MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project

Spring 2016

Dr. Nathan Garrelts

Phone: 616-541-4173
Email: garreln1@ferris.edu
Office Hours: BUS128, Thursday, 9:00-11:00
PRK120, Thursday, 12:00-1:30, 2:45-3:15

COURSE INFORMATION
This is a mixed delivery course with face-to-face meetings on the following days: January 16, February
27, and April 23. Please be aware that there are three different sections of this course. While Dr.
Blakemore and I have collaborated closely to provide you with a high quality experience, there are minor
differences in our teaching philosophy. You must attend the section for which you are registered.

Section 001: 9:00AM-12:50PM, BUS 216 Garrelts

Section 002: 2:00PM-5:50PM, BUS 216 Garrelts

Please see the attendance policy in this document and modules in Blackboard for more information.

FSU COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR MISI799

The Integrated Capstone Project is the culminating activity in the Master of Science in Information
Security & Intelligence (ISI) program. The project integrates learning from across the curriculum in a
definitive investigation within the ISI field. A defensible written deliverable and comprehensive
examination is required. Prerequisite: Final semester or department approval. Typically Offered Fall,
Spring, Summer.

ABOUT THIS SYLLABUS AND CLASS

I provide students with rationale, guidelines, and penalties for most course activities. Having an idea of
what to expect from the course helps students to budget their time, meet course expectations, and predict
the consequences for most desirable and undesirable behaviors. I also find it useful to sketch out the
entire semester in an attempt to teach a course that is well paced and coherent. I love to teach, and I
want to empower you with the skills you need to succeed in college, work, and life. To that end, it is
important to me that you have a positive learning experience.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR

In addition to office hours, I am happy to email, text, or talk on the phone with students. I have provided
you with my Google Voice number, which will ring both my cell phone and my home phone. The best time
to reach me on the phone is during office hours; however, I am happy to talk with students on any
weekday before 5:00PM. If I do not answer the phone, please leave a voicemail message. When leaving
a voicemail message be sure to leave your full name, contact number, and the best days/times to reach
you. Please also remember to speak slowly.

For most course related matters, a carefully written email is the most efficient and appropriate method of
contacting me. When sending me emails, students should use their Ferris email accounts and sign their
emails. It is nearly impossible for me to identify FunnyBunny2345@hotmail.com. Please also identify
yourself in text messages, since I do not know your phone numbers. I check my Ferris email account
Monday-Friday and do my best to respond to students within 48 hours excluding weekends. For example,
a message sent on Monday will usually be responded to by Wednesday. However, a message sent Friday
afternoon may not receive a response until the beginning of the next week. If you do not hear from me
within a few days, please contact me again. Any number of problems may happen on your end, my end,
or in between. I appreciate your patience.

CONTACTING STUDENTS
For confidentiality and accountability reasons, I will only contact students using the email system provided
by Ferris. So, students will need to regularly monitor their Ferris email accounts. There are also technical
reasons for this practice. The Blackboard system only sends announcement emails to Ferris addresses
and also connects my Blackboard gradebook to student addresses. I do not have the option to
conveniently use other email addresses when contacting students. However, if students email me about

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus in writing and by announcement.
 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

non-confidential issues (like a due date), I will often respond to whatever email account the message is
sent from. In situations when I initiate the communication though, it will always be to your Ferris email. If
you contact me via phone about a confidential issue, I may also verify your identity in order to protect your
information.

As a general rule in life, members of the same organization contact one another using organizational
email addresses. Members of one organization contacting members of another organization will use their
respective organizational email addresses. This prevents confusion, allows for better security and
oversight, and is more professional. Because this is not always convenient, the solution that many people
use is to forward all of their email to a single account that allows for multiple addresses.

TEXTBOOK(S) AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR MISI799

You are not required to purchase any textbooks for this class; however, a free capstone manual is
available in the online classroom. The APA manual 6th Ed. (ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0562-2) is strongly
suggested.

