Applying Biblical Principles with Business Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

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Applying Biblical Principleswith Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• By Mark Alexander and F. Frank Zeng

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Welcome to our presentation
• Mark Alexander
• Assistant Director,
• Bachelor Business Programs Online
• F. Frank Zeng
• Assistant Professor, IWU
• Why this topic?

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Mission Statement
• Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered
  academic community committed to changing the
  world by developing students in character,
  scholarship, and leadership.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Core Values
• The primary value for IWU is Christ likeness.
  The challenge to follow Christ compels us to
  pursue a personal and professional life of
• Commitment
• Learning
• Serving
• Stewardship

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Core Values
• Indiana Wesleyan University will prepare each
  student to become a world changer. We will
  accomplish this by drawing students into an
  integrated experience of intellectual challenge,
  spiritual growth, and leadership development.
  Thus we will
• Call students to Christian character
• Expect academic excellence
• Equip students for success in their vocations
• Mentor students in leadership
• Prepare students for service

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Goals from Mission Statements for ASCIT program
• Relating Christian faith and values to ASCIT
  program
• Integrate Christian Faith into CIT courses
• Discover a full sense of Gods purpose and hope
  in their lives, integrating their faith, their
  work, and their worship
• Highlight the necessarily and value of wealth
  creation within Gods creatures and redemption
  purposes while bringing the processed of wealth
  creation under careful scrutiny
• Encourage individuals to apply Christian values
  in their work and help them to resolve the moral
  dilemmas they often face.
• Build Christian Value into business and
  management
• Apply Biblical principles to capstone project
  development and management
• Develop personality by studying Scripture
• Persuade students to operate within the framework
  of Christian principles and values

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Biblical Goals in CIT Capstone Course
• Help students acquire an integrating framework.
• Lead students to realize project development
  issues or problems are not about business or
  management but about us as human beings
• What are we for?
• What is the ultimate purpose of human living?
• Lead students to believe that God, in an
  outpouring of boundless wisdom and love, has
  brought all of creation into being and guides its
  continual unfolding.
• Lead students to believe that Christ is redeeming
  the entire created universe, drawing it towards a
  consummation in which all things will find their
  fulfillment.
• If our ideas about business don't somehow take
  these fundamental facts into account, then they
  are ideas about a world other than the one that
  actually exists.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Approaches used in CIT Capstone Course
• A simplistic and effective approach faith-work
  integration.
• A rare opportunity to think about and discuss
  work related concepts in business and technology
  environment.
• An apparent application to the business world to
  implement more business philosophies and
  practices in areas like project management,
  resource control, partnerships, corporations,
  customer service, and communications.
• The integration of faith and values need to be
  exposed to and be discussed

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Fundamental Questions to be addressed in CIT
  Capstone Course
• A solid and fundamental One
• What Jesus would do?
• How do you "sell" empowerment/authenticity as a
  contributing and building force to individuals at
  all levels of the organization?
• How do you describe leadership in a way that is
  not hierarchical?
• How do you reconcile the business decisions
  necessary to achieve this new organization with
  the need to move "good Christian" people who
  can't or won't do the job out of the way?

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Christian Approach and Assignments
• Prayer and thoughtfulness
• Scripture studies
• Biblical principles
• Self-improvement
• Team building
• Communication
• Personality Conflict
• Corporations
• Planning
• Cost Control

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Goals of CIT Capstone Course
• Develop a Biblical management and leadership
  attitude and lifestyle.
• Learn patterns of devotional practice and
  personal spiritual growth that will equip
  students for leadership positions.
• Develop team leadership skills, such as project
  management and development.
• Comprehend the dynamics of interpersonal
  relationships, so students will be able to deal
  creatively and constructively with people.
• Grasp basic concepts of business and project
  management and develop the skills essential for
  providing effective leadership.
• Develop a fundamental knowledge of project
  management and development.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Why Do We Need to Study Biblical Principles -
  Reality of IT Projects
• 31.1 of projects will be canceled before they
  ever get completed.
• 52.7 of projects will cost 189 of their
  original estimates.
• The average is only 16.2 for software
  development projects that are completed on time
  and on budget.
• Studies are conducted to choose examples of
  software development project failures from
  various industries in order to build guidelines
  to modify software engineering and senior
  capstone courses.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Common Causes
• Multiple Project Restarts
• Content Deficiencies
• Other symptoms on project failures
• Projects scope is not clear defined
• Project managers dont understand users needs
• Do not know what to build
• Do not know how long it will take
• Project changes are managed poorly
• Project results are different from users
  expectation and goals
• Need much more time or fund to complete projects
• Need additional resources
• Software is late, expensive and buggy
• Programmers build what they think is cool
• Features are not what are needed

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Project Development Issues to Be Addressed in
  Capstone Course
• Lack of project integration, coordination, team
  efforts or group focus.
• Undefined scope of software project and vague and
  incomplete statement of user requirements, design
  specifications and project documentations.
• Poor time and cost control management planning,
  tracking and control.
• Lack of efficient communications among
  development teams members and constant updates
  with clients and other teams.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Two Types of Factors
• 1. Project Management Factors
• Poor user requirements
• Unclear objectives or strategic plan
• Poor design and specifications
• Poor planning, budgeting, progress tracking and
  control
• Unreasonable schedule
• Missing deadlines
• Over budget and in need of additional funding
• Unclear responsibility and coordination
• Poor design specifications

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Two Types of Factors (continued)
• 2. Human Factors
• Lack of leadership
• Lack of support from upper level management
• Maintaining no close relationship with users
• Lack of user involvement
• Lack of necessary communications
• Knowing too much theory
• Like to do too complicated design
• Losing touch with business world
• Lack of sense of project management
• Do not like work as a team
• Lack of knowledge in new technology

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Main Interests in CIT Capstone Characters and
  Virtues Development
• The focus is development on character and virtue.
• The character approach focuses on who we are,
  what we believe in, what model we are following
  and what is right thing we do.
• The virtue approach focuses on what we are,
  believing this will ultimately take care of what
  we do.
• Both approaches are from a Christian perspective
  What Jesus would do?

