CSC 503 - DECISION SUPPORT SOFTWARE WITH APPLICATIONS
CREDIT HOURS: 3
PREREQUISITES: CSC 121 and MTH 220
GRADE REMINDER: Must have a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Operating systems, spreadsheets, graphing, statistical analysis and interpretation, database management systems, network environment, current topics in business computing. For non-computer science students.
PURPOSE OF COURSE
To provide the student with the knowledge of and practice in using contemporary software for decision support in business.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
This course will provide students an opportunity to:
1. Remediate critical skills in the use of computers in business.
2. Remediate/review basic skills in electronic spreadsheets.
3. Design and produce advanced, user friendly, error free electronic spreadsheets.
4. Integrate Visual Basic macros in spreadsheet applications..
5. Use electronic spreadsheets for statistical analysis.
6. Audit electronic spreadsheets for errors.
7. Export, import, and convert data files from one type of application to another.
8. Introduce pivot tables for use in analyzing and summarizing data.
9. Use an Autofilter in Excel for selecting data in a spreadsheet based on criteria.
10. Use three-dimensional consolidation in a spreadsheet to merge multiple data sources.
11. Implement an expert system to assist in business decision support.
12. Introduce the process of designing and implementing a decision support system.
13. Compare decision support systems to artificial intelligence.
CONTENT . . . . . . . . . Hours
Orientation: . . . . . . . . . 3
Course requirements, exams and grading
Review of computer terminology
Overview of application software in business environment
Spreadsheets . . . . . . . . .23
Review of elementary Excel functions & operations
Graphing
Linear Regression
Design principles and error detection/avoidance
Data base operations (Sort, Query, Table)
Key macros, macro library
3-D worksheet, linking
Pivot Tables
Worksheet auditing procedures
Implementing Autofilters for filtering data
Transferring and sharing data among applications
The use of Visual Basic in business applications
Decision Support Systems . . . . . . . . .15
Review of business decision-making process
Applying knowledge to business decisions
Knowledge services in business decisions
The role of decision support systems in business
Decision support systems vs. management information systems
The process of building a decision support system
Tools for building a decision support system
Expert systems
Executive information systems
Exams (plus comprehensive final) . . . . . . . . . 4
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . 45
LIMITATIONS
To allow each student to have a computer to work with during lab sessions and exams, the class size is limited to the number of computers available in the microcomputer instruction lab.
EXAMINATIONS
One mid-term exam and one comprehensive final exam are required of all students.
TEXTBOOKS
Ageloff, Parsons, Oja & Carey, New Perspectives: Microsoft Excel 97 - Comprehensive, Course Technology.
Adamski, Hommel, Finnegan, New Perspectives: Microsoft Access 97 - Comprehensive - Enhanced, Course Technology.