Students will also need a standard word processing program with the ability to save files in PDF format.
Ferris students may be eligible to receive a copy of MS-Office for free at the following link:
http://ferris.edu/HTMLS/mytechsupport/sts_iconnect/sts_software_hardware/MicrosoftOfficeFreeforStudents.htm
Students without Microsoft Word are encouraged to use LibreOffice, which can be downloaded for free
from http://www.libreoffice.org

INTERNET CONNECTION
A good connection to the internet it essential for this course. Throughout the semester, I will regularly post
links to streaming media and other websites on the internet. Students with dial-up (or slow) connections
may need to make alternate arrangements for getting this material by going to a location with a faster
internet connection (library, friends house, restaurant). Students should keep the following information
from the Ferris website for Online Programs and Courses in mind:

You will need to have consistent access to a computer with online capabilities. Internet
connection speeds will affect the amount of information and the rate that information may be
accessed over the Internet. If you connect to the Internet from home over a dial-up connection,
the download rate for accessing documents in your online course will be significantly slower than
over a broadband connection. If your online course includes accessing video or audio files, or
downloading PowerPoint files, there will be a wait of several seconds to several minutes before
you can view the material.

We recommend cable/broadband internet with a minimum speed of 1.5Mbps. Higher bandwidth

and speed will greatly assist you in your online learning environment, so where possible, a faster
internet speed is recommended. Cable internet or T1 lines tend to be faster than DSL or 4G
wireless, although DSL or 4G wireless may also work depending on other factors. Your computer,
other software (such as anti spyware), other users on the system, and system configurations can
all influence your ultimate line speed. Many instructors use videos as a part of their instruction, as
well as synchronous meeting times (Skype, Adobe Connect, etc). Having an acceptable internet
connection speed will be important to your success.
(http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/online/techlinfo/connection.htm)

FINAL GRADE CALCULATION

Final course grades will be assigned using the following grading scale:

95-100 pts (95-100%) = A outstanding achievement

91-94 pts (91-94%) = A- outstanding achievement
88-90 pts (88-90%) = B+ above average achievement
85-87 pts (85-87%) = B above average achievement

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

81-84 pts (81-84%) = B- above average achievement

78-80 pts (78-80%) = C+ average achievement
75-77 pts (75-77%) = C average achievement
0-74 pts (0-74%) = F poor achievement

I record scores on all assignments and activities to one decimal place in the Blackboard gradebook.
Although rare, typos and electronic errors happen. I reserve the right to change grades in the Blackboard
gradebook to reflect actual student performance on assignments. Since it is easy for students to track
their performance in the course using the syllabus and Blackboard gradebook, I do not enter midterm
grades into Banner. Students are encouraged to track their grades and to contact the instructor with any
questions or concerns. At the end of the semester, I round point totals up to the nearest point (e.g. 89.2
will be rounded up to 90 and 89.6 will be rounded up to 90) and report the final letter grades to the
university who will issue grades to students. I cannot give students their final grades over email. Students
have the responsibility to save electronic and/or hard copies of all of their assignments until after the final
course grade has been received.

MAJOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS (60 POINTS TOTAL)

In addition to several shorter assignments, students will complete three major writing assignments this
term. These include a comprehensive exam portfolio (20 points), 20 source annotated bibliography (10
points), and a 5,000 word (chapter length) IMRAD research paper (30 points).

When final major writing assignments are submitted for grading, I will respond with what is called
evaluative feedback. Unlike formative feedback during the drafting phase, the goal is not to coach
students on ways to improve their assignment but to tell them how they did and what they need to work
on in the future. I complete a grading rubric and type comments on this. I may also highlight or note areas
on the paper where students can practice skills for the future, but I do not mark every error on an
assignment. I will provide additional feedback to students during any phase of the writing process upon
request. However after a paper has been graded, I will only provide additional feedback for one week.

