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Real-life experiences in computing courses.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

A constant in the advertisements for most entry-level information technology (IT) positions is the phrase "experience required or preferred." Obviously, it creates a dilemma for computer science and management information systems graduating students; they can't get the job for lack of experience, and can't acquire experience without landing a job first. Traditionally, practical assignments and individual/group projects are the approaches employed for this purpose. This paper presents strategies that go beyond the traditional approaches to provide real-life practical experiences to students in advanced computing courses.

Introduction

Most academic program at a college or university strives to equip graduates with some practical experience before they enter the job market. A nursing student has to clock a minimum number of hours at one or more hospitals, a teacher certification student has to teach at a school for a fixed length of time, and a hairdressing student has to fix hair for a minimum number of people before graduating. This practical experience can prove vital in landing a job as well as in achieving professional success in future. Many academic programs however lack well-defined mechanisms to impart their graduates with the desired practical experience before entering the job market. Such programs then typically resort to course projects to provide their students some practical course-related experience that goes beyond course assignments and exercises.

Computer Science (CS) and Management Information Systems (MIS) graduates are no exception to the high expectations by their prospective employers about their computing knowledge and skills on graduation and entry into the job market (Lee 2003; Wagner, Shoop and Carlis 2003; Hill, et. al. 2001). The trend towards outsourcing of IT jobs has further underlined these expectations. Consequently, there is a growing recognition of the need to elevate students' hands-on experience, in advanced computing courses, above and beyond the requirements of traditional course assignments and projects (Moore 2002; Paxton, 2001). Specifically, these assignments and projects must impart some real-life experience to the students.

The goal of imparting this experience then raises an important question for the instructors: specifically, what additional hands-on assignments should one incorporate in a course? Needless to say, there is no "one-size-fit-all" answer to this question. It depends on the availability of the...