Experiences in Developing and Implementing a Capstone Course in Information Technology Management

Abstract

With business and technology complexity increasing rapidly, information technology management departments are attempting to deal with the challenge in a variety of ways. One approach is through the deployment of a nonstandard, comprehensive, finishing course, a so-called capstone information technology management (ITM) course. This paper describes the experiences of faculty members at Christian Brothers University in developing and implementing a capstone course in information technology management. In addition, the paper presents the rationale on which the course is based and reviews how other similar information technology departments have addressed the issue. Beginning with a brief introduction to the importance of Information Technology Management in today's world, the paper presents a compelling case for why this course is needed. The discussion includes statements of support by industry leaders as well as factual studies pointing out the lack (and often, the failure) of proper emphasis being placed in this area by business schools. The conclusion of this investigation is that a capstone course in Information Technology is not only required but central to successful preparation of ITM graduates for their future role in the workplace. The paper then documents the efforts of the ITM faculty at our school, as they set about to design, develop, implement, measure and incorporate a capstone course on Information Technology Management into their ITM curriculum. Significant detail is provided on the design concepts and how they were carefully chosen to incorporate ISCC recognized guidelines into the course. The approach was to ensure that students completing it would be well prepared for their ITM career choices and for pursuing advanced degrees. The paper presents conclusions in a tabular form to highlight the goals, design objectives, and the deficiencies these objectives and goals are designed to correct. Implementation is discussed along with two methods of implementation deployed by different faculty members at CBU to accomplish those design goals. Along with the implementation strategies, the pitfalls and problems are discussed as an aid to others interesting in developing this type course. Included in this discussion are measurement methods deployed and their success/failure aspects. The issue of a final core competency exam is explored along with a final discussion of early results comparing the exam to the project approach as a method for evaluation of student performance. In conclusion the paper summarizes what has been learned by the faculty at CBU during the development of this capstone course and how other universities have attempted to resolve this issue. A table of different approaches by a variety of other colleges and universities is presented to aid the reader in developing a better understanding of the complexity of this type of course development. While this paper is not a panacea to cure all the ills of course development in this area, it does offer one perspective on why it should be done, how it was designed, measured, and the results which were achieved. The premise is: this should better prepare the reader to understand the issues and the practical side of development of an Information Technology Management capstone course for their institution. Keywords: ITM, Capstone, Senior, Course, Undergraduate, Learning, Comprehensive, Project