In the summer of 2013 I designed, developed and then taught MIS5122 – Enterprise Architecture for IT Auditors. We had a significant number of students trying to get into the ITACS program that did not have any significant background in technology. Without this background they would not be successful in the ITACS program and would not be successful as an IT Auditor. We were also missing out on revenue if these students could not be admitted to the program. This course, often called a “Technology Boot-Camp” packed a full semester of technology content into 1 week to prepare students who would like to enter the ITACS program that were lacking a technology background.
While I have taught a number of variations of MIS5001, in the summer of 2013 I was tasked with designing and teaching a special section of this course tailored for the College of Health Professionals Health Informatics Certificate program. This course was taught for students working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The interesting thing about this offering is that CHOP is part of the University of Pennsylvania and they were coming to Temple for this education!
The fall of 2015 was another big semester for MIS2101. As the course coordinator for MIS2101I took the lead on the implementation of a completely redesigned course (originally redesigned by Professor Steven Johnson but not implemented until Fall 2015 after he left the university) The new course is very non-traditional for an intro to MIS course. We have eliminated the textbook and replaced it with current, relevant readings that are available for free over the Internet. We have transformed the classroom from a place of lecture to a place for discussion and interaction by leveraging activity based learning. We have replaced the exams that have only challenged a student’s ability to memorize with exams that challenge the critical thinking skills of students. As you might expect any time you introduce this kind of change, we had many major issues in the fall. Over the last few semesters this course had consistently improved and is now doing well. This course has been the focus of many conversations and presentations as part of the current BBA redesign being one of the few courses in the core curriculum that incorporates critical thinking, business analytics and communications into that is taught in large sections.
MIS3504 – As part of the program redesign in 2011, I worked with another faculty member to redesign MIS201, our systems analysis and design course and launched the new course as MIS3504 – Digital Design and Innovation. We transformed this course from a traditional analysis and design course to a course that leveraged modern design thinking and taught students how to work as a business analyst in an IT organization.
Over time this course became MIS3506. We have continued to work on developing this course and it is now one of the few “studio” courses in the Fox School where students “Learn by Doing”. Students learn to work a business analyst on a team on a real-world analysis and design project, typically for an external client. This course is also considered to be a “vertical studio” where students in this course are partnered with MIS3535 students creating teams that utilize students in different parts of our curriculum. MIS3535 – As part of the 2011 program redesign, like MIS3504, MIS3535 was transformed into a studio course where students “learn by doing”. Over time we created “vertical studios” where students from 3504 who are learning to work as business analysts are put on team with students from 3535 who are learning to work as project managers and the collective team would work on a 14-week analysis and design project, typically for an external client. As project managers the 3535 students were trained in using the tools and techniques for delivering a project on-time, under-budget and in perfect working order but since they all already took MIS3504 they were also taught to be coaches and mentors to the business analysts on their team. This vertical studio course sequence has become one of the hallmarks of the MIS student experience.
In the fall of 2014 we introduced “Hands-on Tech Challenges” to MIS2501. In the past, students learned a great deal about technology by researching and analyzing technology but not through enough hands-on experience with technology. In the fall of 2014 we changed 25% of the course so that it includes the development of hands-on technology skills. Students create virtual machines, install server operating systems, configure disk subsystems, install and configure database servers. The last exam of the semester is a pure hands-on exam. Students must demonstrate that they have developed basic competency with all of the technologies we worked with in the Tech Challenges.
This was an extremely innovative course where students were assigned to one of three teams, the project management team, the functional team or the technical team, and worked as an organization would work in industry to implement an ERP system. By the end of the third week of class, lectures were replaced with team status meetings run by the project managers and leaders of each of the teams.
ERP Implementation Course Announcement
MIS3580 Course Introduction Presentation
In the spring of 2006 I develop and taught a new course for the graduate school that focused on business continuity planning, disaster recovery, and information security. After the events of 9/11 and recent natural disasters, businesses had a heightened awareness of their dependency on information systems. Decision makers had come to the realization that they must have effective business continuity plans in place to protect the interests of their shareholders. MIS571 was an innovative course that focused on business continuity planning, disaster recovery, and information security. It presented a unique mix of traditional lectures, research of technology, technology demonstrations, and guest speakers from industry. I was able to add significant value because I had first-hand experience with all topics discussed and was able to demonstrate many of the technologies discussed in class.
In the spring of 2006 the MIS department, with the support of the Fox School, initiated the Mobile Interactive Student (MIS) pilot. As part of this pilot each student in MIS120 was issued a Pocket PC. The device is theirs to keep and use in subsequent courses. The goal was to get students comfortable with a type of technology that few have already encountered but they will undoubtedly encounter when they become IT professionals after graduation. The use of this Pocket PC was integrated into MIS120. In the following semesters, the use of this device is being integrated into subsequent courses. I was instrumental in the implementation of this pilot.