ERIC Number: EJ1140770
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1545-679X
EISSN: N/A
In Search of Design-Focus in IS Curricula
Babb, Jeffry S.; Waguespack, Leslie J.
Information Systems Education Journal, v12 n4 p29-39 Jul 2014
Curricula in information systems embrace a broad range of topics that leave the identity of information systems as a discipline somewhat in flux. In the spirit of "the first among equals," we posit that design should have preeminence in the education of information systems professionals. Design frames problem understanding and defines what system's quality means. It behooves our profession to prepare designers who deliver systems that not only "work," but also deliver systems that society will recognize as "working well." The research community recognizes this as reflected in a renewed interest in design science research and in information systems design theory. While our discipline has been recently reshaped by offshoring, outsourcing, and service-oriented architectures, which provide myriad options for managing information in organizations, design persists as a central aspect of the discipline. This is so as information systems design remains close to stakeholders because design materializes an organization's core business model and strategy. This paper contemplates a design-focused IS curriculum and postulates a perspective on design that values the subjective sensibilities of stakeholders as well as an objective, algorithmic depiction of computing. The latter has shaped the classic education of a developer as a master of technology while the former nurtures an aesthetic awareness that captures nuances of stakeholder satisfaction and a more inclusive conception of system quality. The skillset of designers is a superset of that of developer and as such, a designer must be craftsman and more, a reflective practitioner skilled in the art of generative metaphor.
Descriptors: Information Systems, Information Science Education, Curriculum Development, Job Skills, Skill Development, Computer System Design, Systems Approach, Mastery Learning, Reflection, Figurative Language, Teaching Methods, Apprenticeships, Handicrafts
Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals. Box 488, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. e-mail: publisher@isedj.org; Web site: http://isedj.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A