The directed project: a poor man's internship

The opportunity for a student to receive practical experience in the design and implementation of an information system should be a key component of any program which is preparing applications programmers and systems analysts. CO-OP and Internship programs can provide students with a significant and realistic taste of what it means to practice their chosen profession. But the "cost" of providing these programs is high. If the programs are to retain their integrity, constant and careful monitoring is required. If all students are to have the benefit of some "practical experience", it is necessary to provide an experience which operates outside, but somehow parellel to, the real life organization. It should receive input from the organization without being a burden to it. This is the Directed Project.In the Directed Project a team of students, under faculty supervision, works on the design and implementation of an information system for some organization. The organization commits to providing input to the team. This commitment varies with the amount of preliminary work done by the faculty supervisor, but is usually fairly light. In return for its help, the organization receives the product produced by the team as a gift. The structure is as "real world" as possible. The students work as a team and are evaluated as a team. They work under the direct supervision of a student project leader. They follow a well defined system development methodology and employ a strict set of project control tools. The effective solution of the user's problem is the primary goal of the project team. Directed Projects have been done for both off-campus and on-campus organizations. Teams have consisted of four to eight students averaging about 10 hours each per week over a 16 week semester. Examples are given.An evaluation of the Directed Project is also presented. From the point of view of the student the Directed Project is a tremendous advantage. In attempting to "put it all together" the student has the opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses and resolve any basic deficiencies in his background. He is also forced to meet the user's needs, rather than making simplifying assumptions to improve the elegance of the design and the ease of implementation. Employers have been very favorably impressed when interviewing students involved in Directed Projects. From the point of view of the faculty supervisor, the Directed Project does require a rather significant commitment of time and energy. But just as the students, the faculty supervisor is practicing his profession. This experience more than compensates for the time required. The program itself also benefits in that the Directed Project provides rapid and accurate feedback on the effectiveness of both individual courses and the impact of the overall program.Based on some (often frustrating) experience, some hints for survival are given. The first key element is choosing the right project. Second is effective faculty supervision. The faculty supervisor's role is a delicate one; if poorly played it can ruin the experience. The student project leader is also a key player. Finally rigid project control is an absolute must. With a few basic tools and some discipline, good project control is possible. Without it, the project is almost guaranteed to end "95% complete".