Syllabuses of Subjects offered by COMP, AMA, CBS, ELC CONTENTS *The most updated syllabuses are available on web.

Subject Code/Title

Page

AMA2101

Quantitative Methods for Business

1

CBS2015

Putonghua for Business and Administration

4

COMP311

Foundations of Database Systems

9

COMP316

Object-oriented Methods for Information Systems

12

Development COMP431

Business Process and Workflow Management

15

ELC2203

University English for Business Students

18

ELC3203

Workplace English for Business Students

21

August 2007

Subject Code

:

AMA2101

Subject Title

:

Quantitative Methods for Business

Level

:

2

Credits

:

3

Mode of Study

:

Lectures Seminars

Pre-requisites

:

None

Assessment

:

Continuous Assessment Examination

50% 50%

Minimum Pass Grade

:

Continuous Assessment Examination

D D

28 hours 14 hours

ROLE AND PURPOSE This subject provides students with basic statistics and the ability to take a numerate approach to a wide range of modules in Levels 3 and 4 of the course. It also develops their ability to think analytically, critically and creatively, while contributing to the development of their IT skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this subject, students will be able to: -

use a variety of basic techniques in understanding and interpreting data.

-

understand elementary quantitative methods and their applications in business, analyzing business scenarios and problems by applying statistics.

-

think critically and creatively about the uses and limitations of quantitative methods in business.

-

use statistical package and interpret the output, appreciating the applications of information technology for quantitative analysis in business.

INDICATIVE CONTENT Descriptive Statistics Presentation of business data in tabular, diagrammatic and graphic forms; misleading presentations. Summary measures of location and spread. Probability Concepts of probability. Axioms of probability. Bayes’ Theorem. Random variables and expected values; uses and limitations in decision making. distributions: Binomial, Poisson and Normal. August 2007

1

Common probability

Estimation Simple random samples.

Sampling distributions: mean, proportion and differences.

Confidence intervals: mean, proportion and differences. Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis testing: mean, proportion and differences. Chi-square Test Test of Goodness of Fit. Test of Independence. Relationships between Variables Exploratory Data Analysis.

Linear relationships: ordinary least squares.

Correlation

coefficients. Multiple Regression Multiple Regression Equation. Inferences about Parameters. Modelling Techniques. Financial Mathematics Fundamentals of compound interest. Discounted and Compounded Value. Annuities. Amortization and Sinking Funds TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH Lectures will be used to present the basic technical material and illustrate its use. Seminars will be used for problem classes where students can check their solutions to exercises and resolve problems with their understanding of the topics.

Mini cases

illustrating the use of the basic statistical techniques, and computer packages will be used when appropriate. INDICATIVE READING Study Guide Quantitative Methods for Business, Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2005

August 2007

2

Reference Books Aczel, A.D., Complete Business Statistics, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2002. Hamburg, Morris, Statistical Analysis for Decision Making, 5th ed., Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991. Levin, Richard I. and Rubin, David S., Statistics for Management, 7th ed., Prentice-Hall, 1998. Moore, David S. and McCabe, G., Introduction to the practice of Statistics, 4th ed., W H Freeman, 2003. McClave, J. T., Benson, P. George and Sincich, Terry., A First Course in Business Statistics, 8 ed., Prentice Hall, 2001.

August 2007

3

Subject Title

:

Putonghua for Business & Administration

Semester

:

Either semester 1 or 2

Prerequisite

:

Students should possess basic Putonghua Proficiency Level

Subject Code

:

CBS2015

Hours Assigned

:

28 hours (Seminar)

Status

:

Compulsory

Credits

:

2

Duration

:

1 Semester

Method of Assessment

:

