Information Systems Course Research Articles

Functional and Nonfunctional Quality in Cloud-Based Collaborative Writing: An Empirical Investigation

Research problem: Collaborative writing has dramatically changed with the use of cloud-based tools, such as Google Docs. System quality-both functional (i.e., what services the system provides) and nonfunctional quality (i.e., how well the system provides the services)-influences user satisfaction with these tools. Research question: Do functional and nonfunctional quality influence user satisfaction in cloud-based systems that support collaborative writing? Literature review: The intersection of literature from collaborative writing and system quality presents the theoretical foundation for this study. The literature on collaborative writing suggests that technology facilitates and constrains collaborative writing, while the literature on cloud computing highlights the challenges in ensuring various aspects of quality. Furthermore, literature on system quality emphasizes the importance of the different facets of quality (i.e., functional and nonfunctional) and their impacts on user satisfaction. Methodology: We conducted a survey of 150 undergraduate students enrolled in an information systems course at a large urban university. Results: The results show that functional and nonfunctional quality play a critical role in shaping user satisfaction with cloud computing and that nonfunctional quality has a stronger impact than functional quality. Implications: To ensure satisfaction with cloud computing, organizations need to provide adequate development and maintenance resources to ensure both types of quality, and they need to recognize that nonfunctional quality plays a key role in shaping user satisfaction with cloud computing.

Assembly FG: An Educational Case on MRP II and ERP

This educational case teaches students how discrete manufacturing companies use Manufacturing Resource Planning II (MRP II) within an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to plan purchase and production orders. In addition, students learn how ERP uses cost rollup controlled by a multi-level bill-of-materials (BOM) to cost work-in-process and finished goods parts. Using Microsoft Excel, students implement the “BOM explosion” logic used in MRP II to plan order quantities and start dates for purchase orders and production orders. By learning MRP II and cost rollup logic, students better understand why inaccuracies in computerized BOM or inventory records can lead to poor materials planning, material shortages, increased production costs, delayed shipments, excess and obsolete inventory, and inaccurately costed work-in-process and finished goods parts. The learning process and benefits of using the case in an Accounting Information Systems (AIS) or Cost Accounting course are discussed. Teaching Notes on how to administer the case and suggested answers for the exercises that follow the case are presented. Evidence of teaching effectiveness of the case is also included.

Peer Creation of E-Learning Materials to Enhance Learning Success and Satisfaction in an Information Systems Course

Creating up-to-date high quality learning materials requires significant resources many instructors cannot afford, especially when it comes to appealing eLearning materials. Peer creation may help to address this challenge. However, existing concepts of peer learning focus mostly on enhancing active discussion and reflection. Thus far, little to no research has addressed processes of systematically creating modular, re-usable learning materials and evaluated the extent to which these materials can enrich the learning experience. To close this gap, we transferred principles of traditional peer learning onto the creation of self-contained, high quality eLearning materials: Web Based Trainings that served as an interactive script and multiple-choice tests as peer assessments. These learning materials were used in a large-scale Information Systems course1. We analyzed user logs, measured learning outcomes by a pre- and post-power-test (n=164) and evaluated learner satisfaction by an online questionnaire (n=128). Results show a significant correlation between usage of the peer created eLearning materials and learning outcomes, as well as satisfaction. The study contributes to the pedagogical research by adapting and evaluating traditional peer learning concepts onto eLearning content creation. To practitioners, it reveals ways of creating high quality eLearning materials in spite of limited resources.

Bringing Relevance, Applicability and Engagement into 1st Year B.Com Curricula

Most B.Com degrees, recognising the fundamental role of information and communication technology (ICT) in business and society, require students to take an introductory course in Information Systems (IS). Most IS courses offered to first year B.Com students are simply introductory courses originally designed for intended IS majors. These provide a broad, but arguably superficial introduction to the various elements of ICT, failing to situate technology within the modern business world or everyday life of the average B.Com student. Students inevitably treat the course simply as a requirement for graduation, and take little of value with them either into their university or working life. Taking accessibility of content, relevance and real world application as a departure point, an introductory IS course was radically redesigned, moving away from chapter-based textbook coverage. Instead, an integrated theme-based approach guiding students from engaged reflection on personal information systems towards an understanding of the impact of ICT in business and society has been developed. With typical enrolment ranging between 550 and 750 students, a learning management system with forum participation and online quizzes, small group tutorials, guided self-study tasks and informal social networking was central to the redesign. This paper examines the motivation and rationale behind the course redesign. Preliminary data analysis of course evaluations, lecturer interviews and focus groups from the first action research cycle is presented. Early results and anecdotal evidence suggest higher levels of student participation, deeper engagement with concepts and content, and increased interest in IS as a major.

