| MIDS 301 An Introduction to Information Systems Information Systems Department Weatherhead School of Management Case Western Reserve University |
Computers and information systems are having many kinds of effects on our lives. They are putting professional production capabilities (for publishing, graphics, photography, art, music, radio, video and more) into the hands of any of us who wish to learn to use them. They are extending the communications reach of millions of people. And they are enabling the restructuring of such basic life defining activities as work, education, and community. This course is about those changes. About managing them organizationally and about taking advantage of them personally.
“A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole.” That is how Webster’s defines a system. And information is defined as “the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence.” Even in these simple definitions we begin to glimpse that what we'll be exploring here are a couple of pretty complicated things. The phrase “unified whole” hides a lot. As you dig into what that means, you’ll find that it includes such attributes as “exhibiting behavior that is not predictable from the behavior of its parts” and “tending toward equilibrium.” And as you get to know more about what knowledge and intelligence are, you’ll see that hidden in those ordinary words are important differences in the kinds of knowing, such as that between things that are known explicitly (like how to make a pie) and ones that are known more tacitly (like how to balance on a bicycle). In short, the world of information systems is complex and messy. And information systems workers have spent a half-century trying to figure out how to survive in a complex and messy world. In the course of doing that they have created some useful approaches and discovered some interesting principles. That is the real substance of this course. The course is not so much about how to use computers as it is about why we use computers; it is not as focused on particular technologies as on understanding why some technologies are better (more useful, more successful, more powerful) than others.
Most of the learning you have done in school, and much that you are doing in college is based on a very successful technique known as reductionism. To understand a complex thing, you break it down into its constituent parts. For many purposes this works fabulously. But systems often refuse to yield to being broken down into their parts. Even having understood the human circulatory, skeletal, digestive, nervous and others systems, you don’t get a very good grasp of consciousness. And while looking at each of the panels of a cartoon will tell you what the story is about, it won’t produce the exhilaration that watching an animation. There is a kind of complexity that cannot be understood, or that at any rate is not best understood, by breaking the thing into its parts. At the same time these systems exhibit common patterns; patterns that are both interesting and useful to making predictions about their future.
In this course we will learn to recognize those patterns. And we will learn techniques for understanding and thinking about them. In short, we will spend the semester exploring how to deal with the kind of complexity that is present in most organizations. A lot of it will be related to systems that involve computers and communications systems. But some will not. The skills you develop will be applicable if you have to develop a computer-based solution to a problem, but they will also be useful in dealing with other systems.
Textbook & Course Materials
The text for this course is The New Everyday: Views on Ambient Intelligence, edited by Emile Aarts & Stefano Marzano, 010 Publishers in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2003.
All other materials for the course are available for free on the Internet.
Grading
Grades will be based on the following:
- Contribution to discussions (both classroom and online) 10%
- Midterm exam 25%
- Semester Project 30%
- Final exam 35%
Academic Integrity
We expect all students to fulfill the objectives of the Case Statement of Ethics. (If you are a new student to Case and not aware of this statement, please consult the instructor or the Case website for a copy.) If there is a suspicion of a violation of academic integrity within the course, the instructor will follow the official Case protocols for academic infractions as detailed in the University General Bulletin.
We expect you to do your assignments on your own. We encourage the formation of responsible study groups for discussing concepts and problem difficulties; however, homework assignments are my way of assessing your comprehension of the concepts. In no case, of course, should another’s work be substituted for your own. You are expected to do your own work and complete your examinations and quizzes independently.
Contribution
This is a discussion-based course. Discussion pedagogy is effective when the educational objectives include the development of qualities of mind (curiosity, judgment, wisdom), qualities of person (character, sensitivity, integrity, responsibility), and development of the ability to apply general concepts and knowledge to specific situations. Most issues around the use of information technology in organizations do not present themselves in neat packages with clear boundaries. Nor do they usually arrive with pre-defined decision criteria. Instead they often involve difficult choices since they are not so much about the technologies as they are about people and organizational structures.