LATE MAJOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Because major writing assignments may take a considerable amount of time to complete and students
are encouraged to use the full allotted time to polish their writing, it is sometimes the case that
emergencies or short term technical problems prevent students from submitting major writing
assignments as planned. In the event of a technical problem with Blackboard, students should contact
FSU support to help correct the problem. If the problem cannot be corrected, students should submit their
major writing assignment on time via email as an attachment. The message of the email should explain
the technical problems and efforts that the student has taken to correct the problems (such as contacting
FSU Support). Unless you are experiencing a technical problem, do not send assignments to my email

In the case of other emergencies that prevent timely submission (such as a family emergency or sudden
illness), I may accept a late major writing assignment if it is submitted to me via email within one week of
the deadline and accompanied by a well-written explanation of the emergency circumstances. I keep a
record of the excuses and typically only accept one late major writing assignment per student. Major
writing assignments that are more than a week late will automatically be given a score of zero and will not
be accepted.

Example #1: Jack Doe worked hard for several weeks on his major writing assignment. There
was evidence of this in our Blackboard course. He planned on polishing his work one final time on
the day it was due and then was going to submit it. Unfortunately, he vomited all over his
computer just before he hit the send button. Two days after the deadline he emailed me a well
written letter that explained all of this. He also attached his major writing assignment. I graded his
assignment as usual and there was no penalty.

Example #2: Jenny Doe had not been participating in class regularly. The assignment deadline
passed and she did not notice that she missed anything. Eight days after the assignment

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

deadline she submitted her paper via email from a non Ferris email address along with a note
that simply said sorry I mist the dedline. here is my file. Jen. I referred her to the syllabus and
did not give her credit.

BLACKBOARD ACTIVITIES (40 POINTS TOTAL)

With the exception of Major Writing Assignments, all Blackboard activities (blog posts, workshop
evidence, status reports, rough drafts, etc.) will be graded on a credit/ half credit/ no credit basis. In order
to receive full credit a submission post must thoughtfully respond to the module prompt, meet the length
requirements, and have relatively few conventional errors (grammar, spelling, punctuation). A submission
that does not meet these requirements will receive half credit or no credit at my discretion. While I will
check blog posts and other assignments to gauge student understanding, I will not typically comment on
individual submissions in the gradebook. You will just receive a score. If you have questions about an
assignment or would like additional feedback, please ask. If in the process of reading work I notice that a
student has misunderstood an assignment, I will usually contact that student over email. Late blackboard
activities will not be accepted. See the syllabus section titled LATE BLACKBOARD ACTIVITIES.

Note: Blackboard activities are subject to the rules regarding documentation, plagiarism, and the ethical
use of sources outlined in this syllabus. If you use researched material in a Blackboard blog post, you
should reference that material according to APA documentation guidelines. Moreover, outside research
should only be used as needed to support YOUR points. Blackboard submissions that are primarily
paraphrased or quoted will usually not receive credit.

LATE BLACKBOARD ACTIVITIES

The dates and times listed in this syllabus and in Blackboard are Eastern Standard/ Daylight Savings
Time. Students working in a different time zone are obligated to know the time difference and submit their
work on time. Students should plan to submit blog posts, drafts, and other activities in advance of the
deadline to allow time for problems with technology or minor emergencies to be addressed. In the event
of a technical problem with Blackboard, students should contact FSU support to help correct the problem.
If the problem cannot be corrected, students should submit their work on time via email as an attachment.
The message of the email should explain the technical problems and efforts that the student has taken to
correct the problems (such as contacting FSU Support). LATE BLOG POSTS AND OTHER
BLACKBOARD ACTIVITIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. STUDENTS WHO ASK FOR THIS WORK TO
BE ACCEPTED AFTER A DEADLINE HAS PASSED WILL BE DENIED AND REFERRED TO THIS
SECTION OF THE SYLLABUS. PLEASE DO NOT ASK!

Example #1: Student Jane Doe completed her blog assignment three days before the deadline,
but Blackboard was not working when she tried to submit the file. Jane contacted FSU support
who discovered some problem with her computer that could not be fixed easily. So, Jane put her
file on a USB drive and took it to the FSU library the next day where she was able to upload to
Blackboard before the deadline. Jane also asked her cousin to fix the broken computer.

Example #2: Student Jimmy Doe completed his rough draft assignment at 7:00PM on the day
that assignment was due. When he tried to submit it, Blackboard rejected his post. FSU support
told him that the system would be down for two more hours. His wife was ill and his children
needed to go to bed. So, Jimmy sent me an email explanation along with his draft as an
attachment. His work was on time and he received full credit.

