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 studiesThe 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.

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 #2

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 SoftwareMicrosoft 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