Python Programming in an IS Curriculum: Perceived Relevance and Outcomes

Recent years have witnessed a growing demand for business analytics-oriented curricula. This paper presents the implementation of an introductory Python course at a business university and the attempt to elevate the course's relevance by introducing data analytics topics. The results from a survey of 64 undergraduate students of the course are analyzed to understand their perceived relevance of having Python programming skills upon entering the workplace, and how course design and other student characteristics influenced the perceptions of their learning and performance. Results demonstrate that business students are highly motivated to take Python programming courses to better position themselves for future career opportunities in the growing field of data analytics. We also found that students with no prior programming experience performed better than students who had some prior programming experience, suggesting that Python is an appropriate choice for a first programming language in the Information Systems (IS) curriculum. The paper concludes with recommendations for offering an analytics-focused first programming course to bring added relevance to IS students learning programming skills.