A project-centered course: collaborative computing

The paper describes four years of experience designing and teaching a project-centered course in collaborative computing that seeks to integrate new experiences into the MIS curriculum. The course grew out of the desire to expose students to collaborative computing in a fashion that the authors hope will help them to bridge their knowledge from the classroom to the realities they will face throughout their careers. They have become increasingly aware that collaborative computing technology, often termed “groupware”, is changing how people work. They are also aware that research in this area has been ongoing for over thirty years, yet. They also feel that many MIS students, especially undergraduates, have little or no practical exposure to this technology, prior to graduation. They developed a project-centered course in collaborative computing and as a result it has become a popular elective in the MIS curriculum and of benefit to students