Discussion also has the advantage that it puts both students and professors in an active learning mode. It challenges each of us to accept substantial responsibility for our own learning and it gives us first-hand appreciation of, and experience with, the application of knowledge to practice. Students are encouraged to draw upon their knowledge and experience to build, test and modify management theories that they can then make their own.
For some class meetings we have provided suggestions for preparing. While we are not asking you to hand these in, we do find that the discussions are richer and more productive when people do these exercises in written form as part of their preparation. In any case you are expected to prepare for the discussion whether you use that method or some other. If you wish to post them to Blackboard after the session, you may do so and we will consider that when assigning contribution scores at the end of the semester.
The quality of your input, both in the classroom and online, is more important than the quantity.
Semester Project
Your semester project can take any of a number of forms. In deciding what you will do, remember that the time you are here represents a time where it is relatively safe to take risks in the interest of personal development and learning. So, I would encourage you to try something that is a little beyond your immediate comfort zone. This advice applies both to the content and the form of your project.
As for content, any of the topics covered or touched upon in the course of the semester can serve as the basis for a project. I have kept the subject matter broad so that you can select something that truly interests you.
In general, narrow topics produce more interesting projects than broad ones (“Why has the iPod been such a commercial success?” rather than “What’s digital music all about?”). Asking an interesting question often makes the task manageable and helps to keep a focus. Small groups work better than large ones (and in no case should a group be larger than four of you). And, getting an early start produces better outcomes than waiting until the last possible moment.
Projects will be placed on the course website, so you should also write a brief introduction to what the viewer will find when they retrieve it. In addition, you will have an opportunity to provide a very brief overview to the class. Making such “pitches” is a valuable skill to develop. One of the questions that experienced venture people often ask is “what’s the elevator version of your presentation sound like?” If you had the ride from the first to the 20th floor to sell your project to (insert your favorite business person here), what would you say?
Following are acceptable formats for presenting the results of your investigations. If you wish to use some other, let me know.
Audio presentation. Create a 5 to 30 minute “radio” show on a topic addressed in the course. This should have the feel of a finished, produced effort. So quality is at least as important as quantity. That is, it is better to do a thoughtful, edited, and well produced short piece than a longer one that does not hang together. Create a web page from which your file can be downloaded. Use the page to give enough background that someone can decide whether it is of interest to them.
Website. Create a site that addresses one of the topics addressed in the course. A good site will provide a fresh perspective (not just repeating what is available on the web in general), an editorial perspective (why are you including the particular material that is there?), and annotated references both to written materials and the web (where can the visitor go for more information?). Material is more important than technique. Avoid such things as animations that have no point except to show you have mastered flash or clip art that merely dresses up the page. Try to focus on a message, have a point of view, provide a perspective. Teach us something we can’t readily learn elsewhere.
Research Paper. Write a report that addresses some issue on the topics addressed in the course. The paper should be as long as required, but a guideline regarding extent is that a successful effort will likely be in the 20 page range. A good report should be organized around a question or small set of questions. It is important to develop arguments and to support your arguments. In other words, don't simply collect together a lot of material that we could find ourselves. Use the material you located to develop your own perspective on the question. Explain how you think the other material should be analyzed and then do that. Where it is beyond you abilities to complete the analysis, describe why and how you think others should proceed.
Case Study. Write a case study. This differs from a research paper in that it is driven by a situation rather than a question. It will require that you identify an interesting technology or system issue being addressed in an organization. You should then do research, using both primary (interviews, observation, etc.) and secondary (memos, reports, etc.) materials. A good case study tells a story with the intention of provoking discussion. In addition to the case study itself (which will generally be from 10 to 15 pages in length) you should prepare a teaching guide to the case.
There are three critical milestones that you must meet.
On September 8th. a two page brief is due. It should describe your topic, your medium, your intended audience, and why you think it is worth doing.
On October 13th a detailed outline is due. This should include most of the material elements of your project. That is, the ideas and main conclusions should be in here.
On December 1st the final project is due.