Fall 1998
CPSC 417 Systems Analysis and Design
Peter Smith
Class Times: Lecture 2:00-3:15 TT Rm 231E Lab 3-5 Mon Rm 75F LeMans
Office Hours: 2-3 Mon, 8:30-9:30 TT, 11-12, 1-2 Th, Rm 209 Mad
(Other times by appointment) Office Phone: 4493
Home Phone: 289-2126
Text:
- SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN METHODS by Whitten and Bentley ($85.00)
- LEARNING ASSESSMENT JOURNAL by Carroll and Beyerlein ($12.00)
Course Description:
This course will provide experience analyzing and designing an entire
system in a cooperative team environment. It is intended to be a capstone
course in which many of the ideas and skills learned
in other courses are brought to bear. Students will learn about information systems, the system development
life cycle and representative methodologies to implement the life cycle. The course emphasizes the tools and
techniques that the systems analyst can use to document information systems. See the attached concept map
for a more detailed list of topics and their relationships.
A primary goal of this course is to increase awareness of and to
develop your learning and problem solving
skills, and to become efficient working in project groups. By the end of the course, you should be able to
learn faster than you do now. You will be conscious of and able to assess your level of the learning skills for
life listed in the attached taxonomy of process education. We will use cooperative group learning, discovery
learning, applied critical thinking, problem solving, and self assessment in each class and lab. You will also
be expected to keep a learning journal to help you assess your progress.
To successfully complete the course, students working in teams
must be able to communicate with
knowledge workers relatively unfamiliar with computers, analyze their current system, propose new
computerized systems, convince them that these new systems will be beneficial, write and test a prototype
of the new system, and explain it to the users of the current system.
Prerequisites:
Students must have completed two Computer
Science courses (207 or above) to take this course.
CPSC 217 is strongly recommended.
Course Theme:
In your programming courses the specifications for programming
assignments have typically been
supplied by your teacher. Where do these specifications really come from? They are usually provided by a
systems analyst who prepares the specifications in response to business requirements. What is a systems
analyst? An appropriate job description can be found on the enclosed definition sheet. Systems planning,
systems analysis, systems design, systems implementation and systems support are the primary activities of
the systems analyst. These terms are also defined on the enclosed sheet.
The primary theme of this course is the improvement of the
learning process by practicing learning skills in
the mastery of systems analysis and design tools and techniques. You will be assigned a major semester team
project to which you will apply these tools and techniques. During each class and lab you will work with
your team on the following tasks: (1) quiz/problem solving session using information from the reading
assignment, (2) minilecture or problem solution presentation, (3) learning activity (involving concept models
to manipulate, critical thinking questions about the models, and skill development exercises to apply the
concept to new situations), (4) consulting session (you ask me questions), and (5) assessment of how well
you worked as a team to learn the concepts and solve the problems. There will be very little "lecturing." It
is essential that you do the reading for every class.
The reason why we emphasize collaborative learning as
described in the preceding paragraph is that
employers of systems analysts seek individuals who excel as:
(1)
- Quick Learners
- Critical Thinkers
- Problem Solvers
- Communicators
- Professionals Knowledgeable in Their Field
- Team Players
- Self Starters
- Creative Thinkers
Many Saint Mary's College graduates find jobs as systems analysts
and this course together with its project
experience is rated as the most important factor in their success in obtaining and succeeding in their jobs.
Some undergraduates have found summer jobs in which they use their systems analysis and design skills. But
even if you don't immediately apply the skills you will learn in this course, the value of the course still
includes:
- Learning to become a better learner. Only 5% of the
knowledge gained in college is actually used
after 5 years on the job. Information is increasing exponentially so a person must become an expert
at acquiring and applying knowledge when needed to solve problems.
- A much better understanding of the entire information
system development process: from the
identification of business problems or needs, to the design of an improved system, to the designing
and writing of computer programs. Possibly for the first time, you will truly understand the whole
process and where you might fit in.
- Improved technical communications skills. Your
ability to communicate with both technical and non-
technical people should be improved through the use of the tools. Your writing and speaking skills
should also be enhanced as you learn to present your documentation in the classroom.
- A better understanding of information systems in
general. You will learn many capabilities and
characteristics of good information systems. This will help you design more effective systems during
your career.
- Improved programming skills. Even though there is little
actual programming done in this course,
you should become a better programmer if you understand how to read and modify the design
documentation prepared by a systems analyst. Programmers frequently find themselves redoing
poorly prepared or incomplete design specifications.
Course Requirements:
It is assumed that you will read the assigned chapters for
each class. There will be no lecture to repeat the
reading material and there will be a quiz or problem solving exercise based on the reading at the start of each
class. Laboratories will be used to help teams with their projects and to practice the systems analysis tools
and techniques. You should bring your previously graded project milestones to all labs.
