jump to navigation

IS Graduation 2010 May 24, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems , add a comment

Graduation at Stevenson was May 21 at 3:00pm for the Information Systems majors. It gives us an opportunity to look back at the last four years and see all the changes that have occurred. One of the major changes that we are seeing is the addition of the forensic program. There are a number of our graduates that are getting opportunities in this field and graduates in the software design and networking programs are also getting opportunities with some of those same organizations. Mr. Ken Snyder as department chairman, knew what he was doing when he introduced that program into the IS major. Next year we are introducing the E-Commerce program into the IS major and it should have the same positive results.  Although there has been an economic turndown over the past few years, we are still seeing most of our IS graduates finding career opportunities in the Baltimore-Washington area. As a matter of fact some of the graduates are looking at multiple opportunities. From what I am hearing, the Career Services department has opportunities for our IS graduates that are going unfilled.  Maybe the economy is coming back or maybe we are producing graduates that have the skills that organizations need here in the Baltimore-Washington area.

Again this year in my IS481 course I have my students watch Steve Jobs graduation speech at Stanford in June 2005. Although Mr. Jimmy Wales from Wikipedia was a wonderful speaker at this year’s Stevenson graduation, there is something special about Steve Jobs’ speech.  Steve’s concluding remarks in the speech are taken from the final edition of the Whole Earth Catalog. That quote is very relevant for our 2010 graduates – “Stay Hunger, Stay Foolish”.

Information Systems Program Fall 2010 April 27, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Admissions, Information Systems , add a comment

By April most of the students that have been accepted at Stevenson for the freshman class in the fall have received their acceptance letters and the students of the class are making the decision about coming to Stevenson in the fall. In previous blogs I have mentioned some of the computer changes that will have been made by the fall. Virtualization will be expanded to include more courses. The next version of Blackboard will be available for faculty and students.  The operating system for computers on campus will upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Outlook will be the email software. These changes will keep the Office of Information Technology (OIT) very busy this summer. 

These changes are needed and should be appealing to incoming students. All of these changes are to help students in the program and become better prepared for a career after graduation. There are also a few changes in the Information Systems curriculum to improve course selections for students. After a thorough debate about some of the changes, there has been agreement on all sides and the changes will occur.

Stevenson is a career oriented university and having students to be prepared for a career after graduation is a high priority. With the graduating class for this year in the Information Systems programs, a large number of the graduates either have a job or are in the process of being hired. The program has been successful in achieving this priority and intends on maintaining this record.

 Incoming freshman in Information Systems at Stevenson will be entering a program using current hardware, software and tools. The focus will be on preparing for a career in Information Systems.

SU – Semantic Web March 26, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , add a comment

In a recent book, Pull: The Power of the Semantic Web to Transform your Business, by David Seigel, the author looks at the future of the web. The author presents a future where the web is built around the individual and starts from the individual having a personal data locker site. The personal data locker site contains the relevant information on the individual including name, address, family and work. The web site would also contain friends, work interests and hobbies. This sounds very similar to Facebook and other social networking sites, but instead of the user searching to make connections, the web would make connections with the user. Such as if the user indicates that there is an interest in computer programming in Java, the web would offer to connect the user with others interested in Java. If the user indicated on her personal data site that she was looking for a new Microsoft PC, the web would connect her to companies selling PCs. Instead of the user searching for companies that sell PCs and possibly missing some very good deals, all PC sellers would be connecting with her. This style of web is referred to as the semantic web or web 3.0. It does not appear that the complete internet will magically change to this organization next week, but there are changes occurring that are pushing the web in that direction.

 From a Stevenson University perspective, the idea of creating a personal data locker and permitting users (students) to have all the needed information from that site could begin with Blackboard. Currently all students have accounts on blackboard and from that site they access their class information. Everything from the course syllabus to submitting assignments is on blackboard. This includes tests, discussion boards, calendars and powerpoint presentations are maintained on blackboard. What is not on blackboard are the tech connection, library services, career services, student advising, registrar services and registering for courses. Those applications are on the college website and as commented in previous blogs are very difficult for students to access. The new version of blackboard presents some valuable options for the application, but it is also an opportunity to change the information that students have available.

Another option for the idea of a personal data locker is a new data portal application that is being discussed. This data portal provides a dashboard configuration so that students can access course information from blackboard, needed student services from the university website and email. Hopefully access can be obtained without having to login in to the various applications. One login that will pass security information between all the interfaces would be very useful. This data portal application is being considered for next school year. If students could get a connection with course information, the library, tech connection, career services, registrar services, course scheduling, advising and email from one starting application, it could be the beginning of Stevenson moving towards web 3.0.

