Case-based learning is essential to transitioning analytics from textbooks to the real-world. Though "real-world", often, cases are fictitious, however, perhaps leaving students with the sense that they are still toy problems and not truly 'real'. There are a host of real-world applications in the INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics (IJAA; formerly Interfaces) which demonstrate actual application, but beyond broad conceptualization, are often difficult for students and practitioners to grasp in detail.
There is a real opportunity to improve on both of these initiatives by creating cases that are based directly on IJAA articles. ITE case users can point directly to the real-world application of using exactly these methods to garner real-world benefits by assigning IJAA readings prior to or subsequent to case assignment. IJAA readers can get practice data sets to convert conceptual understanding to hands-on capabilities. Researchers might use case data sets to explore other solution approaches than that presented in IJAA.
Example topics for potential submissions include, but are not limited to:
- A survey of existing examples of joint IJAA and Interfaces papers and ITE cases that are already in existence, pointing out similarities and differences of the IJAA and ITE
- Best practices in converting real-world problems into cases, including level of transparency of actual data, company names, and the like.
- Actual cases that mirror IJAA/Int projects, which could be either from the original IJAA author, or another if sufficient similarities and familiarity exists.
- Best practices in using an IJAA/int paper as study material in an OR/MS/Analytics course as a lecture, hands-on exercise, individual or group assignment, etc.
Authors should review the INFORMS Transactions on Education instructions on preparing a paper at: https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/ited/submission-guidelines
Papers must be submitted online at:
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ite
The timeline is as follows:
- 31 October 2020: Target deadline for first round of submissions
- 31 January 2021: First round of reviews completed, Decisions (and requests for revision, if appropriate) delivered to authors
- July, 2021: Second round of reviews delivered to authors:
- November, 2021: Final versions of accepted papers to be submitted
- March, 2022: Target ITE publication date
Publication contacts information for the Special Issue Editors:
Michael F. Gorman
University of Dayton
Michael.gorman@udayton.edu
Jeroen Belien
KU Leuven
jeroen.belien@kuleuven.be
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Jeroen Belien
Editor-in-Chief INFORMS Transactions on Education
Professer
KU Leuven
Brussel
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