100% Continuous assessment

AIMS Built on the students’ Putonghua foundation, this subject aims to enhance students’ communication skills in Putonghua in the business context. OUTCOMES Students are expected to be able to:1. master the key features of Putonghua in terms of pronunciation and common ways of expression; 2. communicate efficiently in Putonghua with accuracy and fluency; 3. perform a series of communicative tasks in the business context; 4. adopt appropriate pragmatic devices underlying business communication in China; 5. understand the social and cultural background of China as reflected in business communications in China. CONTENT 1. Comprehensive revision on Putonghua communication skills •

pronunciation

•

vocabularies and grammar

•

colloquial expressions

•

speaking skills and social norms

August 2007

4

2. In-depth practice on Putonghua listening comprehension skills •

speed and accent

•

casual speech vs. speech on specialized topics

•

quantity and structure of information

•

pragmatics rules and implications

3. Business communication •

principles and rules in conversation

•

common pragmatic devices in business communications

•

stylistic and rhetorical variations in spoken communications in accordance to contextual changes

•

communicative tasks in the business setting: inquiry, introduction, presentation, promotion, question & answer, negotiation etc.

•

commonly used jargons for business and administration

TEACHING & LEARNING METHODS •

interactive seminars with listening exercises, presentation drills, group discussion, pair conversation and role play;

•

after-class self-learning hours will be required with resources provided;

•

consultation hours will be available depending on individual students’ needs.

MODE OF STUDY Activity

Hrs/wk

No. of wks

Group Size

Total Hours

Seminar

2

14

20

28

Self study

2

14

Total number of hours:

28 56

ASSESSMENT The subject assessment may include criterion-referenced based quizzes, presentations and tests. It will evaluate students’ listening skills, pronunciation, vocabulary, colloquial expression vs. formal expression and speaking achievement. The major assessment items include: •

listening (assessing ability to understand different situational conversations)

•

presentation (assessing accuracy, fluency and intonation)

situational conversation in business settings (assessing overall Putonghua communication skills including pragmatic devices)

August 2007

5

READING LIST Required 香港理工大學中國語文教學中心編（2005），《商貿普通話教程》（上冊），中華書局。 Reference 張泰平編著（2003），《國際商務漢語教程》，北京：北京大學出版社。 李聰華著，李山根、顏慧真等譯（1999），《中國：消費者革命》，香港：三聯書店。 陳建民編著（1998），《普通話常用口語詞和句》 ，香港：香港普通話研習社。 楊長進等編（1994），《商貿普通話 9000 句》，香港：壹出版有限公司。 蔡富春主編（2002），《中國商務應用文書手冊》 ，香港：經濟日報出版社。 《現代漢語詞典（第 5 版）》（2005），北京：商務印書館。

科目名稱

:

商貿普通話

學期

:

1或2

先修科目

:

學生須有基礎普通話程度

編號

:

CBS2015

課時

:

28

類別

:

必修

學分

:

2

為期

:

一學期

評核方法

:

持續評估 100%

目標 在學生原有普通話訓練的基礎上，提高學生在商貿情景下用普通話進行交際溝通的能力。 學習成效 通過學習學生應該能夠 1. 掌握普通話發音和表達方面的主要特點; 2. 用準確而又流暢的普通話進行有效的溝通； 3. 在商貿的情景下完成一系列的交際任務； 4. 學會內地商貿交際中的語用表達策略； 5. 了解內地商業交際中的社會和文化背景。 August 2007

6

學習內容 1. 全面的普通話交際技巧訓練 ♦

發音

♦

詞彙和語法

♦

口語詞及表達

♦

說話技巧及社會慣用語

2. 聆聽能力強化訓練 ♦

語速和重音

♦

特定話題的正式表達和非正式表達

♦

話語信息的量和結構

♦

語用原則及其應用

3. 商貿交際 ♦

會話的原則

♦

商貿交際中的語用策略

♦

因應語境變化而採用不同風格和修辭手段的口語表達

♦

商貿情景下的交際任務：查詢、介紹、報告、推介、詢問和答覆、談判等

♦

聆聽練習、口頭報告、小組討論、兩人對話和角色扮演

♦

提供課外學習材料並要求學生於課外自學

♦

根據學生的需要提供課外輔導

教學方法

教學模式 教學活動

小時/周

週數

人數

總時數

授課

2

14

20

28

自學

2

14 總時數:

