The Technology Choice For A System Design Course: Proprietary Versus Open Source Software
A. Graham Peace and Nanda Surendra
Many Information Systems (IS) programs include a Systems Design course that requires students to develop and implement a web-based application. The instructor faces two choices, when considering the technology to be used. On the one hand, software vendors offer proprietary solutions. On the other, the open source movement provides both instructors and professionals with several alternatives. This paper analyzes both of these options, using a case study of a Senior level undergraduate Systems Design course. The instructors offered two versions of the course, one utilizing the proprietary Microsoft .NET platform, the other using a selection of open source packages. Benefits and limitations of each are presented, along with recommendations for an instructor faced with the decision of which platform to use. It was found that each can be an effective platform, as long as the concepts of systems analysis and design are emphasized over a particular technology.
Keywords: IS curriculum, IS design
A. Graham Peace, PhD, Dr. Peace is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems in the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. His research interests include information ethics, open source software, and pedagogical aspects of information technology. He has had papers published in several journals, including Communications of the ACM, the Journal of MIS, the Journal of Computer Information Systems, and the Journal of Information Systems Education. He is also co-editor of the book Information Ethics: Privacy and Intellectual Property. Dr.Peace's teaching interests include database management systems, systems analysis and design, and information ethics. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Peace worked at IBM as a Systems Engineer.
Nanda Surendra, PhD, Dr. Surendra is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems in the College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University. His current research is in the area of systems design and development, focusing on agile systems development methodologies. He has a paper on agile development forthcoming in Information Technology and Management. He teaches Business Applications Programming, Systems Analysis, Systems Design & Development courses.
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