Writing MIS Mini-Cases To Enhance Cooperative Learning : A Theory Of Constraints Approach

Abstract

Teaching Introduction to Management Information Systems (MIS) courses is a formidable challenge because such teaching entails covering a relatively large, ever-changing subject, as well as finding the right balance between audiences with different expectations and levels of knowledge. The literature suggests cooperative teaming as a viable strategy to teach MIS effectively. In a cooperative teaming environment, students can bring their expertise to the table and work together as teams to solve business problems. One strategy to support cooperative teaming in an MIS class is teaching through case studies. Since cases tend to be too long to be used during a regular class session, this paper proposes the use of mini-cases to enhance cooperative teaming. The paper also provides a procedure to write minicases based on one of the thinking processes within the Theory of Constraints.