Changing the CIS Academic Culture: Using Senior Design Projects to Unify the Curriculum

Authors

Roy J. Daigle, University of South Alabama
Michael V. Doran, University of South Alabama
Robert M. Ryder, University of South Alabama

Abstract

Recently we initiated an effort to create a synergistic relationship between the senior design sequence and the sophomore software engineering course that resulted in a cultural change to our CIS academic community. Because of the enthusiastic response from students and faculty, we are extending this initiative to generate early interest among freshman and sophomore majors for electives in artificial intelligence and decision support. With hardware acquisitions obtained through an Instrumentation Laboratory Improvement (ILI) grant from the National Science Foundation, teams in the Senior Projects capstone sequence are preparing projects that will be employed in early courses in the curriculum. The projects will be used to provide students with insight about each of the elective areas of the curriculum through demonstrations and activities. This paper describes the five project initiatives and how the projects will be employed to generate interest in the elective areas.

Recommended Citation

Daigle, Roy J.; Doran, Michael V.; and Ryder, Robert M. (1999) "Changing the CIS Academic Culture: Using Senior Design Projects to Unify the Curriculum," Journal of Information Systems Education: Vol. 10 : Iss. 2 , 23-27.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol10/iss2/6