“LINKING WITH PRIVATE SECTOR: IT CURRUCULUM REFORM” PROJECT

Laith KassisMarch 2014

Project Overview

• Complies with the Quality Improvement Fund (QIF) content

priorities to target programs, which are relevant to labor market

needs, including human resource development and institutional capacity

building.

• The IT faculty in collaboration with The Center of Excellence for Learning

and Teaching (CELT), and PITA will redesign and implement 8 junior

and senior level courses from the computer information system

curriculum plan.

• The project methodology will include: 1) Market needs assessment

survey; 2) Capacity building for IT faculty in areas like problem- and

project- based learning methods; 3) Redesigning and implementing 8

junior and senior course plans in collaboration with the private sector

(PITA) so the courses will provide the students with more authentic

opportunities to learn by working on IT.

Assessment Survey + Study Methodology

Input from ANU

Desk Research + PITA Study

Surveying PITA Members

(Market Needs Assessment)

Benchmarking Curriculum with

Stanford Uni

Conclusions / Recommendatio

ns

Input from ANU on the CIS Program

• The Main Goal of the CIS program

• What the program enables students to attain, by the time of graduation

• A list of Courses to be taken by students enrolled in the CIS Program and its

Description:• Algorithm and Programming Techniques. Artificial Intelligence systems.

Business and human behavior modeling and simulation. Computer Graphics. Computer Networks. Computer Systems Security. Data Mining. Data Structures. Database Administrations. Database design & Programming. Discrete Mathematics. Distributed Systems. Elementary Probability and Statistics. Entrepreneurship. Fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming. Game Programming. Health Information Systems. Heuristic Optimization techniques. Human Computer Interactions. Image Processing. Information Retrieval systems. Introduction to Computer. Introduction to Computer Architecture. Introduction to Multimedia systems. Methods of Statistics I. New Trends in Programming. Object Oriented Analysis and Design. Object-Based Systems Programming. Operating Systems. Operation Research Applications. Palestinian Studies Principles of Accounting & Finance. Principles of Programming & Problem Solving. Scientific Research Seminar. Software Engineering. Software Project Management. Software Testing and Quality Assurance. Special Topics in computer information systems. Technical Report writing. Visual systems Programming. Web programming I & II.

General Desk Research

• Similar Threads and Courses to CIS

• Similar Objectives and Intended Outcomes

• Skills – Learning Objectiveso Knowledge to be Acquired

o Skills Framework for the Information Age” (SFIA), which is

used world wide as a preferred way of describing IT skills in

different categories

PITA Study – Palestinian ICT Labor Market Gap Analysis

• Generally, Negative Findings on:

– Finding Human Resource Skills -

Graduates

– University Internship Programs

– Curriculum

– University Professorshttp://www.pita.ps/sites/default/files/palestinian_ict_labor_market_gap_analysis.pdf

Secondary Data SourceOffering Interviews with Students and Professors

The Market Needs Assessment Survey1 - Section 1: [Gauging Market Perceptions]

• An-Najah University recently updated Computerized Information Systems (CIS) curriculum and

• Program alignment to the IT Market Needs.

 

2 - Section 2: [Market Needs for IT skills] structured based on Desk Research of skills

categories:

• Strategy and Architecture

• Business Change

• Solution Development and Implementation

• Service Management and Support

• Client Relationship Skills

3 - Section 3: [Additional Market Input on Skills, Tech Trends, Body of Knowledge,

Workforce Development]

• Other Soft Skills that are needed as learning objectives

• Specific Technology Trends that might create jobs

• Industry Functional Expertise that might be in demand

• Industry Training / Certification that might be in demand

Primary Data Source with subsequent Gap Analysis on Skills to be Acquired for the Courses Currently

