Students in ITM 444, the capstone course for those pursuing a minor in Information Technology, spent their semester working with local clients to develop high level technology products for local businesses and organizations.
The class of 60 was broken up into 16 teams, and each team was given a client with a unique technology challenge related to web design, database development, social media communications and video production. Clients interested in working with students submitted an application and were hand selected.
John Donohoe, an account services specialist for Ciesa Design, a small design firm located in Lansing, heard about the class in an MSU Today update and decided to submit an application. Ciesa Design was looking for a new promotional video.
Donohoe is also a member of the MSU College of Arts and Letters Alumni Board Awards Committee, and submitted another application for the creation of a digitalized grant application process.
“I was involved with two groups and they both delivered professional products,” Donohoe said. “The Arts and Letters group listened to what we wanted and developed an interactive web tool that will make it easier for students and administrators in the grant application process.”
The team at Ciesa Design was also impressed with the promotional video and plan to show it at an upcoming a development conference.
“I definitely gained a lot of insight in how projects are managed and worked on in the real world, said Kyle Kulesza, a senior Media and Information student. “Working in groups on class projects is one thing, but the external client part really helped me learn skills I'll use in the future.”
The course is taught by Associate Professor Constantinos Coursaris and Assistant Professor Wietske Van Osch, both Media and Information faculty members.
By Victoria Bowles