28 56

評估 課程的評估包括採用標準參照模式的測驗、報告等。評估的目的是評核學生聆聽能力、發 音的準確性、詞彙(口語詞及正式表達)的掌握及說話能力。主要的評估項如下：

August 2007

♦

聆聽(評估學生對不同情景會話的理解能力)

♦

報告(評估準確度、流暢度及語調)

♦

商業情景下的會話(評估用普通話進行表達的整體能力，包括語用策略)

7

閱讀書目 教材 香港理工大學中國語文教學中心編（2005），《商貿普通話》 （上冊），中華書局。 參考書目 張泰平編著（2003），《國際商務漢語教程》，北京：北京大學出版社。 李聰華著，李山根、顏慧真等譯（1999），《中國：消費者革命》，香港：三聯書店。 陳建民編著（1998），《普通話常用口語詞和句》 ，香港：香港普通話研習社。 楊長進等編（1994），《商貿普通話 9000 句》，香港：壹出版有限公司。 蔡富春主編（2002），《中國商務應用文書手冊》 ，香港：經濟日報出版社。 《現代漢語詞典（第 5 版）》（2005），北京：商務印書館。

August 2007

8

Subject Code

:

COMP311

Subject Title

:

Foundations of Database Systems

Level

:

3

Credits

:

3

Mode of Study

:

Seminar Laboratory

Pre-requisites

:

COMP201 and (COMP305 or COMP210)

Assessment

:

Continuous Assessment Examination

28 hours 14 hours

55% 45%

ROLE AND PURPOSE This subject provides students knowledge on: •

design, develop, implement, and administrate a database system of considerable complexity.

•

possess enough background to evaluate various DBMSs of different data models and make the appropriate selection for an organization.

LEARNING OUTCOMES After taking this subject, the students should be able to: Professional/academic knowledge and skills (a) acquire a good understanding of the architecture and functioning of database management systems, as well as to be able to use the associated tools and techniques; (b) understand and apply the principles and practices of good database design and analysis; (c) recognize the direction of database technology and their implication so as to manage and plan database system developments. Attributes for all-roundedness (a) appreciate development of database technologies for lifelong learning, e.g., web databases; (b) build up on team spirit, presentation and technical writing skills.

August 2007

9

* Subject to change

INDICATIVE CONTENT Basic concepts of database system (2 hours) •

Database and its applications

•

DBMS design objectives and its components

•

ANSI/SPARC three-level system architecture

•

Data independence

Database design (6 hours) •

Entity-relationship model

•

Functional dependencies

•

Normalization

Relational data model (6 hours) •

Relational structure

•

Relational languages: relational algebra, relational calculus, SQL

•

Relational constraints: entity constraints, referential integrity constraints and foreign keys

File structures and physical database design (4 hours) •

File organization

•

Indexing and hashing

Application designs and query processing (6 hours) •

Relational view definition and management

•

Equivalence of expressions, estimation of query-processing cost, join strategies

•

Database and the World Wide Web

•

Embedded SQL and ODBC

Implementation issues (4 hours) •

Buffer management

•

Transaction processing

•

Concurrency control

•

Crash and recovery

•

Security and integrity

August 2007

10

* Subject to change

TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH Laboratory Experiment There are two types of laboratory/tutorial sessions: •

Practice of technical skills such as database CASE tools, SQL and application programming.

•

Reinforce design and analysis skills through group interactions, presentations and prototype demonstrations.

Case Study Real-life/industrial database application development examples will be discussed in classes and/or tutorials when appropriate. INDICATIVE READING Textbook Michael Manning. Database Design, Application Development, & Administration, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, 2004. Reference Books David Kroenke. Database Processing: Fundamentals, Design and Implementation, 8th edition, Prentice Hall, 2002. A Silberschatz, H.F. Korth, S. Sudarshan. Database System Concepts 4th Edition. McGraw Hill, 2002. Hector Garcia-Molina, Jeffrey D. Ullman & Jennifer Widom. Database System Implementation, Prentice Hall, 2000. C. J. Date. An Introduction to Database Systems, Addison-Wesley Longman, 1999.

