ComputingICT Education in Universities

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Computing/ICT Education in Universities

• Martin McKinney
• Friday 8th October 2004

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Introduction

• University Director of Combined Studies
• Subject Coordinator for Computing at Coleraine
• Other Subjects at Coleraine
• Faculty Teaching Learning Coordinator
• School Admissions Tutor
• External Institutes of FHE UK Universities

3
Undergraduate Provision at UUC
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Computing Programmes

• Undergraduate (Single-Subject) Programmes
• Associate Bachelors (AB) in Computing
• Honours degrees e.g. BSc (Hons) Computing with
  DIS
• Combined Undergraduate Programmes
• Increasing Portfolio
• Major/Minor and some Main/Main
• Postgraduate Programmes
• Taught or by Research

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Features of Undergraduate Programmes

• Core material delivered early
• Deferred specialisation
• Students will
• Have knowledge of the essential underpinning
  theory
• Develop significant practical skills
• Have highly marketable skill-set for employment
• Carefully planned integration of courses
• Built-in and clearly defined progression paths

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Example1AB to BSc Progression
1
2
Year
3
4
AB
AB
Employment
Programme
BSc
BSc
BSc
Placement
Programme
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Example 2FdSc to BSc Progression
1
2
Year
3
4
FdSc
FdSc
Employment
Programme
BSc
BSc
BSc
Placement
Programme
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Internal Themes/Pathways

• Specialisms within a programme

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Internal Themes/Pathways

• Theme or Pathway
• Coherent group of modules
• Characteristics
• Introductory (prerequisite) module in Year 2
• Approx. 60 of Final Year material
• Examples
• Computer Games
• Artificial Intelligence

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Theme/Pathway - Visually
Year I ? 6 core modules
Year II ? 5 core modules
Module
Placement
Other Modules
Project (1½)
Module
Module
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Subjects

• Combined Studies

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What is a Subject?

• Defined Group of Modules in a cognate area
• Subjects include
• Computing Business English
• Education Film Studies French
• History Psychology Spanish etc.
• Combine 2 Subjects to define a programme
• Major/Minor ? 4 in Major Subject 2 in Minor
  Subject
• Main/Main ? 3 in both Main Subjects

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Combined Undergraduate Programmes in Computing

• Major/Main/Minor streams in Computing

1/3rd Other
2/3rd Computing
Major
50 Computing
50 Other
Main
1/3rd Computing
2/3rd Other
Minor
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Combining Studies

• Each Subject decides what it will offer
• Some Subjects offer
• A Major and a Minor
• Major only
• Minor only (e.g. Education)
• Increased Student Choice
• Also at Jordanstown Magee
• Different Combinations on each campus

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Our View

• Computing Major
• Real subset of the single honours programme
• Focus on Major/Minors
• Allows students to develop real skills in the
  Major subject supplemented with a flavour of the
  Minor subject
• Most Combinations possible with Computing as
  either a Major or a Minor

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Combinations at Coleraine

• Very large number
• Ever increasing number
• New for 2005 entry
• Computing with Business
• Computing with Education
• Business with Education
• Etc.

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Finally .
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Highly Flexible?
Both within the Computing Provision Subject
Provision