Integrated Curriculum: Lessons from 12 years of Cross-Functional Learning

MK IS 323 OM FE Integrated Curriculum: Lessons from 12 years of Cross-Functional Learning Frédéric Brunel Nitin Joglekar Jonathan Hibbard Baltimore -- October 2005

Agenda Curriculum Orientation Cross Functional Course Design Course Philosophy Course Structure Course Delivery Critical Success factors Measures of Course Success On-going Research Project Results on Team Learning Questions and Answers

Basic Issues The Traditional Way The Reality

Undergraduate Curriculum Overview Collaboration Team Learning FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER First Year Second Year -SM121: Management as a System -EC101: Introductory Microeconomics -WR100: Writing Seminar -MA120:Applied Math for Social & Management Science -AC221: Financial Accounting -SM221: Probabilistic and Statistical Decision Making for Management -OB221: The Dynamics of Leading Organizations -One CAS Elective -SM122: Management as a System -EC102: Introductory Macroeconomics -Two CAS Electives -AC222: Managerial Accounting -SM222: Modeling Business Decisions and Market Outcomes -LA245: Introduction to Law -One CAS Elective Cross-Functionality Third Year Fourth Year -SM323 Cross Functional Core FE323: Financial Management MK323: Marketing Management IS323: Introduction to Information Systems OM323: Operations Management Four Courses may choose from SMG electives, remaining CAS electives and/or free electives. Experiential Learning Four Courses may choose from SMG electives, remaining CAS electives and/or free electives. -MG422: Strategy & Policy Three Courses may choose from SMG electives, remaining CAS electives and/or free electives.

SM323: The Cross Functional Core Junior Year --> 4 Required Courses MK NPD IS Project 323 FE 12 year History ~ 6,000 students ~ 145 sections ~ 950 projects ~ 550 students per year Significant evolution of course structure & technology Past 3 years: 40(+) faculty involved OM Pedagogy Research Opportunity Detailed Data on 167 Projects

Learning Philosophy Experiential learning Cross-Functionality Team Learning Students assigned to teams at Random Formal team contracting Team grade and blind peer evaluations Web based measurement tools Evaluated on coaching and counseling as well as overall performance

Course Structure 14 Weeks ~ 210 class hours + 16 exam hours AM or PM sections 23 x 2-hour 2 sessions for each function 6 x 4-hour 4 common sessions (all faculty) 3 sessions with Center for Team Learning End of term product showcase Common (across sections) reviews and exams

A Matrix (+) Delivery Structure Course Design Team Course Coordinator Marketing Finance Operations I.S. Center Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Section Coordinator Section Coordinator Section Coordinator Up to 14 sections per year Section Coordinator + TA + TA + TA + TA 4 Faculty Member Teaching Team 4 Faculty Member Teaching Team 4 Faculty Member Teaching Team 4 Faculty Member Teaching Team Center for Team Learning

