The paper considers the problem of students acquiring a holistic view on the IS discipline via a set of not explicitly connected subjects taught in disparate courses. The main idea is based on M. Polanyi's works on a structure of tacit knowing that can produce "a stereoscopic image from two separate pictures". The images that are used for creating a stereoscopic picture give different perspectives on the same reality, but they do not explicitly refer to each other, the 3-d picture is being created unconsciously by the human mind. This paper demonstrates that a connection between subjects can be created by using the same or tightly connected business cases in different courses that use case based learning combined with computer-based apprenticeship simulation. The paper discusses the main idea, the trial settings, and preliminary results.

1. Using the Structure of Tacit
Knowing for Acquiring a Holistic
View on IS Field
1
Ilia Bider, Martin Henkel
11th IADIS International
Conference on
Information Systems 2018

2. Problem: Fragmented knowledge
The problem of fragmented knowledge has been known for a long but it is still
present in all educational disciplines
Cause: subject matter structure of the programs. Courses dealing with different
subjects are rarely explicitly connected to each other
Typical solution: a special integration course, e.g. a capstone project as "a
crowning course or experience coming at the end of a sequence of courses with
the specific objective of integrating a body of relatively fragmented knowledge
into a unified whole“
Drawback: knowledge remains fragmented almost to the end of the program

3. Our solution is based on
1. Case base learning (CBL) - relying on a project with a
business case
2. Apprenticeship simulation (AS) - presenting a business case
using multimedia instead of a text
3. The structure of tacit knowing (M. Polanyi: one knows more
than one can tell) – using the same or tightly connected set of
business cases in different courses

4. Main idea of using SA in CBL
“…Today, the sales process is relatively simple and
involves a customer calling in to the sales department
and ordering a license of the game, or an upgrade of
the existing license to the latest version of the game.
The sales department sends the game or the new
version of it via mail along with an invoice. A copy of
the invoice is also sent to the finance department that
takes responsibility for the continuation of the process.
If the customer does not pay by a certain date the
accounting department sends a reminder. If the
customer still does not pay despite the reminder the
case is handed to a collection agency who takes the
responsibility of getting money from the customer.
When and if the debt collection agency acquires the
payment, the money is transferred to the AFFE's bank
account …”
Substituting text description of the business with a multi-media presentations

5. The Structure of Tacit Knowing
Getting a holistic (3D) picture from signals coming from different sources

6. Summary - Getting a holistic view
Getting a holistic view on IS discipline from a set of not
explicitly connected courses
From fragmented codified knowledge to holistic internalized knowledge
Main idea: using the same or interconnected business cases in many
courses of the program, so that the students can investigate the same
object from different points of view

7. Test Courses
Courses with intersecting set of students:
1. BPCM – Business Process and Case Management (online, first round
completed, second ongoing)
2. SERDES - Citizen Centric Service Design and IT architecture (online, first
round completed)
3. SYSTOIT – System Theory, Organizations and IT (Campus, first round
completed)
Courses 1,2 belong to one MS program (Open eGovenment), but they
are also taken by student s belonging to other MS programs

8. Test courses
# Course name Level
(ECT)
Educatio-
nal form
Lan
g
Programs Number of
rounds
(Students)
Years Types of models & sub-subjects
1 Business
Process and
Case
Management
BPCM
MS, 3rd
term
(7.5)
Distance
course
Eng Open eGovernment,
IS Management, IT
Project Management
2 (30-60) 2016-17 Business Process Modelling (mainstream &
non mainstream)
2 Service Design MS, 3rd
term
(7.5)
Distance
Course
Eng Open eGovernment,
IS Management,
2
(30)
2016-17 Value modelling, Conceptual modelling
3 System
Theory,
Organizations
and IT
SYSTIOT
MS, 2nd
term
(7.5)
On
campus
Eng IS Management,
Health Informatics
2
(20)
2017-18 Viable System Model (VSM),
Variety Engineering,
Organizational goals, organizational learning

9. Business Cases Structure
Characters:
1. Character 1: Consulting company ST transformer
2. Character: Client a company for which ST transformer works.
Current client – Harmony inside
Project
Project completing by ST transformer on behalf of client. Example
for BPCM (course 1) Harmony project – developing online platform
for dietitian consultation.

