ITEC 1010 – Section M – Winter 2000

Course Information

Course Description

The value and importance of information to organizations, how it is used, stored and processed; emphasizes the uses of information technologies of various kinds, the benefits of the technologies, and the associated costs and problems; use of desktop applications.

Information is often viewed as a strategic asset and critical to improvements in quality, productivity and competitive advantage. This course aims to develop an understanding of why information is considered so important. It examines the ways in which information flows through, is processed, and is stored in typical organizations such as businesses, hospitals, or government departments. It emphasizes the uses of information technologies of various kinds in handling such information, the benefits of the technologies, and the costs and problems associated with their use.  It also includes some history of the evolution of the use of information technologies in organizations and speculation on future trends. The course includes practical experience with personal productivity applications such as presentation graphics, spreadsheet and database, use of the Internet, and HTML programming.

Topics include:

·        Roles of information and information technology

·        Roles of people using, developing and managing systems

·        Cost/value and quality of information

·        Analysis of knowledge work and its requirements

·        Knowledge work productivity concepts

·        Application versus system software

·        Database features, functions and architectures

·        Systems concepts

·        System components and relationships

Textbook

The following is the required textbook for the course:

Principles of Information Systems, by Ralph M. Stair & George W. Reynolds, published by ITP, 1999 (ISBN: 0-7600-1079-x)

Course Evaluation

·        Final exam - 45%

·        Midterm exam - 20%

·        Homework assignments - 35% (see below)

The weight of each homework assignment will be as follows:

·        Assignment #1 (html) -                    6%

·        Assignment #2 (essay) -                  5%

·        Assignment #3 (spreadsheet) -        8%

·        Assignment #4 (database) -            7%

·        Assignment #4 (html) -                    4%

·        Assignment #5 (essay) -                  5%

Midterm Exam

·        February 22, in class, closed book

Final Exam

·        Sunday, April 16, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. – TM SFH

Lectures

·        Tuesdays 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. VH D

·        Thursdays 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CLH G

·        First lecture, Tuesday January 4

·        Last lecture, Thursday, March 30

·        No lecture on February 15 & 17 (Reading Week)

Instructor

Scott MacKenzie, Associate Professor
Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics
Ross N517
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

TAs – Teaching Assistants

Paule Ecimovic
Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics

Office: Ross N612
Phone: 736-2100 Ext. ?
Email: ta1010m@math.yorku.ca
Office hours: TBA (see the course web site)

Chris Cudmore
ta1010m@math.yorku.ca
Lab hours: TBA (see the course web site)

Course Web Site

http://www.math.yorku.ca/~mack/ITEC1010-W00/