Design and delivery of an online information systems management course for MBA programs

Aim/Purpose In this paper, we present our experience in design and delivery of a graduate Information Systems Management (ISM) course in an online MBA program. Also presented are a detailed examination of the design and delivery of the online course, survey results of students\u27 perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Background This graduate ISM course needs to not only cover a broad range of dynamic technology and business topics, but also strike a balance between the width and depth of the content. Effective course design and delivery are critical to improved teaching and learning, especially when the course is delivered online. Methodology We provided a comprehensive review of the related literature to develop guidelines for the design and delivery of our ISM course; we collected survey data to evaluate the students\u27 backgrounds and their perceptions of the course; we used data analysis and content analysis methods to assess the course evaluation results. Contribution A review of the related literature indicates that IS researchers and educators have not adequately studied online graduate education. Given the importance of the graduate ISM course in most MBA programs, and the lack of attention from the IS community, it is critical to address this gap in the research. We believe we have done so with this paper. Findings The paper\u27s major findings are embedded in a detailed examination of the de-sign and delivery of the online course, survey results of students\u27 perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Recommendations for Practitioners Even though our experience may not be fully applicable to other institutions, we hope our IS colleagues can learn from the design and delivery of this online course, as well as our best practices and lessons learned to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education, in general. Furthermore, we provide instructors with an actionable framework onto which they can map their current course offering, and compare their current pedagogical offering to literature driven best practices for ISM courses, in particular. Recommendations for Researchers It is our hope that the design and delivery of this online course, and our best practices and lessons learned can inspire our IS colleagues to search for innovative ways to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education. In addition, we distill a literature driven framework for ISM courses design and delivery that can help researchers frame their pedagogical research questions. Impact on Society The online course in this study prepares students for more efficiently and ef-fectively delivering IT systems in organizations. Many MBA students work for non-profits and other socially-focused organizations and are able to use the skills learned in the course for the betterment of society. Future Research We will continue to monitor the impact of the changes on student learning effectiveness and attempt to identify additional innovative ways to improve the design and delivery of this online ISM course

One World, Two Realities: Perception Differences between Software Developers and Testers

Strong working relations between software developers and testers are critical to the efficient and effective development of high-quality software. Smooth collaboration must occur as testers find problems and developers fix problems in the software. Prior studies based on anecdotal data have suggested that developers and testers have different personalities, approaches to work, etc., and these differences may have negative impacts on software project outcomes such as software quality and job satisfaction. This study examines the results of a nationwide survey undertaken to empirically examine and to improve our understanding of the pertinent areas where developers and testers differ. Results support that significant differences exist in perceptions between developers and testers. We conclude that these differences must be considered in order to improve software development efficiency and effectiveness

Alignment within the software development unit: Assessing structural and relational dimensions between developers and testers

Just as business-IT alignment has received significant focus as a strategic concern in the IS literature, it is also important to consider internal alignment between the diverse subunits within the IT organization. This study investigates alignment between developers and testers in software development to understand alignment within the IT unit. Prior evidence of tension between these sub-groups (and others as well) suggests that all is not necessarily well within the IT organization. Misalignment within the IT unit can certainly make it difficult for the IT unit to add strategic value to the organization. This study is an important initial step in investigating IT subunit alignment which can inform future research focusing on the alignment of other IT subunits such as architecture, operations, and customer-support. Using theoretical concepts from strategic business-IT alignment, we test a research model through a survey of professional software developers and testers. Results suggest that relational but not structural dimensions influence IT subunit alignment. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Design and delivery of an online information systems management course for MBA programs

© 2020. Aim/Purpose In this paper, we present our experience in design and delivery of a graduate Information Systems Management (ISM) course in an online MBA program. Also presented are a detailed examination of the design and delivery of the online course, survey results of students\u27 perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Background This graduate ISM course needs to not only cover a broad range of dynamic technology and business topics, but also strike a balance between the width and depth of the content. Effective course design and delivery are critical to improved teaching and learning, especially when the course is delivered online. Methodology We provided a comprehensive review of the related literature to develop guidelines for the design and delivery of our ISM course; we collected survey data to evaluate the students\u27 backgrounds and their perceptions of the course; we used data analysis and content analysis methods to assess the course evaluation results. Contribution A review of the related literature indicates that IS researchers and educators have not adequately studied online graduate education. Given the importance of the graduate ISM course in most MBA programs, and the lack of attention from the IS community, it is critical to address this gap in the research. We believe we have done so with this paper. Findings The paper\u27s major findings are embedded in a detailed examination of the de-sign and delivery of the online course, survey results of students\u27 perceptions and backgrounds, course evaluation results, best practices and lessons learned, and potential changes and future actions. Recommendations for Practitioners Even though our experience may not be fully applicable to other institutions, we hope our IS colleagues can learn from the design and delivery of this online course, as well as our best practices and lessons learned to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education, in general. Furthermore, we provide instructors with an actionable framework onto which they can map their current course offering, and compare their current pedagogical offering to literature driven best practices for ISM courses, in particular. Recommendations for Researchers It is our hope that the design and delivery of this online course, and our best practices and lessons learned can inspire our IS colleagues to search for innovative ways to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in IS online graduate education. In addition, we distill a literature driven framework for ISM courses design and delivery that can help researchers frame their pedagogical research questions. Impact on Society The online course in this study prepares students for more efficiently and ef-fectively delivering IT systems in organizations. Many MBA students work for non-profits and other socially-focused organizations and are able to use the skills learned in the course for the betterment of society. Future Research We will continue to monitor the impact of the changes on student learning effectiveness and attempt to identify additional innovative ways to improve the design and delivery of this online ISM course

Appui aux travaux conduits sur les systèmes avec semis direct et couvert végétal en Haute Guinée et en Guinée forestière : mission réalisée du 30 juin au 13 juillet 2002

Prostate tumours are highly variable in their response to therapies, but clinically available prognostic factors can explain only a fraction of this heterogeneity. Here we analysed 200 whole-genome sequences and 277 additional whole-exome sequences from localized, non-indolent prostate tumours with similar clinical risk profiles, and carried out RNA and methylation analyses in a subset. These tumours had a paucity of clinically actionable single nucleotide variants, unlike those seen in metastatic disease. Rather, a significant proportion of tumours harboured recurrent non-coding aberrations, large-scale genomic rearrangements, and alterations in which an inversion repressed transcription within its boundaries. Local hypermutation events were frequent, and correlated with specific genomic profiles. Numerous molecular aberrations were prognostic for disease recurrence, including several DNA methylation events, and a signature comprised of these aberrations outperformed well-described prognostic biomarkers. We suggest that intensified treatment of genomically aggressive localized prostate cancer may improve cure rates