Course Syllabus
Contact Information
I received my Master of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma in the spring of 1997 with studies concentrated in Information Technology and Accounting. I earned my Oklahoma Certified Public Accountant license in 1999 and have maintained my license throughout my career. In addition, I completed the Graduate Certificate in Digital Technologies program in the fall of 2021 at The University of Oklahoma. My background includes extensive industry experience in business analysis, software development, implementation, administration, financial analysis, data analysis, and business intelligence. Before I began teaching full-time, I worked in Oklahoma City as the Manager of Business Intelligence and Analysis for an organization in the private sector. My hobbies include training for triathlons, tinkering around on my old Jeep, playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
- MIT 5602: Management Information Systems
Course Materials
Book: Essentials Plus of SQL: Extracting and Updating Data
Author: Allen, Gove, Jackson, Robert, Hansen, Gary
Publisher: MyEducator
Version: 2024, online
Cost: $34.99
ISBN: 978-1-7339969-7-6
In this course, we will use MyEducator, a platform that provides educational resources and materials. It's commonly used by educators to create and share content for various subjects. The platform may include textbooks, interactive lessons, quizzes, and other educational tools to enhance the learning experience for students.
Access the material via the Modules menu item on the left-hand side of the Canvas window. MyEducator is the first module. We will start using this material on the first day of class, so please purchase this book immediately!
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz React Assignments | Autograded quizzes on MyEducator assigned resources | 20% |
| In-Class Exercises | SQL exercises and quiz questions based on Live Session content | 20% |
| Weekly Reflection | Summaries of weekly learning experiences | 15% |
| Homework | Graded quizzes on SQL tasks and skills | 20% |
| Final Exam | A two-part exam focusing on skills needed to retrieve and manipulate data | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Quiz: React Assignments
This short quiz is a learning tool to assess students’ grasp of the basic concepts covered in the week’s resources (readings, media, and recorded lectures).
In-Class Exercises
These exercises challenge students to utilize the SQL skills they have learned in class by requiring them to write SQL statements to answer questions based on the data. In addition, there are multiple-choice, true/false, and short essay questions that further test the concepts introduced in the week’s lecture. The goals of these exercises are to put the theory from the weekly lectures into practice and prepare to complete the Homework assignments.
Weekly Reflection
The Reflection should summarize the student’s weekly learning experience (engagement with materials, quiz, Live Session participation, in-class exercises) in two paragraphs with a minimum of 10 lines per paragraph. There are 3 parts to the reflection:
- Summarize the week’s learning materials (readings, media, recorded lectures, and Live Session) and how they relate to the module learning objectives.
- List two topics of interest from the week’s content using the following questions as guidance:
- What are topics that are most interesting to you?
- What are topics that can be utilized immediately at your work?
- What is a question that you still have about this week’s learning topics?
Homework
The homework assignment format is similar to that of the in-class exercises. These assessments require students to write SQL code and answer questions based on the SQL code results. In addition, these assessments may ask students to answer multiple choice, true/false, and short essay questions that further test the concepts introduced in the week’s recorded lecture and in-class exercises.
Final Exam
The final exam has two parts. The goal of Part A is retrieving data and requires students to write SQL code and produce results that are outlined in the exam’s instructions. The goal of Part B is manipulating data, requiring students to answer multiple choice questions, create code on a SQL database and answer questions based on the code, create code on a MongoDB and answering questions based on the code, and answer short essay questions explaining topics that are frequently asked about during job interviews.
Course Policies
Communication
Please call me Professor or Professor James. When you send an e-mail to me, please be sure to include the course number or some course identifier in the Subject line. Additionally, please identify yourself in the text of your e-mail, otherwise, I may not figure out who you are just by your email address alone. Please note that if your question is relevant to the class, I will forward your email with my response to the class – so be sure to proofread your email and use good email etiquette because it may be seen by your classmates. It is the student's responsibility to receive/check incoming mail in a timely fashion (e.g., not regularly checking your email, having a “full mailbox” condition, etc.).
You can expect a response to emails sent Monday-Friday within 24 hours. Emails sent over the weekend will receive a response within 48 hours. We will use Microsoft Teams for course communication. Please send a message through Teams direct messaging.
Feedback
Assignment feedback will typically be posted within one week of the assignment deadline.
Late Policy
Each deliverable has a clearly defined due date. Late work is not accepted without prior arrangements or extenuating circumstances. I understand that extenuating work and life circumstances can happen. If you encounter these kinds of situations, please communicate with me (ahead of assignment deadlines, if possible) and we can determine how to proceed.
Academic Integrity for Generative Artificial Intelligence Programs
I expect you to use AI (ChatGPT) to help you get started on course assignments. I am happy to meet with you if you need help with the assignment or need help with how to use ChatGPT.
However, be aware of the limits of ChatGPT:
- If you provide minimum effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will need to refine your prompts in order to get good outcomes. This will take work.
- Don't trust anything it says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is wrong unless you either know the answer or can check in with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool.
- AI is a tool, and you need to acknowledge using it. Please include a paragraph here explaining your interaction with ChatGPT, and what prompts you used to get the results.
Using AI programs and not disclosing where and how that content is used is considered academic dishonesty and will be considered a violation of academic integrity. If the usage of such programs is found without disclosure, students will receive a “0” for the grade and will be reported to OU’s Integrity Council. Students unsure about using AI tools in coursework should speak directly to their instructor or seek guidance from the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|