Concepts and Applications of Information Technology (IFSM201)
The Class Project is the most significant assignment in this course, Concepts and Applications of
Information Technology. As such, it accounts for 58% of the course points. This assignment is
comprised of two deliverables: a SWOT Analysis and a Presentation. The SWOT Analysis is due
in Week 4 (worth 33% of course grade), and the Presentation is due in Week 8 (worth 25% of
course grade).
This assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to research, evaluate, and describe business strategy focused on information technology tools and services. This assignment specifically addresses the following course outcomes:
• Identify the basic components of the information system: hardware, software, data, processes, and people, and how these components are used to support strategic decision making.
• Apply information technology tools for research, data gathering and information analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and communicating information that aligns with business needs and objectives.
Start Here
The Class Project for this course focuses on the evaluation of a business or organization and how they might strengthen their operations through technology, including their information systems. There are two parts to the Class Project: the SWOT Analysis and the Presentation. You will use the same business/organization for both parts; however, the grade received on the SWOT Analysis will not affect the grade for the Presentation (they are separate assignments). Step 1: Choose a Business or Organization To begin, choose a business or organization that you would like to evaluate – it can be where you work, a school (UMGC), a place of worship, government entity (e.g., DMV, Secretary of State, courthouse, etc.), or any other type of organization. Since the focus of the analysis will involve information technology, the best type of organization to choose is one where you can envision technology playing a key role in improving products, processes, or services. *From this point on, the instructions focus on the second deliverable, the Presentation*
Step 2: The Presentation (due week 8) Now that you have chosen a business or organization for your Class Project and completed the SWOT Analysis, it is time to complete the second deliverable – the Presentation. As you demonstrated, the SWOT analysis is a framework for identifying and analyzing an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats — SWOT stands for: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. Commonly used by businesses, this tool focuses on factors that are important to strategic decision making. These factors include both internal and external influences on the viability of the organization. The Presentation is a methodology for illustrating and explaining information to stakeholders in an organization. You will use the Microsoft PowerPoint tool to create a presentation for the leadership of the organization you chose for this Project. The SWOT Analysis you did provides the context for the presentation, and you will use the attributes you identified in your SWOT Table to justify the recommendations you will make for improvements to the organization. The goal of the Presentation is to inform your audience, the senior leadership of the organization, of the internal and external factors most critical to the health of the organization, and recommend alternatives based on Information Technology that can help mitigate weaknesses and threats. For more explanations on a PowerPoint Presentation, go to the following resources, available in the week 8 Content:
• Getting Started with PowerPoint
• POWERPOINT FOR MAC
• PowerPoint: Managing Slides
Step 3: Create the PowerPoint Presentation Now that you have completed a SWOT Analysis on the organization you chose, it is time to create a PowerPoint presentation that will be submitted to your instructor/classroom. The presentation should include the following and be a minimum of 10-12 slides in length (not including Title or Reference slides):
1. Title slide – the title of presentation, company/organization name, your name, course, and date of submission.
2. Purpose – briefly describe the purpose of the presentation and a summary of the organization, including the business the organization is in (e.g., retail, production, technology services, education, etc.)
3. SWOT Findings – 6-7 slides including a slide with the SWOT Table you created. Use slides and notes to explain the business’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats it faces in the marketplace. In addition to the SWOT Table, each quadrant (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) should have its own slide and in-depth Notes. Last, answer the question: how are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats interconnected?
4. Focus on Information Systems – 2-3 slides describing recommendations based on the SWOT analysis; how can the information system components (hardware, software, data, people, processes) contribute to overcoming external barriers and bettering the health of the organization?
PowerPoint:%20Managing%20Slides
5. Summary/Conclusion – synthesize the presentation – what were the most important points?
6. References – cite at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. a. Remember to correctly cite and reference all sources. Any direct quotes should be indicated within the slide text with appropriate quotation marks and an in-text citation (however, direct quotes should be short and used sparingly, if at all). Complete references for sources should be included in the corresponding Notes section. Paraphrased material can just be referenced within the Notes section of the slides without an in-text citation on the slide. This deviates from APA style but keeps the slides more readable.
*ALL Slides MUST Have Notes – provide a comprehensive explanation of what is on the slide. Since there is no oral presentation, the Notes serve to explain what the audience sees on the slide* The bullet points in your presentation will be supported by relevant details in the Notes section of the slides, which contain the actual words you would say to the stakeholders as you present each slide. Since you cannot present the slides in person, the Notes will show what you would say. This is an important part of your presentation. Presentations with limited or no “Notes” will receive much lower grades because the bullets cannot tell the whole story. Tips for a good PowerPoint Presentation:
• Include relevant graphics, including the SWOT Table.
• Each slide should have a title and a limited amount of text. The presentation should capture key bullet points and not include complete paragraphs and detailed text. The Notes feature will provide that explanations/narration for what the audience sees on the slide.
• There are options in PowerPoint to make a presentation stylish and unordinary, including background colors, but keep it professional looking – remember your audience.
• Font size should be readable, as in at least 16 point and good contrast with background.
• Use animations sparingly to enhance your presentation.
• Keep Your Slides Simple.
• Proofread and Spellcheck (including what you write in the Notes section)!
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