Information Systems Development Education in the Real World - A Project Methodology and Assessment

Journal of Information Systems Education, Fall 2006 by van Vliet, Paul J A, Pietron, Leah R

ABSTRACT

Based on ten years of teaching experience by the authors and on a survey of former students, two basic assumptions underlying a comprehensive systems development course are examined. First is the appropriateness of using the Systems Development Life Cycle as a systems development approach in the course. Second is the use of real-world clients for student group projects in the course. Survey results indicate that the SDLC remains a valid vehicle for systems development instruction. Additionally, former students perceive the use of a realistic, comprehensive group project to be a sound preparation for the workplace.

Keywords: Systems Development, Education, Student Survey

1. INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN TRANSITION

Information systems development methodology courses have long been a staple of most universities' undergraduate Information Systems programs. Development methodologies are deemed important because they "impose a disciplined process upon software development with the aim of making software development more predictable and more efficient" (Fowler, 2002). Commonly such courses require that students execute or simulate systems development activities in a comprehensive project. The inclusion of these courses implies the expectation that these courses constitute a valuable addition to the curriculum and a relevant aspect of the training of information systems professionals.

The most commonly used approach in these courses is the Systems Development Life Cycle, which is a comprehensive and traditional method for information systems analysis, design, and maintenance and the staple content of textbooks in the field (Hoffer et al, 2002, p. 18). The usage of the SDLC in systems development practice is, however, undergoing changes. Some significant changes and challenges have begun to affect Information Systems Development educators.

Consequently, the usage of the Systems Development Life Cycle as the generally applicable process of choice is being challenged from many angles. Rapidly changing requirements, smaller systems, and turbulent business environments have called in question the comprehensive nature of the Systems Development Life Cycle (Avison and Fitzgerald, 2003; Fitzgerald and O'Kane, 1997; Yourdon, 2000).

Moreover, the emergence of the World Wide Web as a strategic business tool has lead to the need for web-oriented development methodologies and techniques. Such methodologies would need to accommodate rapidly changing technologies, short delivery times, and the inclusion of multimedia and hypermedia development (Paynter and Pearson, 1998).

The authors of this paper have for a decade taught undergraduate information systems development at an American university employing a comprehensive project approach using real-world projects. The authors are quite aware that the inclusion, design, and execution of a Systems Development course rest on a clear set of assumptions, all of which bear investigation. Based on this, two research questions have been formed which will be investigated in this paper.

* First, is the traditional Systems Development Life Cycle still appropriate to use when teaching Systems Development?

* Second, is the application of Systems Development theory into a comprehensive, realistic group project a sound preparation for the workplace?

This paper will first review the current literature on the changing nature of systems development practices and ofeducational efforts in this field. This is followed by a detailed description of the authors' approach to teaching systems development. The validity of this approach is then demonstrated using the results of a survey administered to former students. The paper finishes with some concluding comments.

2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION - A MOVING TARGET

2.1 The Changing Nature of the Information Technology Field

The field of information systems has undergone significant and continuous change. When Royce described what would become the Systems Development Life Cycle in 1970, the computing environment was greatly limited to large transaction processing applications running on mainframe computers in large organizations (Harrison, 2003; Royce, 1970). In the three decades since, the computing environment has become much more varied and complex.

The once monolithic physical implementation environment has become greatly varied to include a broad range of general and special-purpose computing devices. This variety of hardware devices is increasingly expected to interconnect using computer networks. High-quality user interfaces are becoming increasingly important in supporting a great variety of applications and users. All this has allowed information technology to be deployed in support of complex and strategic business applications (Barry and Lang, 2001; Fitzgerald, 1998; Hirschheim et al., 1997).

Simultaneously, employment in the information technology field has undergone related changes. According to a recent survey of Chief Information Officers, skills in Microsoft Windows administration, wireless network management, and SQL server management are in great demand - all of which are beyond traditional systems development tasks (Robert Half Technology, 2005). Additionally, research into the fastest-growing information technology positions in the U.S. shows that while traditional systems developers are still in strong demand, a substantial number of non-systems development positions experiences substantial growth (Lee, 2005).