Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Some Recommendations
There are, of course, no easy solutions to resolve the issues raised. In increasing order
of difficulty, some of the barriers to meaningful reform and evolution of the IS curriculum might
be surmounted over time and with sufficient dedication.
•
To reduce confusion
: Local course advisory and professional bodies can provide
invaluable insight into the mix of technical and nontechnical formal courses and soft
skills appropriate for a given institution's service area. Focus groups and local
replication of available studies should provide targeted, timely, and authoritative
guidance for ongoing curriculum evolution.
•
Overcoming tradition and inertia
: To some extent, prospective students have taken
matters into their own hands by opting in larger numbers to bypass traditional
university courses in favor of industry-sponsored/sanctioned entry gateways, such
as those offered by Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and others. It is possible that students
electing the nonacademic alternative see more value in industry-focused training than
in academic education that they see as irrelevant to their career aspirations. A large
number of traditional business subjects were rated low in importance by IS practitioners
and employers in the tables above. Tertiary educators will need to reconsider the value
of these traditional business subjects and will have to extend themselves to develop
and deliver revitalized curricula that squarely address the expressed desire for soft skills
that have been identified in a number of studies. Have another look at Tables 4
(Comparative Importance of Academic Subjects ) and 7 (Comparative Ratings of Hard
Skills by IS Practitioners and Employers). Note the position of the majority of traditional
business subjects in ratings of importance by IS practitioners and employers. What
would your course advisory body or a local study of your service area suggest?
•
Finding resources
: Always a problem, resources are easier to obtain from a body of
satisfied clients, such as the firms who employ our graduates. If we are seen to consult
with, listen to, and serve the interests of those firms, they will follow their self-interest
by becoming industry partners, rich sources of guidance in curriculum planning and
development, work experience for students, consultancies for academics, equipment,
money, and political weight in our own institution. We must learn to master what we
teach about building client ownership to insure system acceptance and success.
•
Neutralizing vested interests
: Senior university managers may oppose substantive IS
curriculum reform such as that discussed in this chapter for a number of reasons,
including loss of revenue if students enroll in soft skill courses provided by another
administrative unit. It is up to IS educators to develop strategies to address the turf
issues that preoccupy some administrators. Building
effective partnerships with the
appropriate industries in our service area can provide a powerful voice to speak on our
behalf to senior management. Accrediting bodies can also help in this way.
Toward a Technology-Based Profession
While study after study has called for soft skills acquisition and development by IS
students, some IS programs have a clearer and better-developed vision than others of what
those skills are and how they may be introduced and cultivated. The growing emphasis on
soft skills in IS education is an indication that what began as a fundamentally technology-
oriented discipline is evolving into a technology-based profession. We can watch someone