A semester-long project will dominate your activities during
this course. You will define and formulate your
project during the first few weeks. While you are defining your systems project, you will be learning some
of the fundamentals of systems analysis and design. You will study the capabilities and characteristics of a
good information system. Study them well because you will have to apply them to your project. You will
also learn about the system development life cycle, the process used by analysts to build information systems.
The remainder of the course will focus on particular tools and techniques. You will apply these to your
project.
The project will be run very similarly to an actual project.
I will play the role of quality assurance manager
to review your documentation for completeness and accuracy. The project will be divided into milestones.
A schedule for completing the milestones is provided below.
Milestones are due in my office by 4:30pm
on the dates indicated. There are late penalties for milestones.
There will be absolutely no extensions
to any deadline. Eleven project milestones have been
defined as follows:
Milestone Date due
1. Project Proposal 9/4
2. System Profile and Project Scope 9/11
3. System Objectives and Constraints Report 9/18
4. System Context Diagram 9/25
5. Data Modeling 10/7
6. Process Modeling 10/28
7. Data Analysis and Design 11/11
8. Process Analysis and Design 11/18
9. Input/Output Design 12/2
10. User Interface Design 12/9
11. Technical/Professional Report 12/16
The semester project will be graded on the mastery concept.
This concept may be new or unfamiliar to you.
Basically, mastery requires that you demonstrate competency with respect to particular skills or knowledge.
Mastery is easy to evaluate. Either you did master the skill or you did not. There is no middle ground. To
pass the course your team must master all milestones.
When your team completes a milestone, you will submit it and I
will review your work and note any
problems. There will be a grade assigned to the first
submission of each milestone. Either I "sign-off" or
return the milestone for additional work. NOTE: Sign-off means that your team may proceed to the next
milestone. If not signed-off, you must rework the milestone, resubmit it and get me to sign it off within a
week after it was due. If not signed-off within the week, late points begin to accrue. Resubmitted milestones
will not be assigned additional points. This is to encourage you to do your best quality work the first time.
Do not get very far behind! You may not catch up! Be
prepared for a very hectic pace near the end of the
semester. Teams who have stayed on schedule will be rewarded by not having to work as hard at the end
of the semester. CPSC 417 teams have always successfully completed their projects - it can be done!
Grading:
The general grade letter equivalents: A 92-100; A- 88-91; B+
84-87; B 80-83; B- 76-79; C+ 72-75; C
68-71; C- 64-67; D+ 60-63; D 56-62; F below 56. To figure final grade break points, multiply the above
break points by ___ (to be determined by class)
2 tests (Oct. 1, Nov. 24) 100 points each
Project Milestones ___ points each
Daily Quiz/Problem Solution 10 points each
Daily Class Assessment 10 points each
Learning Journal ___ points
The following policies are in effect:
- ALL MILESTONES MUST BE REWORKED UNTIL THEY ARE MASTERED. When
resubmitting work, you must resubmit all the previously submitted drafts of that milestone. During
the one week period after it is due, there is no late penalty assessed for resubmissions if you have
turned in a professional quality, complete milestone on time.
- IF YOU DON'T GET A SIGN-OFF ON ONE MILESTONE, YOU DON'T GET AN
EXTENSION ON THE NEXT MILESTONE. It is due on schedule.
- MILESTONES MUST BE COMPLETED (SIGNED-OFF) IN SEQUENCE! Of
course, you can and should work ahead whenever possible.
- YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR WORK IN A THREE-RING, LOOSE LEAF PROJECT
WORKBOOK. All signed-off previous milestones must be included
in the notebook. This is
necessary so I can cross-reference your previous work.
MILESTONES SHOULD BE
SEPARATED BY TAB DIVIDERS WITH THE MOST RECENT MILESTONES PLACED
ON TOP. Bring your project workbook to all laboratories and
consultations in my office. Failure
to include previous milestones will result in the material being returned ungraded and it will be
assumed never to have been turned in, and therefore late points may result.
- ALL MILESTONES MUST BE OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY. Incomplete,
sloppy,
disorganized, or unprofessional work will be returned ungraded and result in late points.
- ANY MILESTONE THAT IS SUBMITTED AFTER ITS DUE DATE WILL RESULT IN A
2 POINTS PER DAY LATE PENALTY. Weekends and vacation days do
NOT count. Partial
submissions will not be accepted.
Attendance:
A student is expected to attend every class. If you
miss a class, it is your responsibility to make up the work
and turn in any missed assignments. If you miss an exam or a homework or project deadline, you receive a
grade of zero unless you have an official excuse from Mrs. Marcy's office or have made previous
arrangements with me. A student who misses more than five classes without valid excuses will be required
to withdraw from the class. The reason for this policy is that you have a responsibility to contribute to your
team's efforts. If you aren't there your team is severely handicapped since each team member has a specific
role to play.
