Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE)

Volume 33

Volume 33, Issue 4, Pages 306-323

Fall 2022


Teaching Tip
Teaching Business Process Concepts in an Introductory Information Systems Class: A Multi-Level Game-Based Learning Approach


Bernie Farkas
Yanyan Shang
Farouq Alhourani

University of Tampa
Tampa, FL 33606, USA

Abstract: This research develops an effective methodology for a core business introductory information systems course to teach business process concepts and the role of information systems in business processes. The developed methodology also helps students properly diagram an organization’s business processes. The methodology uses an experiential learning approach: Multi-dimensional Game-based Learning. Initially, students learn elementary business processes and modeling concepts, e.g., start, end, activity, and gateway. Advancing to a more complex process during the second level, student teams learn the concept of process activity responsibility, e.g., role, pool. The last level challenges student teams to manage a company in a simulated business environment using an SAP® Enterprise Resource Planning system. Students learn the relationship between information systems and business processes and the concepts of data flow, encapsulation, event, and parallelism. A survey of the student’s perception and the researchers’ ad hoc observations demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed methodology.

Keywords: Business processes, Business modeling, Game-based learning, Teaching tip

Download This Article: JISE2022v33n4pp306-323.pdf


Recommended Citation: Farkas, B., Shang, Y., & Alhourani, F. (2022). Teaching Tip: Teaching Business Process Concepts in an Introductory Information Systems Class: A Multi-Level Game-Based Learning Approach. Journal of Information Systems Education, 33(4), 306-323.