An Information Scanning Approach for Learning to Work on the Internet

  • Authors:

  • Richard G. Mathieu;George P. Schell

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Decision Sciences and MIS, College of Business and Administration, 3674 Lindell Blvd., Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA. mathieur@slu.edu;Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA. schellg@uncwil.edu

  • Venue:
  • Education and Information Technologies
  • Year:
  • 2001

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Abstract

Access to global information fundamentally alters the information scanning function of decision-makers. The flattening of the management pyramid means information scanning of external sources is being performed by personnel in middle and lower levels of management, not only in the traditional ‘senior’ management level. Both graduate and undergraduate classes in information systems can effectively address the use of external information scanning through the teaching of Internet skills. This paper presents the course outline for a class in Global Communication Networks where a project-oriented approach was used to teach web-based skills. The importance of global information systems in decision-making and the use of the Internet as an information resource were emphasized in this class. A survey of students in the class found that this approach was successful in improving the perceived value of Internet-related tools for information scanning and professional decision-making.