Employers' perspectives on it learning outcomes

Abstract

As part of the assessment process of our BS in Information Technology (IT), we sought the perspective of IT employers on needed skills and knowledge for a career in IT. To this end, we conducted structured interviews with 10 IT employers in the Chicago area.Starting with an open-ended query, we asked for knowledge, skills or competencies that they particularly value when hiring IT graduates. We then asked for feedback on four preselected competencies. All four competencies were framed in technology-independent terms and are consistent with the ACM 2005 IT curricula guidelines. Two of the competencies addressed abstraction and modeling, which directly correspond to learning outcomes in the core IT Fundamentals in the ACM guidelines. A third competency addressed object-based user interface development. A final competency focused on the distinction between interface and implementation. For each competency, we asked about their value with respect to their IT positions and how they assess the competency in a job candidate.One major finding from the interviews is that knowledge specific to a particular language or platform was rarely cited as relevant and often explicitly noted as irrelevant. The competency on abstraction was uniformly rated as needed, often receiving critical ratings. Modeling and ability to distinguish between interface and implementation were also indicated as needed by nearly every interviewee. Object-based user interface development was considered useful knowledge but only needed for specific types of positions. For assessing competencies, a common approach involved asking prospective recruits to present an experience where they applied principles associated with a particular competency. Several interviewees also assess level of understanding by presenting candidates with hypothetical scenarios and observing their problem-solving process. To complement the detailed commentary provided by our interviews, we plan a survey with a large number of respondents for more reliable estimates of how employers value and assess IT competencies.

Metonymic errors in a web development course

“…To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. IT careers [8]. The importance of these competencies is consistent with recent articles promoting architecture [1,9] and the need to compose systems from working components [5].…”

Investigating the skill gap between graduating students and industry expectations

“…One of the studies identified in the literature review pointed to a lack of multi-threaded programming ability [18]. Another study indicated that language independence among recent graduates was a problem [20]. The results of this research did not indicate that programming ability was often viewed as a problem.…”

“…Miller, et al conducted a study where ten IT professionals in charge of hiring were interviewed about necessary competencies for applicants [20]. The interviewed professionals were asked about the importance of four preselected competencies (e.g.…”

“…This lack of preparation is not just limited to programming skills or other computer science concepts, but can also include communication ability, familiarity and proficiency with software tools, and an understanding of software engineering concepts such as software development processes. Recently graduated students who are beginning their first job may struggle in these or other areas [2,4,7,14,20]. In some cases, there is a large enough gap between students' skills and the expectations of industry managers or other hiring personnel, that it may prevent students from receiving jobs.…”

Keeping up with web development trends

“…The IT program at DePaul University draws upon these elements using web development as the main vehicle for teaching them. Of the five required courses specific to web development, the core two-course sequence emphasizes the role of software architecture and interoperability, an emphasis endorsed in previous work [4,5].…”