Information Systems Education Conference
ISECON Proceedings

2010 ISECON Proceedings

Paper Titles | Authors | Tracks | Best Papers | Panels | Teaching Cases | Workshops
Conference Highlights/Program

Workshops


A Learner-Centered Approach to Teaching Information Systems

France Belanger
Virginia Tech

Craig Van Slyke
Saint Louis University

Friday - 10/29/2010 in Capitol 2/3 at 8:30 am
http://proc.isecon.org/2010/ws/1467.htm

There is a large and growing body of evidence that learner-centered education is more effective in terms of learning outcomes; it is also more satisfying for the learner. In a learner-centered course, the focus is on a partnership between the teacher and learner with shared responsibility for learning. The learner-centered approach fits well with the characteristics of “millennial” generation students, who are team-oriented, value continuous learning and seek frequent feedback. Learner-centered education has been recommended as a viable approach for information systems education for at least a decade, but applying these principles may be especially important today. Because learner-centered education matches well with the preferences of today's students, it is possible that applying learner-centered principles to IS courses can help address our enrollment problems. The purposes of this workshop are to introduce the concepts of learner-centered education, to illustrate how learner-centered concepts can be applied to information systems courses, and to help participants understand how they can employ learner-centered education in their courses. In addition, a methodology for developing learning activities will be presented and applied. The workshop will be highly interactive, and will use the principles of leaner-centered education. Participants will receive a link to workshop materials and additional resources. WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION The “learner-centered approach to teaching information systems” workshop will include an interactive presentation, the experiencing of learning activities for participants, the development of participant relevant learning activities, and discussions among participants. The workshop provides an overview of learner-centered education and its relevance to teaching today's students, demonstrates the use of learner-centered activities, and offers guidelines and a methodology that can be used to develop learner-centered activities. The workshop allows participants to experience learner-centered teaching via activities offered by the workshop leaders. It also offers an opportunity to use the proposed methodology to develop learning activities relevant to the participants. In this case, participants will work in small groups to develop one or more learning activities, which will then be shared with the rest of the participants. The workshop will conclude with a brief wrap up and open discussion.


Come and Get your (Teaching) Second Life

S Kruck
James Madison University

Friday - 10/29/2010 in Davidson B at 4:00 pm
http://proc.isecon.org/2010/ws/1468.htm

Virtual worlds, in the workshop, Second Life, allow the instructor to teach visually, immersing their students in concepts, ideas or data. This space can also for real-time meetings between faculty or faculty and students. Additionally faculty can also participate in state, national, and international conferences with no travel expense. For students, this global aspect allows them to explore and interact with different cultures. This workshop will introduce participants to the virtual world of Second Life and how SL can be integrated into their traditional and long-distance classroom. Also, participants will see how this technology allows easy interface with the global community and how it can be integrated into education.

E-book Publishing with Open Source Software

Michael Smith
High Point University

Friday - 10/29/2010 in Capitol 1 at 3:00 pm
http://proc.isecon.org/2010/ws/1469.htm

Academic materials are commonly published electronically in pdf format. Since few people enjoy reading materials on a standard computer screen, most either print papers out or they download the pdfs to e-book readers or tablets, which offer a more natural reading experience. However, the pdf format was not intended for displaying articles on such small screens. Difficulties with font sizes, pagination and graphics may render pdf files difficult to read on these portable devices. In this workshop, I will demonstrate the capabilities of two open source systems that, together, make is easier for us to publish and manage papers in several standard e-book formats. The resulting files can be more easily read and managed on common e-book readers such as Kindle and Nook.

Entrepreneurship in the Computer Science and Information Systems Curriculum

James Lawler
Pace University

Friday - 10/29/2010 in Davidson B at 4:30 pm
http://proc.isecon.org/2010/ws/1466.htm

Few schools of computer science and information systems have a concentration in entrepreneurship in the computing curriculum. Graduates in the computing discipline might be more marketable to business firms in the current economy if they learn the theory, if not the practice of skills, to be business entrepreneurs and not mere scientists. Industry needs such skills in the innovation of processes, products and services infused by technology. The focus of the workshop is to help instructors initiate a concentration in technology entrepreneurship in the computing curriculum of their schools. The presenters will highlight a National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology Entrepreneurship in the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science program.