Course Syllabus

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PREFIX, NUMBER, AND TITLE:

INFS 605 Information Systems Programming

CREDIT HOURS:

3 graduate credits

UNIVERSITY NAME:

Dakota State University

ACADEMIC TERM/YEAR:

Fall 2009

Last day to Drop and receive 100% refund:

September 10, 2009

Last day to Withdraw and earn a grade of 'W':

November 16, 2009

COURSE MEETING TIME AND LOCATION:

Section D02 Internet

INSTRUCTOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION:

Name: Christopher J. Olson
Office: East Hall Room 104B
Phone: 605-256-5688 (office) 605-256-5165 (secretary)
Office hours: Virtual - *see Description of Instructional Methods --- Physical - please email for appointment
Email address: chris.olson@dsu.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Catalog Description:

Planning, coding, and testing computer programs that can be used for business applications.  Emphasis will be on programming event-driven graphical user interfaces.

COURSE PREREQUISITES:

Technology Skills:

Word processing, Internet Desire2Learn, and electronic mail. Students will be required to use email for communication. Desire2Learn will be used to deliver course materials and weekly assignments, as well as serve as a communication tool between students and faculty.

Course Prerequisite:

None

*DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:

Students will be given lab assignments, quizzes, and exams through an online medium. Students should expect to login to the Desire2Learn site several times a week. Students must be motivated to stay on task and complete the coursework without benefit of lecture sessions. Keeping up on reading the assigned chapters and notes will be absolutely necessary for completing the labs (assignments) on time.

You are expected to use the steps in the textbook to complete the files in the tutorials. Doing so should give you the skills you need in order to successfully complete the lab assignments. Looking the textbook over or reading it several times is not the same as actually using the steps to create the desired documents.

Because this is an online class delivered through Desire2Learn, it is crucial that you have reliable access to the Internet on a regular basis. You should have a backup plan if needed, as the inability to connect to the Internet is NOT a valid excuse for missing a submission deadline.

I will be available most afternoons and evenings to answer questions. Email is my preferred form of communication and I check regularly throughout the day. While I cannot guarantee you an immediate answer to your inquiry, I will always do my best to reply in a timely manner. It is unlikely that you will ever have to wait more than a day for a response.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Required Textbook And Other References:

Starting Out with Visual Basic 2008 Update, Fourth Edition
by Tony Gaddis; Kip Irvine
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Copyright Year: 2010
Publishing Date: 2009/02/09
eText ISBN-10: 0-13-607668-8 eText ISBN-13: 978-0-13-607668-1
Print ISBN-10: 0-13-607695-5 Print ISBN-13: 978-0-13-607695-7
Pages: 888

Textbook purchasing options:

Required Software:

System Requirements:

To run the software required for this class, you will need a computer with either Windows XP or Windows Vista. The table below lists the hardware requirements:

CPU Processor Speed Memory (RAM) Display
Minimum 1.6 GHz or higher 192 MB or more 1024 x 768
Recommended 2.2 GHz or higher 384 MB or more 1280 x 1024
Windows Vista 2.4 GHz or higher 768 MB or more 1280 x 1024

As strongly as I can, I suggest having access to a high speed broadband Internet connection. Dial up is unreliable for tests and won't handle streaming Internet videos that should be extremely helpful.

POLICIES:

Attendance Policy:

Attendance is expected through Desire2Learn and the submission of assignments, quizzes, and tests. You will not be successful in this course without regular participation and attendance through Desire2Learn.

ADA STATEMENT:

If you have a documented disability and/or anticipate needing accommodations (e.g., non-standard note taking, test modifications) in this course, please arrange to meet with the instructor. Also, please contact Dakota State University's ADA coordinator, Keith Bundy in the Student Development Office located in the Trojan Center Underground or at 605-256-5121, as soon as possible. The DSU website containing additional information, along with the form to request accommodations is http://www.departments.dsu.edu/disability_services/. You will need to provide documentation of your disability. The ADA coordinator must confirm the need for accommodations before officially authorizing them.

Academic Integrity Policy:

Cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty run contrary to the purpose of higher education and will not be tolerated in this course. Please be advised that, when the instructor suspects plagiarism, the Internet and other standard means of plagiarism detection will be used to resolve the instructor's concerns. DSU's policy on academic integrity (DSU Policy 03-22-00) is available online.