August 2007

11

* Subject to change

Subject Code

: COMP316

Subject Title

Pre-requisites

: Object-oriented Methods for Information Systems Development : 3 : 3 : Lecture 28 hours Tutorial 14 hours : COMP201, COMP302

Assessment

: Continuous Assessment

Level Credits Mode of Study

Examination

60% 40%

ROLE AND PURPOSE •

To introduce students to the concepts and practices of the object-oriented approach to software development.

•

To familiarize students with the tools and languages for object-oriented analysis, design and implementation.

•

To expose students to the applications of object-oriented technologies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES After taking this subject, the students should be able to: Professional/academic knowledge and skills (a)

analyze a problem using an object-oriented approach;

(b)

design an object-oriented model for a problem, and implement the design using appropriate object-oriented tools and techniques;

(c)

document the analysis and design of an information system using UML;

(d)

determine the degree to which a technology conforms to the object-oriented paradigm;

Attributes for all-roundedness (a)

analyze and solve information system problems in a systematic manner;

(b)

cooperate with team members in problem solving;

(c)

report and present the solution to an information system problem clearly.

August 2007

12

* Subject to change

INDICATIVE CONTENT Information systems analysis and design (4 hours) •

System Development Life Cycle: requirement definition and specification

•

Analysis and design

•

Implementation

•

Testing

Object-oriented Paradigm (4 hours) •

Rationale for the OO approach

•

OO software development life cycle

•

Objects and classes

•

Abstraction,

aggregation,

messages,

services,

encapsulation,

association,

generalization, inheritance hierarchy, polymorphism, metaclass Object-oriented analysis and design (12 hours) •

Object behaviour analysis

•

Identification of classes and objects in a problem domain

•

Object relationships

•

Identification of structures, attributes instance connection, services and message connections

•

Design issues in problem domain: data management, task management and human interface components, mapping an OO data model into a relational model

•

Reuse, patterns, and frameworks

•

Unified Modeling Language (UML)

Object-oriented languages and systems (4 hours) •

Characteristics of object-oriented tools such as C++, Java, Smalltalk

Object-oriented Project Management (4 hours) •

Applications in information system analysis, design and software engineering

•

User interfaces, system conversion, user training, user guide and operations manual, system development planning and scheduling, software cost estimation

TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH Tutorials/Laboratories/Project presentations and seminars (14 hours) •

OO/UML development tools such as Rational Rose.

•

Class exercises on OO analysis and design problems.

•

Presentations and demonstrations of projects.

August 2007

13

* Subject to change

INDICATIVE READING Timothy C. Lethbridge and Robert Laganiere. Object-Oriented Software Engineering – Practical software development using UML and Java, McGraw-Hill, 2nd Edition, 2005. Simon Bennett, Steve McRobb and Ray Farmer. Object-Oriented System Analysis and Design Using UML, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2002. Wolfgang Emmerich. Engineering Distributed Objects, John Wiley & Sons, 2000. Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh and Ivar Jacobson. The Unified Modeling Language User Guide, Addison Wesley, 1999. Grady Booch. Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications, 3rd Edition, Benjamin/Cummings, 2005. B. Meyer. Object-Oriented Software Construction, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002. M. Fowler and K. Scott. UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language, 3rd Edition, Addison Wesley, 2003. B. Hughes and M. Cotterell. Software Project Management, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2002. Deitel & Deitel. Java: How to Program, 6th Ed., Prentice Hall, 2004. Deitel & Deitel. C++: How to Program, 5th Ed., Prentice Hall, 2005.

