Curriculum and Issues in a First Course of Computer Networking for Four-year Information Technology Programs

摘要

No field evolves more rapidly than computer networking technologies. However, the skills necessary to evaluate, integrate, and manage networking equipment are considered fundamental for an IT professional. This paper presents a curriculum for a first course in computer networking, the experience of two instructors in teaching similar curricula over a two-year period, and the unresolved issues revealed by the experience. An IT professional is expected to be able to deal with vendors and stake holders in procurement processes, interpret and evaluate vendor presentations, explain technology to the uninitiated, critically evaluate and make technology recommendations, and then install and manage the network infrastructure that has been procured. In an environment where new technologies appear frequently and yet old technologies seem to live forever, how can any curriculum prepare an individual for such a responsibility? A balanced curriculum must include fundamental concepts and real-world examples of those concepts. It must build intuition through examination of historical trends and direct experience with real networking hardware integrating diverse technologies. The curriculum must be continually evaluated in an environment where new technologies appear more rapidly than the publishing cycle for textbooks.