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Framing Electronic Commerce within an Introductory Information Systems Course
Grenci, Richard T
Journal of Information Systems Education; Spring 2005; 16, 1; Research Library
pg. 43Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 16(1)
Framing Electronic Commerce within an Introductory Information Systems Course
Richard T. Grenci Boler School of Business
John Carroll University University Heights, OH 44118
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
This paper describes and analyzes a teaching approach that frames ecommerce within an introductory Business Information Systems (BIS) class. The framework is guided by the systems development life cycle (SDLC) as a foundational and defining concept in the information systems (IS) discipline. Within this framework, the teaching approach employs a semester-long series of three assignments in which students propose and analyze an Internet start-up business. Although the assignments loosely parallel the SDLC, they do not emphasize systems development; and as such, they can be readily employed in an undergraduate or graduate core business course. At the same time, the assignments do provide a context for discussing the SDLC at the end of the semester, thus providing a substantive basis for exemplifying the relevance of both ecommerce and information systems alike. Such a context also lends to a discussion of how ecommerce systems change the traditional view of the SDLC. In addition to positioning and presenting the teaching approach and an example case, the paper discusses lessons learned from the experience of having implemented the assignments. The assignments provide an interesting context; and the advancement of the teaching approach has implications as a reproducible teaching exercise as well as for ecommerce and information systems pedagogical research.
Keywords: Electronic Commerce, Internet Marketing, Information Systems Course, Teaching Case Study, Systems Development Life Cycle
1. INTRODUCTION
The information systems (IS) discipline has a foundational knowledge base - the systems development life cycle (SDLC) - that offers a unique and informative perspective for teaching ecommerce topics. However, an SDLC perspective can translate into an emphasis on systems development projects, resulting in ecommerce courses in IS curricula that focus on web design and development. Such courses may be of limited interest to the non-IS business major; and for many business majors, their only exposure to IS-framed ecommerce topics will come from the only IS course that they will take - the business core course in information systems.
This paper describes and analyzes a teaching approach that frames ecommerce within an introductory business information systems (BIS) class. The framework utilizes a semester-long series of three assignments in which students - working in small groups - propose and analyze an Internet start-up business. The assignments loosely parallel the SDLC, but they do not emphasize systems development.
As such, the framework and assignments can be (and have been) easily (and effectively) employed in an undergraduate business course of mostly non-IS majors. The approach
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likewise could be used in a graduate business class. In addition to positioning and presenting the teaching approach, the paper discusses an example case as well as lessons learned from the experience of having implemented the assignments.
The significance of the teaching approach is due in part to an ability to bring ecommerce to the forefront while maintaining the goals and objectives of an introductory BIS course. The IS topics are arranged to coincide with the assignments and to reinforce the ecommerce topics in context. Integrating the IS topics is important to conveying a broader perspective to students, the majority of whom think of ecommerce as just shopping on the web (Gunasekaran and Ngai 2004). Not only does the approach frame ecommerce within the BIS course, but the assignments also provide a context for discussing the SDLC at the end of the semester. At the same time, the assignments advance a discussion of how ecommerce systems change the traditional view of the SDLC. Such discussions provide a substantive and interesting basis for exemplifying the relevance of both ecommerce and information systems alike.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Information Systems & Computing Academic Professionals
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All papers published in the Journal of Information Systems Education have undergone rigorous peer review. This includes an initial editor screening and double-blind refereeing by three or more expert referees.
Copyright ©2005 by the Information Systems & Computing Academic Professionals, Inc. (ISCAP). Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this journal for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial use. All copies must bear this notice and full citation. Permission from the Editor is required to post to servers, redistribute to lists, or utilize in a for-profit or commercial use. Permission requests should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Information Systems Education, [email protected].
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