Information Systems Notes

Studying For Exams

The Exam material is based on the material in the book.

You have to have the book.

Lab information will not be on the exams.

Attendance

Attendance can only help your grade, it cannot hurt your grade.

You shouldn't walk out in the middle of a lecture.

If you let the professor know in advance, you can leave early every day.

Turning In Assignments

Late assignments will not be accepted.

The teacher is reasonable.

Power-Point Notes

• The Impact of Technology on the Business World
• Everyone became empowered by the Internet
• What Did The Internet Allow People To Do
• Choose what they wanted to see on the Internet
• The Impact of the Ability to Choose
• Businesses now had to tailor to the consumer, as the consumer now had the ability to choose.
• Who Became Empowered by the Internet
• Consumer
• Firm
• Getting Loans
• Businesses at the time of the internet's beginning were able to get loans simply by mentioning that their business worked through the internet.
• This bit the dust in 2001, when many of the businesses that believed that the internet was going to magically transform their business, died.
• The Entire World Was Connected
• What is the Focus of the Course?
• Technology and how it changes business
• Building Abstract Reasoning Skills
• How to build models
• Building System Thinking Skills
• Building Collaboration Skills
• Building Experimentation Skills
• Study Questions
• Why is Introduction to MIS the Most Important Class In The Business School?
• Because of Moore's Law and other factors, the cost of data processing, communications, and storage is essentially zero.
• This motivates technology to continue to grow, and technology continues to impact our everyday lives.
• What are the Cost Effective Business Applications of Social Network Applications, or Whatever Will Soon Appear?
• Future business professionals need to be able to assess these Business Applications with the proper skills.
• How Can I Attain Job Security?
• Marketable Skills are the only job security
• One must develop strong non-routine cognitive skills.
• What Are Marketable Skills?
• Abstract Reasoning
• Example
• Construct a model or representation
• Systems Thinking
• Example
• Model System components and show how components' inputs and outputs relate to one another.
• Collaboration
• Example
• Develop ideas and plans with others, and provide and receieve critical feedback.
• Ability to Experiment
• Example
• Create and Test Promising New Alternatives, Consistent with Available Resources.
• How Can Intro To MIS Help You Learn Non-Routine Skills?
• Abstract Reason
• Ability to make and manipulate models
• Learn five components an information system model
• How to create data models
• How to make process models
• Systems Thinking
• Ability to model system components, and connect inputs and outputs to reflect the observed system.
• Collaboration
• Working together with others to achieve a common goal.
• Ability to Experiment
• Make reasoned analysis of an opportunity, developing and  evaluating possible solutions.
• Avoid a fear of failures
• Should we fear new technology?
• New technology produces new jobs, but also eliminates many old jobs.
• One should not fear new technology, instead one should simply learn how to adapt and take hold of new opportunities. 
• What is MIS?
• Key Elements
• Management and Use
• Develop, maintain, and adapt by creating an information system that meets your needs to take an active role in development.
• Information Systems
• Stradegies 
• What is the Five Component Framework for Information Production
• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• Procedures
• People
• Why Do Information Systems Exist?
• To Help people achieve business strategies
• How do you use the Five-Component Model?
• Hardware gets instructions from software.
• People get instructions from people.
• Data is the bridge between software and procedures.
• Innovation has to do with data, procedures, and people.
• Automation has to do with data, software, and hardware.
• What Are Cognitive Skills in this Course?
• The basic understanding of technology.
• What is the Difference between IS and IT?
• IT is primarily based on hardware and software.
• IS focuses more on people and procedures, than hardware and software.
• What is Information?
• Knowledge derived from data, where data are recorded facts or figures.
• Data presented in a meaningful context.
• Processed Data
• A Difference that Makes a Difference
• What are Necessary Data Characteristics?
• Accurate
• Timely
• Relevant to context
• Relevant to subject
• Just Sufficient (Extremely Important)
• Worth its Costs
• What will we see in 2025?
• People will be more connected.
• Bottom Line of MIS Course
• It will give you the background you need to assess, evaluate, and apply emerging information systems technology to business.
• It can give you marketable skills, the only job security that truly exists.
• Many MIS related jobs are available.
• There are many more information systems jobs than there are simple programming jobs.