An IS Capstone Project: The Mywick Property Management System

This paper describes a project suitable for use in an upper division course requiring the completion of analysis, design and implementation of a software system. It is especially useful for illustrating multiple cycles through the development process, as well as for integrating key concepts from a number of fundamental knowledge clusters in a typical undergraduate IS program of study. These knowledge clusters include database management, project management, programming principles, and system analysis and design. In the pilot class, students employed use case analysis as well as standard object-oriented techniques such as class diagrams and sequence diagrams. Students followed a modified version of the Team Software Process, with special attention paid to the postmortem following each of two cycles. Teaching tools included the use of a special email address allowing students to converse with the “client.

The Gap Between Theory and Practice: A Database Application Case Study

The transition from theory to practice is often challenging for sUidents. This paper considers this challenge within the context of implementing a database design in an end-user DBMS. The tradeoffs are examined between adhering to the theory that is taught in the classroom and straying from the theory when faced with deadlines, software applications that will not support the theory, and specific client needs. In the first section, the problems and tradeoffs for developers and system clients are described. In the second section, a specific case study of a student project for a charitable organization is described. The third section highlights the advantages of normalized, relational database structure. The fourth section examines some issues involved in the use of PC-based Database Management Systems (DBMS) packages. The fifth section illustrates the collision between theory and practice with the studentdeveloped project. The sixth and final section summarizes inherent paradoxes in the transition from classroom theory to industry practice. Important questions are raised and some conclusions are drawn

Recruiting IT Faculty

The current shortage of qualified IT professionals in industry now extends to academia. Academic departments need a systematic approach to recruit new IT faculty effectively. This process is hindered not only by the shortage of formally qualified PhDs, but also by the lack of consensus in the definition of IT and the competition with industry for skilled professionals, even at the PhD level. Another challenge is the gap between new PhDs seeking research positions and the shortage of qualified faculty in institutions for which teaching is a priority. This tutorial explores these and other issues related to IT faculty recruiting, and provides a systematic and practical methodology for pro-actively attracting the right people to the right places in academia. An effective recruiting process requires thoughtful problem definition, identification of appropriate sources of alternatives, consistency and fairness in selection using well-defined criteria, and aggressive closure

Designing a First Year Experience Course for IS Students

First Year Experience (FYE) courses target entering students and introduce them to the college environment and expectations for the college classroom. These courses have gained increasing popularity due to their positive impact on retention of students, as well as increased graduation rates. This workshop will describe how to design a FYE course specifically targeting IS students. The IS focused FYE course should improve the retention of students in information technology and information systems. As IS departments face declining enrollment, retaining the students who do select IS majors is of critical importance. Workshop participants will create a basic syllabus for the specially focused FYE course and will complete activities that will prepare them to propose and deliver the course at their university

Recruiting IT Professionals in Academia

The purpose of the proposed tutorial is to chart the course of a successful recruiting cycle. Case studies and interactive discussion will be used to illustrate each step in the process. In addition, the presenters will provide insight to participants regarding how to take best advantage of the AIS / ICIS Web-based Placement services. The tutorial is aimed at administrative faculty as well as teaching faculty who serve on recruitment committees

Student Perceptions of Diversity Issues in IT

This study examines student perceptions regarding the desirability of diversity in the IT workplace. Several diversity variables were included: age, disability status, ethnicity, and gender. Participants included upper division students with declared majors in IT fields, as well as upper division students enrolled in an Accounting Information Systems course. We analyzed their perceptions in relation to diversity, along with distinguishing factors influencing the choice ofIT as a career. We administered the Diversity Perceptions Inventory (DPI) to 162 undergraduate students from three institutions. Using multivariate analysis of variance, we found no significant differences in a number of areas: gender, age, work experience, disability status. We did find significant differences in perceptions based on ethnicity (p \u3c 0.05), as well as differences based on college major (p\u3c0.05). The paper concludes with recommendations and implications

Women in Science and Technology: A Freshman Seminar

First Year Experience (FYE) courses target entering students and introduce them to the college environment and expectations for the college classroom. These courses have gained increasing popularity due to their positive impact on retention of students, as well as increased graduation rates. This case study describes a FYE course implemented to try to improve the retention of women in information technology, information systems, computer science, and other scientific fields. We have already offered the course once and are currently offering it a second time. In this presentation, we will describe lessons learned and provide recommendations for developing similar courses at other universities