Example #3: Student Julie Doe completed her blog post at 11:58PM, only two minutes before the
assignment was due. When she tried to connect to the internet she discovered that her internet
connection was not working. When her internet came back on the next morning, the Blackboard
submission link for the blog was closed because she missed the deadline. So, she sent me an
email with her assignment attached. Because her assignment was late, she did not receive credit.
Julie Doe should have completed her work earlier in the week.

PARTICIPATION EXPECTATIONS
Academia values independent as well collaborative thought and classroom environments that encourage

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus in writing and by announcement.
 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
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the respectful exchange of ideas. Accordingly, participation in individual and class activities is a
requirement of this course. Students should also regularly check their email as well as the Blackboard site
(Announcements, Content, Messages, etc.) and help one another when questions arise. Because this
course requires that students share their writing assignments with one another, students are strongly
encouraged to write on subjects they are comfortable discussing with others. Students should also keep
the following information from the Ferris website for Online Programs and Courses in mind:

Online learning provides great flexibility for busy learners. However, online learning also demands
a disciplined approach. Each instructor approaches class differently, but most require that you
participate in some online interaction at least weekly. Some require participation at particular
times or on specific days, but most provide for flexibility in completing coursework throughout the
week...Successful online learners will possess adequate computer skills and knowledge as well
as the ability to manage their own time, and be self-directed in their studies. Learners must also
have access to a computer and to the Internet at times that meet course expectations and
individual schedules. (http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/online/prepare/rightforme.htm)

COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are expected to attend all face-to-face meetings. I will take attendance during each face-to-face
meeting in an effort to learn names and to maintain required documentation for the university registrar.
Students who miss the face-to-face class are required to watch a recording of the session (I will post a
link) and submit a 500 word typed summary and reflection paper in APA format about the session that
was missed. Students who do not submit this via email within one week of missing class will be penalized
5 points off (5%) of their final course grade. Students are also expected to login to Blackboard several
times a week to read the announcements and weekly assignments. Students who do not attend face-to-
face class or login regularly to Blackboard may struggle in the course. Note: If everyone is present in
class, I will not make a video recording of class.

PLAGIARISM STATEMENT
I will enforce plagiarism policies for all activities in this course and will especially monitor major writing
assignment submissions. Students are encouraged to use the SafeAssign link in the Important Course
Information folder to check their work for plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another person's thoughts, words, images, etc. without
properly attributing the information to them. This can take on many forms including: cutting and pasting
words or images directly from the internet; changing some of the words in a sentence or paragraph and
presenting the work as ones own; summarizing ideas without attribution; not including proper use of
quotations marks, internal documentation, or references at the end of an assignment; pasting in images
without attribution; and many other combinations thereof.

Depending on the nature of the plagiarism a student may fail the assignment with a grade of zero, lose
some points on the assignment, or be asked to make a revision and resubmit the assignment. In
particularly egregious cases a student may automatically receive an F for the course. I reserve the right to
assign penalties on a case-by-case basis and to send a copy of any assignment containing plagiarized
work to the AFIS Department Head and/or the Office of Student Conduct.

Many times plagiarism is a side-effect of poor work habits. Students who wait until the last minute to work
on assignments or fail to do adequate research or prewriting are especially vulnerable to making mistakes
that lead to plagiarism. Students should start working on their assignments early, ask for help when they
need it, and carefully distinguish their ideas from others in their note taking process. If in doubt when
documenting their sources, students should error on the side of caution. I reserve the right to submit work
suspected of plagiarism to SafeAssign or use other methods to identify plagiarized essays.

All work submitted in this course should be created originally for this course. It is not acceptable for
students to submit work that was originally created for some other purpose. Any student who is caught
doing this will have the same penalties imposed as discussed above. Students must also ethically use
sources, which means properly documenting research material and accurately representing information.

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

Fabricating references or research (even your own research) is a violation of academic integrity subject to
the same penalties outlined in this section.

