Presentation of paper "Innovating Business Systems Labs for Engaging iGeneration Students" at AMCIS 2016 in San Diego

1. Innovating Business Systems Labs for Engaging
iGeneration Students
Tim Hill, Chair
William Nance, Professor
Management Information Systems
Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

2. SJSU Washington Square
 Context
 Pain Points
 iGen
 Before
 After
 Max
 The Labs (walk-thru)
 Reaction/Results
 Lessons Learned
 Bottom Line
 Discussion
Overview

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 Founded 1857
 ~30,000 students; 2000 faculty
 Leading workforce supplier to Silicon Valley
SJSU

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 Lucas College & Graduate School of Business
 Undergraduate Concentration within BSBA
 ~400 f/t MIS students; 10 tt/t faculty; 8 adjunct
 Teach Core Business Systems course for all BSBA (Fin, Mktg, …)
MIS@SJSU

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 Bus 188 - Business Systems, required for all business students
(except MIS concentration)
 Provides an introduction to information systems, including terms,
concepts, capabilities, and impacts on business organizations:
Course Context
Mobile Computing & BYOD
Data and Databases
Cloud Computing
Big Data Analytics
Business Process Automation
Collaboration Tools
Enterprise Applications and CRM
Technology for Competitive Advantage
 We want students to get a peek “under the IT hood” so they can
leverage the technology & support staff on the job
 To get it, they need to do it - so hands-on is essential

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 Course-related
 Many students (Class size = 45)
 Many sections (12-14/semester)
 Many instructors (pool of 7-10 w/rotations in/out)
Pain Points: Course-related

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 MS Access-based (lightweight reputation)
 System compatibility issues (Windows only)
 Non-cumulative exercises (limited-concept learning objectives)
 Traditional, dry format (“Today you will create a table”)
 Lackluster scenarios (orders for farm equipment products)
 Plug-&-chug instructions (non-conceptual/rote learning)
 Auto-graded (erratic, questionable accuracy)
Pain Points: Lab-related

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 Little predisposition, interest in non-consumer technology
 iGeneration issues…
Pain Points: Student-related

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 Rosen, 2010:
 Social Media & tech immersion has “rewired” their minds
 Educators must find ways to “spark their imaginations”
 Mott, et al. 1999: incorporate challenge, curiosity and fantasy into
learning environments through a compelling narrative element of
“storification” to generate intrinsic motivation
 Picucci, 2014:
 paralleling graphics sophistication, story-telling trend in digital
gaming since 1990’s,
 now drawing/supporting high-value stars, eg. Bruce Willis,
Liam Neeson, Keifer Sutherland
Engaging iGeneration Students

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Storified Learning
Scene 1
Story Arc (the clothesline)
Scene 2
Scene 3
Presentation Evolution Resolution
Scenario (feasible) Challenges/opportunities Renewed
Character (relatable) Learns Achieves
“I am like…” (you) “This is what happened; what I did, how/why” “how it turned out”
Cumulative
Learning
Objectives
Modular
Learning
Objectives Engagement LearningSatisfaction

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Enter Max

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Plus Salesforce
Bay Area Juggernaut Salesforce named
Most Innovative Company by Forbes 2011-2014
(2nd in 2015)

13. After

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 iGen engagement:
 “Storified” labs build on each other thru case scenario based
on Silicon Valley startup (students relate thru perspective of
business student Max, supporting grad students in a startup
with apps, built in Salesforce)
 Social media delivery through blog format (native format for
students, fresh voice, humor, etc.)
 Salesforce cache´ generates excitement
 Teaches business systems concepts and weaves innovation,
including Silicon Valley history & lingo, startup/venture capital
basics, etc.
Salesforce-based Labs (developed @ SJSU)

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 Conceptual Topics
 Database/Data Integrity
 Business Analytics
 Process Automation
 Innovation/Ventures
 Web-Database Integration
Salesforce-based Labs (developed @ SJSU)
 Enterprise Systems
 Mobile Apps
 Cloud Computing
 CRM
 Social Business/Media

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Salesforce-based Labs (developed @ SJSU)
 Salesforce Skills
 Auto-response Rules
 Reports & Dashboards
 Lead Assignment Rules
 Chatter Posts & Polls
 Custom Fields/Objects
 HTML Email Templates
 Data Import Wizard
 Workflows
 Schema Builder
 Web-to-Lead Forms

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Pre-lab:
“I’m Max. This is my class blog. I’m not a geek, but…”
“So this Silicon Valley is…startup central. Who knew?”
“We’re learning Salesforce! Plus - extra credit for Entrepreneurship Club!”
“I met a Suit (MBA) with a Geek! I’m in a startup…if I can build a mobile app!”
Lab 1: “I did it! I’ll show you. Follow along…I tracked their VC pitches like this…”
Lab 2: “DataMatic. It slices. It dices. (DIY Dashboard!)
Lab 3: “Data Trouble Mystery…Solved” (How to vanquish the bad data monster)
Lab 4: “Halloween Data Fright” (Data monster rises again…but dies in the end!)
Lab 5: “Need Superpowers? Go Cyborg” (Process automation for scalability)
Lab 6: “How to be a Better Borg” (Web+Database; Social Business & CRM tools)
Max’s “Distinctive, Impressive BizTech Student Blog”

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Pre-lab

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Lab 1a

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Lab 1a

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Samples

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Lab 3b Walk-thru

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 “I like the backstories for each lab. Makes it more human and
less of just instructions.”
 “I really enjoyed reading the blog postings. I’m really into blog
posts so it only makes sense.”
 “Great job keeping me engaged. Fun!”
 “I thought creating an app was very difficult, but thanks to
Salesforce, I learned how in a few easy steps.”
 “I felt engaged because I felt like I was learning something
useful for my future career.”
 “It was very challenging for me. It made my brain hurt...but so
worth it.”
 “I feel smart. :-)”
Student Response

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Student Response - Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX96P4cLY7g

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 Lab integration effects?
 One instructor; 2 sections, one using labs, all else equal
 “Light” exposure (homework only; no classroom integration)
 Learning Objectives
 11 pre-existing general concept course LOs; none lab-related
 student self-rated mastery; 5 pt Likert scale
 no significant differences but lab section higher of 10/11
 Student Teaching Ratings (13 items, 5 pt Likert scale)
 Prior semester - nearly identical; average diff = 0.02
 Lab semester - lab section higher on 13/13; avg diff = .25
 sig at 0.5 for “analytical”; .10 for two others
Looking at the Numbers

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 Phased in/honed to minimize missteps
 Language and writing style key to authentic/engaging “voice”
 Students cite humor as a key
 Still need to stress that the text around the instructions is
where they learn the “what” and “why’s”
 Lab assistants make instructors feel “safe”
Implementation/Lessons Learned

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Hands-on experience makes abstracts concepts tangible and provides
exposure to leading enterprise technology:
 Blog format & style is familiar, accessible–gets students to read
 Student point-of-view puts students “in” the innovation-based
scenario–captivates, taps their enthusiasm/energy
 Scenario lets students “discover” gradually, exercise their curiosity &
gives them the feeling of innovating, vicariously
 Interweaves data & process concepts, Silicon Valley innovation
culture/history, start-ups & business development, personal branding
 Embeds hyperlinked opportunities to “drill down” & learn more
INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGY + INNOVATIVE TOOLS = ENGAGED INNOVATION LEARNING
Bottom Line