Example of SM323 Calendar Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 6-Sept 7 8 9 10-Sept Labor Day CS 1: Overview of New Product Process Generating New Product Ideas Pre-clearance Procedures for New Product Ideas OM 1: Introduction to OM MK 1: Introduction to Marketing FE 1: Time Value of Money I Team Intro Assignment & Team Contracts IS 1: Introduction to Information Systems OM 2: Product Design MK 2: Marketing Strategy 13-Sept 14 15 16 17-Sept OM 3: Product Design FE 2: Time Value of Money II FE 3: Time Value of Money III OM 4: Product Design MK 3: Marketing Environment and Ethics IS 2: Strategic Information Technology Planning CS 2: New Product Review Workshop Team Contracts Due to Your PTA IS 3: Management Decision Making MK 4: Buying Behavior Mon-20-Sept Tue - 21 Wed - 22 Thu -23 Fri - 24-Sept OM 5: Design Review FE 4: Bonds OM 6: Supply Chain I FE 5: Stocks OM 7: Supply Chain II MK 5: Market Segmentation IS 4: E-Commerce: Doing Business on the Web MK 6: Marketing Research Methods IS 5: Introduction to Data Management MK 7: Market Segmentation Workshop 27-Sept 28 29 30 1-Oct OM 8: Strategic Assessment of Supply Chains FE 6: Stock and Bond Review OM 9: Supply Chain - Capacity Management FE 7: Ratios Workshop OM 10: Supply Chain/ Make-Bu MK 8: Forecasting Demand IS 6: Data Modeling & Database Design I MK 9: Marketing Research Analytics IS 7: Data Modeling & Database Design II MK 10: Questionnaire Design Workshop Mon 4-Oct Tue-5 Wed - 6 Thu - 7 Fri -8-Oct OM 11: Quality Management MK 11: New Product Development FE 8: NPV and Other Investment Criteria IS 8: Why is the Data so Important? OM 12: JIT & Flexibility Team Feedback Session I MK 12: Product Strategies FE 9: Cash Flows I: Making Capital Investment Decisions IS 9: Informational Requirements Workshop Team's CTL Actions Plans Due to Your PTA 11-Oct 12 13 14 15-Oct IS / FE MK / OM FE 10: Cash Flows II Columbus Day EXAM 1 EXAM 1 5-10pm Details to be Posted 5-10pm Details to be Posted IS 10: Introduction to Systems Analysis & Design Mon 18-Oct Tue-19 Wed-20 Thu-21 Fri-22-Oct CS 3: Business Development Workshop Details to be Posted CS 4: Business Development Workshop OM 13: Location Planning FE 11: Sensitivities (case) BDW Memo Assignment Set Up Meeting with PTA MK 13: Pricing Strategy IS 11: Continue Systems Analysis and Design

25-Oct 26 27 28 29-Oct OM 14: Job Design MK14: Marketing Arithmetic FE 12: External Financing Needs (case) IS 12: Hardware and Software Resources OM 15: Supply Chain Workshop MK 15: Integrated Marketing Communications FE 13: Risk and Return I IS 13: Continue Hardware and Software Resources FE 14: Risk and Return II IS 14: Web Interface & Design Mon 1-Nov Tue-2 Wed-3 Thu-4 Fri-5 OM 16: Process Improvement FE 15: Portfolios OM 17: Aggregate Planning FE 16: CAPM IS 15: Systems Design Workshop IS 16: Telecommunications I MK 16: IMC Planning MK17: Questionnaire Results Workshop 8-Nov 9 10 11 12-Nov OM 18: Technology Management I MK 18: Promotion Plan Workshop FE 17: WACC I OM 19: Technology Management II FE 18: WACC II Team Feedback II Veteran's Day Team's CTL Actions Plans IS 17: Telecommunications II MK 19: Sales Projection Workshop IS18: IS Costing Mon 15-Nov Tue-16 Wed-17 Thu-18 Fri 19-Nov OM 21: Capacity Planning & Job Design Workshop MK 20: Personal Selling FE 19: Base Case IS 19: Information System Costing Workshop OM 20: Technology Management III MK 21: Marketing Channels FE 20: Options IS 20: Security and Privacy Issues 22-Nov 23 24 25 26-Nov FE 21 Integrated Workshop FE 22 Integrated Workshop Thanksgiving Mon 29-Nov Tue-30 Wed 1-Dec Thu-2 Fri 3-Dec OM 22: Service Operations Business Plan Business Plan Business Plan Business Plans IS22: Access Prototype Workshop Preparation Day Preparation Day Preparation Day DUE @ 2 PM 6-Dec 7 8 9 10-Dec Mandatory Attendance Mandatory Attendance 5-10pm 5-10pm OM & MK Course Wrap-Ups/ Exam Review IS & FE Course Wrap-Ups/ Exam Review IS & FE EXAM 2 OM & MK EXAM 2 Mon 13-Dec Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17-Dec Presentation Prep Day CS 5: Business Plan Presentations CS 6: Business Plan Presentations Peer/Team Evaluation Due by 3:00 pm CS 7: SM323 Product Showcase 4-6pm

Culminates with a Product Showcase 5 Functional Workshops 12 Functional Workshops Week 1 Week 14