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Connection between Our Work and Spiritual Growth
• Work is not something that interferes with
  genuine spirituality it is integral to what it
  means to be a Christian.
• Work in the world is a vital expression and
  element of a Christian spirituality.
• There is no distinction between religious work
  and technical work. Both have their place in the
  lives of those who seek to love and serve Jesus
  Christ.
• To those who work with minds in professions,
  management and technology all work is good and
  noble, and carries with it an inherent dignity.
• God's personal call on the life of the individual
  and the biblical understanding play key role in
  work.
• Deepening your walk with the Lord and
  experiencing in appreciating how your work fits
  into God's eternal scheme lead us to success in
  work and in spiritual life.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• General Format of a Workshop
• Each workshop opens with a prayer, quiet
  reflection on a passage from scripture, and the
  sharing of insights about the passage.
• Part of each workshop is devoted to the
  pre-designed assignments that students have to
  work on during the week.
• The guidelines on homework are a crucial element
  in the process.
• This reflection and the ensuing discussions
  served as crucibles where the melding of theory
  and practice could take place.
• Each workshop ends with an opportunity for
  students to evaluate what have been accomplished
  that evening, followed by summary of Biblical
  Scriptures and management principles.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Course Activity Plan
• Workshop 1
• Project Management Discussion One
• General Problem-Solving Procedure
• Project Management 1 Life Cycle
• User Interview and Questionnaires
• User and System Requirement Analysis
• Project Scopes
• Project Plan, Resource Allocation, and Budget
• Scriptures On Managing Your Relationship With
  Your Clients Know well the condition of your
  flocks, and pay attention to your herds for
  riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure
  to all generations. When the grass disappears,
  the new growth is seen, and the herbs of the
  mountains are gathered in, the lambs will be for
  your clothing, and the goats will bring the price
  of a field, and there will be goats' milk enough
  for your food, for the food of your household,
  and sustenance for your maidens. Proverbs 2723-27

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Course Activity Plan
• Workshop 2
• Project Management Discussion Two
• Project Plan
• System Environment and Analysis
• Preliminary Plan and Budget
• Scriptures On Managing Money and Controlling
  Budget
• In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads
  only to poverty. Proverbs 1423
• Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting
  to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in
• all one's labor in which he toils under the sun
  during the few years of his life which
• God has given him for this is his reward.
  Furthermore, as for every man to whom
• God has given riches and wealth, He has also
  empowered him to eat from them and
• to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor
  this is the gift of God. For he will not
• often consider the years of his life, because God
  keeps him occupied with the
• gladness of his heart. Ecclesiastes 518
• Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight,
  for you do not know what misfortune
• may occur on the earth. Ecclesiastes 112
• A good name is to be more desired than great
  wealth, favor is better than silver and
• gold. Proverbs 221

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Course Activity Plan
• Workshop 3
• Project Management Discussion Three
• Testing Plan
• Unit and System Test
• Updates on Preliminary Plan
• Budget Updates
• Scriptures On Business and Project Development
  He who watches the wind will not sow and he who
  looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes
  114 Sow your seed in the morning and do not be
  idle in the evening, for you do not know whether
  morning or evening sowing will succeed, or
  whether both of them alike will be good.
  Ecclesiastes 116

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Course Activity Plan
• Workshop 4
• Project Management Discussion Four
• Project Implementation
• Preliminary Demonstration
• Updates on Project Plan and Organization
• Project Status Report
• Scriptures On Dealing with Stress and Difficulty
• With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will
  be satisfied He
• will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
  Proverbs 1820
• A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh
  word stirs up
• anger. Proverbs 151
• If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its
  edge, then he must
• Exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of
  giving
• success. Ecclesiastes 1010
• The wise in heart will be called understanding,
  and sweetness of
• Speech increases persuasiveness. Proverbs 1621
• A worker's appetite works for him, for his hunger
  urges him on.

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Course Activity Plan
• Workshop 5
• Project Management Discussion Five
• Demonstrations and Presentation
• Revisit Project Plan
• Project Management Issues and Discussions
• Future Improvement
• Project Summery and Lesson Learned
• Scriptures On Future Project Improvement
• Of making many books there is no end, and much
  study is a weariness of the flesh. Ecclesiastes
  1212

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Applying Biblical Principles with Business
Principles into ASCIT Technology Courses

• Thank You!
• Contact Information
• Mark Alexander (mark.alexander_at_indwes.edu)
• F. Frank Zeng (frank.zeng_at_indwes.edu)
• College of Adults and Professional Studies
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• 1900 50th Street
• Marion, Indiana 46953
• http//caps.indwes.edu