The Need for Mobile Application Development in IS Curricula: An Innovation and Disruptive Technologies Perspective
Jeffry Stephen Babb, Amjad Abdullat · Information Systems Education Journal · 2012
Disruptive technologies, such as mobile applications development, will always present a dilemma for Information Systems educators as dominant paradigms in our environment will tend to favor the existing sustaining technologies that we have become known for in our discipline. In light of this friction, we share our approach in investigating and designing a mobile application development which centers on student-faculty partnerships. We discuss a mobile application prototyping strategy and process which has allowed first-hand exploration of the current generation of mobile devices, and associated operating systems (Android and iOS). The nature of application development for these current-generation devices is discussed. A strategy for investigating and incorporating disruptive technologies, such as mobile applications, is offered for curriculum development. These strategies and the thinking surrounding them are influenced by theories on disruptive technologies and innovation. Of particular interest is the need to keep abreast of innovative technologies without, at the same time, chasing down every “fad” that appears.