Achieving Significant Learning in E-Commerce Education Through Small Business Consulting Projects

Authors

Sharon W. Tabor, Boise State University

Abstract

Spanning almost a decade in the business vernacular, electronic commerce has been an exciting endeavor for the business world and a challenging field in which to teach. From the launch of instant success stories such as Amazon.com, and the glory days of rapidly accelerating Internet stocks, electronic commerce has evolved into a valid business methodology, and the Internet accepted as an appropriate alternative distribution channel. Cross-functional in nature and with rapidly changing technology, electronic commerce challenges our ability to develop meaningful academic experiences that build marketable technical skills. The good news is that maturity in this area may finally have yielded a level of stability in course content and successful learning experiences to prepare our graduates for a world that thrives on electronic business. This paper outlines the issues and challenges of developing electronic commerce curricula to achieve Fink's definition of significant learning. One method of accomplishing this goal is through team projects in which students consult to small businesses, collaborate on development projects, and achieve significant learning though the realistic application of theory.

Recommended Citation

Tabor, Sharon W. (2005) "Achieving Significant Learning in E-Commerce Education Through Small Business Consulting Projects," Journal of Information Systems Education: Vol. 16 : Iss. 1 , 19-26.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol16/iss1/4