At SJSU, we've combined Salesforce and storification to revolutionize our Intro to Business Systems course. Now all Business students get "under the hood" with technology so that they will be able to leverage it innovatively and excel in their jobs, whether in HR, Marketing, Accounting or whatever. These non-tech students can build mobile and web-based apps declaratively with zero coding using free Saleforce accounts. And we developed a set of unique "storified" labs exercises, told through a fictional blog, to engage our iGeneration students with good story-telling.

1. Salesforce + Storification:
Experiential IS Education Even an HR Student Could Love
Timothy R Hill, Professor & Director
School of Information Systems and Technology
The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

2. ❖ Burch et al., 2015: engagement is key to
effective Bus Ed instruction
❖ iGens have broad assumptions and high
expectations => special challenge for IS ed
Teaching the iGeneration

3. Teaching the iGeneration

4. IS 130 Management Information Systems (Fresno State)
(SJSU BUS 188)
Management concepts in the role/administration of information/
information system functions in organizations; enhancement of
management with computers; management of systems development;
planning and budgeting, analysis, design, implementation and operation
of computer-based systems; measurement of operating performance.
Provides system perspective on organizations, using information as an
integrating vehicle. Examines how information systems can serve
business functions and integrate value chain activities.

5. IS 130 Management Information Systems (Fresno State)
(SJSU BUS 188)
Management concepts in the role/administration of information/
information system functions in organizations; enhancement of
management with computers; management of systems development;
planning and budgeting, analysis, design, implementation and operation
of computer-based systems; measurement of operating performance.
Provides system perspective on organizations, using information as an
integrating vehicle. Examines how information systems can serve
business functions and integrate value chain activities.
IS 130 Management Information Systems (Fresno State)
(SJSU BUS 188)
Management concepts in the role/administration of information/
information system functions in organizations; enhancement of
management with computers; management of systems development;
planning and budgeting, analysis, design, implementation and operation
of computer-based systems; measurement of operating performance.
Provides system perspective on organizations, using information as an
integrating vehicle. Examines how information systems can serve
business functions and integrate value chain activities.

6. IST 309 Information Systems and Technology
Application of computer systems in organizations. Topics include
information systems planning, information forecasting, information
technology, information processing, information assurance and security,
risk assessment, allocating resources and legal concepts.

7. What do we hope they get?
To be a successful Business professional in today’s digital economy,
whether in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, etc, you have to be
able to leverage technology in your job.
…then you can leverage the technology innovatively and that’s how
you do things better/faster/smarter. That’s how you excel.
If you learn the technology well, if you get “under the hood” with it
and really understand how it works, the possibilities, the limitations,
what it takes to make it work, how to get the most from the support
you’ve got, how to be your own support when you need to…

8. Great, but to give them this:
To be a successful Business professional in today’s digital economy,
whether in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, etc, you have to be
able to leverage technology in your job.
we have to give them this:
hands-on experiential learning that takes them inside the apps.
Ok, but how do we…
take non-techies inside the apps…?
AND make it engaging…
AND how do we do all that to scale?

9. How do you build
the tallest building
on the west coast
of North America?

10. be in the cloud (SaaS)
make apps customizable w/o coding
be surrounded by 3rd party ecosystem
sell your platform as a service (PaaS)
acquire & integrate ambitiously
evolve aggresively (3 updates/year)
be social
be the “most innovative” (Forbes, 2011-)

11. be in the cloud (SaaS)
make apps customizable w/o coding
be surrounded by 3rd party ecosystem
sell your platform as a service (PaaS)
acquire & integrate ambitiously
evolve aggresively (3 updates/year)
be social
be the “most innovative” (Forbes, 2011-)
grow revenues at 30% annually

17. • CRM core functionality but enables any app/database
• 100% Cloud-based (runs on any browser/platform)
• Industry-leading enterprise environment
• Free Developer Edition (DE) accounts with full functionality
• Create mobile & web-connected apps w/no coding (declaratively)
Salesforce’s Force.com Platform (PaaS)

18. And this is how we take non-techs inside the apps
• Students amaze themselves with what they are able to build
• CRM core functionality but enables any app/database
• 100% Cloud-based (runs on any browser/platform)
• Industry-leading enterprise environment
• Free Developer Edition (DE) accounts with full functionality
• Create mobile & web-connected apps w/no coding (declaratively)
Salesforce’s Force.com Platform (PaaS)

19. And this is how we take non-techs inside the apps
Ok, but how do you engage iGen students with it?
• Students amaze themselves with what they are able to build
• CRM core functionality but enables any app/database
• 100% Cloud-based (runs on any browser/platform)
• Industry-leading enterprise environment
• Free Developer Edition (DE) accounts with full functionality
• Create mobile & web-connected apps w/no coding (declaratively)
Salesforce’s Force.com Platform (PaaS)

20. Salesforce Engagement Videos
Ok, but how do you engage iGens in working with it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqYstJDa30c
Tony Robbins on Salesforce:
http://abc7news.com/technology/diversity-on-full-display-at-2017-dreamforce-conference/2620341/
SJSU students at Dreamforce 2017:

21. Boston: Backbay Prudential Center
8/9/2017

23. Forbes: Top-Selling Video Games of 2017
1 Call of Duty: WWII
2 Destiny 2**
3 NBA 2K18
4 Madden NFL 18
6 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
7 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
8 Grand Theft Auto V
9 For Honor
10 Injustice 2
11 Horizon Zero Dawn
With voicing by Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis, Kiefer Sutherland, Martin Sheen, etc.
Ok, but how do we use that for teaching?

