Business and Technology
Project Integration
The Origin
• Budgeting from quality information
• Several disciplines working in isolation
• Students need to understand the
interconnectedness of their studies
• Students want portfolio projects
• How can we put it all together?
Project Integration Approach #1
Overlapping case studies
The Babson Model
– All classes study different aspects of the same
company at the same time
– Example: Walmart in week 7 of the semester
• Marketing studies their communications, product
selection, and segmenting.
• Financial Accounting studies their financial
statements, crunching ratios, etc.
• Business Law studies their numerous legal issues.
• Management studies their organizational structure.
Project Integration Approach #1
Overlapping case studies
– This is promising but applies best to the 15%
of our students who are full time business
focus students.
– The other 85% wouldn’t even notice it.
Project Integration Approach #2
One-semester projects involving multiple
classes with complimentary skill sets
– This would allow students to leverage each
others’ expertise in their distinct disciplines.
– Example: marketing, accounting, law, and
leadership students work together building an
expansion plan for a local business.
Project Integration Approach #2
One-semester projects involving multiple
classes with complimentary skill sets
– Trouble: The scheduling and cross-class
connections would be virtually impossible to
execute reliably.
– Student collaboration is most practical when
students are enrolled in the same class at the
same time.
Project Integration Approach #3
Sequential “hand-off” project stages
– Groups complete one project stage. That
work is picked up by another group to build
the next stage.
– Example: First Industry financial analysis.
Next market research. Next Build budgets.
Finally, build a business plan. Business
Technology skills and law consult as needed.
Project Integration Approach #3
Sequential “hand-off” project stages
– Issues: How do we execute the hand-off?
– Where can students & instructors store stages
& find the next assignment?
– How do we know what is required for the next
step?
– Other benefits came up to consider:
Sequential “hand-off” project stages
• Additional goals worth capturing:
– Marketable capstone student projects
– Community interaction
– MPC learning experience showcase
– Exposure for, and recruiting for the Business
& Technology Advisory Board
– Increased internship & job placement
executions
The Infrastructure:
Web Based Project Integration
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Project concept generation
Project stage development
Recruiting student participation
Connecting project stages
Completed stage and project exposure
Other bonuses & potential
The development of Business Central
A walk through the site
Building the System
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Developing the concept
Conceptual design on PowerPoint
Team building
Prototyping / beta testing
Implementing
Student involvement
Evolution
The Site
• In-house server
• Microsoft environment
• Direct editing
– SharePoint, FrontPage
• MS Office integrated
• Collaborative as far as we are willing to
trust
• Minimizes customization lowering our total
cost of ownership
Minimum Hardware
• You may already have all you need
• Or
• Server: P4, 2ghz with 36 gig mirrored
drives
– $3,000+
Minimum Software
Microsoft Environment
• Windows 2003 server $88 - $151 (w/SA)
• Includes Share Point services!
• We also used Front Page for more detailed formatting
• MS Select 6 Pricing
• California Education Consortiums & Foundations & all public
learning institutions may be eligible for this special $88
pricing
• www.collegebuys.org
• Student use (for allowing student uploads)
• External connector $637 - $1,100 (w/SA)
• Otherwise, there are options
• Linux based Microsoft emulators
This is the end, but the end is
just the beginning!
-T.S. Eliot
www.mpcfaculty.net/bustechdiv