1. Providing context for IT/IS teaching using Interactive Cases Robin Johnson MMU Business School r.johnson@mmu.ac.uk

2. Overview Rationale Case Studies & Interactive Case Studies Demonstrations of 2 versions of TRICS Future

3. Goals Teaching “real world” Information Systems Problem-Based Investigation – learning by doing Realistic problems – not artificial Complex & messy problems Problems on several levels What’s the problem?

4. Limitations of Case Studies Linear – organisations aren’t linear Filter material –irrelevance removed organise material – no search required Viewed in retrospect – not evolving No sense of “building a picture” of the problem

5. Interactive Case Studies allow students to: search for relevant information in an investigative way distinguish relevant and irrelevant information piece together isolated pieces of information to create a coherent picture of a situation create meaning from a complex set of data

6. Interactive Case Studies allow students to: understand and resolve differing points of view and internal conflicts deal with a range of differing human interactions navigate successfully within a complex hierarchy where responsibilities, authorities and decision making are distributed between the stakeholders in unobvious ways.

7. Features of our Case Tool Canned questions for formal staff interviews Limit on Questions Students may be asked to explain the rationale for asking a question (version 1) Questions may be dependent upon another question (version 1) Eavesdropping on informal staff conversations (version 2) Time Slices to show cause and effect Internal Documents (minutes, standards, procedures etc. available for inspection)

8. Demonstrations Two Interactive Case Studies at Present 1. ATM, a company providing support for IT Managers, focuses on their need for a Customer Relationship Management system. Used with Level 3 and Masters students to undertake Soft Systems Analysis 2. Ganer, a national law firm with several regional departments. Used with level 2 students to study Organisational structure, change management, power, ethics and HR issues Use login guest with password guest

9. Demo - TRICS 1 with ATM case Case based upon an fictitious advisory organisation who support IT managers, similar to National Computing Centre

19. TRICS 2 - student

20. TRICS 2 - Author

22. TRICS 2 Access http://83.138.128.30/private/mmu/index.aspx Username test Password test

23. Other Application Areas Investigation of any organisational process, e.g. production line, logistics, supply chain etc … Medical – ward rounds - question patients rather than staff, look at medical notes, etc. Legal – investigation of criminal activities on a campus – interview people who were involved, study other evidence. Social workers doing case investigations Professional practice with architects, engineers, hospital doctors, solicitors, etc.

24. Other Case-Based Software

25. Feedback Is there a need? Would your students enjoy using it? Would you reuse somebody else’s case? Would you share your own case material? What features would you want?