Virtualization – Spring 2010 March 22, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Virtualization , add a comment

 As commented in previous blogs, in the Fall of 2009, we started using Virtual lab manager for a number of our Information Systems course at Stevenson. We had some challenges such as very slow response times, but the idea seemed to work. Providing students with a virtual lab area for developing programs and networks has been very positive experience. This semester I am using the virtual environment in one class, IS251 C# Object Oriented programming. The environment has worked extremely well for us. My class is at 8:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This time slot does not have a large number of other students trying to use the environment and that may be why it is working so well for my class this semester. The benefits of a stable environment that is available to students all the time is very clear. Everything that the student needs to complete the coursework is in one location and the student does not need to worry that another student has altered the environment.

Some of the other classes that are using this environment this semester have not had the same experience that my class is having. They are experiencing the slow response times that we had last semester.  The office of information technology (OIT) and Phil Desroiser have been working on the problems. The resolution to this situation may have to wait until this summer when more hardware and disk drives can be added to the system. 

At the spring faculty/staff meeting, Mr. Steve Engorn demonstrated the system to the entire school. I am not sure people outside the information systems area could understand the importance of the environment, but they were supportive. The administration at Stevenson has been very supportive of the program and its future use. All of us seem to see the possibilities for this environment and opportunities for the school.

Snow, Plugged-In February 23, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , add a comment

After the first month of the spring semester and four feet of snow, the Information Systems department is getting things going. Stevenson was closed for nine days with all of the snow. The IS481 Knowledge and Project Management course was able to continue without disruption while school was closed by using blackboard, email, wikispaces and youtube videos.  My other courses were disrupted, but not the IS481 course.  The internet does provide a reliable platform for the delivering course materials and the internet never affected by the weather. As a matter of fact the internet never seems to go down.

A recent story in the local paper, the Baltimore Sun, Plugged-in Generation, multi-tasking big time, suggests that children are using electronic devices such as cell phones, ipods, gaming consoles and computers 7.5 hours a day. The article seems to raise some concerns about this behavior. These devices provide entertainment, but as I saw in the recent snow storm it can provide a means to care on educational courses while the schools are closed. Even in the courses that were interrupted by the school closing, students were kept informed of schedule changes and what they needed to have completed when the schools were opened again. Yes, students are using these devices for a large amount of their time, but it is not all bad.

 The article made a point of how children are multi-tasking while on the electronic devices. In the 7.5 hours on electronic devices they are doing 11 hours of activity. From my discussions with students they think that this multi-tasking is a commendable skill. Sometimes it does seem to be a valuable skill, but there may be other times when it is not. Texting while driving may be a problem.

As one student in my IS481 class stated “Children that are part of the Net-Generation are still learning how to control new technology.  With proper balance and instruction on what is appropriate on the web, that generation will be able to strive to even higher advancements for society.”

It should be an exciting future.

Faculty Staff Meeting – Web 2.0 Technologies January 16, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , 1 comment so far

At the beginning of each semester there is a faculty staff meeting to exchange information and discuss new ideas for Stevenson University. The meeting at the beginning of this semester focused on uses of computer technology that are occurring at Stevenson and Web 2.0 technologies that can be used in the classroom.  At www.stevenson.libguides.com/digitaluniversity is a list of all the software and web applications that are available for classroom use. The meeting included a number of presentations about this technology being used at Stevenson and Mr. Steven Engorn did a fabulous presentation on the virtual computer environment that I have commented about in recent blog posts. It appears as if the virtual computer environment is an exciting technology here at Stevenson.

In the IS481 course we use Wikispaces, Mind maps and the discussion board in Blackboard. Wikispaces and the discussion board are used to exchange information. Mind maps are used to not only exchange information, but also to organize ideas and then exchange that organization with others. All of these technologies are about exchanging information, but exchanging information does not necessarily mean exchanging knowledge.

In the IS481, Project and Knowledge Management course, we define knowledge as actionable information. Information being exchanged may not be actionable. The individual must know more than just the information that is being exchanged to make the information into knowledge. How the individual learns that extra piece to turn information into knowledge is education. Education does not only occur in the classroom, but that is what is happening in the classroom at Stevenson University.

These technologies are another very powerful way to acquire information. It is the way that most of our students are obtaining information.  The entire internet is an incredible resource for acquiring information. This is changing the way that students obtain information, but education must take that information and turn it into knowledge for students.

Information Systems Online Videos December 19, 2009

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , add a comment

At the end of the year movie critics list their top movies of the year. My list is not movies, but the top 10 online videos that are used in IS481, Project and Knowledge Management at Stevenson.

