Starting in the Middle:
Design and Implementation
in the Information Age
Edward Sobiesk
&
William Suchan
"Education is the lighting of a fire,
not the filling of a pail."
-- W. B. Yeats
Overview
 Start projects with a functional system
 Require students to analyze and
extend the system
 Reduced start up cost  increased
overall project complexity
Advantages
 Students become more excited
 Greater learning at multiple levels
 Students are better prepared to face
the “real world”
Challenges and Potential Pitfalls
 Increased instructor overhead
 Requires continual assessment and
refinement
 Finding the optimal balance between
design and implementation
Questions?