Modelling competencies for computing education beyond 2020: a research based approach to defining competencies in the computing disciplines (original) (raw)

From Knowledge-based to Competency-based Computing Education: Future Directions

2020

Competency is often associated with proficiency, expertise, capability, and performance. Professional schools such as those in dentistry and medicine generally require the practice of skills and knowledge within human environments for someone to become a competent professional in their respective fields. In computing, competency is a relatively new concept. For decades, computing curricula focused on knowledge. However, competency is much more than knowledge. The ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula 2020 (CC2020) project identifies competency as a combination of knowledge, skills, and human dispositions, in context or task. That is, knowledge alone is not enough to produce a competent graduate from a computing program. Industry expects graduates to perform competently from the first day of employment. While computing educators have been sharing computing knowledge for decades, can they do it better under the rubric of competency? The authors leverage on the current activities of the CC2020 ...

Professional Competencies in Computing Education

Proceedings of the 2021 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education

Competency-based learning has been a successful pedagogical approach for centuries, but only recently has it gained traction within computing. Competencies, as defined in Computing Curricula 2020, comprise knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Building on recent developments in competency and computing education, this working group examined relevant pedagogical theories, investigates various skill frameworks, reviewed competencies and standard practices in other professional disciplines such as medicine and law. It also investigated the integrative nature of content knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in defining professional competencies in computing education. In addition, the group explored appropriate pedagogies and competency assessment approaches. It also developed guidelines for evaluating student achievement against relevant professional competency frameworks and explores partnering with employers to offer students genuine professional experience. Finally, possible challenges and opportunities in moving from traditional knowledge-based to competency-based education were also examined. This report makes recommendations to inspire * Working Group Leader † Working Group Co-Leader

Modelling and Measurement of Competencies in Computer Science Education

As a result of the Bologna reform of educational systems in Europe the outcome orientation of learning processes, competence-oriented descriptions of the curricula and competence-oriented assessment procedures became standard also in Computer Science Education (CSE). The following keynote addresses important issues of shaping a CSE competence model especially in the area of informatics system comprehension and object-oriented modelling. Objectives and research methodology of the project MoKoM (Modelling and Measurement of Competences in CSE) are explained. Firstly, the CSE competence model was derived based on theoretical concepts and then secondly the model was empirically examined and refined using expert interviews. Furthermore, the paper depicts the development and examination of a competence measurement instrument, which was derived from the competence model. Therefore, the instrument was applied to a large sample of students at the gymnasium's upper class level. Subsequently, efforts to develop a competence level model, based on the retrieved empirical results and on expert ratings are presented. Finally, further demands on research on competence modelling in CSE will be outlined.

A framework for competency based curriculum design for IT courses

2008

In recent years, universities are constantly facing assaults by certificate and training institutes on their capability to produce high quality graduates who can meet and adapt to the needs of industry. A good curriculum – the structure of the courses, the syllabus and the assessment – is an essential requirement for ensuring the quality of any academic program. The challenge is thus, to identify the core competencies that a student is required to achieve after completion of the course, and the subsequent designing of the syllabi to acquire these competencies. In the competency based model, a proscribed competency should be the instructional goal and the curriculum presentation and evaluation strategies need to be targeted towards acquiring this specific goal. This differs from the traditional methodology which focuses on imparting a generalized knowledge base that might prove useful in the future. The issue that needs to be addressed is thus, the design of a curriculum that is flex...

Computer Science Education and Key Competencies

This article intends to accentuate the contribution of Computer Science Education (CSE) fostering key competencies. Besides an outline of its contribution to convey general education a first approach of a competence model will be presented. It is worked out within a project (MoKoM) granted by the German Research Foundation (DFG), which is proposed to cover competence aspects concerning informatics modeling and system comprehension. Another chapter will present relevant key competencies according to the OECD's Definition and Selection of Competencies Project (DeSeCo). Finally it will be shown, how these competence components (covered by the competence model) contribute to the development of key competencies within the scope of CSE.

