Student Perceptions in Teaching Principles of Management Information Systems

Teaching concepts of information systems to general business students through a course such as management information systems (MIS) can be challenging in today's fast-changing environment of information technology (IT). Such a course must provide not only an understanding of the development, applications, and management of information systems, but also some experience on these concepts taught in the classroom. The latter requires innovative ideas and changing modes of instruction, which may include activities for students such as hands-on practice with common IT tools and technologies, case studies, group projects, and group presentations. Engagement of students through various course activities is the key factor in creating a suitable learning environment for students. The authors focus on finding a suitable mode of instruction for a graduate-level MIS course that would provide necessary knowledge to future managers in a changing IT environment. Their results, based on the statistical analysis of an in-class survey, show strong preference toward learning MIS concepts, integrated case studies, and teamwork; and low preference toward Microsoft Office productivity tools and presentations. However, there is a strong preference toward learning database and spreadsheet applications that are part of Office productivity tools.