2022 EDSIG Proceedings: Abstract Presentation

Bringing Low Code/No Code into the Classroom A Guide to Choosing the Right Tools

Nita Brooks
Middle Tennessee State University

Melinda Korzaan
Middle Tennessee State University

By researching the current and future trends in information systems and technology, one will quickly see that approaches to software development have been changing and are expected to continue to do so. Low code/no code (LC/NC) is making a significant impact in relation to these shifts. Low code includes platforms which “may call for limited amounts of coding, requiring non-technical users to work together with developers during some or all of the development process” (Project Management Institute, 2021 p. 12); no code platforms “allow programmers and non-programmers to create application software through graphical user interfaces and configuration instead of traditional computer programming” (PMI, 2021 p. 12). Recently Forbes highlighted no-code as the future of software development (Kostereva, 2022). Other industry reports have noted the importance of low-code/no-code solutions. KPMG, in their analysis of the top 10 technology trends for 2022, listed LC/NC as a means to quicker development and lower costs. They specifically state that these platforms “allow users to easily prototype, iterate, and customize applications” (Rast, 2022, para. 19). Additional practitioner concerns driving this trend revolve around the ability to hire qualified developers. Companies have embraced low-code platforms and development approaches to deal with the shortage (Santalo, 2021).

The goal of this research is to examine the role of LC/NC platforms in information systems and to provide guidance for introducing and utilizing LC/NC platforms in the information systems (IS) classroom. A framework which includes factors to consider along with industry recommendations will be presented and discussed. There are important implications for both IS students and non-IS students. For a software developer, low-code platforms can impact the productivity of development (Johannessen and Davenport, 2021); therefore, it is important that our IS or information technology majors understand what tools are available and how to interact with the tools to increase performance and improve development time. For students in a non-IS program, it could be beneficial to provide exposure to these tools as well considering a large portion of users within organizations are tech savvy non-IS professionals.

Thursday at 4:50 pm