You will learn about the participant's goals, investigate the problem, evaluate possible solutions, provide appropriate assistance, test the result, and report what you learned.
This project primarily supports these MIS362 course learning outcomes:
- CLO1—MIS, Business Processes, and Strategy: Analyze how people, processes, data, and technology work together to achieve a useful result.
- CLO4—Software, Platforms, Automation, and Integration: Compare or configure appropriate software, devices, services, settings, applications, or integrated tools.
- CLO9—Systems Acquisition, Development, and Organizational Change: Identify needs, evaluate alternatives, implement a solution, assist a user, and respond to change.
- CLO10—Artificial Intelligence and Agentic Systems: Use AI appropriately when helpful, verify its output, and retain human responsibility and approval.
- CLO11—Responsible and Inclusive Technology Governance: Consider privacy, security, accessibility, usability, consent, and ethical use.
- CLO12—Applied MIS Problem-Solving and Communication: Diagnose a problem, select tools, test a solution, document limitations, and communicate the outcome.
Depending on the selected project, you may also apply concepts involving hardware, networking, cloud services, data management, analytics, or information security. Not every project must address every course learning outcome.
An appropriate project is specific, safe, authorized, feasible during the semester, and complex enough to require investigation and testing.
Examples include:
- Windows, Microsoft 365, Zoom, email, file-management, or cloud-storage problems
- Smartphones, tablets, wearables, printers, calculators, or home-network devices
- Accessibility or usability settings
- Backup, password-management, account-security, or privacy practices
- Websites, online services, mobile applications, or digital forms
- Spreadsheet, scheduling, communication, or small-business workflow improvements
- Responsible use of generative AI for a practical task
- Replacing an inefficient manual process with an appropriate digital process
| Time | Project activity |
|---|---|
| Week 3 | Identify a participant and submit the Project 2 Idea. |
| Weeks 4–5 | Contact the participant, clarify the problem, and agree on the project scope. |
| Weeks 6–8 | Research alternatives and develop a proposed solution. |
| Weeks 9–11 | Assist the participant, test the solution, and revise it when necessary. |
| Week 12 | Gather participant feedback and identify remaining limitations or next steps. |
| Week 13 | Submit the Project 2 Report. |
Actual deadlines appear in the D2L calendar. Do not wait until Week 12 to begin working with the participant.
- Select and obtain agreement from a participant. Explain the project and confirm that the person wants your assistance.
- Understand the problem. Ask questions, observe the current process when appropriate, and identify the participant's goal and constraints.
- Define success. Agree on what result would make the solution useful to the participant.
- Investigate alternatives. Use reliable documentation, course resources, testing, and optional AI assistance.
- Recommend or implement an appropriate solution. Obtain approval before changing settings, installing software, creating accounts, or modifying data.
- Test and verify. Confirm whether the solution works for the participant under realistic conditions.
- Revise or document limitations. A first attempt may fail. Diagnose the problem, revise when practical, and honestly explain what remains unresolved.
- Communicate the outcome. Provide any agreed-upon instructions, files, settings information, checklist, template, or recommendation that the participant can safely use.
- Submit the Project 2 Report. Describe the process and outcome without identifying the participant.
- Collect only information needed to complete the project.
- Do not enter the participant's name, email address, account identifiers, employer-confidential information, or other identifying details in the public course webpages or submission forms.
- Never request, record, store, or submit passwords, authentication codes, financial information, health information, or other sensitive data.
- Ask permission before viewing data, changing settings, installing software, creating accounts, or using AI with project information.
- Use generic descriptions such as “a retired family member who uses Windows and an Android phone.”
- Consider text size, contrast, hearing or vision needs, keyboard or touch input, cognitive load, clear language, device familiarity, physical limitations, and reliable internet access.
- Provide only work products that the participant is authorized to receive. Do not transfer licensed files, credentials, confidential data, or course-only materials.
AI use is permitted but is not required. Appropriate uses may include:
- creating a troubleshooting checklist;
- identifying possible causes or solution alternatives;
- explaining unfamiliar terminology;
- locating official documentation;
- drafting step-by-step instructions;
- improving clarity or accessibility; and
- identifying useful questions to ask the participant.
When using AI, you must:
- exclude personal, confidential, or sensitive participant information;
- verify advice using official documentation, reliable sources, or direct testing;
- not allow an AI tool to make unauthorized changes to a device, account, or data;
- describe meaningful AI use and verification in the final report; and
- remain responsible for the accuracy, safety, and appropriateness of the solution.
Using no AI is a valid choice. The goal is responsible problem solving, not mandatory use of a particular tool.
Communicate clearly, keep appointments, respect the participant's time, explain actions before taking them, use professional language, and follow through on agreed next steps. Adapt your communication to the participant's experience and needs.
Deliverables
- Project 2 Idea—submit during Week 3; see D2L for the deadline.
- Project 2 Report—submit during Week 13; see D2L for the deadline.