Lahore University of Management Sciences

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DISC 112– Computers and Problem Solving Spring Semester 2015

Instructors Shakeel Sadiq Jajja (SSJ)/Zehra Waheed (ZW)/Ahmed Khan (AK) Office Hours By appointment Email ssj@lums.edu.pk; zehra.waheed@lums.edu.pk; Telephone 8435 – SSJ/8426 – ZW Secretary/TA TBA TA Office Hours TBA Course URL (if any) Suraj.lums.edu.pk COURSE BASICS Credit Hours 3 Lecture(s) Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week 2 Duration 75 minutes Recitation/Lab (per week) Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Duration Tutorial (per week) Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Duration COURSE DISTRIBUTION Core Yes Elective Open for Student Category Close for Student Category COURSE DESCRIPTION Problem solving is an essential skill that managers use in their daily task of decision-making on behalf of their departments, divisions and organizations. The contemporary manager must be aware of the computer-based tools and techniques that can make his/her work more efficient and effective. Computers support problem solving in two essential ways: (1) handling heavy data-driven decisions; and (2) solving problems where the number of component issues is too many for the human mind to handle mathematically. Built around the spreadsheet software, Microsoft Excel, this course is an introduction to problem-solving using computers. However the course is not merely about the ‘skills’ involved in spreadsheet modeling, but also the ‘craft’ of modeling, which includes abstracting the essential features of a situation into a model and translating model results into managerial insights. COURSE PREREQUISITE(S) None COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To introduce students to the concept of ‘modeling’ as the process of building, refining and analyzing the representation of

data for greater insights and improved decision-making 2. To equip students with technical skills of working with the spreadsheet software, Excel. 3. To develop the student’s analytical and ‘craft’ skills to model managerial problems using computer software. 4. To develop skills that enable effective data representation 5. To introduce students to databases and explain how data can be extracted from these into decision models

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LEARNING OUTCOMES After completing this course student will be able to

o Understand basic concept of “modeling” and how this approach can help in using computers to solve problems

o Use computer-based tools to model business problems effectively o Extract essential analysis from a spreadsheet of data, or even external data o Represent data using charts o Automate very basic repetitive tasks of analysis and user input and output o Understand, in general terms, key elements of IT infrastructure (e.g. databases and network protocols) and

how they support distributed problem-solving.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

General Learning Goals & Objectives Goal 1 –Effective Written and Oral Communication Objective: Students will demonstrate effective writing and oral communication skills Goal 2 –Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify and address ethical issues in an organizational context. Goal 3 – Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify key problems and generate viable solutions. Goal 4 – Application of Information Technology Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to use current technologies in business and management context. Goal 5 – Teamwork in Diverse and Multicultural Environments Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to work effectively in diverse environments. Goal 6 – Understanding Organizational Ecosystems Objective: Students will demonstrate that they have an understanding of Economic, Political, Regulatory, Legal, Technological, and Social environment of organizations. Major Specific Learning Goals & Objectives Goal 7 (a) – Discipline Specific Knowledge and Understanding Objective: Students will demonstrate knowledge of key business disciplines and how they interact including application to real world situations (Including subject knowledge). Goal 7 (b) – Understanding the “science” behind the decision-making process (for MGS Majors) Objective: Students will demonstrate ability to analyze a business problem, design and apply appropriate decision-support tools, interpret results and make meaningful recommendations to support the decision-maker

Indicate below how the course learning objectives specifically relate to any program learning goals and objectives. PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES COURSE ASSESSMENT ITEM

Goal 1 –Effective Written and Oral Communication

Objective 4 Midterm, Final

Goal 2 –Ethical Understanding and Reasoning

- -

Goal 3 – Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

Objectives 1, 3 Final, Quizzes, Exercises

Goal 4 – Application of Information Technology

Objectives 1,2,3,4 and 5 Midterm, Final, Quizzes, Exercises

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Goal 5 – Teamwork in Diverse and Multicultural Environments

- -

Goal 6 – Understanding Organizational Ecosystems

- -

Goal 7 (a) – Discipline Specific Knowledge and Understanding

Objectives 1,2,3,4 and 5 Midterm, Final, Quizzes, Exercises

Goal 7 (b) – Understanding the “science” behind the decision-making process

Objectives 1,2 and 3 Midterm, Final

GRADING BREAKUP AND POLICY Quizzes: .................................................................................................................. 30% (total 11quizzes, n-2 applies) Exercises: ............................................................................................................... 10% Midterm Examination: ........................................................................................... 30% Final Examination: .................................................................................................. 30% (Post-mid only) EXAMINATION DETAIL

Midterm Exam

Yes/No: Yes Combine Separate: Combine Duration: 3 hours Preferred Date:Saturday, February 22nd Exam Specifications: Pre Mid Syllabus, Calculator and Formula Help sheet Allowed. Close Book and Notes

Final Exam

Yes/No: Yes Combine Separate: Duration: 3 hours Exam Specifications: Post Mid Syllabus, Calculator and Formula Help sheet Allowed. Close Book and Notes

TEXTBOOK(S)/SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS Frye, Curtis D. (2010) Step-by-Step: Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft Press. Powell, S. G. and Baker, K. R. (2009) Management Science: the Art of Modeling with Spreadsheets, 3/e, Wiley. Fairhurst, D.S. (2012) Using Excel for business analysis a guide to financial modeling fundamentals. Wiley.

