GCO2803 eCommerce systems - Semester 2 , 2006 unit guide

Semester 2, 2006

Chief Examiner

Templar Hankinson

Lecturers

Gippsland : Templar Hankinson

Outline

This unit introduces fundamental electronic commerce systems and technologies including Internet commerce infrastructures, relationships to business strategies, client-side and server-side security,legal and management issues for effective use of Internet commerce. It provides students with necessary information and knowledge about the purpose, structure, and use of the Internet-based business systems. Specific topics in this unit include:

The Internet and business use of the Internet. Internet commerce and Internet mechanisms and infrastructures. Internet commerce software and multimedia. Internet commerce standards and security. Internet commerce systems implementation and application development. Electronic payment systems. Internet transaction processing and business models for the Internet. Internet commerce strategies, intranets and extranets, managing and maintaining an Internet commerce presence. On-line Internet case development. Global opportunities and issues and trends in Internet commerce.

Objectives

This unit aims to provide students with necessary information and knowledge of how the Internet can be used for solving business problems. On completion of this subject the students will be able to:

  • Appreciate the nature of Internet and its use for business;
  • Understand and define Internet commerce;
  • Model Internet-based commerce systems;
  • Understand Internet mechanisms and infrastructures and their application;
  • Describe the role of Internet commerce payment systems and how they are implemented;
  • Explain why standards and security are required for Internet commerce;
  • Describe how Internet-based commerce systems are implemented;
  • Develop an extensive understanding of how Internet commerce concepts, strategies, mechanisms, and infrastructures are brought together to produce Internet-based commerce systems;
  • Discuss issues and trends in Internet commerce.

Prerequisites

The prerequisite unit is GCO1815 or equivalent.

Unit relationships

GCO2803 is a core unit in the Business Sytems major of the Bachelor of Information Technology.

You may not study this unit and GCO2601, BEW1601, ELC1000, IMS2704, IMS3280, BEG1601, CPE3008 in your degree.

Texts and software

Required text(s)

Schneider, Gary, "Electronic Commerce", Course Technology, 2005, ISBN: 0-619-21704-9.

Textbook availability

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Software requirements

There is no software requirement

Hardware requirements

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 4 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Recommended reading

Fuller F (2000). "Getting Started with Electronic Commerce". The Dryden Press.

Greenstein, M., Vasarhelyi, M. (2002), "Electronic Commerce - Security, Risk Management, and Control", 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill.

Lawrence, E., Corbitt, Tidwell, Fisher and Lawrence, J. (1998), "Internet Commerce - Digital Models for Business", John Wiley & Sons.

McComb G (1998). "Web Commerce Cookbook". John Wiley & Sons.

Treese, W G and Stewart, L C. (1998) "Designing systems For Internet Commerce", Addison-Welsey.

Deitel. H, Deitel.P and Steinbuhler.K, "e-Business & e-Commerce for Managers ", Prentice Hall, 2001.

Library access

You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Study resources

Study resources for GCO2803 are:

The GCO2803 web site on MUSO, where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.

This web site also contains:

  • the Unit Book containing 12 Study Guides (in .pdf format).
  • newsgroups / discussion forums

This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit

Unit website

http://muso.monash.edu.au/

Structure and organisation

Week Topics Study Guide Key Dates
1 Overview of eCommerce 1
2 B2C Models 2
3 B2B Models 3
4 Technologies of eCommerce 4
5 Mobile Commerce / Web Design 5
6 Web Marketing 6 23.08.05 Aa1
7 Client Side Security 7
8 Communication Channel Security 8
9 Server Side Security/Security Protocols 9
10 Payments Systems 1 10
Non teaching week
11 Payment Systems 2 11
12 Legal, Ethical and Tax Issues 12 11.10.06 Aa2
13 Revision

Timetable

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment

Assessment weighting

Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments with a weighting of 40% and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.

Assessment Policy

To pass this unit you must:

attempt the assignments and sit for the exam. Nominally, the assignments will have a weighting of 40% and the exam a weighting of 60%. However, to encourage you to put effort in both assignments and examination, your final mark cannot be more than 10 marks higher than your assignment work or examination percentage (whichever is lower).

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

Final grade = min(A+10, E+10, E*R+A*(1-R)) where:

  • A=overall assignment percentage
  • E=examination percentage
  • R= exam weighting (0.6)

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Due Date Weighting
Aa1 23.08.05 20%
Aa2 11.10.06 20 %
The exam is 3 hours long and is closed book. Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06 60 %

Assignment specifications will be made available GCO2803 Unit Web Site Assignment Page.

Assignment Submission

All Gippsland student assignments will be submitted by electronic submission to wfsubmit.its.monash.edu.au. 

Do not email submissions. The due date is the date by which the submission must be received/the date by which the the submission is to be posted.

Extensions and late submissions

Late submission of assignments

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 5% for each day an assignment is late, up until the cutoff date. No assignment will be accepted after the cutoff date (usually 1 week after the due date).

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

Requests for extensions must be made by email at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

Grade Percentage/description
HD High Distinction - very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction - high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit - sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.

Assignment return

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

Feedback

Feedback to you

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

Feedback from you

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

And if you are having problems

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Unit improvements

As a result of student feedback. The 2006 offering:

  • is using a new text book
  • has unified the materials into one system (MUSO)

Plagiarism and cheating

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Communication

Communication methods

Communication with the Unit Lecturer of GCO2803 will usually be in the form of email, newgroup postings or telephone. Oncampus students can also make use of lecture, tutorial and consultation times.

If your enquiries are of a personal nature, such as a request for assignment extension, special consideration requests, or the need to discuss your personal progress, you are encourage to send an email directly to the Unit Lecturer.

All communication related to the subject content must be conducted via the MUSO forums. If you do send me an email that relates to the content of the unit it will not be answered. You are certainly not be asked to put anything of a personal nature into your newsgroup postings.

Notices

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

To Be Announced

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Mr Templar Hankinson
Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 26836

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.

Last updated: Jul 26, 2006