ISEDJ

Abstract: To create a learning experience which replicates the process by which consultants, systems developers and business end users collaborate to design and implement a business application, a cross-functional student team project was developed and is described. The overall learning experience was distinguished by specific components and characteristics of the project, including: 1) a problem-based learning approach which presented students with an accounting auditing problem requiring the design and development of computer-based application from scratch; 2) the formation of cross-functional teams comprised of students across multiple sections of two different courses (the capstone courses for both Accounting and Information Systems); and 3) the contributions of individual students based on their respective backgrounds and roles in the project. The roles included domain/content experts (accounting students) as well as consultants, business analysts and developers (information systems students). The intentional use of cross-functional teams and assigned roles distinguishes this approach from other problem-based approaches. Further, the teams had additional extrinsic motivation as the business applications they developed could be submitted to a contest hosted by a professional organization. Pre- and post-assessment data indicate that students learned, through iteration and trial-and-error, new interpersonal, analytical and technical skills through client-consultant interactions, problem definition and formulation, requirements analysis, business process and data modeling and application development.

Keywords: business application development, capstone, cross-functional teams, Information Systems Pedagogy, problem-based learning

Download this article: ISEDJ - V15 N4 Page 75.pdf

Recommended Citation: Pike, J. C., Spangler, W., Williams, V., Kollar, R. (2017). Role-Playing and Problem-Based Learning:. Information Systems Education Journal, 15(4) pp 75-83. http://isedj.org/2017-15/ ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of EDSIG 2016)