August 2007

14

* Subject to change

Subject Code

:

COMP431

Subject Title

:

Business Process and Workflow Management

Level

:

4

Credits

:

3

Mode of Study

:

Lecture Tutorial

Pre-requisite

:

None

Assessment

:

Continuous Assessment Examination

28 hours 14 hours

55% 45%

ROLE AND PURPOSE • To present a process-oriented view to business modeling and the application of workflow technologies to business process engineering. • To equip students with the fundamental knowledge of workflow management systems. LEARNING OUTCOMES After taking this subject, the students should be able to: Professional/academic knowledge and skills (a) understand the role of business processes in modern enterprises; (b) understand the basic steps in business process engineering/re-engineering; (c) understand the application of workflow technologies to process modeling and implementation; (d) understand the building blocks of a workflow management system; (e) understand the existing industrial workflow standards; (f) apply workflow technologies to solve business problems; Attributes for all-roundedness (a) improve presentation and communication skills (through case study presentations); (b) learn independently and to find/integrate information from different sources required in solving real-life problems INDICATIVE CONTENT Introduction to business process (2 hours) •

Modern business environment

•

Process-oriented view to organizations

•

Examples of business processes

August 2007

15

* Subject to change

Business process engineering (4 hours) •

Process analysis

•

Process re-engineering

•

Business engineering and workflow

Fundamental concepts of workflow (6 hours) •

Major components of a workflow management system

•

Buildtime metamodel: process data, activities, control flow, data flow

•

Runtime system structure

•

Workflows and objects

Advanced functions of workflow (8 hours) •

Events

•

Dynamic modification of workflows

•

Advanced join conditions

•

Container materialization

•

Context management

•

Performance spheres

•

Compile spheres

•

Transactions

Workflow systems architecture (4 hours) •

Application structure

•

Middleware

•

Internet and mobile workflow

•

Emergent technologies.

Workflow standards (4 hours) •

OMG’s Workflow Management Facility

•

Workflow Management Coalition standards

TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH Case Study Presentations will be held during the seminars, where the students will form groups to read and present real-life cases related to the subject's topics.

August 2007

16

* Subject to change

INDICATIVE READING L. Ficher (ed.), Workflow Handbook 2004, Future Strategies Inc., 2004. F. Leymann, D. Roller, Production Workflow: Concepts and Techniques, Prentice-Hall, 2000. T. Schael, T. Schal, T. and T.W. Schaller, Workflow Management Systems for Process Organisations, Springer, 1998. Articles from journals, magazines, and conference proceedings, including ACM TOCS, ACM TODS, IEEE TKDE, IEEE TSE, IEEE TOC, CACM, IEEE Computer, ICDE, CIKM.

August 2007

17

* Subject to change

Subject Code

: ELC2203

Subject Title

: University English for Business Students

Level

: 2

Credits

: 3

Mode of Study

: Seminars

Pre-requisites

: None

Assessment

: Continuous Assessment of Coursework

Minimum Pass Grade

: D

42 hours

100%

ROLE AND PURPOSE This course aims to help students study effectively in the University’s English-medium learning environment. More specifically, it aims to help students improve and develop their English-language proficiency within a framework of academic contexts. In working towards the achievement of the two interrelated objectives, attention will be given to helping students develop the core competencies identified by the University as vital to the development of effective life-long learning strategies and skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the subject, students should be able to:

(a) (b) (c)

Take part in an English seminar discussion Write problem-solution and academic essays Deliver oral presentations

Students will also improve and extend their grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation on this course. THIS SYLLABUS IS INDICATIVE. THE BALANCE OF THE COMPONENTS, AND THE WEIGHTING ACCORDED TO EACH WILL BE BASED ON THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS. TO WORK TOWARDS THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ITS OBJECTIVES, THE SYLLABUS IS SPECIFIED UNDER A SINGLE HEADING CONSISTING OF FOUR INTERRELATED STRANDS.