Offered

Primary Data Source

Survey Results – Section 1

• Nineteen companies have responded to the survey seeing

relevancy of the CIS Curriculum

Participants Recommendation on the CIS Courses

• More Strict Grading and Passing System

• Transition from Theory to Practice in All Courses

incorporating Recent Technology Trends

• More cooperation with the Private Sector

• More Methods and Tools

Section 2 - Strategy and Architecture Gap Analysis

Section 2 - IT Business Management Gap Analysis

Section 2 – SDLC Gap Analysis

Section 2 – Service Management and Support Gap Analysis

Section 2 – Client Relationship Gap Analysis

Section 3 – Other Learning Objects

Presentations  18 12%English language - Reading, Writing and Speaking 17 11%Team work and interpersonal  15 10%Critical thinking 15 10%Problem Solving 14 9%Creative thinking and visioning 14 9%Decision making 12 8%Active Listening  11 7%Leadership and assertiveness 11 7%Mathematical  8 5%Arabic language - Reading, Writing and Speaking 6 4%Conflict management 7 4%Responsible risk taking 7 4%Other 1 1%

Section 3 – Technology Trend

Cloud Computing 15 22%

Android Applications 13 19%

iOS Apple Applications 11 16%

Games Production 8 12%

Virtualizations 6 9%

VoIP Solutions 5 7%

Geographic Information Systems 5 7%

Imaging Information Systems 3 4%

Other 2 3%

Section 3 – Industry BoK

Enterprise Resource Planning 12 16%Client Relationship Management 12 16%e-Commerce Solutions 11 15%Business Intelligence Reporting 10 13%Health 7 9%Supply Chain Management 6 8%Accounting and Financial Modelling 6 8%Government 5 7%Islamic Financing and Insurance 2 3%Commercial Banking 2 3%Other 2 3%

Section 3 – Staff Training

Vendor Specific: Microsoft 8 13%

Project Management: PMI, Prince2 7 12%

Vendor Specific: Oracle 7 12%

Software outsourcing development including software testing 6 10%

None 5 8%

Process Methodology: CMM, RUP, ISO, Agile, RAD, Waterfall, ITIL, SEI, BS7799

5 8%

Code Quality Assurance: Peer review, test plans, testing tools 5 8%

Vendor Specific: CISCO 5 8%

Version control: Source safe, PVC 4 7%

Knowledge Management: Lunch and Learn, Wikis, Library System 2 3%

Vendor Specific: VMWare 2 3%

Other 2 3%

Estimation methodology: SLIM, Effort Analysis, SEER-SEM 1 2%

Animation and Movies: Maya, 3DSMax, Rendering software, 3D Autocad

1 2%

Benchmarking CIS to Stanford Uni

• Similar conclusion to the PITA research comparison with Birzeit University can

be drawn with regards to ANU CIS program. When we also compare the Winter

classes selection of courses, it becomes more apparent that Stanford CS

Program o Offers wider course selection than initially thought in the PITA research analysis

o Offers contemporary technology topics connected to real world situations such as:

Liberation Technologies, Modeling Biomedical Systems and Mobile Music as some

examples

o Gender specific in the case of the course: Understanding Women's Exper in High-Tech

Companies

o Connect curriculum work to corporate world: “Software Project Experience with

Corporate Partner” and gives the students a more real world experience and

encourages them to think about the benefits and functional use of technology to make

them more innovative and better users.

Main Recommendations

• Re-design several core CIS courses, in cooperation with the private sector, the following

courses have been identified as the priority:1. Database design & Programming and integrate cloud architecture2. Software Engineering integrating latest technology trends such as cloud

computing engineering and user experience design3. Web Programming I & II for core competencies in latest technology trends4. New Trends in Programming (to focus on core Mobile Application Programming

technical competencies e.g. for Android and iOS)5. Software Project Management including the focus on standard methodologies

competencies adding soft skills such as Presentation, English language and team work

6. Computer Systems Security 7. Software Testing and Quality Assurance with focus on standard methods and

tools 8. Introduce a new Technology Marketing and Sales course

• Provide hands-on training based in labs or projects such as:• Principles of Accounting & Finance can add a practical part to let students practice

local vendors accounting systems• Work on internship and graduation projects related and in cooperation with the

private sector

• Q&A

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LaithKassis

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Laith Kassis