An Analysis of IS Programs Accredited by ABET

As of April 2008 there were 30 Information Systems (IS) programs at 23 universities accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This paper compares these ABET accredited IS programs to a sample of 20 IS programs randomly chosen from 251 IS programs in the United States listed by ISWorld. The data was collected by visiting the web pages of the selected IS programs. This paper includes a study of the required IS courses, elective IS courses, required programming courses, required business courses, the title of the IS program (IS/MIS/CIS), the department and college where the IS program was located and the year of ABET accreditation. It is interesting to notice that only two of the ABET accredited IS degrees are BBA degrees. This study points out several significant differences between the ABET accredited IS programs and the typical BBA IS programs at the sample universities.

INTEGRATING ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS WITH ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING TEACHING MODULES

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary enterprise resource planning (ERP) teaching module which was designed to integrate accounting and information systems (IS) curricula and implemented in a required management information systems course. Integration of disciplines in business curriculum has been recommended by both research studies and higher education accrediting bodies. Analysis of student survey data suggests that integration of accounting and IS concepts was successful in generating student interest in both areas. M.B.A. students demonstrated a higher level of increases in understanding of accounting concepts and interest in accounting after completing the ERP exercise compared to undergraduate students. Interestingly, the level of IS knowledge before the exercise was a significant predictor of enhanced understanding of course concepts while this relationship was not present for the level of accounting knowledge before the exercise. Keywords Accounting Education, Information Systems Education, Interdisciplinary Instruction, Enterprise Resource Planning

System Expertise Training Courses In Private Sector: Can They Be Given Online?

It is widely known that there are many schools in the private sector offering courses in Computer Technology, Computer Engineering, Information Systems and similar disciplines in addition to Universities presenting such courses. The private sector programs are extremely popular with students already studying at university as well as being of great interest to previously graduated university students. The first purpose of this study is to determine the percentage of university students who attend theses education programs. Both previously graduated and presently studying students have been included. Secondly it aims to understand the reasons behind the attendance of such courses by students who are already studying a similar curriculum or have previously studied and graduated in similar and related fields. In the light of this information, some suggestions have been made about giving these courses as online.

Educação em Sistemas de Informação no Brasil: Uma Análise da Abordagem Curricular em Instituições de Ensino Superior Brasileiras

In Brazil, Bachelor of Information Systems (BIS) courses emerged in the 1980s and have expanded considerably since then. Being a relatively recent academic degree in the country, it is necessary to investigate what the structures/curriculums of these courses are, primarily taking into consideration the prescriptions/indications of the scientific communities of the appropriate area and labor market demands. With this in mind, the general objective of this article is to develop an analysis of the curricular approach of BIS courses offered in higher education institutions (HEI) in Brazil, using a sample of 50 BIS courses offered by HEI around the country, whose selection procedure prioritizes courses that are regionally and/or nationally relevant, proven by quality indicators. One of the main findings of this work is that in relation to the thematic emphases of the various disciplines, the curriculums of the BIS courses in Brazil differ greatly from the guidelines defined by the Brazilian Computing Society. In addition, it is observed that little emphasis is given to disciplines related to specific training in the Information Systems (IS) area, which points to a weak identity of these courses in Brazil.

State of the academic field of IS in India

The field of information systems (IS) remains ill-defined, facing problems of recognition and identity crisis. Several papers and debates have been dedicated on this topic for over three decades. The focus of these debates have largely centered on the state of the IS field in Americas and Europe and with a limited study conducted in the Asia---Pacific context. This study attempts to assess the field in the Indian context and highlight the challenges and issues faced by IS faculties in India. Based on literature survey of the seminal papers in the field, we identified the salient topics of interest to IS researchers: identity of the IS field; diversity of the field; research approaches, methods and rigor; reference disciplines; journals and conferences; and IS course and curriculum. A two-phase study was carried out to explore the interest generated by the IS field in India. In the first phase, secondary data review of leading business schools in India was carried out to understand their focus on IS as an academic discipline. In the second phase, we conducted interviews of IS researchers from the premium business schools in India. In our study, we analyze the research focus of IS faculties in B-schools in India, analyze the composition of the faculty pool and the nature of research work undertaken by them. Our study points at the restricted focus of IS researchers in India around a few narrow areas, with a significant breadth of topics not being explored for research. We found the identity struggle of the field to be prominent, which was further compounded by the limited number of active, IS researchers. The growing importance of qualitative techniques in IS research, the challenges of developing a sound base in multiple reference disciplines and the need for making IS course interesting for business school students were some of the other significant observations. Our study also highlighted the paradox of the success of the IT industry in India leading to reduced enrollment of IS courses in B-Schools. We conclude by providing recommendations to B-school deans and directors.

