2008 IACIS Conference

I attended and presented at the 2008 International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) in Savannah, GA Oct 1 - 4, 2008. The conference was very informative and I along with Dr. Sylvia Bembry got several good ideas on how to improve the Microcomputer Application class that she teaches. Several of the sessions dealt with improving the entry level business course. The common thread was adding audio and video and keeping students engaged.

Kenneth Kaiser, Vice President of Corporate Systems Development, Target Corporation was the first keynote speaker. He explained how employees at Target stay connected by using SharePoint, Wikis, and virtual spaces. These are the skills that we need to teach our students so that they can compete in the workplace.

Michael J. Lynch, Manager, IT Advanced Personal and Workgroup Solutions, 3M was the second keynote speaker. He emphasised how 3M works electronically across time zones by using social networking, podcasts, audio/video and smartphones. He explained how Do It Yourself (DIY) videos were used to train the sales and technical forces.

A copy of the program and proceedings can be found at http://www.iacis.org/pdf/2008_Program.pdf. The paper I copresented with Dr. Bembry is on page 65.