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WebTycho| Education Center, Harrogate, England | 24 October to 14 December, 2000 |
| 2000-2001/Term 2 | Tuesdays & Thursdays |
| Lecturer: Grant Wiswell | 16:30 to 19:30 |
| Description | Objectives | Text | Grading | Office Hours | Schedule |
Credit
3 semester hours of credit
INSS 538 Prerequisites: Either INSS 510, INSS 520, or permission of the instructor.
IFSM 450 Prerequisites: IFSM 202 or IFSM 300 and IFSM 310, or equivalent.
Course Description
This course integrates technical and managerial aspects of data communication by studying practical applications in the public and private sectors. Fundamental hardware and software concepts of networking and telecommunications will be covered. We will consider how the requirements of an enterprise affect the design, development and implementation of its networks. The course also covers issues such as standards, government regulation, and security.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this course should then be able to understand:
- the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model
- protocols, network topologies, local- and wide-area networks
- concepts and terminology of data communications
- communication equipment and transmission alternatives
- network design
- distributed information systems
- criteria for making management decisions about data communication systems
- network pricing and management
- trends in telecommunications and how to remain informed about them
Text
Business Data Communications and Networking,Fitzgerald and Dennis,
John Wiley & Sons, 6th edition, 1999.
ISBN 0-471-23798-1
Course Evaluation
| Grades for INSS 538 & IFSM 450 will be based on: | |
| Individual Homework Assignments | 10% |
| Team Case Studies & Presentations | 10% |
| Individual Term Project | 25% |
| Midterm Examination | 25% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
| Computation of Final Grades for INSS 538 | |
| A | 90 to 100 |
| B | 80 to 89 |
| C | 70 to 79 |
| F | below 70 |
| Computation of Final Grades for IFSM 450 | |
| A | 90 to 100 |
| B | 80 to 89 |
| C | 70 to 79 |
| D | 60 to 69 |
| F | below 60 |
Office Hours and Communication
Students may request individual discussions before or after class, or by appointment. I will usually be on base during Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Messages may be left for me in the University of Maryland office, or by e-mail: gwiswell@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
Policies
Class attendance is expected. Students are responsible for all material covered during lectures and discussions, as well as assigned textbook readings. In order for case studies to be given lively and effective class discussions, students should read them and think about them before class.On such matters as exceptional grades, academic dishonesty and attendance, the policies of the current Mlaryland in Europe will apply to this course.
Instructor
Mr. Wiswell received a BA in History from Stanford University, and more recently, an MA in History from the University of London. He worked for over twenty-five years in the computer industry as programmer, systems analyst, data base consultant and project manager. His experience in using telecommunications, beginning with shipboard RTTY, spans forty years.Homework and Project
Homework assignments will be related to the current chapters of the textbook. Assignments may differ for INSS 538 and IFSM 450 students.There will be a term project requiring research into a currently significant telecommunications technology. The project report will be due at the end of the term. Term project topics must be approved by the instructor. Outlines and progress reports will be due on milestone dates which will be decided during the first week of the term. For IFSM 450, about 1000 words; for INSS 538, about 2000 words.
Course Standards
Exams will cover both text and lectures. INSS 538 exams will include an essay question of the type found in the MIS Graduate program comprehensive exams. Students will be graded primarily on their written work. Good presentation skills are also important, however, and will help contribute to the grade.
Written assignments:
Black ink on white A4 or 8.5x11 paper, in a standard typewriter face such as Courier, or 11- or 12-point Times New Roman. Line spacing double-spaced or 1.5.No color or graphics, except for (1) charts or maps generated by the student to convey substantive information; or (2) as an artifact of the subject being studied, in support of a point discovered or being argued by the student. Where there has been research, use a consistent, generally accepted, format for citations, such as APA or MLA.
Tentative Course Schedule
A detailed course schedule will be handed out at the beginning of the term. For the first week of class, students should read Chapters 1 and 2. For the second week, Chapters 3 and 4. The midterm is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, 16 November, to cover chapters 1 through 6.| Top | Description | Objectives | Text | Office Hours | Grading |