Pilot Project: Using Lucidchart to Complete Assignments in CIS Courses

Lucidchart is browser-based diagramming software, similar in function to Microsoft Visio (see Lucidchart vs. Visio: A Review | Features, And Pricing for a comparison). The general consensus among evaluators is that Lucidchart is more user-friendly than Visio. CIS students have been using Lucidchart for various assignments for several semesters already. Lucidchart allows them to create many different types of diagrams in addition to flowcharts. Some of the technical diagrams such as database ER Diagrams can be exported directly to code. For example, students in database classes such as CIS 252, CIS 417, and CIS 489 are able to design their database in Lucidchart, and then export the code to be copied to the database instance.

The grant received was for 1800.00 to cover one year's subscription for Lucidchart, as a pilot project. Students in CiS 112 Intro to Networking and Security, CIS 252 Database Design I, and CIS 289 System Anaylsis and Design II completed projects using Lucidchart. Students in CIS 107 had the option of using Lucidchart or other media to create diagrams for class problems.

Mary Beth Moore

Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems and Academic Advisor, WVU Potomac State College

In 2021 she was selected to join the Atlantic Council Digital Forensics Research Lab 360/Digital Sherlocks program (DFRLab), whose mission is to counter online disinformation. Moore, along with other selected scholars, have access to a global network of experts ready to exchange ideas and collaborate, as well as to exclusive material and resources and other tailored opportunities. Students in CIS 440 Cyberethics also benefit from Moore’s knowledge by examining the implications of the spread of online disinformation and what’s being done to counter the distribution of disinformation.