Incorporating a Soil Science Artifact into a University ePortfolio Assessment Tool

The ePortfolio is a useful educational tool that is utilized in many educational institutions to showcase student accomplishments and provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their educational progress. The objective of this study was to develop and test an artifact from an introductory soil science course to be included in the individual student ePortfolio utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Sites through Google Apps for Education. A State/Representative Soil Project developed for the FNR 204: Soil Information Systems course at Clemson University, taught in the fall of 2008, was used to create a PowerPoint presentation to be incorporated as an artifact for the ePortfolio. Fifty-seven students from various fields (forestry, wildlife biology, and environmental science) were surveyed following the exercise regarding the usefulness of including the PowerPoint presentation of the State/Representative Soil Project as an artifact in their ePortfolios. Students created an artifact for their ePortfolio, learned more about soil information systems, and completed a requirement for the course. Feedback was received on how to improve the artifact and its usability in their ePortfolio. Overall, student responses were positive, indicating that incorporation of the State/Representative Soil Project artifact can enhance their ePortfolios. Impact Statement Digital learner portfolios are of growing importance in higher education and it is important to help students to create artifacts from soil science courses. This article describes an example of an artifact from an introductory-level soil science course. The artifact was well received by the students and faculty.

A Case Study For Accounting Information Systems A Business Continuity Plan For Protecting Critical Financial Information In The NYC Financial Services Industry

This case study outlines a project launched by the Wall Street West organization, a data redundancy system in Northeastern Pennsylvania which provides backdrop for financial institutions located in New York City. The purpose of this study is threefold. First, the history on the importance of business continuity plans in a post 9/11 world is explored. Second, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission recommendations regarding Disaster Recover, in addition to the requirements of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, are reviewed. Lastly, an overview of Wall Street Wests effort is provided, looking at some of the strategic advantages to locate in Northeastern Pennsylvania and demonstrating the important resources provided by Wall Street West to protect the nations national security. Conclusions and case use recommendations are presented as this case is ideally suited for use in an Accounting Information Systems course at either the undergraduate or graduate level creating an awareness of the importance of business continuity planning.

Organizing information into useful management reports: Short cases to illustrate reporting principles and coding

Abstract The accounting information systems course snatches students from their comfort zone of debits and credits and drops them into the position of czar of information needed by managers to make decisions and manage their day-to-day operations. Instructors of this course have the daunting task of teaching students how to report information in a way that it is meaningful to managers. These reports must adhere to principles not necessarily pertinent to the financial statements with which students are already familiar. These principles of management reports include concise and timely reports, inclusion of physical as well as monetary data, and exception reporting. The authors have developed and used three different teaching cases that resemble real-world experience to help students understand and apply these reporting principles. These cases can be used individually, and instructors might choose to use more than one of them in their AIS course. In addition, these cases challenge students to develop data coding methods that must be used to enable the generation of reports adhering to these principles. Learning objectives, implementation guidance, and teaching notes are provided. Feedback from students on the use of these cases has been overwhelmingly positive. The cases were administered at two universities (the authors’ university and another university) during the fall 2013 semester. The questionnaires administered to the instructor and the students are provided. Results included in this paper suggest that both the students and the instructors found the cases interesting and useful.

Addressing business needs: A creative module for teaching data macros in an accounting information systems course

• Creative module for teaching data macros in an accounting information systems course. • Easy to understand use of data macros. • Data macros can be used in an introductory course in databases. • Results reveal strong evidence of learning of data macros among students. Although database technology has advanced considerably, Accounting Information Systems (AIS) courses in business schools generally include only the basic aspects of databases, such as creating tables, queries, forms, reports and relationships between tables. One advanced topic that can be covered to enrich such courses is “triggered events.” Triggered events are useful in implementing accounting processes, such as data validation, control and exception reporting in databases. To date, teaching triggered events required enterprise-level database systems, thereby making it difficult to replicate in an introductory class. However, data macro features introduced in the 2010 version of Microsoft Access can now be used to teach such concepts in an easy-to-use interface. The proposed module in data macros helps students gain the ability to implement validity control and exception-reporting in databases. In addition, the module helps accounting students realize the importance of databases in meeting certain accounting needs. The effectiveness of the proposed module was assessed by an exercise and a survey.

A tool to evaluate your website for patient engagement

IntroductionThe current healthcare environment encourages patients to participate in their healthcare. One way to do so is to design and manage a website that empowers patients and family members to be involved in their care. The authors previously developed a model that classifies hospital websites into four levels by how well the websites engaged the patients. This paper presents a tool based on that model that can be used by hospitals to objectively measure the level of hospital website patient engagement.MethodThe tool was developed and given to 20 students in a senior-level management information systems course to evaluate 40 hospital websites taken from the 2012 Most Wired Hospitals list. Based on their comments, the tool was revised to increase readability and usability.ResultsThe tool can: (1) correctly identify the current level of engagement of a hospital's website; (2) prescribe the characteristics required to advance the website to the next level while still allowing for flexibility in website design.Implications for practiceThis tool can assist hospitals in evaluating their current website from several points of view, point out potential shortcomings, and serve as an aid in developing a plan to improve the website going forward.