Professional Competencies in Computing Education: Are They Important?

2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2020

In this Work in Progress paper, we discuss why including professional competencies into computing education curriculum is important. We are particularly interested in competencies that students could and, we believe, should acquire during collaborative learning experiences in project-based IT courses. In the times of globalization and technological advancement, there is a need for competencies like collaborating, communicating, working in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams, while computing education tends to focus on content knowledge and technical skills. Which is contrary to the emphasis companies put on soft skills in a hiring situation. This discussion and reflection paper discuss how employability, and identity frameworks can be used to analyse professional competencies in a project course environment in Norway? This paper focuses on how professional competencies should be implemented in the curriculum of computing degree programs and courses in the Norwegian university ...

An information technology competency model and curriculum

2016 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 2016

This paper addresses the progress made by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) in developing a competency model and curricular guidelines for four-year degree programs in information technology. The authors are members of an international task group representative of academic institutions, industry, and professional organizations. The task group is to develop a competency model, called IT2017, for information technology education within two years based on earlier guidelines and other perspectives. This paper provides a brief background of the project, some activities undertaken, the progress made, and expectations for future developments. IT2017 seeks to produce a futuristic model of academic excellence so information technology graduates will be prepared for new technological challenges in a global economy.

Designing a Competency Framework for Graduate Levels in Computing Sciences: The Middle-East Context

Advances in intelligent systems and computing, 2017

This paper focuses on the current research work done within the Pro-Skima project (2015-2018) which aims at providing a suitable method to evolve classical Information Technology Master graduate levels towards some teaching contents and a pedagogical organisation more adapted to the competency needs of local employers and Qatar Society in the field of new technologies. A first important step of the project is to define a method for building a competency framework for the Master curriculum. The aim of this paper is related to the first step of the project, i.e. to examine critically different possible methods that can be used for designing such competency framework and analyse what can be a realistic approach considering local specificities of Qatar University, characteristics of the technical field (IT) and possible partnerships with some surrounding companies.

A competency-based approach toward curricular guidelines for information technology education

2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)

The Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society have launched a new report titled, Curriculum Guidelines for Baccalaureate Degree Programs in Information Technology (IT2017). This paper discusses significant aspects of the IT2017 report and focuses on competency-driven learning rather than delivery of knowledge in information technology (IT) programs. It also highlights an IT curricular framework that meets the growing demands of a changing technological world in the next decade. Specifically, the paper outlines ways by which baccalaureate IT programs might implement the IT curricular framework and prepare students with knowledge, skills, and dispositions to equip graduates with competencies that matter in the workplace. The paper suggests that a focus on competencies allows academic departments to forge collaborations with employers and engage students in professional practice experiences. It also shows how professionals and educators might use the report in reviewing, updating, and creating baccalaureate IT degree programs worldwide.

Toward Competency-Based Professional Accreditation in Computing

Proceedings of the 2022 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education

Program accreditation in medical or religious professions has existed since the 1800s while accreditation of business and engineering programs started in the early twentieth century. With this long history, these disciplines have focused on ensuring the competence of their graduates, as modern society demands appropriate expertise from doctors and engineers before letting them practice their profession. In computing, however, professional accreditation started in the last decades of the twentieth century only after computer science, informatics, and information systems programs became widespread. At the same time, although competency-based learning has existed for centuries, its growth in computing is relatively new, resulting from recent curricular reports such as Computing Curricula 2020, which have defined competency comprising knowledge, skills, and dispositions. In addition, demands are being placed on university programs to ensure their graduates are ready for entering and sustaining employment in the computing profession. This work explores the role of accreditation in the formation and development of professional competency in non-computing disciplines worldwide, building on this understanding to see how computing accreditation bodies could play a similar role in computing. This work explores the role of accreditation in the formation and development of professional competency in non-computing disciplines worldwide, building on this understanding to see how computing accreditation bodies could play a similar role in computing. Its recommendations are to incorporate competencies in all computing programs and future curricular guidelines; create