Rosenbaum SLIS@IU Ecommerce Education using a Virtual Economy Howard Rosenbaum [email protected]...
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Transcript of Rosenbaum SLIS@IU Ecommerce Education using a Virtual Economy Howard Rosenbaum [email protected]...
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Ecommerce Education using a Virtual Economy
Ecommerce Education using a Virtual Economy
Howard [email protected]
School of Library and Information ScienceIndiana University
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/Pres/sc00/
November 7-8, 2000 SC’00 Dallas TX
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Ecommerce Education using a Virtual Economy
• L561: The Information Industry: Electronic Commerce has been taught in the School of Library and Information Science since 1996
• In Spring 2000 the course was redesigned around a pedagogical approach: problem based learning
• The problem for students is to start up and operate an ebusiness in a competitive digital marketplace
• The virtual economy is the technological infrastructure of this marketplace
Current syllabus: www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/L561/syll/syll5.html
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Structure of the VE
• Portal page: entryway to the VE with banner ad to each store
Access is password protected through the login page
• Store template: front page, link to the product catalog
• Cold Fusion generated product catalog, shopping cart, checkout procedure
• Digital bank in the Oracle database
• When a transaction is completed, money is transferred from shopper to store account
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Student activity in the VE
The student experience in the VE
Each group:
• Develops and presents a business plan
• Designs its store
• Develops content
• Creates advertising and marketing strategies
• Sets up customer service and loyalty programs
• Manages the business
Login page
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Timeline for the class
Week 1: Developing a start-up company
Week 2-8: Design, build, and test the site
Week 2: Business plan
Evaluation of sites and initial prototype
Content development
Week 3: Database development
Week 4: Advertising development
Week 5: Customer service
Week 6: Final design
Week 7-8: Test and redesign
Week 9-15: Operate the storefronts Worksmarter.com
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Spring 00 VE
There were five stores on the Spring 00 VEEach had different business model
Retail: bundled goods
Retail: individual itemsSell entertainment
Subscription: unlimited download
Sell chats with experts
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Business in the VE
VE Spring 2000
Shoppers: 76*
Stores: 5
Total $$ to be spent: $152,000.00
Weeks online: 9
Total $$ spent: $119,323.28 (79%)
Total $$ remaining: $32,676.72 (21%)
Avg. $$ left/shopper: $429.96
Avg $$ spent/shopper: $1,570.04
*Shoppers were business school students from Napier University, Scotland
SickLittleMonkey
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Results: Profits after expenses
Leader-profits: Stout.com had 47% of all sales ($56,480), 11% of all transactions (141) averaging $400.57 per transaction Total sales = $119.323.00
VE percentage of total sales
22%
47%
4%
17%
10%
Worksmarter Stout ExpertInfo InTheKnow SickLittleMonkeys
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Results: Transactions
Leader-transactions: InTheKnow had 17% of all sales ($20,129.00), 76% of all transactions (983), averaging $20.48 per transaction Total transactions = 1292
VE percentage of total transactions
6%11%
1%
76%
6%
Worksmarter Stout ExpertInfo InTheKnow SickLittleMonkeys
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
• The VE seems to have been very successful supporting a problem based learning approach to teaching ecommerce• Students report that the class was extremely challenging but worth the time and effort• They came out of the class with a deeper understanding of the complexities of business-to-consumer ebusiness• They report that they can speak about ecommerce with confidence in their job interviews• The stores are now portfolio items that students list on their resumes
VE as a pedagogical tool
ExpertInfo
Rosenbaum SLIS@IU
Support for the VE
• The VE is currently being supported by a grant from the Ameritech Fellows Program for innovation in the use of information technology in education
• It is also being supported with an Academic Equipment Grant from Sun Microsystems