Extending the case study: assigning an educational novel and student role-playing in the accounting information systems course

Need for innovative and active-learning activities to enhance the teaching-learning experience have never been greater. Students of the ‘video generation,’ compared to prior generations, often have learning styles that are not well matched to the traditional classroom lecture format of teaching. Use of case studies is well documented as an effective way to engage students. The educational novel extends the case study approach. Educational novels have been described as effectively a very lengthy case problem, with a myriad of inter-connected sub-cases, incorporating interesting characters and plot elements. This study describes two teaching devices, educational novels and student role-playing, that can be used to complement traditional lectures. These two teaching devices can be used in accounting information system (AIS) classes, and other classes, to provide technical information in a way that encourages learning and generates student enthusiasm. This study reports how each of these teaching devices can be readily implemented and how each has produced positive feedback from AIS students.

The An Excel-Based, Multi-Year Accounting Cycle Project for either the First Intermediate Accounting Course or an AIS Course

The An Excel-Based, Multi-Year Accounting Cycle Project for either the First Intermediate Accounting Course or an AIS Course

An Integrative Business Case Utilizing An Online Database

This paper describes a unique business case that is an integration of topics in accounting information systems, managerial accounting, economics, and marketing into a single comprehensive student project on the internet. The project described gives students experience using an online database and php coding to interact with this database. The problem also involves demand functions and profit maximization with elementary calculus. The information system used is a website that assists a company employee in setting prices of products for optimal profit, given information concerning demand function parameters, costs, and marketing options. Although this project was used in an accounting information systems course, it could also be utilized in other courses such as introductory database management systems, managerial accounting, or introductory information technology. The project can be easily modified to align with the experience and sophistication of the students.

Perceived Relevance of an Introductory Information Systems Course to Prospective Business Students

The study is designed to examine students’ perceptions of the introductory Information Systems (IS) course. It was an exploratory study in which 67 students participated. A quantitative approach was followed making use of questionnaires for the collection of data. Using the theory of reasoned action as a framework, the study explores the factors that influence non-IS major students’ perceived relevance of the IS introductory course. The analysis of collected data included descriptive and inferential statistics. Using multiple regression analysis, the results suggest that overall, the independent variables, relevance of the content, previous IT knowledge, relevance for professional practice, IT preference in courses and peers’ influence may account for 72% of the explanatory power for the dependent variable, perceived relevance of the IS course. In addition, the results have shown some strong predictors (IT preference and peers’ influence) that influence students’ perceived relevance of the IS course. Practical work was found to be a strong mediating variable toward positive perceptions of IS. The results of this study suggest that students do indeed perceive the introductory IS course to be relevant and match their professional needs, but more practical work would enhance their learning. Implications for theory and practice are discussed as a result of the behavioural intention to perceive the IS course to be relevant and eventually to recruit more IS students.

E-Learning dengan Menggunakan COI Framework

This study discusses some considerations in education to achieve a good quality of learning by utilizing technological advances such as E-Learning. This study uses a model of Community of Inquiry (COI) as a comparative study to improve the quality of E-Learning program. Implementation of COI model in discussionforum on BiNusMaya through E-Learning is able to improve the quality of a discussion as improvement of knowledge management. This study aims to provide a proposal to the Department of Information Systems Bina Nusantara University in enhancing the effectiveness of the use of discussion forums on BiNusMaya (ELearning). By presenting the survey results related to the Binusmaya current condition,s such constraints and development expectations of both the lecturers and students for Binusmaya can be described. In addition, the application of CoI model is presented in a learning process especially when meeting outside of class (without face-to-face). The results of this study is expected to be the basis for developing a COI model design and implementation plan in Management Information Systems course, that may improve the quality of the use of discussion forums as part of the knowledge management process in future study.

Peregrine—Twenty Years of Fraudulent Cash Balances

ABSTRACTIn July 2012, Peregrine Financial Group filed for bankruptcy following the discovery that $215 million in customer balances had been embezzled. Investigation revealed that its Chief Executive Officer, Russell Wasendorf, Sr., fooled auditors and regulators for 20 years by preparing fictitious bank statements and cash balance confirmations to hide the theft of cash. The fraud was uncovered when Peregrine's regulator, the National Futures Association (NFA), demanded that Peregrine participate in an electronic confirmation process for verification of customer accounts. This case discusses how the fraud was allowed to go undetected for 20 years, the importance of auditing cash, and how new electronic confirmation technology improves the ability to authenticate confirmation responses. The case is suitable for use in both auditing and accounting information system courses.