Creativity & Collaboration via Cross-Functional Education

1. Creativity & Collaboration via Cross-Functional Education Malu Roldan, Michael Solt, Xiao Su HP Mobility Team, San Jose State University| Presented at The 8th Annual Meeting of the NATIONAL COLLEGIATE INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS ALLIANCESan Jose, California – March 2004

2. Primary Partners Developer Platform Training Classroom & Lab Support MIS Computer Engineering Finance Provost’s Office Center for Entrepreneurship Mobility Grant Tablet PC Mini-Grant Itanium Grant Student Memberships

3. Client Partners

4. Course Goals • Provide students with experience in working in cross-functional teams • Provide students with challenging and motivating real-world projects • Provide students with hands-on experience in the use and implementation of leading edge mobile technologies • Increase students’ familiarity with local technology and entrepreneurial resources

5. Course Structure • Linked three courses offered separately in MIS, Computer Engineering and Finance • ~20 students each • ~10 student teams with 2 students from each department • Joint courses to form teams, match up with clients, and present prototypes • Each team required to develop a business plan and build a prototype of the mobile application it proposes

6. Learning Outcomes – Difference in Pre vs. Post test Avg. Scores on Course Skills

7. Questionnaire Items • I am confident that, I can conduct access and assess the quality of materials necessary to conduct research on mobile technologies, industries and companies • I am confident that I can conduct a thorough assessment of mobile technology’s development and future prospects • I am confident that I can conduct a thorough analysis of the application of mobile technologies in a specific business or non-profit organization • I am confident that I can work with a team to develop a prototype of a mobile technology application that meets the requirements of a business or non-profit client • I am confident that I can work with a team to analyze the feasibility of a mobile technology application. • I am confident that I can work with a team to assess the costs and benefits of deploying or commercializing a mobile computing application • I am confident that I can quickly learn and integrate mobile computing tools into my daily activities – in and out of school • I am confident that I can quickly learn and integrate mobile computing tools to coordinate meetings and activities with my teammates • I am confident that I can work with a team to develop a mobile computing prototype and business case in a professional manner and deliver it on time • I am confident that I can work with a team to present a mobile computing prototype and recommendations to a business audience in a concise, clear and professional manner

8. Challenges & Lessons Learned • Define MIS student’s role more explicitly as that of project management • Take into account variations in students’ experience coming into the course – particularly with project management • Aim to match classroom experiences more closely with field experiences • Use formative evaluation extensively • Set student expectations not only regarding course goals but also regarding uncertainty levels