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Developing a Collaborative Learning
Facility to Support Advanced Information
Systems Courses: The LMU Experience
Kweku Ewusi-Mensah
Kala C. Seal
Dolphy M. Abraham
College of Business Administration
Loyola Marymount University
Supported in part by NSF Award Number DUE-9651096
AITLAB 1
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Overview
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Need for the Project
The Proposal
Implementation
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Organizational Issues
Technical Issues
Impact on Classes
Lessons Learned and Conclusion
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Project Need
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Computer Information Systems program
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Emphasis within Business Major
3 Advanced Electives
Existing facilities were geared for ALL Business and
Liberal Arts courses
As the Program grew, we needed
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Dedicated facility for the CIS program for Electives
Support Collaborative Learning in CIS courses
Provide hands-on experience
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Proposal Development
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Initiation
Funding Sources
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Corporate (Restrictions, lots of K-12 Support)
NSF (Under Computer Science ILI/IP, now CCLI)
Major Ideas Emphasized in the Proposal
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Use of Electronic support for Groupwork and
Communications
Innovative Approach
Integrative Components
Project as the Key
Teaching and open laboratory
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Proposal Development
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Budget Plan
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Hardware
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Software
Network
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Needs educational pricing, pre-research is needed
Needs technical help for accurate estimate, else components may
be left out causing lack of funds later on
Needs matching fund from the University and must have a sign off
Facility Planning
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Space Commitment
Infrastructure
 Could not be paid from the grant, needed university commitment
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Implementation
Organizational Issues
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Allocation of Space and Infrastructure
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Facility size restricts future growth
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In our case caused Delays in implementation
Barely meets the current demand, marked increase in
interest after the Lab
Institutional lack of technical support
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Before, During and After implementation
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Resulted in huge drain on faculty time to solve small
technological issues thus taking time away from learning
applications for the class
Grant conditions precluded external consultants
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Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Implementation
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Technical Issues
Vendor Selection and Purchasing: Factors
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Cost and performance
After Sales Service
Compatibility with University Standard
Get a machine beforehand to do the test drive before final
purchase.
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Installation
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Technical details for network set-up and connection
Security issues
Working with Windows NT 4.0: Set-up and Operations
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Not very straightforward
Need to get resources for pre-training
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Implementation
Other Issues
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Learning curve made harder by lack of in-house
technical support
Maintaining the facility
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Student hours for keeping the LAB open beyond class
hours
Technical Support is a must
OK for small class, but can get out of hand soon
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Impact on Classes
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Significant Hands-on Experience and Enhanced
Learning
Students use Commercial Software such as Oracle,
Systems Architect. Clicknet, etc.
File Sharing using the Windows NT/2K Server
Quality of student work significantly improved
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Before the Lab, quality was polarized
Quality of understanding was dependent on outside
support
LAB provides a common base for all thus improving
overall quality
Ewusi-Mensah, Seal, Abraham
Impact Continued..
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New Courses scheduled
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Electronic Commerce (undergraduate and MBA)
Software Development
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Platforms: Visual Basic, Java, C++
Object Oriented Analysis and Design using UML
Data Mining
Other Courses redesigned
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Business Telecommunications course included
significant hands-on part including simulations
Database allowed use of Industry level software
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20/20 Vision: Lessons Learned
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Think of an Innovative Component that can impact the Curriculum
Get the support and commitment for the place and required
infrastructure
Get your spouse a job in the University IS department or use all of
your charms to make friends there!
Get resources for training on network set-up and maintenance or
get a person who knows these to run the lab
GET TENURE FIRST!!
Try to do it with colleagues, else Implementation can be a
nightmare
While purchasing, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate, and look for
after sales service records
Sign-off on good part of two years of your life!
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