University of the Cumberlands

School of Computer and Information Sciences

Course Summary

Course Number and Name

ITS 531 – Business Intelligence

Course Term and Delivery

Summer 2018 – MAIN term – Hybrid Course with Required Residency

Residency Session Date: 6/15-17 Residency Session Course Site: Washington D.C. @ NOVA

Course Instructor
Dr. Chris Esquire, Adjunct Professor
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: By Appointment

Catalog Course Description

This course covers theories and applications of business analytics. The focus is on extracting business
intelligence from firms' business data for various applications, including (but not limited to) customer
segmentation, customer relationship management (CRM), personalization, online recommendation
systems, web mining, and product assortment. The emphasis is placed on the 'know-how' -- knowing how
to extract and apply business analytics to improve business decision-making.

Course Objectives
Course Competencies/ Learning Objectives
Course Learning Objectives Major Instructional Areas Assessment Method
Perform business Chapters 1 & 2 Quiz
reporting and visual
analytics

Understand Chapters 3 & 4 Quiz

management support
system technologies

Understand Chapters 5 - 8 Quiz

foundations and
technologies for Midterm exam
decision making

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Understand Chapters 9 - 12 Quiz

techniques for
predictive modeling

Understand Chapters 13 & 14 Final Exam

emerging trends and
future impacts

Course Structure
 Read assigned text material
 Participate in class discussion via iLearn forums
 Complete quizzes based on assigned reading and lecture
 Complete cases based upon a given scenario
 Complete homework assignments from the text and other sources

Learning Materials and References

Required Resources

Textbook(s) Required:

Sharda, Delen, Turban. Business Intelligence and Analytics: Systems for Decision Support. 10th ed.
Boston: Pearson, 2015.

Recommended Materials/Resources

Please use the following author’s names, book/article titles, Web sites, and/or keywords to search for
supplementary information to augment your learning in this subject.

 Keller, P. A. (2005). Six sigma demystified. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

 Minelli, M., Chambers, M., & Dhiraj, A. (2012). Big data, big analytics: emerging business
intelligence and analytic trends for today's businesses. John Wiley & Sons.
 Liebowitz, J. (Ed.). (2013). Big data and business analytics. CRC press.
 Six Sigma
 Big Data

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Evaluation and Grading

Course Assignments and Evaluation Criteria

Grading will be based on accumulated points of each graded requirement in the course distributed as
described in the table below:

Required Assignments*
Assignment Description Weight
Exams (2) Each exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer questions, 20%
discussion questions, and other security related questions. Exam items will
be derived primarily from lectures and readings. Exams will be available
through iLearn, but must be completed independently. See course calendar
for tentative due dates.
Quizzes and Assignments and quizzes will be given throughout the term and will have 20%
Homework varying point values. Assignments will come from the Six Sigma study
Assignments questions, discussion questions, and reviewing literature.
Research During the residency you will be assigned to a group and given a case study 60%
Project for a research project
TOTAL 100%

* Assignments may change at the discretion of the professor and changes in the assignments will be
announced in class. Students are responsible for noting and completing any changes in assignments.

Grade Conversion
The final grades will be calculated from the percentages earned in the course, as follows:

Grade Percentage
A 90–100%
B 80–89.5%
C 70–79.5%
F <69.5%

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Course Expectations

Class Participation
Students are expected to:
1. Be fully prepared for each class session by studying the assigned reading material
and preparation of the material assigned.
2. Participate in group discussions, assignments, and panel discussions.
3. Complete specific assignments when due and in a professional manner.
4. Take exams when specified on the attached course schedule

Academic Integrity
At a Christian liberal arts University committed to the pursuit of truth and understanding, any act of
academic dishonesty is especially distressing and cannot be tolerated. In general, academic dishonesty
involves the abuse and misuse of information or people to gain an undeserved academic advantage or
evaluation. The common forms of academic dishonesty include:
a. cheating - using deception in the taking of tests or the preparation of written work, using
unauthorized materials, copying another person’s work with or without consent, or assisting
another in such activities
b. lying—falsifying, fabricating, or forging information in either written, spoken, or video
presentations
c. plagiarism—using the published writings, data, interpretations, or ideas of another without proper
documentation

Episodes of academic dishonesty are reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The
potential penalty for academic dishonesty includes a failing grade on a particular assignment, a failing
grade for the entire course, or charges against the student with the appropriate disciplinary body.