Here are some examples of unacceptable behavior subject to the penalties described in this policy:

- Pasting information directly from the internet without using quotation marks, an in-text
reference, and reference page reference.
- Paraphrasing someones work without both an in-text reference and reference page
reference.
- Putting a single reference at the end of paragraph. It must always be clear which information
comes from you and which information comes from a source. This distinction is made at the
sentence level and not paragraph level.
- Putting specific data into a paper that you got from someone else without giving credit to that
source both in the in-text reference and the reference page reference.
- Changing the meaning or intent of the original author in your paraphrase or summary.
- Fabricating references or inserting references that are not relevant to the content being
written about.

OTHER IMPORTANT COURSE POLICIES

1. Students are subject to department, college, and university policies not listed in this syllabus. An
attachment with some of the most common policies has been provided along with this syllabus.
2. Students who do not participate in the course for several weeks (or foresee that this will be the case)
should consult their adviser about a course withdrawal (W). Information on a course withdrawal can also
be found in the syllabus attachment. I will not accept late work from students who disappear from the
course and then return several weeks later.
3. Students who believe they meet the qualifications for the grade of Incomplete (I) as outlined in the
syllabus attachment should consult me immediately.

ONLINE COURSE AREAS

My goal in using Blackboard is to provide an engaging student centered learning experience that is
enhanced by the technology and not hindered by it. I intentionally keep the course design simple so that
students can feel confident in navigating the environment. At the same time, I try hard to leverage the
power of the internet to make the course enjoyable and supportive. In Blackboard you will find the
following areas:

Announcements- Announcements appear as soon as you enter the course. These

announcements range from my reflections on the course to notifications of software malfunctions.
Students should be sure to regularly read the announcements.

Content- Each week a new folder with assignments will be posted in the content folder. In the
content area there is also a folder called Important Course Information that contains the syllabus
for the course and other important documents.

My Gradebook- I store points for the course in the electronic gradebook in Blackboard. You can
check your progress in the course by clicking this link.

Email- This is the link for contacting members of the course.

FSU Support- This a link to FSU technical support. If you have problems with Blackboard or your
computer please contact technical support before contacting me.

COURSE CALENDER
Usually our class runs from Monday morning to Sunday night. This means that each week a module with
assignments will be posted on Monday morning at 8:00AM and all assignments are due by Sunday night
at 11:59PM. We will keep this schedule throughout the entire term, even over holidays. There may be
slight deviations from this at the beginning and end of the term.

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
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I do not typically open course modules in advance of the schedule because I believe there is a correlation
between regular participation and success in online courses. Many class activities also rely on peer
interaction, which would make working ahead difficult. Finally, from a teaching perspective, course
management can be very difficult if students are working on different activities. From grading assignments
to troubleshooting problems with Blackboard, everything becomes more complex when the pace of the
course is disrupted. Still, I know that students like to be able to plan ahead. Following is a tentative
schedule of due dates and assignments. These assignments may change on Blackboard and are often
accompanied there by many other links and samples. Assignments are provided here to help you begin
thinking and planning. Please check blackboard for the official assignments.

Module 1 (Monday, January 11 - Sunday, January 17)

Blackboard Activities: Read materials in the Important Course Information (Start Here) folder. Proceed to
Module 1 where you will complete the Module 1 Blog.

Choose 8 of your MS-ISI or concentration classes and write a 250 word (minimum) reflection on
each class that describes the topics that were covered and evaluates how the content of the
course shaped your approach to information security or will help you in your intended/current
career. This should be different for each individual. Post this to the Module 1 Blog (3 points). You
can paste your work directly into the blog or submit a PDF. It may be helpful for you to study old
syllabi, course descriptions, and assignments. Comment on your classmates work as you would
during a face-to-face class. Note: You cannot write about MISI799 for this assignment.

Face-to-Face Meeting, January 16: We will discuss past program and concentration courses; the
Comprehensive Exam will be assigned. I will also give a brief overview of annotated bibliographies, the 5
chapter APA model, and IMRAD papers.

Module 2 (Monday, January 18 - Sunday, January 24)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 2 Blog.

