Teaching Information Systems Management
A teacher wrote to me: “I used to teach Business Administration but assigned to teach Information System Management (ISM) this year. Since this is the first time, I am nervous. I want to be successful in helping students in this course. Do you have any advice?”
Answer: Students are always paying attention on the first day of class to determine what kind of professor they are having. It is important to make sure they know that you care for them. Instead of talking about the course materials and your expectation, you could give them information about their career and what they need to succeed in their education.
It is important to give students a broad view of the impact of Information Systems to society to motivate their interests. You should explain why information systems are impacting everything, from manufacturing automation to agriculture and even small retails shops, etc. The first day is the best time to let students know what they will be able to do by taking this course. Among the fields of study today, Information Systems Management is probably the most dynamic subject in all of the business area. ISM is a combination of both technology and business, but the main focus is how to apply technology to the business to increase its efficiency and profits.
The first day is also a chance to find out about your students. Why are they taking this course and what are their expectations? Knowing their learning objective can help you to build good relationships with them and motivate them to learn more. Of course, students may look passive and not interested, but do not let it disappoints you. They do not know much about the subject and most of their concern is what kind of job they will get by knowing the subject.
As a teacher, you should guide them through a “self-discovery” process so they can build a career that fit their interests. You could talk about a career plan where they have to select some courses in the program to develop the skills that meet the job market's demand. You could talk about different paths for Software Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Systems Management and jobs they could do. i.e. software developers, web developers, project managers, data administrators, big data analysts and information systems manager, etc. You may want to talk about the development of “soft skills,” job search and interview preparation.
Through a combination of lectures and interactive with students, you can help them through a career exploration and preparation relevant to the students' education goals and connected their academics learning to meaningful progress toward their career goals from the very first day.
If, on the first day of the course, you can develop a lasting impression on students then you will make them eager to learn more, and the classroom will be a joy to teach.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