August 2007

18

INDICATIVE CONTENT Spoken academic communication: Recognising the purposes of and differences between spoken and written communication in English in academic contexts; identifying and practising interactional and linguistic aspects of participation in seminar discussions; discussing issues requiring the development and application of critical thinking; and preparing and delivering oral presentations. Written academic communication: Identifying and writing functions common in written academic discourse; note-taking from reading and listening inputs; understanding and applying principles of academic text structure; developing paraphrasing, summarising and referencing skills; improving editing and proofreading skills; achieving appropriate tone and style in academic writing. Reading and listening in academic contexts: Understanding the content and structure of information delivered both orally and in print form; reading and listening for different purposes e.g. as input to tasks, and for developing specific reading or listening skills; using a dictionary to obtain lexical, phonological and orthographical information. Language development: Improving and extending relevant features of students' grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH The study method is primarily based on seminars and these will include interactive learning techniques such as discussions and role-plays. Use will also be made of video and audio recordings, relevant Web-based materials and our Centre for Independent Language Learning.

August 2007

19

INDICATIVE READING Recommended Textbook English Language Centre. (2007). University English for Business Students. Hong Kong: English Language Centre, HKPU. References 1. Spoken academic communication a.

Jay, A. & Jay, R. (2000). Effective presentations. London: Prentice Hall.

b.

Madden, C.G. and T.N. Rohlck (1997). Discussion and interaction in the academic community. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

2. Written academic communication a.

Gelfand, H. (2001). Mastering APA style: Student's workbook and training guide. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

b.

Leki, I. (1998). Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

3. Reading and listening in academic contexts a.

Lebauer, S. (1999). Learn to listen, listen to learn: Academic listening and note-taking. New York, NY: Pearson ESL.

b.

Waters, M. and A. Waters (1995). Study tasks in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

4. Language development a.

Carter, R. & R. Hughes and M. McCarthy (2000). Exploring grammar in context: Upper-intermediate and advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

b.

Collins COBUILD English dictionary for advanced learners (2001). Glasgow: Collins.

c.

McCarthy,

M.

and

F.

O'Dell

(2001).

English

vocabulary

Upper-intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. STAFF RESPONSIBLE Andrew Morrall, David Wong and other ELC staff

August 2007

20

in

use:

Subject Code

: ELC3203

Subject Title

: Workplace English for Business Students

Level

: 3

Credits

: 3

Pre-requisites

: ELC2203 University English for Business Students

Mode of Study

: Seminars

Assessment

: Continuous Assessment of Coursework

Minimum Pass Grade

: D

42 hours 100%

ROLE AND PURPOSE To develop those English language skills required of students to communicate effectively in their future professional careers and in the context of the business profession. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the subject, students should be able to:

(a) (b) (c)

take part in an English job interview write business correspondence write short reports

Students will also improve and extend their grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation on this course. INDICATIVE CONTENT Language Appropriacy: The use of context-sensitive language use in spoken and written English: for example, in the writing of e-mails, job application documents and workplace reports; and in oral appropriacy with regard to such activities as job interviews and workplace discussions. Seeking and supplying information: Practice in the oral skills required in job-seeking interviews, and writing instructions.

August 2007

21

Workplace writing: Selecting and using relevant content, appropriate format and style, and structure and layout, in instructions, letters, memos, emails and reports. TEACHING/LEARNING APPROACH The study method is primarily based on seminars and these will include interactive learning techniques such as discussions and role-plays. Video and tape recordings, relevant Web-based materials and our Centre for Independent Language Learning will also be used. INDICATIVE READING Recommended Textbooks English Language Centre. (2007). Workplace English for Business Students. References Ashley, A. (1992) A handbook of commercial correspondence. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Baugh, L.S., Fryar, M. & Thomas, D.A. (1995). How to write first-class business correspondence. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishing Group. Bilbow, G.T. (2004). Business writing for Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Longman. Guffey, M.E. (1999). Business English. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College. Guffey, M.E. (2001). Essentials of business communication. 5th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western College Pub. Lehman, C.M. (1999). Business communication. 12th ed. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Pub. Murphy, H.A. & Hilderbrandt, H.W. (1997). Effective business communications. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Potter, J. (1992). Common business English errors in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Longman.

August 2007

22

STAFF RESPONSIBLE Andrew Morrall, David Wong and other ELC staff

August 2007

23