Chose a sample of your work from each course that you discussed in Module 1 and write a 250
word summary and strong response for each sample. Your finished product will include 8 samples
and 8 summary/responses. Post a PDF of this to the blog (3 points). Be sure to also save your
work on your computer in DOC or DOCX format. You will need this in a future module. Comment
on your classmates work as you would during a face-to-face class.

Module 3 (Monday, January 25 Sunday, January 31)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the following activities and submit your work to the assignment links in
Blackboard.

Combine your 8 course reflections with the 8 summary and strong responses into a single docu-
ment. Your finished comprehensive exam should include the following information:

1. An APA formatted title page.

2. An APA formatted table of contents.
3. A one page introduction to the portfolio that reflects on your MS-ISI experience overall and ex-
plains what can be found in the document.
4. 16 chapters that alternate between reflective writing and sample assignments. To do this, com-
bine the course reflection with the paper summary/strong response for a course. This will be a
chapter. Then include the sample writing assignment in the chapter that follows. Repeat this pro-
cess until you have reflected all 8 courses and samples.

After you have compiled all of the information into a single document, revise your paper with a
classmate, the writing center, or another reliable source and upload evidence to the Evidence of

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

Revision link (2 points). At the end of the week, you should also submit your Final Comprehen-
sive Exam to the Final Comprehensive Exam Submission link in PDF format (20 points).

Module 4 (Monday, February 1 Sunday, February 7)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 4 Blog.

Describe a problem in information security that interests you, list several questions that you would
need to answer in order to solve the problem, describe the process you would use to answer
each question, and what you think you would discover at the end of your research. Repeat this
process for three different problems and post your work to the Module 4 blog (2 points). You may
paste directly in to the blog or post a PDF. The purpose of the Module 4 blog is to help you
develop some potential ideas for your annotated bibliography and IMRAD paper. Comment on
your classmates work as you would during a face-to-face class.

Module 5 (Monday, February 8 - Sunday, February 14)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 5 blog.

Reflect on your work from last week and formulate a graduate level research question. This
question may be revised later as the course proceeds. Post this question and an APA formatted
Bibliography of at least 30 scholarly/reputable source on this topic in PDF format to the Module
5 Blog (3 points). Use the APA rules for References to properly format your Bibliography. Please
note that software and websites designed to help students create APA references are not perfect.
If you use a tool like Zotero, you will definitely need to edit the results. Pay special attention to
capitalization and italicization. Submissions with many APA errors will be penalized. You have
been warned! Comment on your classmates work as you would during a face-to-face class.

Module 6 (Monday, February 15 Sunday, February 21)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the following activities and submit your work to the assignment link in
Blackboard.

Write annotations for at least 20 of the sources you listed on your bibliography and combine the
information to form an Annotated Bibliography. Your completed document should be formatted
exactly like the sample document in this module. Submit a copy of your Annotated Bibliography to
the final submission link in PDF format (10 points). This will be evaluated with the rubric that is
attached to the assignment submission link. After you have submitted your assignment, it will be
helpful for you to reflect (in your head) on what you have noticed about the research so far. What
research methods are used? Is there conflicting data? Are there common conclusions? How
would you divide and classify the research?

Module 7 (Monday, February 22 Sunday, February 28)

Face-to-Face Meeting, February 27: During our face-to-face meeting this week, students will give a 5
minute PowerPoint presentation on their potential IMRAD paper topic and how they plan to research it.
The class will discuss each topic and help students revise topics. The IMRAD paper will be formally
assigned.

Prior to coming to class, upload your presentation as an attachment to the Module 7 Blog (5
points). Students who miss face-to-face class must submit a presentation that also has recorded
audio (this is in addition to any other penalties outlined in the syllabus). Students who are in
class, will be required to speak as they share their slides (there should not be recorded audio).
Your presentation should include the following slides:

1. Identify and give background on the problem.

2. Highlight any major research that has already been done.
3. Clearly state the question that you will be researching and explain why it is important.
4. Describe how you plan to research/answer this question.

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 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

5. Anticipate problems or limitations that you might encounter.

6. Imagine what you might discover from doing this research.
7. Explain how this topic connects to your degree in ISI and future career.
8. List any questions that you have.

