Challenges of IT Education in the 21st Century

Citation

Limb, P. (2003), "Challenges of IT Education in the 21st Century", Online Information Review, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 368-369. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520310503594

As online courses proliferate and Virtual Universities start to challenge traditional structures of instruction, questions arise. How useful are current theories of teaching and learning in an increasingly virtual scenario? Can new IT‐oriented pedagogical methods combine with established practices? How should we design teaching curricula in the digital environment? IT education is a fast‐changing, growing field. Cohen has assembled a group of peer‐reviewed articles by specialists from the academy and business in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The emphasis is on the theory and praxis of teaching IT: “How does the Internet change the task of teaching? What is the role of the professor in a world of online learning?” (p. i). Whilst mainly aimed at IT teachers, the principles enunciated in the book have a wider interest.

The book comprises four sections. The first offers specific examples on how to teach IT. Wells argues the need to build, manage, and evaluate teams proactively, with students explicitly taught these concepts. She also discusses managing geographically separated “virtual” teams. Hope and Fergusson present pragmatic models of teaching and learning graduate research skills, emphasising core research skills. Atkins provides a method to teach communication and problem‐solving skills via teaching data modelling. The second section deals with how best to teach. Cope, Staehr, and Horan report on a project to improve IT teaching that encourages students to adopt a deep approach to learning. Benbunan‐Fich and Stelzer stress the need to apply new ways of teaching. Bentley, Sandy and Lowry outline how problem‐based learning can link IT education with workplace demands. Section three addresses the impact of the Web. Mitchell and Hope note that many Web‐based courses repeat weaknesses in traditional teaching due to mistaken assumptions. Instead, flexible learning demands an increased focus on “constructivism”. Nantz and Lundgren discuss the trend to Web‐based courses and problems associated with their creation and development, such as increased demands on a teacher's time. Kock and King outline a company‐sponsored course to teach business process redesign concepts and techniques, noting the use of Web‐based collaboration technologies in combination with communication behaviour norms and face‐to‐face meetings. Section four emphasises curricula. Knight and Chan describe the strategy and tactics of a successful DePaul University e‐commerce curriculum that combined strong technological expertise with solid industry relations and entrepreneurial culture. Tatnall and Davey model human/non‐human interactions. Knight and Chan, and Scime also treat curricula models. Finally, the “Model Curriculum” of the Information Resources Management Association and Data Administration Managers Association is appended.

Underlying many of the contributions is the (some would say realistic; others mercenary) assumption that IT faculty must mould courses to satisfy corporate demands. Certainly there is a need for more real‐life problem‐solving. But should the imparting of individual skills outweigh developing the ability to think critically? The index is limited in scope and the font is at times cramped, thus being hard to read. A list of acronyms would have helped general readers.

The pedagogical principles outlined in this book are not particularly novel but open up important issues for wider discussion. IT teachers will find the ideas and applications useful and stimulating. Other information science specialists, especially those involved in teaching online or traditional courses will find interesting ideas to test. After all, if libraries are creating the new digital library then how library users (and library IT specialists) are educated is of vital importance to the effective use of this new institution.