Defining the ICT Curriculum

Greetings from the UNSW Canberra (at ADFA) where Lynette Johns-Boast from ANU is speaking on "A Definitional Framework for curriculum" at the "Conveticle on Computing Education". It is surprising that what a curriculum is could be so unclear. However, what a curriculum is depends on what the purpose of education is, what outcomes are expected and how prescriptive  the process to get there is. Lynette suggests a software engineering approach can be applied to curriculum design, working from the purpose of the course to the desired outcomes and from this set out the required content. This prevents courses growing in an uncontrolled way, with old content just accumulating. Lynette uses the analogy of university degrees built from building blocks, but I suggest my analogy of car "platforms" works better. Building blocks are of a fixed size, but car platforms are designed so they can be adjusted in size (within set limits) to build a small or large car. In the case of curriculum you could apply the platform to a short diploma, a degree or a masters.

Coming up is:

2:40 Potential for Secondary and Tertiary IT Pathways in the light of the Digital Technologies Curriculum, Bruce Fuda, Gunghalin College
3:20 Computing Ethics Education, Richard Lucas, UC
4:00 Close

Teaching Innovation in Canberra

Greetings from the UNSW Canberra (at ADFA) where Richa Awasthy, from ANU is speaking on "TechLauncher: A university course creating industry-ready graduates and entrepreneurship". I have been the "client" for one of the teams of students doing the TechLauncher Program at ANU (building webinar software to plug into Moodle). Richa described the complexities of having IT students do a real group project where they have to produce a product (and optionally do a company start-up). May institutions now have some sort of project course and possibly a start-up, but the interesting thing about TechLauncher is that it links together existing project and start-up programs.

Coming up are:

1:40 A Definitional Framework for curriculum

Lynette Johns-Boast, ANU
2:20 Afternoon tea
2:40 Potential for Secondary and Tertiary IT Pathways in the light of the Digital Technologies Curriculum, Bruce Fuda, Gunghalin College
3:20 Computing Ethics Education, Richard Lucas, UC
4:00 Close

ps: This morning I talked on Evolving Content and Assessment for an International Moodle Course

Looking for Graduate Outcomes

Greetings from the UNSW Canberra (at ADFA) where Tim Turner just opened the "Conveticle on Computing Education". This is a free, informal one day conference where researchers and practitioners can present and discuss.  The first speaker is Chris Johnson from ANU on "Academic Peer Assessment for Learning Standards". The issue is how you compare the educational product which different universities produce.  Interesting, while universities compare a lot of time and resources assessing their students, they do not like to be assessed themselves. ;-)

Chris went through some of the reasons for learning standards: for the university, government and employers (one not mentioned was the community). He suggested that the final capstone project which ICT students do would be one option for benchmarking.

I suggest that university, government and employers may have different priorities for what graduates should be able to do. Hamilton, Carbone, Gonsalvez, and Jollands (2015) have looked at what ICT employers want. In terms of the public interest I suggest that competence is sufficient: that is graduates should be able to do what they are supposed to do without accidentally killing anyone. Universities and employers might want some form of ranking above competent. Also, I suggest, that universities and employers may have different priorities.

One issue for employers have been the professional skills of the graduates. That is can they work in teams, deliver on time, understand business processes and communicate with non-specialists. Universities have responded by claiming students have these skills, by having them in extra-curricular activities, as separate courses or integrated. The latter two approaches I suggest could be implemented using e-portfolios.

Coming up are:

9:40 Evolving Content and Assessment for an International Moodle Course, Tom Worthington, ANU
10:20 Morning tea
10:40 Teaching Human Computer Interaction to International Students, Jennyfer Taylor, ANU
11:20 Teaching Technical Subjects on Moodle, Michael de Raadt, Moodle
12:00 Lunch
1:00 TechLauncher: A university course creating industry-ready graduates and entrepreneurship, Richa Awasthy, ANU
1:40 A Definitional Framework for curriculum
Lynette Johns-Boast, ANU
2:20 Afternoon tea
2:40 Potential for Secondary and Tertiary IT Pathways in the light of the Digital Technologies Curriculum, Bruce Fuda, Gunghalin College
3:20 Computing Ethics Education, Richard Lucas, UC
4:00 Close

Reference

Hamilton, M., Carbone, A., Gonsalvez, C., & Jollands, M. (2015, January). Breakfast with ICT Employers: What do they want to see in our graduates?. In Proceedings of the 17th Australasian Computing Education Conference (ACE 2015) (Vol. 27, p. 30). Retrieved from http://www.tomw.net.au/education/online_professional_education/eportfolio/

ps: Most of the time the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)  campus looks like any other university (except the students are in uniform). But today I noticed a sign pointing to a cyber-security course and there are helicopters landing on the playing field.

Computing Education Conference in Canberra

UNSW Canberra (at ADFA) is hosting the "Conveticle on Computing Education", 27 October 2015 in Canberra. This is a free, informal one day conference where researchers and practitioners can present and discuss. Contact Tim Turner, for more details.

Draft Program

8:30 Arrival tea and coffee
9:00 Academic Peer Assessment for Learning Standards, Chris Johnson, ANU
9:40 Evolving Content and Assessment for an International Moodle Course, Tom Worthington, ANU
10:20 Morning tea
10:40 Teaching Human Computer Interaction to International Students, Jennyfer Taylor, ANU
11:20 Teaching Technical Subjects on Moodle, Michael de Raadt, Moodle
12:00 Lunch
1:00 TechLauncher: A university course creating industry-ready graduates and entrepreneurship, Richa Awasthy, ANU
1:40 A Definitional Framework for curriculum
Lynette Johns-Boast, ANU
2:20 Afternoon tea
2:40 Potential for Secondary and Tertiary IT Pathways in the light of the Digital Technologies Curriculum, Bruce Fuda, Gunghalin College
3:20 Computing Ethics Education, Richard Lucas, UC
4:00 Close

Forum on Computing Education in Canberra

UNSW Canberra (ADFA) is hosting the "Conveticle on Computing Education", 27 October 2015 in Canberra. This is a free, informal one day conference where researchers and practitioners can present and discuss. Tim Turner, has asked for presenters:

"I am writing to invite you to attend this year’s Conventicle on Computing Education. UNSW Canberra agreed to host the event in Canberra this year. ... Please feel free to forward this invitation to other peers with a similar interest. The conventicle is a free one-day forum where computing education practitioners and researchers share their innovations, ideas, and findings with like-minded people working in the same geographic region.

The conventicle is often used to pre-present or re-present recently accepted papers, but it is also a venue for presentation and discussion of hot topics or work in progress. Proposals are not formally reviewed, as they would be for a conference or journal, but are considered by a local organising committee.

No publication ensues, as many of the conventicle papers have been or are soon to be published elsewhere. Please respond to me with your interest in attending and your willingness to make a presentation at the conventicle.

I’ve scheduled the whole day (9:00am to 4:00pm) and would assume that we can have between 8 and 10 presentations (30 – 45mins each) separated by relevant breaks for tea/coffee/lunch/etc. ... I’m happy to discuss the day and expectations on participants in more detail with you, as required.

Please send along proposals for a presentation as soon as practical so that I can build a program. I look forward to seeing you all on 27 October. "

Dr Tim Turner, FACS Director, Undergraduate Studies School of Engineering and IT UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy Chair ACS Canberra Branch