All forms of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade (as in absolutely no credit) on the assignment. If you copy from another or allow another to copy from you, you have cheated. Any student who does so will automatically be penalized so that a B will be the highest letter grade he or she may earn for an overall course grade. A formal acknowledgement that you violated academic integrity policies will be placed in your permanent academic records. If there is a second offense by the same student(s), they will fail the course.

FREEDOM IN LEARNING STATEMENT:

Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled. Under Board of Regents and University policy, student academic performance shall be evaluated solely on an academic basis and students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study. It has always been the policy of Dakota State University to allow students to appeal the decisions of faculty, administrative, and staff members and the decisions of institutional committees. Students who believe that an academic evaluation is unrelated to academic standards but is related instead to judgment of their personal opinion or conduct should contact the dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.

University Policy Regarding the Use of Tablets in the Classroom (when applicable):

The Tablet PC platform has been adopted across the DSU campus for all students and faculty, and tablet usage has been integrated into all DSU classes to enhance the learning environment. Tablet usage for course-related activities, note taking, and research is allowed and encouraged by DSU instructors. However, inappropriate and distracting use will not be tolerated in the classroom. Instructors set policy for individual classes and are responsible for informing students of class-specific expectations relative to Tablet PC usage. Failure to follow the instructor's guidelines will hinder academic performance and may lead to disciplinary actions. Continued abuse may lead to increased tablet restrictions for the entire class.

Because tablet technology is an integral part of this course, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that his/her Tablet PC is operational prior to the beginning of each class period.

COURSE GOALS:

Chapter Topics

Chapter 1 Introduction to Programming and Visual Basic

Chapter 2 Creating Applications with Visual Basic

Chapter 3 Input, Variables, Exceptions, and Calculations

Chapter 4 Making Decisions and Working with Strings

Chapter 5 Lists, Loops, Validation, and More

Chapter 6 Sub Procedures and Functions

Chapter 7 Multiple Forms, Standard Modules, and Menus

Chapter 8 Arrays, Timers, and More

Chapter 9 Files, Printing, and Structures

Chapter 10 Working with Databases

Chapter 11 Developing Web Applications

EVALUATION PROCEDURES:

Assessments:

Submission Quantity Points per Submission Total Points
Tests 3 100 300
Assignments 12 25 300
Quizzes 5 10 50
TOTAL - - 650

Grading Scale:

% of Points Letter Grade
90 - 100% A
80 - 89.99% B
70 - 79.99% C
60 - 69.99% D
below 60 % F

Make-up Policy for Missed Submission Deadlines:

Last date and time to submit coursework:

The class officially ends Friday, December 18, 2009 at 5 PM Central. The last test and all coursework must be completed before that time. No exceptions.

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE:

The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments in the course outline to better meet the needs of the students.

Week Chapter Labs Quizzes Tests Due Date
Week 1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Programming and Visual Basic   Quiz 1   09/07/09
Week 2 Chapter 2 Creating Applications with Visual Basic Lab 1     09/14/09
Week 3 Chapter 3 Input, Variables, Exceptions, and Calculations   Quiz 2   09/21/09
Week 4 Chapter 3 Input, Variables, Exceptions, and Calculations Lab 2     09/28/09
Week 5 Chapter 4 Making Decisions and Working with Strings Lab 3     10/05/09
Week 6 Chapter 4 Making Decisions and Working with Strings Lab 4   Test 1 10/12/09
Week 7 Chapter 5 Lists, Loops, Validation, and More Lab 5 Quiz 3   10/19/09
Week 8 Chapter 5 Lists, Loops, Validation, and More Lab 6     10/26/09
Week 9 Chapter 6 Sub Procedures and Functions   Quiz 4   11/02/09
Week 10 Chapter 6 Sub Procedures and Functions Lab 7     11/09/09
Week 11 Chapter 7 Multiple Forms, Standard Modules, and Menus Lab 8   Test 2 11/16/09
Week 12 Chapter 8 Arrays, Timers, and More Lab 9 Quiz 5   11/23/09
Week 13 Chapter 9 Files, Printing, and Structures Lab 10     11/30/09
Week 14 Chapter 10 Working with Databases Lab 11     12/07/09
Week 15 Chapter 11 Developing Web Applications Lab 12     12/14/09
Week 16       Test 3 12/18/09

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Modifications to the Course:

The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to this syllabus during the course of the semester in order to better meet the needs of the students.