Understanding Information Technology: What do Graduates from Business-oriented IS Curricula Need to Know?

摘要

This paper describes the results of a study designed to assess the practical relevance of learning objectives for a course that corresponds to the IS 2002.4 recommended guidelines for an information technology hardware and systems software course. This study represents the first step in identifying the baseline technical knowledge that IS majors should possess upon entering practice. The survey reveals a general consensus among survey participants, consisting of experienced IT academics and practitioners, that learning objectives associated with systems thinking, systems administration functions, and information assurance practices are useful. However, the survey revealed that study participants had notably different perceptions concerning the value of learning objectives associated with achieving a deeper understanding of technical concepts concerning the design and functioning of hardware and systems software. The identification of these systematically differing perceptions among IT professionals is provocative and warrants further investigation.