Bringing Relevance, Applicability and Engagement into 1st Year B.Com Curricula

Abstract

Most B.Com degrees, recognising the fundamental role of information and communication technology (ICT) in business and society, require students to take an introductory course in Information Systems (IS). Most IS courses offered to first year B.Com students are simply introductory courses originally designed for intended IS majors. These provide a broad, but arguably superficial introduction to the various elements of ICT, failing to situate technology within the modern business world or everyday life of the average B.Com student. Students inevitably treat the course simply as a requirement for graduation, and take little of value with them either into their university or working life. Taking accessibility of content, relevance and real world application as a departure point, an introductory IS course was radically redesigned, moving away from chapter-based textbook coverage. Instead, an integrated theme-based approach guiding students from engaged reflection on personal information systems towards an understanding of the impact of ICT in business and society has been developed. With typical enrolment ranging between 550 and 750 students, a learning management system with forum participation and online quizzes, small group tutorials, guided self-study tasks and informal social networking was central to the redesign. This paper examines the motivation and rationale behind the course redesign. Preliminary data analysis of course evaluations, lecturer interviews and focus groups from the first action research cycle is presented. Early results and anecdotal evidence suggest higher levels of student participation, deeper engagement with concepts and content, and increased interest in IS as a major.