DMCA
Bringing a Multidisciplinary Perspective of IT to the Classroom: A Theory-Based Development of a Second Course for Non-Majors
BibTeX
@MISC{Kock_bringinga,
author = {Ned Kock and Robert Aiken and Cheryl S},
title = {Bringing a Multidisciplinary Perspective of IT to the Classroom: A Theory-Based Development of a Second Course for Non-Majors},
year = {}
}
Share
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
OpenURL
Abstract
IT instructors in information systems and computer science departments are often the target of complaints from colleagues in other disciplines who argue that students need to see how IT is applied in their own specific disciplines. We try to address these complaints by devising a course where IT concepts are taught from the perspective of different disciplines. The course presents IT concepts through case studies of complex and specialized IT systems that are used to solve problems in well-defined domains. A pilot implementation of the course is analyzed, with three case studies in anthropology, sociology and chemistry. The analysis suggests that the case studies had a positive impact on how students, who are not particularly interested in IT, perceive IT in general, and its application to complex and specialized tasks. While the students generally perceived that they learned from the case studies, the results also suggest that the case studies did not have a positive impact on the students ’ willingness to pursue an IT career or take other IT courses. One plausible explanation for this, based in part on GOMS theory (Card et al., 1983) and cognitive flexibility theory (Spiro and Jehng, 1990; Spiro et al., 1992), is that subjecting non-majors to complex and specialized IT applications increases their “respect ” for IT’s potential, but does not help them gain confidence about being specialized IT users themselves. It is quite possible that the degree of
Keyphrases
case study second course multidisciplinary perspective theory-based development positive impact goms theory specific discipline different discipline computer science department specialized task information system pilot implementation plausible explanation cognitive flexibility theory well-defined domain
