Factors that Influence Information Systems Undergraduates to Pursue IT Certification

Hunsinger, D. Scott; Smith, Michael

doi:10.28945/188

Cited by 19 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Previous research has considered the benefits and risks of ICT certification and its importance in obtaining employment, both from the student perspective (Hunsinger and Smith 2008;McGill and Dixon 2005;Rajendran 2011) and from a workplace perspective (Cegielski 2004;Cegielski et al 2003;CompTIA 2011;Hunsinger et al 2011). Certification is perceived as an important factor in achieving employment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These benefits appear to include: increased credibility, flexibility to change jobs, increased salary, and increased job security. These potential benefits are also a powerful incentive for university students to undertake certification as part of their studies (Hunsinger and Smith 2008;McGill and Dixon 2005). These potential benefits therefore provide an incentive for those in the ICT industry, and those hoping to join it, to obtain certifications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly the case when students are obtaining certification (Hunsinger and Smith 2008;McGill and Dixon 2005). In their study, Hunsinger and Smith found that little more than half of the undergraduate student participants had the money to meet the costs of ICT certification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An investigation of the impact of recertification requirements on recertification decisions

McGill

Dixon

2013

Proceedings of the 2013 Annual Conference on Computers and People Research

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Certification has become a popular adjunct to traditional means of acquiring information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge and skills and many employers specify a preference for those holding certifications. Many ICT certifications include a requirement to recertify regularly, but little is known about the impacts of recertification requirements on the intention to maintain certification. This research explores the factors that influence the recertification decision. The perspectives of both ICT students and ICT professionals were sought. Both students and ICT professionals were very positive about the benefits of certification and highlighted that intrinsic desire for improved knowledge and skill, as well as job related benefits, motivated them to obtain certification and maintain it. The ICT professionals also emphasized the importance of certification to their employers. ICT professionals had strong knowledge of the recertification requirements for the certifications they held. This was not, however, the case for the ICT students; many students had little knowledge of what recertification might entail. A key factor contributing to intention to recertify was flexibility to seek higher paying jobs. The cost of recertification was not found to be a major issue. Support from employers in providing time for obtaining recertification was considered important. Given the huge range of different certifications available, and the varying value of these to the holder at different points in their career, ICT professionals appeared to take a strategic approach to the decision to recertify. They appeared to have considered, and selectively chosen, those which are worth recertifying given their current position and career aspirations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An investigation of the impact of recertification requirements on recertification decisions

McGill

Dixon

2013

Proceedings of the 2013 Annual Conference on Computers and People Research

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“…• Improving organizational processes, These and related pedagogical articles have in common that they pertain most closely to students in the midst (e.g., Kamoun & Selim, 2007;Murray, 2010) or even towards the end of their coursework program (e.g., Hunsinger & Smith, 2008;Venables & Tan, 2009). Limited attention to date, however, has been given to undergraduate introductory courses at the very beginning of a university program.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the Work System Method with Freshman Information Systems Students

Recker

Alter

2012

JITE:IIP

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Executive SummaryRecent surveys of information technology management professionals show that understanding business domains in terms of business productivity and cost reduction potential, knowledge of different vertical industry segments and their information requirements, understanding of business processes and client-facing skills are more critical for Information Systems personnel than ever before. In an attempt to restructure the information systems curriculum accordingly, our view is that information systems students need to develop an appreciation for organizational work systems in order to understand the operation and significance of information systems within such work systems.Work systems are systems in which human participants and/or machines perform work to produce products and/or services for internal or external customers. This view stresses that systems in organizations involve more than an IT system (such as a data warehouse or an accounting application). The work system method has been designed to assist in developing an understanding of work systems in organizations. The method describes an adaptable set of steps that an analyst can use to identify a work system, clarify problems, issues, and opportunities related to that work system, identify possible directions for change, and produce and justify a recommendation.To date, the use of the work system method in information systems curricula has demonstrated that postgraduate students can benefit from this approach when examining a business situation involving an information system. To contrast the experiences of post-graduate students with work experiences, in this paper we report on use of a simplified version of the Work System Method in a freshman Information Systems course and study how students without work or technical knowledge performed when analyzing IT-reliant work systems in business settings. We reflect on an introductory information systems course that included a work system analysis assignment, and we examine the reports produced by students as well as the learning outcomes and challenges.Our analysis reveals that undergraduates can benefit from analyzing IT-reliant work systems through the work system method. Their analyses tend to reflect their lack of business background, but doing these analyses can help as a first step toward appreciating the business situations in which information systems are used. We present a series of implications for improving the class experience related to teaching work system ideas Material published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cases o...

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“…The CNAP online courses were chosen as they are industrystandard certification courses, providing the vision impaired students with relevant qualifications currently in demand by employers. IT certifications are highly regarded by employers and provide students with confidence of their abilities (Hunsinger & Smith, 2008). The CNAP courses also form the basis of several undergraduate courses in a Bachelor of IT program, thus providing articulation into an undergraduate degree for those wishing to continue their studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced IT Education for the Vision Impaired via e-Learning

Armstrong

2009

JITE:Research

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Executive SummaryLack of accessibility in the design of e-learning courses continues to hinder students with vision impairment. E-learning materials are predominantly vision-centric, incorporating images, animation, and interactive media, and as a result students with acute vision impairment do not have equal opportunity to gain tertiary qualifications or skills relevant to the marketplace and their disability. Due to its logical, rather than physical, nature IT help desk and network administration roles are ideal for people who are blind. This paper describes the development of a fully accessible e-learning environment to deliver advanced IT network curriculum to adults with acute vision disabilities. The components include a virtual classroom, accessible learning materials, a remote computer laboratory, and delivery of the learning materials by vision impaired instructors. Industry standard courses in advanced IT were redeveloped, and the accessible on-line learning environment was developed to deliver the courses. Vision impaired students who excelled in the pilot project were trained as instructors, gaining industry-standard instructor certifications. These instructors were used to assist with the design of accessible methods and delivered the materials to the vision impaired students.The project has been operational for four years with a pilot project being conducted over a two year period, followed by the delivery of the courses both local and remote vision impaired students across the globe using this accessible e-learning environment for the past two years. Evaluation results indicate that vision impaired students situated both locally and remotely gained equivalent grades to their sighted counterparts given additional time to comprehend and experiment via the virtual classroom and remote computer laboratory. In addition, the use of vision impaired instructors has resulted in more innovative approaches to accessible teaching methods and delivery of the curriculum.

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Factors that Influence Information Systems Undergraduates to Pursue IT Certification

Cited by 19 publications

References 34 publications

An investigation of the impact of recertification requirements on recertification decisions

An investigation of the impact of recertification requirements on recertification decisions

Using the Work System Method with Freshman Information Systems Students

Advanced IT Education for the Vision Impaired via e-Learning

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