10. Multimedia presentations of the cases
Companies’ websites
http://sttransformer.blogs.dsv.su.se/ http://harmonyinside.blogs.dsv.su.se/

11. Multimedia presentations of the cases
Interviews

12. Multimedia presentations of the cases
Screen mockup

13. Project sites – connecting everything
Integration of sources with assignments
http://harmonyproject.blogs.dsv.su.se/

14. Assessment of effects
Issues to clarify
• Whether the students get connection between the
subjects from different courses taught in separation
• Possible negative side effects
• Possible positive side effects
• General impression

15. Assessment of effects
Basis – the first round of courses
• 11 students finished two of the three courses
• 8 students attended BPCM + CERDIS
• 2 students attended SYSTOIT + BPCMs
• 1 student attended CERDIS + BPCM
• 9 students answered the survey questions
• 3 of these agreed to interviews

16. Connection between the Courses
1. Using the same case in two subjects gave
me understanding of how the subjects are
related
2. Using the same case gave me an
understanding of how an organization can
be viewed from different perspectives.
“Seeing different perspectives on the same organization makes it easier to
understand new courses and theories"

17. Possible negative effects
3. Using the same case was confusing, for example by mixing up some concepts from
different courses.
• “The only possible drawback of this approach is that case diversity can enhance
student learning, and re-using a case reduces the case diversity a student meets
while studying“
• " Somewhat decreased motivation; assuming full familiarity with the case without
it necessarily being so"

18. Possible positive effects
4. Using the same case made it quicker to
complete the assignments in the 2nd course.
5. Using the same case made it more
interesting to do the assignments.

19. General impression
6. If there were a third course using the
same case it would be considered as an
advantage
7. Overall, using the same case in several
courses is a good idea.

20. Conclusions from the interviews
• Interviews were conducted with 3 students:
• None of them could explain why they thought that the
courses were connected. This was just a feeling.
• Which confirms (at least partially) the hypothesis that
the connection is created on the tacit level.

21. Literature on AS
1. Bider, I., Henkel, M, Kowalski, S. and Perjons E. "Teaching Enterprise Modeling based on
Multi-Media Simulation: a Pragmatic Approach," In: Benyoucef, M. et al. (Eds.): E-
Technologies, LNBIP Vol. 209, Springer, pp. 239-254, 2015.
2. Bider, I., Henkel, M., Kowalski, S., Perjons, E. “Technology Enhanced Learning of Modeling
Skills in the Field of Information Systems”. In: Nunes, M.P., Isaís, P., Powell, P., eds.
Proceedings of 8th IADIS International Conference on Information systems, Madeira,
Portugal, 14-16 March, 2015, IADIS Press, pp. 121-128, 2015.
3. Bider, M. Henkel, M., Kowalski, S., and Perjons, E. “Simulating apprenticeship using
multimedia in Higher Education: a case from the information systems field”, Interactive
Technology and Smart Education, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 137-154, 2015.
4. Bider, I., Henkel, M., Kowalski, S. and Perjons, E., “Reuse of Simulated Cases in Teaching
Enterprise Modelling”, In: Manfred A. Jeusfeld, Kamalakar Karlapalem ed. SCME 2015 at
ER2015. LNCS Vol. 9382 Springer. pp.337-346, 2015.
5. Henkel, M., Bider, I., Perjons, E., Martensson, F., Zainali,M. "Reusing Cases for Teaching
Enterprise Modelling — Feasibility Study and Reality Check". In SCME-iStarT 2017. CEUR
Workshop Proceedings Vol. 1954, CEUR-WS.org 2017, pp. 4-14.

22. Q & A
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