First Lecture in INFOSYS 110

I had just finished my 3 streams of INFOSYS 110 first lecture where I only took a few minutes to introduce myself in front of the class. The course is taught by a team of lecturers and I am responsible for 1/3 of the course. The total enrolment of the class is huge (i.e. 750 students) and it is good for me to teach a big class again (coz I used to teach this course before I moved to BBIM).

All other lecturers are very well prepared, they have slides and jokes etc. I didnt prepare anything (substantially) and so after those common introductory, I let them ask any questions they want. The first stream was great, they ask lots of questions and so it becomes very funny and enjoyable for both myself and the rest of them. One student asks if I go to conferences like Michael Myers (he is part of the lecturer team and he talks about visiting the world when he introduces himself), and I explain to them that under the current acaedmic food chain (i.e. P > AP> SL > L > Students > me) I would be the last person to have a chance to go after the students. I even try to sell BBIM as well during my introduction :)

Unfortunately the same tactic doesnt work for the 2nd and 3rd streams. They are all very dull and non-responsive. In the last one they dont even willing to ask a single question. This is actually the very first time I feel such a difference in behaviour between the BBIM students and the BCom students. Even thou sometimes I hate my INFOMGMT class being too noisy as they talk, ask, laugh etc all the time; yet it is simply too quiet in the BCom for majority of the students there today.

Let's see how that goes for the remaining weeks.

Johnny

BBIM 1, BCOM 0

A BSc(CS)/BCom(IS) fourth year student came to express an interest to take our INFO291 course. Even there are less demanding courses in the BCom, the student is still keen to do our INFO course! I consider this to be a happy tiny mini victory for us, hehe :)

Johnny

Are Australian freshmen really digital natives?

This is a very interesting study done the University of Melbourne in Australia: First year students’ experience with technology: are they really digital natives?

Grading policy

In interests of speed and efficiency, I think we should adopt the grading policy that is described here.

INFO291 - Web 2.0

Just find this cool video from YouTube that basically summarizes what I am teaching in INFO291! I am going to show this to the students in the first lecture :)



Johnny

BBIM purpose

Here is version 01 of the BBIM purpose that I sent via email on 12th Feb '07 for comment:

The BBIM teaching unit aims to provide learning experiences that prepare graduates who will succeed in a knowledge society.

Knowledge-intensive work involves uncertainty, ambiguity and constant challenges to traditional ways of working. We embrace these qualities and are committed to developing a teaching unit that reflects them in the way we run our undergraduate teaching program.

The BBIM cohort-based model is unique because students experience an integrated business-information management curriculum which uses innovative pedagogies to reflect business-in-practice. Through hands-on experience students learn how cross-disciplinary collaboration creates synergy and drives innovation.

The BBIM teaching unit is dedicated to maintaining a collaborative culture that supports innovative pedagogies for interdisciplinary teaching and learning.