Development of assessment for undergraduate programs of information technology, and certification for program graduates

ABSTRACT

The Center for Computing Education Research (CCER), a division of the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) Education Foundation, has developed a methodology for assessment for programs of Information Systems (2,7,8,9,10) that is general and can be applied to other computing programs. It is proposed that CCER technology be utilized for the Information Technology discipline. This can be accomplished through a sequence of meetings in cooperation with the IT Curriculum Committee to implement the necessary components. In addition, an appropriate certification for graduates can be instituted through the ICCP. CCER software will enable creation of the components that are compatible with the IT curriculum and the CCER exam question development and administration systems. The CCER will work with this IT task force to develop protocols for creating, administering and maintaining the assessment exam. Students who pass the assessment exam will be eligible to receive the ICCP certification. Participating universities will map the courses of their programs to the model curriculum. This mapping process (1) links the exam question objectives to the university courses, and enables a precise determination of relative success of students in achieving each objective within the university course as compared with the national population taking the exam. Weak performing areas can be addressed by university faculty, and addressed in future course planning. Also, since the curriculum units are mapped to ABET Accreditation Areas, a precise reporting of course coverage for each of the areas is immediately achieved, as well as performance against a national standard. Performance on program exit skills equivalent to job entry skills (3) will be a product of the exam. These results can be demonstrated to university industry advisory boards as part of a self improvement process.

REFERENCES

• 1: Daigle, Roy J., Longenecker, Herbert E, Jr., Landry, Jeffrey P., and Pardue, J. Harold, "Using the IS 2002 Model Curriculum for Mapping an IS Curriculum," Information Systems Education Journal, January 27, 2004, Volume 2, Issue Number 1, URL: http://isedj.org/2/1/.
• 2: Gorgone, J.T., Davis, G. B., Valacich, J. S., Topi, H., Feinstein, D. L., and Longenecker, H. E., Jr. (2002) IS 2002 Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Systems. ACM, New York, NY, AIS, and AITP (formerly DPMA), Park Ridge, IL..
• 3: Landry, Jeffrey P., Herbert E. Longenecker, Jr., Brandon Haigood,, and David Feinstein, 2000. "Comparing Entry-Level Skill Depths Across Information Systems Job Types: Perceptions of IS Faculty." Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2000, Long Beach)..
• 4: Landry, Jeffrey, P., John H. Reynolds, Herbert E. Longenecker, Jr. "Assessing the Readiness of I.S. Majors to Enter the Job Market: An I.S. Competency Exam Based on the Model Curriculum." 2003 Americas Conference on Information Systems, Tampa, Florida, August 4-6, 2003.
• 5: Landry, Jeffrey P., Pardue, J. Harold, Reynolds, John H., and Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., "IS 2002 and Accreditation: Describing the IS Core Areas in Terms of the Model Curriculum," Information Systems Education Conference (ISECON 2004), November 2004, Newport, RI (awarded distinguished paper).
• 6: Landry, Jeffrey P., Pardue, J. Harold, Daigle, Roy J., and Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., Using IS2002 to Assess the Impact of a Proposed Curriculum Change," Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2004), August 2004, New York, NY..
• 7: Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., Gordon B. Davis, John T. Gorgone, David L. Feinstein, Joseph Valacich, and Heikki Topei, 2002. "IS2002 Progress Report on Undergraduate IS Curriculum Development", AIS 2002
• 8: McKell, Lynn J., Reynolds, John H., Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., and Landry, Jeffrey P., "Aligning ICCP Certification with the IS2002 Model Curriculum: A New International Standard," International Business & Economics Research Journal, September 2003, Vol. 2, No. 9, pp. 87-91.
• 9: McKell, Lynn J., Reynolds, John H., Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., Landry, Jeffrey P., and Pardue, J. Harold, "Information Systems Analyst (ISA): A Professional Certification Based on the IS 2002 Model Curriculum," Review of Business Information Systems(forthcoming)..
• 10: L. J. McKell , J. H. Reynolds , H. E. Longenecker , J. P. Landry , H. Pardue, Integrating program evaluation and a new certification for information technology professionals, Proceedings of the 5th conference on Information technology education, October 28-30, 2004, Salt Lake City, UT, USA [doi>10.1145/1029533.1029616]
• 11: Pardue, J. Harold, Landry, Jeffrey P. and Longenecker, Herbert E. Jr., "Computing Program Curriculum Assessment: The Emergence of a Community of Practice," Special Issue of Journal of Informatics Education Research, (accepted with minor revisions). 2005

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Accreditation

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Self-assessment; Curriculum
  K.7 THE COMPUTING PROFESSION
      K.7.3 Testing, Certification, and Licensing

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Management, Measurement, Performance, Reliability

Keywords:
CCER, ICCP, IS curriculum, IT curriculum, assessment, certification, computing education, standards