A new course the Jindal School launched this semester gives students opportunities to use elements of artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities in apps they create to solve business problems — all while picking up new skills in next-generation, in-demand app development. And that, says course creator Gaurav Shekhar, puts the business analytics course, Robotic Process Automation, at the forefront of information technology teaching.

The robots the RPA name suggests are the computer crawler kind embedded in coding used in automation. And automating business processes is the crux of the graduate-level course, says Shekhar, an assistant professor of instruction in information systems and director of the MS in Business Analytics Flex and Online programs. Students learn how to take a series of related business tasks previously performed by people, develop a process for them and then automate that process so it can be operated by a computer.

Because business-process automation frees up workers, increases efficiency and generally makes a company more change-ready, demand for it is increasing.

The stepped-up pace of automation owes a lot to advances in app development, Shekhar says, and the RPA course has tapped into that, too, via an industry partnership with Appian, a Virginia-based software developer and cloud-computing company, that gives students access to the Appian Low-code Automation Platform.

On a low-code platform, many of the commands app developers usually write are already created and packaged — in icons, labels or visual images — that the developers can drag and drop into a new program.

Not only are the ease and speed at which you can create an app greatly improved, Shekhar says, “but think of how many more apps you can create.”

Although low code has been around about a decade, demand for it and for IT professionals who know how to use it has been on the rise.

At an Appian user’s group meeting JSOM hosted a few years ago, Shekhar recognized “a disconnect” between demand for low-coding and the number of professionals qualified to use it.

JSOM first addressed that training gap in 2019 when Shekhar made low-code development with Appian the basis for a Digital Consulting Project (MIS 6349) senior capstone class.

The Digital Consulting Project course will be back this fall, Shekhar says, as will the Robotic Process Automation (BUAN 6385) course. An additional professional incentive in the class: Students who complete the course will get free one-time access to the Appian Level I Developer certification exam.