Harvey, G. (2010) Excel 2010 for dummies. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley Pub.

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Attendance, Quizzes and Class Policy Your class presence is required. Therefore by missing a class you forfeit an opportunity to participate in class activities. Maximum four (4) absences are tolerated. Any further absences shall count towards deduction from your overall grade.Petitions should be submitted along with proper documentation (e.g. a medical certificate certifying illnesses or OSA certifying participation in OSA activity) and shall be approved on case by case basis. You are also expected to arrive in class exactly at the prescribed time. There will be no grace for late arrivals and you will be marked absent. Once all four absences have been used up, 1% deduction from the grade will made for every extra absence. Cell phone usage will not be tolerated. Therefore make sure they are switched off when you arrive in class. You are required to attend with your designated section. Neither quiz nor attendance

SESSION NO.

can be transferred to any other section. A total of eleven (11) announced quizzes shall be given throughout the course, usually at the beginning of the class. The best nine quizzes (for each student) shall count towards quiz component of overall grade. A missed (without petition approval) quiz will automatically be graded zero (0).

Course Outline*

TOPICS TEXT TO READ AUDITORIUM/ LAB

SESSION OBJECTIVES

1

Course Introduction, File Management, Assignment submission @ LUMS, Basic framework of model building

Auditorium

To introduce the students to model building

2 Problem Solving by Computer Modeling Fairhurst- - Chapter 1 & 2 Auditorium As above

3, 4

Introduction to Spreadsheets: Cells, Ranges, Worksheets & Workbooks, Formatting and Entering Data, Performing Calculations of Data

Curtis Frye: Chapter 1 & 2; Curtis Frye: Chapter 3 & 4

Lab

To familiarize the students with the basic skills required for using MS Excel

5,6,7 Filtering Specific Data, Sorting Data, Creating Charts

Curtis Frye: Chapter 5, 6, 10 Lab

To develop MS Excel skills such as limiting data, manipulating worksheet data, sorting worksheet data, organizing data into levels and creating charts

8 Advance Excel Functions (logical, statistical and lookup functions) Lab

To present some advanced functions in excel

9 Influence Diagram Introduction Powell & Baker Chapter 2 Lab To introduce students to Influence Diagrams

10 Influence Diagrams Exercise Iceberg for Kuwait

Powell & Baker Chapter 2, Case: Ice Berg for Kuwait

Lab To understand the use of Influence Diagrams in a real context

11 Modeling Icebergs for Kuwait Powell and Baker Chapter 5, Case: Ice Berg for Kuwait

Lab To learn model building using a case

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12 Analysing Alternative Data (Goal Seek, Scenario Manager and Descriptive Statistics)

Curtis Frye: Chapter 8 Lab

To define an alternative data set; to vary data to get a desired result by using Goal Seek and Scenario Manager; and to Analyze data by using descriptive statistics

13 Iceberg for Kuwait (What if Analysis) Case: Ice Berg for Kuwait Lab To learn What-If Analysis using a case

14 Mid Term Exam

15 Combining Data from Multiple Sources Curtis Frye: Chapter 7 Lab

To link to data in other worksheets and workbooks and consolidate multiple sets of data into a single workbook

16 Databases, DBMS & Networks Lab To introduce the use of databases

17,18, 19,20

Developer Ribbon, Automating Repetitive Task by using Macros and VBA

Chapter 12 Curtis Frye; Chapters 4,5,7,8,9 HarveyG

Lab

To develop an understanding of further concepts including the use of a developer ribbon, Macros and Visual Basic

21 Solver, Advance Array Functions

Solver Part from Chapter 8Curtis Frye Array Functions, Chapters7 Harvey G

Lab

To introduce Solver and Advanced Array Functions

22 Reid Rasin (Spreadsheet Engineering) Powell and Baker Chapter 5, Case: ReidRasin Lab

To explain the use of spreadsheet engineering using a case

23 Reid Rasin (What if Analysis and Solver)

Powell and Baker Chapter 6Case: ReidRasin Lab

To build upon the previous knowledge of What-If Analysis and Solver using a case

24, 25 Creating Dynamic Worksheets by using Pivot Tables Curtis Frye: Chapter 9 Lab To teach the effective use

of Pivot tables

26,27 Case Study on Spread Application Design To be announced Lab

To integrate all the concepts and skills learnt during the course to create an MS Excel-based application

28 Review Lab

*NOTE The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the grading system and the syllabus as appropriate during the semester.