24. SJSU Washington Square
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

26. SJSU Washington Square
Day 1: “I’m Max. This is my class blog. I’m not a geek, but…”
Day 2: “So this Silicon Valley is…startup central. Who knew?”
Day 3: “We’re learning Salesforce! Plus - extra credit for Entrepreneurship Club!”
Day 4: “I met a Suit (MBA) w/a Geek! I’m in a startup…if I can build a mobile app!”
Day. 5: “I did it! I’ll show you. Follow along…I tracked their VC pitches like this…”
Day 12: “DataMatic. It slices. It dices. (Analytics, DIY Dashboard!)”
Day 28: “Data Trouble Mystery…Solved” (How to vanquish the nasty data monster)”
Day 35: “Halloween Data Fright (Data monster rises again…but dies in the end!)”
Day 51: “Need Superpowers? Go Cyborg” (Process automation for scalability)”
Day 67: “How to be a Better Borg” (Web+Database; Social Business & CRM tools)”
Max’s “Distinctive, Impressive BizTech Student Blog”

27. SJSU Washington Square
The Max (Salesforce) Business Systems Innovation Labs
• Students get into the story–experience the “Storified” labs vicariously
• The blog format, fresh voice, humor, etc. is native format for Social Media-
obsessed students
• The Salesforce cache´ generates excitement
• The story teaches business systems concepts and weaves in innovation,
including Silicon Valley history & lingo, startup/venture capital basics, etc.
• SF technology lets HR students build apps (under the hood) w/no coding:
First lab: Students create a mobile app on their own phone/tablet
Later: Students create a backend database & make revisions
Later: Students implement business rules & automate processes
Finally: Students create working webform to backend w/triggers, etc

28. The Max (Salesforce) Business Systems Innovation Labs

29. The Max (Salesforce) Business Systems Innovation Labs

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

41. SJSU Washington Square
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
The Max (Salesforce) Business Systems Innovation Labs

42. SJSU Washington Square
Learning Innovation by Copywork• Muscle memory
• Neural pathway reinforcement
• Writers:
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Jack London (Kipling)
- Benjamin Franklin
- Hunter S. Thompson (Hemingway, Fitzgerald)
Max’s “followers” learn innovation by copywork
Copywork (de rigueur for art ed until 90 years ago)

43. Student Response
“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. :-)”

44. SJSU Washington Square
Student Response - Video
https://youtu.be/RftMMB3nazI

45. SJSU Washington Square
Student Learning Impacts
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
Significant at 0.5 for “analytical” & at .10 for two others

46. Student Impacts
Several students report “Salesforce” exposure made the difference
“I would like to thank you for incorporating Salesforce Labs into our course because it helped me
land a job at Palo Alto Networks. The labs gave me a competitive advantage over other
candidates who didn't have any experience using SF.”

47. Student Impacts
Several students report “Salesforce” exposure made the difference
“Just wanted to let you know that your Salesforce labs were extremely helpful in my interview
process. I definitely recommend having more people do these Salesforce labs because they are
so useful. I had a interview for a company for an associate consultant position, they assigned me
a case analysis where I had to use Salesforce. They wanted me to create customization for a
company that needed to track their customer and products. I made custom objects for a the
company and connect the relationships with each other, I used what I learned to help me
navigate better the system. Thank you!”

48. Student Impacts
Several students report “Salesforce” exposure made the difference
“I'm now an intern for a software company in the sales department. My department functions
almost entirely through Salesforce and while I was training and acclimating, I began making
many connections to the work we did in the labs.”

49. Student Impacts
Several students report “Salesforce” exposure made the difference
“One of my students from BUS188 Spring 2015 came up to me as I was walking home from
class today to let me know how much he appreciated the Salesforce Labs...He said it gave him
a leg up in his International Marketing class. YES!!!”

50. Student Impacts
Several students report “Salesforce” exposure made the difference
Some students pursue certification:
SJSU MIS student & SF lab assistant earned cert & garnered 6-figure salary on graduation
“One of my students from BUS188 Spring 2015 came up to me as I was walking home from
class today to let me know how much he appreciated the Salesforce Labs...He said it gave him
a leg up in his International Marketing class. YES!!!”

51. SJSU Washington Square
Pragmatics
• Labs are mostly self-contained (homework or in-class in 1:15)
• Cover sheet for each lab: conceptual learning objectives, deliverables
• 100% PDF: students can print or view in a separate tab while working
• Students submit 2-4 screencaps/lab (name appears on all SF screens)
• Minimal support:
- Language tweaked/honed to minimize snags/mistakes
- Troubleshooting QuickRef for each lab with common snags & fixes
- Online help community
- Lab assistants/helpdesk hours
• Feedback form for each lab gets students to reflect on/assimilate LO’s
• Students pay $19.99 to “Max” to install component during Lab 2

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But does it scale?
• Each semester at SJSU: ~700 students, ~15 sections, ~7 instructors
• More at Temple University (~1400 students)
• Wake Forest, Clemson, Cal Poly-SLO, CSUEB, SFSU, U of Central Arkansas,
Georgia College & State U
• Over 10,000 students so far

53. Bottom Line
• Grounding for class discussions that makes course concepts feel real
• Low cost for students, low effort for faculty (easily integrates with texts, other
technologies)
• Gets students doing innovation, thinking innovatively (our AACSB review team
loved it)
• Gives motivated students opportunities to “drill down” & learn more
• High-quality, high-engagement experiential learning + exposure to
industry leading technology from one of the most innovative companies
in the world today