*STOP * WARNING * PLEASE READ

Unless you have spoken to me about your topic and methods, it is very important that you do not
conduct any human research (observations, questionnaires, interviews, usability tests, etc.).
Students who do not talk to me and conduct research on human subjects may violate university
policy and be subject to disciplinary measures beyond my control.

Module 8 (Monday, February 29 Sunday, March 6)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 8 blog.

Post a tentative Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, and Methods section of your IMRAD paper in
PDF format to the Module 8 Blog (3 points). Your document should be formatted according to APA
manuscript guidelines. The exact format for the title page can be found in the Capstone manual.
All sections should be complete. However, the abstract may only represent your best guess. I
have you complete that section now so that you think through the entire research process. You
will obviously need to revise the abstract later. Comment on your classmates work as you would
during a face-to-face class.

Note: Spring Break is March 5-13, and there are technically no classes during this period. To keep
things simple, Module 8 is scheduled as usual. Module 9 will open early for those who want to
work over the break. Please note the dates and plan to get your work done as it best fits your
schedule.

Module 9 (Monday, March 7 - Sunday, March 20)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 9 blog.

For this module you need to conduct the research as described in your methods section.
Depending on your methods section this may mean writing and administering a survey,
interviewing people, installing software, conducting tests, or performing more research. When you
are ready, you may begin drafting the Results and Discussion sections of your paper--though
most students will not get to that stage this week. Before the end of the week, post a status report
to the Module 9 Blog describing what you have done, what you need to do, and any obstacles
that you have encountered (1 point). Comment on your classmates work as you would during a
face-to-face class.

Module 10 (Monday, March 21 - Sunday, March 27)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the Module 10 blog.

This module is an extension of the work that you completed last week. Continue to conduct
research as needed and draft the Results and Discussion sections of your IMRAD paper. Post a
status report to the Module 10 Blog describing what you have done, what you need to do, and
any obstacles that you have encountered (1 point). Comment on your classmates work as you
would during a face-to-face class.

Module 11 (Monday, March 28- Sunday, April 3)

Blackboard Activities: Complete the following activity and submit your work to the assignment link in
Blackboard.

Revise your paper so that the content, organization, style, and conventions are perfect. Post a
complete draft of your paper in PDF, DOC, or DOCX format to the link below (2 points).
Module 12 (Monday, April 4- Sunday, April 10)
Blackboard Activities: Complete the following activity and submit your work to the assignment link in

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus in writing and by announcement.
 MISI799: Integrated Capstone Project
Spring 2016

Blackboard.

Revise your paper with a classmate, the writing center, or another reliable source and upload
evidence to the Evidence of Revision link (2 points). Your evidence may be a scanned paper
with writing on it, a PDF or DOC with comments on it, a picture of you at the writing center holding
your paper, etc.

Module 13 (Monday, April 11 Sunday, April 17)

Blackboard Activities: Submit your Final IMRAD paper to the submission link in PDF format (30 points) for
final evaluation. The paper will automatically be checked for plagiarism with SafeAssign. I will evaluate
the paper using the rubric included with the submission link.

Module 14 (Monday, April 18 Sunday, April 24)

Face-to-Face Meeting April 23: Complete the Module 14 Blog.

Prior to coming to class, upload your presentation as an attachment to the Module 14 Blog (5
points). Students who miss face-to-face class must submit a presentation that also has recorded
audio (this is in addition to any other penalties outlined in the syllabus). Students who are in
class, will be required to speak as they share their slides (there should not be recorded audio).
Your presentation should include the following slides:

1. Identify and give background on the problem.

2. Share your final research question(s) and methodology.
3. Discuss your findings
4. Discuss your findings.
5. Discuss you findings
6. Share the limitations, problems, areas for future study.
7. References

Final Exam Activity (Monday, April 25 Wednesday, May 4)

Blackboard Activities: Write a 500 word minimum reflection on what you learned during this capstone
course, what you still need to learn, and how you could accomplish this after your graduate. Post this to
the Module 15 Final Exam Blog (4 points). You can paste your work directly into the blog or submit a
PDF. Respond to your classmates as needed.

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus in writing and by announcement.