SIMS Corpus

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SIMS Corpus Final Project Presentation May 13,
2004
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What is SIMS?

• Founded in 1995
• Professional school
• 15 Faculty
• 40 Masters students per year
• 2 year (4 semester) program
• 42-units for Masters
• 6 core courses
• 6 or 7 electives

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Pros and Cons
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Project Goals
We set out to.
the SIMS Corpus
Corpus A large collection of writings of a
specific kind or on a specific subject.
Dictionary.com
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Project Goals

• How the scope changed over time
• What drove the change

Connect
Locate
Describe
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Research Methods

• Mission Statement
• Reviewed original proposal presented to U.C.
  Regents in 1993
• Interview / Survey
• Compiled to gauge opinions about expertise and
  experience
• Course Enrollment Data
• Identified trends in interests by students as
  well as by course

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Research Methods

• 4. Areas of Study
• Evaluated courses students took to identify
  common clusters
• 5. Card Sorting
• Determined how individuals organize terms found
  in the SIMS Corpus
• 6. Technology Review
• Evaluated options to address issues and complete
  recommendations

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Methodology
Course Enrollment
Areas of Study
Mission Statement
Technology Review
Interviews Survey
Cardsorting
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Findings

• SIMS Identity
• Curriculum Synergy
• Information Access
• SIMS Online Presence

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Identity
What is SIMS? What do you do there? How is that
different from computer science?
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Identity

• Charter envisions some of SIMS focuses to be
• Management of Information Systems (MIS)
• User Interaction
• Students perceive SIMS strengths as
• Information Architecture
• UI Design, Usability
• Document Engineering, XML Web services
• Law and Policy

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Identity

• Recommendations
• Continue to develop areas of focus
• Create committees that oversee these areas
• Utilize seminars
• Publicize Work

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Curriculum Synergy

• Survey says
• 49 say degree tracks influenced decision to
  attend SIMS
• 58 say they were not helpful in selecting
  courses
• Course Enrollment Analysis reveals
• Consistently fewer offerings at SIMS in fall
  semesters
• Trend of SIMS students going to Haas is increasing

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Curriculum Synergy
Typical Students Schedule at SIMS
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
IS 255
IS 202
IS 204
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Curriculum Synergy
Revised Student Schedule
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
IS 255
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Curriculum Synergy
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Information Access

• Need integrated information structures
• Techniques we learn are not employed by the
  school

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Information Access
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Information Access

• Need for improved, integrated information
  structures
• Techniques we learn not employed by the school
• Lack of uniformity results in redundant efforts
  and varied quality of information

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Information Access
Taxonomy
Use in curriculum Reinforces areas of focus
Describe overall structure of SIMS Enables
information reuse
Develop standards Encourages automation efforts
Information
Policies
Meta Model
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Online Presence

• Over 50 of students found SIMS through the
  website
• Web content not representative of SIMS experience
• Two types of issues
• Content
• Organization of Information

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Online Presence
having outdated degree tracks on the website
definitely gave me a different vision about what
the school would be about than what it actually
is. SIMS Student
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Online Presence

• Content
• 62 knew what they wanted to study but advertised
  tracks are inaccurate
• Results in unrealistic expectations of school

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Online Presence

• Organization
• Information available is organized by function
• Final projects not featured prominently on the
  site
• Does not reflect SIMS methodology detracting
  from schools credibility

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Online Presence

• Short-term
• Organize content along areas of focus
• Make student work more prominent
• Long-term
• Utilize student projects to enhance SIMS
  infrastructure

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Summary

• Define and institutionalize SIMS identity
• Deploy consistent and specialized curriculum
• Develop integrated information structure
• Reorganize website to reflect SIMS

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Thank You! Gracias! Merci!

• Dean Saxienan
• SIMS Faculty
• Students
• SIMS Staff
• Dr. Bob Glushko

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Questions? Comments?
Complete copy of our report will be available
SOON at dream.sims.berkeley.edu/SIMSCorpus