Introducing an \u27Advanced Application Development\u27 Course into the IS Curriculum --Lessons from the Field

IS education programs must strike a delicate balance between practice and theory. Typically, courses that require the use of a computer are considered as practice courses others are considered theory courses. However, we can see a clear trend in IS education whereby more and more theory is taught in the context of practice. Indeed, this trend is the correct reaction to the realities of the IS domain and the market place. Another challenge is the need to keep up with the rapid evolution of tools and techniques. Here again, balance is the key word. Trying to stay right at the leading edge of information technology (IT) would place too much strain on faculty and on financial resources, while staying too far behind it would diminish the educational value of the program. Adjustments to IS curriculum are sometimes like earthquakes; a gap between curriculum and IT practice develops until it exerts enough stress to cause a realignment. We are due for such a realignment and this paper focuses on how we can best achieve some of i