Who’s looking for free tech and analytics expertise?
—Monique Candelaria as Lucy in “Live Free or Die”, Breaking Bad
Starting next month, I will be teaching two capstone courses at ASU. Based on my background and body of work, both the undergraduate programs in Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Business Data Analytics (BDA) are right up my alley. I’m downright psyched to get started.
These capstone courses—CIS440 and CIS450, respectively—are designed to provide seniors with valuable real-world experience. That is, they will put theory into practice. Students will apply their newfound knowledge to solve pressing business problems and answer important questions.
To this end, I’m looking for interesting projects for my new students. If you are interested in offering a meaningful project around technology and/or analytics, then keep reading.
What’s in it for potential project sponsors?
I see quite a few benefits for sponsors. For one, these projects let them tap into the minds of eager, knowledgeable students. What’s more, sponsors can acquaint themselves with potential future hires. (Why not date before getting married, right?) Finally, these capstone projects represent a way to give back to the ASU community.
And did I mention that it’s free?
Details and Logistics
Although there’s no monetary cost, it is important that all sponsors take these commitments and projects seriously. This means devoting the requisite time to students. Answer their questions. Provide guidance where needed. Expect regular interactions; this is no “set-it-and-forget-it” type of project. Finally, sponsors will need to complete questionnaires at the end of the semester. That data will help me grade my students.
Capstone courses aren’t new at ASU and the W. P. Carey School. Prior organizations who have worked with ASU in this capacity include:
New and established startups
Small, medium, and large companies
Even a lone founder with nothing more than wireframes of his intended app
Here’s a table with some examples:
Specific Projects and Process
Past projects have run the gamut. On the technology (CIS) side, previous students have developed new web applications and apps. They have also enhanced organizations’ existing tech offerings. On the analytics side, students demonstrate their emerging data chops. To this end, prior classes and groups have looked at a wide variety of problems for professional private and public institutions—even a few sports teams. Students have provided clarity, insights, and recommendations for making better business decisions. Make no mistake: these are exactly the types of things that Big Data and analytics are supposed to yield.
Here are some additional details:
Students will work in teams of four to six over a 15-week period.
They will use the knowledge that they’ve gained during their undergraduate studies
They will learn new tools to complete their projects.
Sponsors must provide students with timely and constructive feedback.
In keeping with Agile methods, throughout the semester, students present several working demos of their work as it emerges. That is, you and I will see project progress well before final student presentations in December. To this end, sponsors must provide students with timely and constructive feedback. If you’re unwilling or unable to do this, then it’s not a good fit.
Historically, the most successful projects have been of the greenfield variety. As I know all too well, enhancements and extensions to existing projects can be challenging. Even the brightest students—and seasoned professionals for that matter—typically face significant learning curves when dealing with mature apps and methodologies. It’s nearly impossible to “hit the ground running.”
Next Steps
If you’re interested, click here to learn more about the formal application process or connect with me.
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