CPSC 203 ITBL Project CPSC 203 ITBL Project Fall 2005-Fall 2006 Fall 2005-Fall 2006 Working with Haskayne School of Business Working with Haskayne School of Business

Enhance and redesign Goals Goals –provide a course that is relevant to the programs –allow flexibility for students to take advantage of previous experience to take advantage of previous experience to choose assignment topics to choose assignment topics

Our Ideas Get information from Get information from –programs –instructors –students Try online tutorials for flexibility Try online tutorials for flexibility

203 Instructors Want to know Want to know –what do the programs want? –why do students take the course? –what are their expectations? –what resources are available to help us teach and assess software skills?

Who takes 203? enrolment data from OIA for enrolment data from OIA for Interviews with program unit representatives Interviews with program unit representatives

Enrolment by Faculty

Haskayne Enrolment Required course and prerequisite for MGIS 317 and MGST 391

Communication and Culture Enrolment Most programs in the faculty require a “demonstration of computer competence”. CPSC 203 satisfies that. Many (30-40%) of the students are waiting to get into high-demand programs like management and biology.

Management Requirements Graduates need computer literacy Graduates need computer literacy Prerequisite skills in Excel and Access Prerequisite skills in Excel and Access –MGIS 317 – do large Access project –MGST 391 Research and Analysis for Decision Making Most important topics: software, Internet, information literacy, security Most important topics: software, Internet, information literacy, security Some group work Some group work

C&C Requirements Graduates need Graduates need –Computer literacy –To understand how computers are used –Long-term retention of concepts –Less concerned about skills Most important concepts: Internet, information literacy, computer program development Most important concepts: Internet, information literacy, computer program development Most important skills: Blackboard, web search, Word Most important skills: Blackboard, web search, Word

Survey of Current Students some data some data –80% agreed: “this course is valuable” –preference for talking about concepts to reading about –preference for instruction rather than learning on own –prefer practical projects

Survey of Past Students Ranked most important topics Ranked most important topics –software and operating systems –Internet –networking and communications Least important Least important –hardware –computer program development

Past students want want –a very practical course

Pilot of Online lessons for Microsoft PowerPoint tutorials and assignment used online lessons and performance-based assessment for Microsoft PowerPoint tutorials and assignment used online lessons and performance-based assessment two systems used two systems used

Student Experience The majority of students agreed that The majority of students agreed that –The online lessons explained new concepts well. –The online lessons allowed me to tailor my learning to my prior knowledge. –Overall, I prefer the online lessons to the workbook. –Assessment in this course should combine short online quizzes to test fundamental software skills with larger integrative assignments to test application.

Student Experience The majority of students disagreed with the statement The majority of students disagreed with the statement –Assessment in this course should only use larger integrative assignments.

Instructors Discussed Data Agreed to use Blackboard Agreed to use Blackboard Try to make course topics and delivery more student friendly Try to make course topics and delivery more student friendly

Course topics Core75% Internet: includes web, e-commerce and information literacy Networks and communications SecuritySoftware Less emphasis Data representation Hardware System Development OptionalGraphics Artificial intelligence

Lecture Hours Use the lecture hours less for lecturing and more for student centered activities. Use the lecture hours less for lecturing and more for student centered activities. We would like students to read material before lecture and discuss during lecture time. We would like students to read material before lecture and discuss during lecture time. We will spend more time discussing case studies and facilitating student projects and assignments. We will spend more time discussing case studies and facilitating student projects and assignments.

Tutorial Hours Want to use online lessons and assessment to teach the basic Microsoft Office skills. Want to use online lessons and assessment to teach the basic Microsoft Office skills. Will use 50% of the tutorial time to facilitate the online lessons Will use 50% of the tutorial time to facilitate the online lessons remaining 50% of the time to work on case studies and assignments. remaining 50% of the time to work on case studies and assignments.

Fall 2006 A textbook more compatible with the core topics has been chosen A textbook more compatible with the core topics has been chosen Online lessons and assessment will be used to teach Microsoft Office skills Online lessons and assessment will be used to teach Microsoft Office skills Assignments are designed around a case study Assignments are designed around a case study

THANKS!