Hinton Embarks Upon New Teaching Approach

GREENSBORO - Dr. C. Marlow Hinton, director of research computing in the division of information technology and telecommunication at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has embarked upon a new teaching approach in his Software Project Management class.

Dr. Hinton, an adjunct assistant professor, initiated an innovative method that allows students to develop actual projects for non-profit organizations in the community. Students in the class (CS712) are gaining real life exposure in creating and managing a project as well as helping an agency that is doing good work in the community.

The class centers around allowing students to gather the organization's requirements, develop objectives and five other project deliverables that requires them to work closely with the organization, and learn to deal with "real life" situations in the process. Each project begins after each perspective non-profit organization is interviewed to gain insight into their needs.

To date the class has developed projects for such non-profit organizations as: Hospice, Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, United Services for Older Adults, The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, The Greensboro Urban Ministry, and the Christian Counseling and Wellness Group. Currently the

class is working on developing a new website and the database interface for The Volunteer Center which coordinates many local community oriented agencies.

When asked how he hopes the students will benefit from this type of project, Dr. Hinton replied, "I hope they will carry on the idea of giving back when they leave the University environment."