IT Accreditationand

Model Curriculum

Eydie Lawson, Chair SIGITE

Barry M. Lunt, Ph.D.

ISECON Nov -- 2003

Overview

• What is IT

• Historical Development

• Accreditation Criteria

• Format

• Current Status

• Model Curriculum

What is IT?

• Information Technology (IT) in its broadest sense encompasses all aspects of computing technology.  IT, as an academic discipline, focuses on meeting the needs of users within an organizational and societal context through the selection, creation, application, integration and administration of computing technologies.

History

• Phase 1—Utah, 12/2001 (TAC format)– Conference on Information Technology Curriculum– 15 universities, ACM, IEEE, ABET– Formed committees

• Accreditation & Model Curriculum

• Phase 2—Savannah, 4/2002 (EAC format)– 42 universities– Expanded committee membership– Formed SITE

History

• Phase 3—Rochester, 9/2002 (CAC format)• CAC General Criteria

– IT Han Reichgelt, Eydie Lawson– CS Art Price, Stuart Zweben – IS Gayle Yaverbaum, George Kasper

• Minor revisions to IT criteria consistent with general criteria

• Phase 4—October 2003, what are standards vs criteria• July 1—SITE became ACM SIGITE

Draft IT Specific Criteria

I. Objectives, Outcomes and Assessment

II. Student Support

III. Faculty Qualifications

IV. Faculty Size and Workload

V. Curriculum

VI. Technology Infrastructure

VII. Institutional Support and Financial Resources

VIII. Institutional facilities

FORMAT

• For each, there is a criterion, and a set of standards.

• A criterion describes the underlying principles that MUST be met for a program to be eligible for accreditation.

• Standards provide one example of how the criteria can be met; programs can show alternative ways of meeting the criteria.

• IT draft standards include minimum learning outcomes. Consistent with other Accreditation Commissions within ABET.

Current Status

• IT draft criteria submitted to CSAB

• Expect IT criteria 1-2 years before finalized

• ABET Board approved “general computing criteria” for first reading

• IT programs will be included in pilot of general criteria 2004-2005

IT Model Curriculum

Barry M. Lunt, Ph.D.

Presentation Overview

• Background of development• IT Pillars• Jobs for IT grads• Broad goals for IT programs• One-sentence definition – IS comparison• Knowledge areas• Comparison to CS, IS• Other characteristics of development• Summary

First some background

• Who are the players?– Representatives from 4-year IT programs in 21

institutions– Members of ACM, IEEE Computer Society,

ABET– Members of SIGITE

Additional Background

• 4-year curriculum committee formed in Dec 2001 (accreditation committee also formed)

• Effort has been both top-down and bottom-up– Multiple bodies have described what should be

part of an IT curriculum – wide agreement– Desired outcomes defined– Job titles listed

Curriculum Pillars of IT

• Networking

• Databases

• Web Systems

• Programming

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Job Titles Envisioned

• Networking

• Information Services and Support

• Programming and Software Development

• Interactive Media

Broad Goals of IT programs

Provide IT graduates with the skills and knowledge to take on appropriate professional positions in information technology upon graduation and grow into leadership positions or pursue research or graduate studies in the field. Specifically, within five years of graduation a student must be able to:

• Explain and apply appropriate information technologies and employ appropriate methodologies to help an individual or organization achieve its goals and objectives;

• Manage the information technology resources of an individual or organization;

• Anticipate the changing direction of information technology and evaluate and communicate the likely utility of new technologies to an individual or organization;

• Understand and for some to contribute to the scientific, mathematical and theoretical foundations on which information technologies are built;

• Live and work as a contributing, well-rounded member of society.

One-Sentence Definition

Information Technology (IT) in its broadest sense encompasses all aspects of computing technology.  IT, as an academic discipline, focuses on meeting the needs of users within an organizational and societal context through the selection, creation, application, integration and administration of computing technologies.

IS, as an academic field, encompasses acquisition, deployment, and management of information technology resources, and the development and evolution of technology infrastructures and systems for use in organizational processes.

IT Knowledge Areas

1. Application Domain2. Computer-Mediated Experience3. HCI4. Information Management/Databases5. Networking6. Security7. Social & Professional Issues8. Programming9. Software Systems10. Systems Administration11. Systems Integration12. User-Centric Issues

IT & Related Disciplines

• Information Systems; Computer Science

• Studied at 13 institutions:

BYU (Utah) Capella Univ

Georgia Southern Univ Illinois State Univ

Indiana Univ Macon State Univ

Penn. College of Tech. Purdue (W. Lafayette)

RIT SUNY-Morrisville

Univ. of Baltimore Univ. of Houston

Univ. of South Alabama

Computer Science

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

Management Information Systems

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

Information Technology

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

Other Characteristics

• One layer deeper in the technology– Consider history of origin

• Multiple input forums– Industrial Advisory Boards– Delphi study: 15 academic institutions, 3

professional organizations– Multiple occasions– Feedback to full SITE/SIGITE membership

Summary

• IT curriculum definition well underway

• Input from many forums

• Distinguished from all related disciplines (?)

• Information Technology