current/internet_access_and_resource.shtml

SISAT Computer Usage Rules

http://www.itacs.uow.edu.au/info/current/support/labs/rules.shtml

SISAT Style Guide for Footnotes, Documentation, Essay and Report Writing

http://www.sitacs.uow.edu.au/info/current/styleguide.pdf

SISAT Student Guide

http://www.itacs.uow.edu.au/info/current/regulations.shtml

Informatics Faculty Librarian, Ms Annette Meldrum, phone: 4221 4637,ameldrum@uow.edu.au

SISAT Subject Outlines

http://www.itacs.uow.edu.au/info/current/subject_outlines/