Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
mentor students in an entry-level class. He found that while his senior students should have
had the background and knowledge to assist junior students, some were not prepared to give
advice or act in a leadership role. Regardless, he found that over 80% of the participating
students felt the collaborative project was “useful, helped develop collaborative skills, and
brought together ideas and input that otherwise would not have occurred” (Nance, 1998, p.
148).
The Van Slyke et al. (1999) study specifically targeted teamwork training and used a
multi-group quantitative study comparing classes taught with and without teams to attempt
to measure attitudes. Pre and post surveys regarding the team experience indicated that
factors such as in-class teamwork exercises improved the students' perceptions of success
but not their attitude toward working in teams. The latter attitude was impacted by common
complaints of scheduling problems, social loafing (non-contributors), and interpersonal
conflicts (Van Slyke et al., 1999).
E-COMMERCE CLASS DEVELOPMENT
Starting out as a new professor with a new e-commerce course in 1998, the author chose
the best alternative among the business-oriented e-commerce texts and used a practitioner
handbook for the technical aspect of the class. Book selection and course content continue
to evolve each year, but textbook authors still tend to lean toward either business issues or
technical tools. The tools change every year also, with each change in venue an adventure
in preparation time for the instructor. The first year's team projects began in a typical mode
of letting students form their own teams and choose their own project concept within some
general parameters. Some teams chose research-oriented projects, while others dove into the
technology, and a few brave teams tried to build Web sites for family, friends, or local
nonprofit organizations.
The second year, however, the author raised the bar in suggesting that the class as a
whole develop a virtual business concept, then split into three primary teams to address Web
commerce, intranet, and extranet functions for the company. While both sections rose to the
occasion and turned out innovative concepts, students bitterly complained about having to
get together across teams as well as within their own groups to accomplish their tasks. The
downfall of this concept was the increased requirement for intergroup communication and
time delays waiting for content or group decisions from others. Students did not want to hear
that this would be the reality many of them would face in the real world business environment.
In the fall of 2000, a student approached the author wanting to develop an e-commerce
application for the company for which he worked as IT manager. This organization needed
a closed, extranet application to provide communication, scheduling, specification changes,
and an overall closer electronic relationship with its contractor customers. With this
interesting possibility and a few phone calls, three additional businesses were found that
were interested in working with the class. Each class section formed six teams, delivering three
prototypes for each of the two business participants.
Principals of each organization visited the class early in the semester to present an
overview of their business plan, information about their products or services, their initial
goals in looking at e-commerce, and a pledge to be available by email and our class message
board. At the end of the semester, each business owner returned for the prototype
