Teaching with the Labs

Learn what our labs are all about!

WHAT are they?

Lab Exercises, Re-imagined

The Max Labs provide an innovative hands-on enhancement to the classic “Intro to Systems” course, using good story-telling to engage iGen students.

The exercises are cast as blog postings by a girl named Max, a student who stumbles her way into a Silicon Valley startup, applying Salesforce platform technologies she’s learning in class.

In her postings, Max relates the challenges she runs into and the solutions she figures out, and she gives step-by-step instructions so her “subscribers” can follow along.

Max-imize your teaching

Instructors love how the Max Labs can “concretize” course concepts in a fun & engaging way.

Students with no tech background amaze themselves by creating their own mobile & web-based apps and database with triggers for automated workflows, etc.

“Great job keeping me engaged. Fun!”

“I like the backstories for each lab. Makes it more human & less of just instructions.”

WHAT do students do?

Students learn by doing these real tasks in just six 75-minute “episodes”

create a database & manually add data
build/configure/demo a mobile app (!)
import external data w/record-matching
create/configure data views, reports/stats
analyze options using data visualization
create a dashboard w/dynamic gauge
build/implement data verification rules
identify/correct data redundancy issues thru 3rd normal form modeling
practice GUI schema manipulation
implement data-merge email templates
configure CRM for lead development
create/provision new enterprise users
collaborate using SF’s social channel app
automate/implement a workflow process with business rules
build a database-connected webform to collect leads & trigger workflows
create/issue a raw POST request to send data into a new record via API over HTTP

WHY the Max Labs?

No platform (Salesforce) knowledge/exp needed for students or instructors: built-in self-grading, self-support allows focus on conceptual learning
Innovative “storified” approach engages iGen students w/humor & good story-telling (AIS Best Conf Paper on IS Education, 2016)
Concretizes core concepts: Database, Process Automation, Enterprise, User Experience, Analytics, Mobile, CRM, Social Business, Cloud...
Non-tech students build apps with no coding on Salesforce’s leading enterprise platform (Forbes - #1 Most Innovative)
Students work in the cloud anywhere using any browser/computer anytime
Six exercise/episodes: each fits into one class (75 min) or assign as homework
Great for both F2F and online courses
Easy to administer: self-contained PDFs include everything—students manage their own logins/passwords
Smart grader app gives students instant feedback & explains fixes for any snags
Almost free: students pay just $19.99 thru PayPal. All online. No bookstore hassle.

SCHOOLS USING MAX LABS

Temple University
York University
FAU - Erlangen-Nürnberg
University of Arkansas

University of Hawaii

Lakehead University

UC-Colorado Springs
and more...

Instructor Resources

Check out our Instructor Community, where you can find helpful resources such as:

Sample Syllabi
Annotated Class Discussion Suggestions
Student Orientation Slide Deck
And so much more!

Help us spread the word! We would appreciate it if you could let your colleagues know about us!

Download our brochure below.