  1. Triumph of the Nerds – History of the PC industry beginning in the mid 1970s
  2. Nerds 2.0 – History of Internet and Networking from the 1990s
  3. Inside IDEO- The Deep Dive Part 1  - IDEO is a leader in Innovation and Creativity
  4. Esther Dyson Emerging Technologies – Interview with Charlie Rose
  5. John Chambers – Building the Next Generation Company:  Innovation, Talent and Excellence – Head of Cisco  
  6. Dick Hardt Identity 2.0   - Amazing presentation – Is there a better way to identify yourself on the web.
  7. The Web That Wasn’t – Alex Wright  - Discussion of the development of the content on the web.
  8. Clay Shirky Here Comes Everybody  – Impact of Social Networking
  9. Eric Schmidt Celebration of Teaching and Learning – Google CEO speaking to Educators
  10. Steve Jobs at Stanford – Speech at Stanford Graduation


Other Videos that you may want to watch:

Stevenson U Website Issue???? November 17, 2009

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , add a comment

One of the discussions in the IS48, Project and Knowledge Management course, is finding information on the Stevenson website. The exercise involves finding when the Final Exam for IS481 is scheduled. Although it sounds like a relatively easy task, the task is more difficult than it is perceived. The navigation process is a challenge because the Stevenson website was not developed to provide students with the answer to when their final exams are. After a couple of these frustrating exercises it become clear that the Stevenson website was not developed to aid students at Stevenson. The Stevenson website is designed to help recruit new students and present a favorable appearance of the school to the external community that work with Stevenson University.

At a recent meeting of the school of business and leadership, there was a discussion also about how difficult the Stevenson website is for faculty to use.  As is the case with students, the website is not set up for faculty oriented tasks either. The Stevenson website is designed to help recruit new students and present a favorable appearance to the external community that work with Stevenson University.  Is this a problem?

Stevenson students and faculty do not spend most of their time on the Stevenson website. As a matter of fact, it is an unusual occasion that they need to use the website.   Students and faculty spend most of their time on the Stevenson web environment of Blackboard. Every course that a student is enrolled in has a significant amount of information on Blackboard. Blackboard is the environment to submit assignments, tests and quizzes are taken there and even classroom discussions occur in this environment.  So why should students and faculty go to the Stevenson website to find information. Why is that information not available on Blackboard? That is where student and faculty spend most of their time. So instead of trying to change the Stevenson website, why not add to the Blackboard environment. Why not add to the Blackboard environment all the needed information for students to be successful at Stevenson University? The problem is not the level of difficulty to find information on the Stevenson website, but why is that information is not available in Blackboard?

From discussions with thepeople involved with Blackboard in the Office of Information Technology at Stevenson, this is exactly what is being planned for the future. There is a lot of planning to make the Blackboard environment as the central website for students and faculty. There is a new release of the product that is currently being installed and over the next few years new connections will be added to the environment. More information will be available in Blackboard and student will have even less occasions to use the Stevenson website. The Stevenson website will be improved to present a better appearance for recruiting students and working with the external community, but not to be used as a resource for students and faculty. The resource for students and faculty is Blackboard.

Virtualization Continues October 18, 2009

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Virtualization , add a comment

After a month of using the virtualization process in the Network Technologies and Java Programming course, there have been some problems and other times when the environment has been a great success. Probably the biggest issue has been the large number of students using the environment and the system performance problems.  Perhaps this environment is too popular and there are too many users? Mr. Steven Engorn, the creator and manager of the virtualization effort, has ordered more hard drive space for the system. Mr. Phil Desroiser has been endless working with the system to help make it work better for us. He will be adding the disk space and hopefully the virtual environment will be working better.

 From the success of the project there is discussion of the environment being expanded to more courses and more students having the opportunity to use it next semester. As the Information systems area goes more online and less dependent on the physical classrooms, there are some benefits not only for the school  by reducing costs, but also students. The will not be forced to work in a physical classroom using the university’s computers. They can do their work for class at any computer that has access to the internet and the Stevenson website. This is very appealing to the IS faculty and students alike.

Working in this type of virtual environment not only helps students while attending Stevenson, but also many businesses are using this idea in the workplace. So these skills that are learned at Stevenson will be valuable for gaining employment and used in the workplace. It seems logical that students and faculty in the Information systems area are excited about the virtual environment and hoping for the project to expand.

Fall 2009- Virtualization Begins August 21, 2009

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems , add a comment

The summer is over and next week classes begin. I think we are ready to use the virtualization process in a small number of courses in the IS department. I will use the process in the Networking Technologies and Java Programming courses. Although both courses are in the Information Systems department, Virtualization will be used in different ways. In the networking course the virtualization process will be used to create a virtual network. Students will be accessing and analyzing the network to understand how it is put together. For the Java Programming course, Virtualization will be used to create a secure programming environment. The environment will not be used by anyone other than Java students and we can set up the environment for our unique purposes. There is a web server, two database servers and the programming development environment set up in the Virtual lab.

This semester will be the first semester that a large number of students and users will be using virtualization and we will find out how well the system scales. Most of us that are using virtualization are looking forward to how all of this will work and we are optimistic about it. I think there are about 10 classes and over 100 students that will be using virtualization this semester.