Example of Just-In In-Time Cross Functional Integration Focus Group Segmentation Surveys Sales Forecasting Scenario Analysis Financial Projections Product Design Capacity Planning Capital Requirement Make/Buy H. of Q. Supply Chain Inventory System Procurement System

Grading Students receive 4 grades Mid terms and finals Students must pass each function Project counts as 40% of the grade in each course Peer evaluations used to adjust individual grades

Project Examples

Pedagogy: Types of Projects Only B2C products Tangible Products Product must not exist or be patented No star wars technologies No low cost knock off No products that need special market infrastructure Limited product space helps teaching & support Differentiable, technologically simple products that solve specific market needs Products that non-engineering students can master Product is pretext. Project is real product

A Semester Long Semester Project! Common Sessions 5 Functional Workshops Common Sessions 12 Functional Workshops Common Sessions Week 1 Week 14

Supporting Processes and Technologies Custom Books Specially written cases Web Sites (Almost) Paper less course Workbook (200+pages) Electronic problems Datasets Question bank Communication tools Team pages Team Learning Assistant Data Bases Physical Archive of Past Projects Explicit Course Policies New Technologies Codified and Self sustaining Knowledge

Team Support

Balancing Curricular Tension -- Example Focus Group Segmentation Sales Forecasting Surveys Product Design Teaching the standard content of an intro Marketing course? Teaching project based content?

Culture & Commitment Students Start anticipating CORE in their freshman year Boot Camp mentality Great experience Never learned so much Student Government publishes survival guides Faculty Cross training Steep learning curve Too much work - 78 hours in class - High out of class contacts hours Set up costs are high Dean s Office Fosters Continuity Coordination Support Extra Teaching Credits

Measures of Success External Award at DSI Recruiters recognition Sponsorship by ATT Internal Has become the defining course in curriculum Known as CORE even though we have 12 core courses Course Folklore, Culture and Anticipation that starts with Freshmen Course ratings have been high and improving

Measures of Success Externally Administered Survey of Graduates (n=1100) (12 to 18 months after course two year running averages) #1, # 2 and #4 (out of 12 core classes) most useful courses for personal development are SM323 components Neutral 9% Disagree 5% Neutral 11% Disagree 6% Agree 86% Fig 1. SM323 was an impactful learning experience Agree 83% Fig 2. SM323 prepared me to work on teams

Concerns & Open Questions Students Some students do not fully understand the course goals Faculty Balancing of functional and cross-functional learning Ability to separate product idea, learning, and functional concepts Some students are not ready (?) for team based learning Continuous Improvementwhat is the next change? Preparation for electives Do some students fare better or worse.?

Course Data set * Collected over 4 semesters (n= 1101 students) Team Assessment Individual contribution to content Individual contribution to process Team cohesiveness Project grade (167 teams) & Individual Grade adjustments Student grades on exams for each course Demographic data for each student (gender, concentration, incoming GPA, domestic vs. international, transfer ) * We thank over 40 colleagues / UG Office Funded by a grant from CTL/ General Electric

Drivers of Team Performance Average Prior GPA + Team Project Grade Consistent with Conventional Wisdom: Team Talent is Linked to Team Performance

Drivers of Team Performance Team Cohesion + Team Project Grade Consistent with Conventional Wisdom: Working well together is linked to team performance

Drivers of Team Performance Max Prior GPA + Team Cohesion Min Prior GPA + + Team Project Grade Talent Matters, but it is not the average Champion and weakest Link are the drivers Working well together is still key

Evidence of Team Learning Student Prior GPA Team Cohesion + + Student Performance on Exams Individual Performance across eight functional exams is boosted by belonging a cohesive project team

Team Learning By Student GPA Individual Exam Scores Team Learning High Incoming GPA Student Low Incoming GPA Student Low Teaming Quality High Teaming Quality

Ongoing Data Analyses Other drivers of individual performance Gender Domestic/ international Transfer students Concentrations Other drivers of team performance Content versus process contribution Team size Composition Gender International Transfer

Summary MK A coordination challenge but Big pay off Experiential and team learning Strong course ratings Employers Unique offering IS 323 OM FE Data set: opportunity for systematic testing