IS5414 Analysis and Design of eCommerce Systems

Part I

Course Duration: One Semester (13 Weeks)
Credit Units: 3
Level: P5
Medium of Instruction: English
Prerequisites:  Nil
Precursors: Nil
Equivalent Courses: Nil
Exclusive Courses: Nil


Part II

Course Aims
This course aims to provide students with knowledge and experience relevant to analysis and design of Electronic Commerce (eCommerce) Application Systems.  The course will emphasize the special requirements of eBusiness and the appropriate analysis and design methods.  Emphasis will be placed on the mechanisms required for the acquisition and modeling of requirements of eCommerce and the formulation of information system solutions for eCommerce application development and implementation.

Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

(2: Relatively most focused CILOs; 1: moderately focused CILOs)

Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)
Lecture:            26 hours
Laboratory:       13 hours

TLA1: Lecture
Concepts of systems analysis and associated modelling techniques are explained using activities designed to enable students to differentiate between structured and object-oriented methods, to apply different modelling techniques, to evaluate different business process change options, and to select and evaluate appropriate requirements determination and structuring.  Concepts of application construction and user interaction are explained and illustrated using examples to enable students understanding on creating eCommerce systems possessing aesthetic and practical characteristics with a focus on sustained use and evolution.

TLA2: Laboratory
During laboratory sessions, the following activities are used to reinforce and practice various communication, analysis, modelling and design techniques learnt in lectures:

• Exercises: Hands-on activities using a variety of communication technologies (e.g., videoconferencing, chat, forums and SecondLife) and CASE tools (e.g., Microsoft Visio) as part of systems modelling and creation exercises including requirement gathering, consensus formulation and outcome coordination and delivery.
• Discussion: Discussion on implications of various concepts learnt in lectures, and how they can be applied to a typical eCommerce system project. Discussion, critique and selection among different approaches of requirement determination, structuring and coordination, system acquisition and development, system architectures, as well as suggestion for improvement on above issues.

TLA3: Project
Students would have to complete a group project requiring them to perform systems analysis and design activities aimed at capturing requirements, diagramming models, proposing acquisition/development alternatives, constructing aesthetic and practical application prototype of an eCommerce application.  A special feature of the project is interaction in a virtual team where members come from different backgrounds in globally distributed universities.  Group project work will be submitted at different phases for review and comments by the instructor/tutors.

(1: Minor focus on the CILO; 2: Main focus on the CILO)

Assessment Tasks/Activities
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

AT1: Continuous Assessment (5%)
Participation in class and lab sessions in activities such as:
-          application of systems analysis techniques, including requirement and information gathering and structuring techniques
-          modelling exercises, presentation and discussion of proposed solutions to various scenarios of e-Business environment
-          contribution, critical analysis and suggestions for requirements
-          design and delivery of system prototypes, user interface and user interactions

AT2: Project (55%)
Each team of 3 or 4 local students combined with international counter-parts in a virtual team context will analyse, collect and structure requirements of a proposed eCommerce system and deliver a final product which much then be interacted with other team deliverables.  The project work should be completed in accordance with defined milestones e.g.,

Start project
·         Introduction of goals and objectives
·         Familiarization with communication tools
First interaction using communication tools
·         Selection of topics
·         First interaction of virtual project teams
Start working in groups
·         Contribution of topic ideas
·         Familiarization with asynchronous communication tools
Videoconference
·         Further introduction to communication tools
·         Discuss research questions with team and plan the project
Deadline for first deliverable (plan, risk assessment, research questions)
Deadline for second deliverable (separate section finished and ready for review)
Deadline for third deliverable (delivery of integrated product/system)

AT3: Personal Reflection (10%)
Members of each team provide a personal reflect on their personal contribution and learning as well as team dynamic and suggestions for improvements.

AT4: Final Examination (30%)
This open-book examination will assess both the conceptual understanding and the developed skills using one (or more) small eCommerce scenarios.

** Students must pass both coursework and examination in order to get an overall pass in this course. **

Grading of Student Achievement:
Standard grading pattern:  A+, A …. C, C-, D, F


Part III

Keyword Syllabus
Systems development life cycle and methods; Object-oriented system analysis and design; Unified modelling language (UML) and business processes; Requirements determination; Requirement structuring; Conceptual Data Modelling; Analysis Classes; Functional modelling; Structural modelling; Behavioural modelling; Design Strategy; Design Elements; Human Interface and Prototyping; eCommerce system implementation; Virtual team interaction.