Students with Disabilities

Students who may have a disability meriting an academic accommodation should contact Mr. Jacob
Ratcliff the Disabilities Services Coordinator, in the Student Services Office to ensure that their needs are
properly evaluated and that documentation is on file. Any accommodations for disabilities must be re-
certified each semester by the Academic Affairs Office before course adjustments are made by
individual instructors.

Student Responsibilities
1. Students are expected to login several times per week to participate in class discussions.
2. Students are expected to find out if any changes have been made in the class or
assignment schedule.

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3. Students are expected to be self-motivating in an online, asynchronous course.

Tentative Course Outline*

Late Policy: NO ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE WITHOUT PRIOR
APPROVEL

Week One: Course Introduction

 Review course procedures
 Chapter 1 from course textbook
Week Two: Foundations and Technologies for Decision Making
 Chapter 2 from course textbook
Week Three: Data Warehousing
 Chapter 3 from course textbook
 Quiz 1 (Ch-1,2,3)

Week Four: Business Reporting, Visual Analytics, and Business Performance Management
 Chapter 4 from course textbook
Week Five: Data Mining
 Chapter 5 from course textbook
Week 6: Techniques for Predictive Modeling
 Chapter 6 from course textbook
 Residency Project
Week Seven: Text Analytics, Mining, and Sentiment Analysis
 Chapter 7 from course textbook
 Quiz 2 (Ch-4,5,6)
Week Eight: Web Analytics, Mining, and Social Analysis
 Chapter 8 from course textbook
 Midterm exam (Ch-1,2,3, 4,5,6,7,8)
Week Nine: Model-Based Decision Making: Optimization and Multi-Criteria Systems
 Chapter 9 from course textbook
Week Ten: Modeling and Analysis: Heuristic Search Methods and Simulation
 Chapter 10 from course textbook
Week Eleven: Automated Decision Systems and Expert Systems
 Chapter 11 from course textbook
 Quiz 3 (Ch- 9, 10, 11)
Week Twelve: Knowledge Management and Collaborative Systems
 Chapter 12 from course textbook
Week Thirteen: Big Data and Analytics
 Chapter 13 from course textbook
Week Fourteen: Business Analytics: Emerging Trends and Future Impacts
 Chapter 14 from course textbook
 Quiz 4 (Ch- 12, 13, 14)
Week Fifteen: Review

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Week Sixteen:
 Final exam (Comprehensive, all chapters)

Late Policy: NO ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE WITHOUT PRIOR

APPROVEL

Note: Assignments in the following table are listed when they are due.

Week Weekly Topic Reading Assignment Due**

#1 Chapter 1: Overview of Business Ch.1
Intelligence, Analytics, and Decision
Support

#2 Chapter 2: Foundations and Ch. 2

Technologies for Decision Making

#3 Chapter 3: Data Warehousing Ch. 3 Quiz 1 (Ch-1,2,3)

#4 Chapter 4: Business Reporting, Ch. 4
Visual Analytics, and Business
Performance Management
#5 Chapter 5: Data Mining Ch. 5

#6 Chapter 6: Techniques for Predictive Ch. 6 Residency Project

Modeling
#7 Chapter 7: Text Analytics, Mining, Ch. 7 Quiz 2 (Ch-4,5,6)
and Sentiment Analysis
#8 Chapter 8: Web Analytics, Mining, Ch. 8 Midterm (Ch-1,2,3,
and Social Analysis 4,5,6,7,8)
#9 Chapter 9: Model-Based Decision Ch.9
Making: Optimization and Multi-
Criteria Systems
#10 Chapter 10: Modeling and Analysis: Ch.10
Heuristic Search Methods and
Simulation

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#11 Chapter 11: Automated Decision Ch. 11 Quiz 3 (Ch- 9, 10, 11)
Systems and Expert Systems
#12 Chapter 12: Knowledge Ch. 12
Management and Collaborative
Systems
#13 Chapter 13: Big Data and Analytics Ch. 13

#14 Chapter 14: Business Analytics: Ch. 14 Quiz 4 (Ch- 12, 13, 14)
Emerging Trends and Future
Impacts
#15 Review None

#16 None FINAL EXAM Chapters

1-14

*ALL DUE DATES AND ASSIGNMENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

**All assignments are due in iLearn by 11:59pm EST on SUNDAY of the corresponding week…
EXCEPT the last week of class when all assignments are due on
TUESDAY, August 21, 2018 at 11:59pm EST.
Late Policy: NO ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE WITHOUT PRIOR
APPROVEL

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