Project Participation:
The focus in this course is on working in teams. You will be
expected to work an average of 8-10 hours a
week outside of class on the course and a significant portion of this time will be spent in team meetings and
group work on the project. You are expected to attend all sessions scheduled by your team. With each
milestone report each team should include an effort report detailing each team member's actual contributions.
I will select the team participants. If someone just does not
work out on a team for any number of reasons,
teams can arrange a trade. The two people to be traded must agree and at least one other member of each
team must also agree before a trade can take place.
Honesty Policy:
See the statement in the student handbook and the attached sheet on
academic honesty. In this
course, dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work involved. Continued infractions will be referred
to the Office of Academic Affairs for disciplinary action. You are encouraged to compare ideas with other
students but you should write up your own homework without using notes made during joint sessions until
you get stuck. Copying someone else's work or using their computer files or programs is never allowed.
Failure to adhere to this policy will cause loss of all credit for the work in question.
CPSC 417 Reading Assignments
Reading is to be done by the date indicated:
Class Date Reading Assignment Topic
2 8/27 Chapter 1 The Systems Analyst
3 9/1 Chapter 2 Information Systems
4 9/3 Chapter 3 Information Systems Development
5 9/8 Chapter 4 Systems Analysis
6 9/10 Module A Project Management
7 9/15 Chapter 6 (pp 208-242) Interface Modeling
8 9/17 Chapter 5 Data Modeling
9 9/22
10 9/24 Chapter 6 (pp 241-261) Process Modeling
11 9/29 Review
12 10/1 Study for Test
13 10/6 Chapter 7 Network Modeling
14 10/8 Chapter 8 Object Modeling
15 10/13 Chapter 9 Systems Design
16 10/15 Chapter 10 Process Design
*** Fall Break ***
17 10/27 Chapter 11 Database Design
18 10/29
19 11/3 Chapter 12 Input Design
20 11/5 Chapter 13 Output Design
21 11/10 Chapter 14 User Interface Design
22 11/12 Chapter 15 Software Design
23 11/17 Chapter 16 Object-Oriented Design
24 11/19 Review
25 11/24 Study for Test
*** Thanksgiving ***
26 12/1 Chapter 19 Systems Implementation
27 12/3 Chapter 20 Systems Support
28,29 12/8,10 Team presentations
Lab Date Topic
1 8/31 Interpersonal Skills (Have read Module E)
2 9/7 Fact Finding/Feas Anal Techniques (" " Modules B&C)
3 9/14 CASE - System Architect
4 9/21 Context Diagrams
5 9/28 Entity Relationship Diagrams
6 10/5 Work on Project
7 10/12 Data Flow Diagrams
8 10/26 Walkthrough of Analyzed System
9 11/2 Data Normalization
10 11/9 Implementation Data Flow Diagrams
11 11/16 Input Screens
12 11/23 Output Screens
13 11/30 User Interface
14 12/7 Work on projects
Definitions
A systems analyst facilitates the study of the problems and needs
of a business to determine how the business system and information
technology can best solve the problems and accomplish improvements for the
business. The product of this activity may be improved business process,
improved information systems, or new and improved computer applications
-- frequently all three.
A Problem is (a) a situation requiring corrective action, or (b)
an opportunity to improve a situation, or (c) a directive to change a
situation.
Problem solving is the act of studying a problem environment in
order to implement corrective solutions that take the form of new and
improved systems. The
next five problem solving activities are collectively called a Systems
Development Life Cycle when performed by a systems analyst.
Systems Planning - the ongoing study of a business problem
environment to identify problem-solving possibilities.
The purpose is to identify and prioritize those information systems applications whose development would most
benefit the business as a whole.
Systems Analysis - the study of the business problem environment
and the subsequent definition and prioritization
of the requirements for solving the problem. (Note the emphasis is on the business not the computer).
Systems Design - the evaluation of alternative problem solutions,
and the detailed specification of the final solution.
Throughout design, the emphasis usually shifts from the business to the
computer solution.
Systems Implementation - the construction of the
problem solution and the delivery of that system solution into production.
Computer programs are written and tested, managers and users are trained to
use the new system, and data and operations are converted to the new system.
Systems support - the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of the
system solution after it has been placed into operation.
(This may be weeks, months, or years).
An information worker is a person whose job involves the
creation, collection, processing, distribution and use of information.
Today more than 60% of the U.S. work force are information workers.
These workers are system owners, system
users, system designers, or system builders.
A system is a set or arrangement of interdependent things or
components that are related, form a whole, and serve
a common purpose. An information system is an arrangement of
people, data, processes, interfaces, and geography that are intgrated to
support and improve the day-to-day operations in a business, as well as
fulfilling the problem-solving and decision-making information needs of
business managers.
1.1D.K. Apple, S.W. Beyerlein, M.A.
Schlesinger, Learning Through Problem Solving, Pacific Crest
Software, Corvallis, OR (1992), p. vii
CPSC 417 -- Revised 8/30/98
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