A Modular Approach to Delivering an Introductory MIS Course

Abstract

Today’s students find the traditional lecture-based teaching format less desirable and seem to prefer a more hands-on learning experience. Consequently, it has become necessary to redesign this MIS course. This paper describes a new modular approach to delivering the introductory course. The primary focus is to provide students with multiple resources and handson projects, along with detailed learning objectives, in lieu of traditional PowerPoint lectures and textbook assignments. A pilot study was initiated to assess student perceptions of the learning experience with regard to the effectiveness and overall satisfaction with the new approach. A learning styles survey, along with a follow-up feedback survey, was distributed to 29 traditional and non-traditional students. Considering the small sample size, initial results were encouraging.