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Cutting to the Core: Curriculum Strategies to Address Outsourcing

Cutting to the Core: Curriculum Strategies to Address Outsourcing. Dr. Brenda McAleer and Dr. Joseph Szakas The University of Maine at Augusta. Introduction. Identify Problems/Opportunities/Directions How prepared are we as IT departments? IS2002 curriculum? Our focus – outsourcing trend

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Cutting to the Core: Curriculum Strategies to Address Outsourcing

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  1. Cutting to the Core:Curriculum Strategies to AddressOutsourcing Dr. Brenda McAleer and Dr. Joseph Szakas The University of Maine at Augusta

  2. Introduction • Identify Problems/Opportunities/Directions • How prepared are we as IT departments? • IS2002 curriculum? • Our focus – outsourcing trend • What can we do as Dept? IS2xxx?

  3. Outsourcing Trends • Reports suggest that 12 to 14 million jobs are vulnerable to outsourcing over the next 15 years • Information technology executives and business managers have ranked outsourcing as the second highest area of expected spending in the next year • US Dept of Labor Stats

  4. Outsourcing Effect on IT Jobs • Below the cut - vulnerable • Help desk / IT call centers • Hardware Repair • Near the cut • Programming • Above the cut (for now) • Analysts (Systems, Database, Networking)

  5. Outsourcing Effect Outside of IT • Lawyers/paralegals • Tax preparation (IRS outsourcing) • Reading X-rays • Bank loan processors

  6. Market Forces: Characteristics of Outsourced IT Jobs • Outsourcing solves management’s desire to focus resources on organizational core competencies and “hire” other resources to do the tasks superfluous to the mission of the company. • Jobs that are routine and use standard software applications are the most likely to be outsourced

  7. Take Advantage of Outsourcing • Types of jobs that will not be likely to be outsourced are those that are not routine, are critical from a data security and network security standpoints, and are in a business which depends on proprietary information (Yourdon, 2005). • =>Heavy emphasis on GedEd skills.

  8. Skills Employers Want • US will retain jobs that are strong in “right-brain” work that entails creativity, artistry, team skills and empathy with the customer (Lee & Lee, 2005). • Steve Jobs of Apple argues that cost savings are not worth giving up the teamwork, communication, and ability to get groups of people working together to create new ideas

  9. Market Forces - Departmental • There has been a 60% decline in the number of US college freshmen considering CS as a major during the period 2000 to 2004. • The number of professional software developers in such Asian countries as China and India is increasing rapidly

  10. Typical IT Reaction to Threats • More math courses • New courses • This time – no room in the curriculum

  11. NRC and Spatial Thinking • However spatial thinking itself is not a content-based discipline in the way the physics, biology, and economics are disciplines; it is not a standalone subject in its own right. Spatial thinking is a way of thinking that permeates those disciplines and the committee would argue…instruction in spatial thinking should play an equivalent role to that of the “writing across the curriculum approach….The guidelines should, therefore, be infused across the curriculum in as many disciplines as possible. Spatial thinking is the lever to enable students to achieve a deeper and more insightful understanding of subjects across the curriculum.”

  12. NRC Thinking Applied to IS2002 • IT curricula find themselves in a similar situation – how to infuse GenEd skills that are needed in today’s job market and can no longer be ignored nor entrusted to other departments within the institution. • This must be addressed across the curriculum without adding a course.

  13. Examples • Writing across the curriculum • Cross-listed courses (ex. BUA/CIS 270) • Diversity (cultural awareness) across the curriculum • Emphasis on team projects and team grades • How assess writing/creativity? Subjective

  14. IT Department’s Challenge • IT professionals need to “find their value where outsourcing lacks” (Yourdon, 2005). • Where outsourcing is not the answer is where IT departments need to take advantage. • Need to Infuse the Gen Ed similar to NRC recommendation.

  15. EXIT CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATIONSYSTEMS GRADUATES (IS 2002)

  16. Table 2. Representative Capabilities and Knowledge Expected for IS Program Graduates(IS 2002) • Analytical and Critical Thinking • Business Fundamentals • Interpersonal, Communication, and Team Skills • Technology • Information Systems = Technology-Enabled Business Development

  17. IS 2002 Curriculum Design for All Students, IS Majors

  18. IS-2XXX To Address the Threat • What Goes? • Nothing – Key is infusion • Prediction – focus for IS graduates • Management of outsourced projects • Systems Analyst positions • Every course should have a set of GenEd learning outcomes

  19. Conclusion • Recommendation for the next IS 2xxx curriculum • XML important, but no new course – infused into existing courses • Methodology how to infuse – NRC • When students ask, “Why fine arts?” now have answer

  20. Appendix • mcaleer@maine.edu • szakas@maine.edu

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