Local Industry-Student TeamCollaboration on IT Projects:

Experiences with a Multi-Semester Experiential Learning Course Sequence

Mike Frandsen

Loren Rhodes

Juniata CollegeHuntingdon, PA

We do IT for three semesters

Outline

Juniata’s IT curriculum

Innovations for Industry– Structure– History– Outcomes– Lessons– Fine-tuning– Open Issues

Curriculum: Guiding Principles

Liberal Arts-Based Interdisciplinary Flexible Experiential

– Hands on IT– Fearless Learning

Curriculum: Departmental Cooperation

Information Technology

ComputerScience

Math

Business

Accounting

Economics

Communication

English

TheatreArts

Curriculum: Courses

Technology (23 credits) Communication (12 credits) Management (10 credits)

Experiential Capstone (12 credits)

Concentration (9-12 credits)

Innovations for Industry (I-4-I): Structure

Three semesters (IT 300/380/480) Field projects Intentional “stretch” Teams of 3-5 students, across levels Team of faculty sponsors All-hands meetings for presentations, informal information

exchange Client-driven project deliverables Final reflections paper Integration of technology, communication, management Evaluation by faculty, client, peers

I-4-I: History

Clients– Multinationals– Start-ups– Manufacturers– Service providers– School district– County government

Projects– Analysis & Research– Prototypes– Production

I-4-I: Outcomes

Real solutions to real problems Student, alumni satisfaction More clients than we can serve Freshman enrollment has doubled Interest of recruiters

I-4-I: Outcomes (cont’d)

Benefits of multi-semester approach– Earlier involvement in field projects– Practice makes better– Skill mix on teams– On-going projects– Exposure to multiple organizations

I-4-I: Lessons

Client involvement is critical Face-to-face communication enhances the experience Students are more interested in the technology itself

than using it to solve an organization’s problem It’s really hard to break out of the academic calendar

I-4-I: Fine-tuning

Poor project management

Little cross-project learning

Poor documentation/archives

Enrollment imbalance

Faculty labor intensive

Re-tool IT 300

Weekly brown-bag lunches

Templates

Larger teams

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I-4-I: Open Issues

Differentiation of levels

Inadequate preparation

Grading

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THANK YOU

Questions?

– Now

– Later – frandsen@juniata.edu