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A Comprehensive Curriculum for IT Education and Workforce Development: An Engineering Approach F. Golshani, S. Panchanathan, O. Friesen, Y.C. Park, J. J. Song Department of Computer Science & Engineering Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 85287-5406 {golshani, panch, oris, ycpark, jjsong}@asu.edu We observe that a formalization of the basic principles is lacking in the information discipline although remarkable developments are taking place at a rapid pace. This lack of formalization contributes to unstructured and "scatter gun" approaches to information technology education. This calls for fundamental research that will result in a comprehensive curriculum for learning about information that is applicable for all age levels, ranging from K-12, community college, university, teacher training and professional development, workforce (re)training and entrepreneurship.
Abstract Noting the shortage of IT professionals nationally [1], we propose a comprehensive curriculum that supports a variety of programs geared to all ages from early school years to retirement and beyond. Current IT workforce development efforts are limited to training, and have not as yet focused on education and professional development. Largely, this is due to a lack of a science underpinning for IT related curricula. Without such a unified science component, a structured organization of information related concepts cannot be derived.
Clearly we need more people of all ages who are well versed in information technology. Unfortunately, this is usually interpreted to mean we need more people who can administer networks, write code, maintain systems, and so on. Meanwhile, industry has by and large solved many of those problems with in-house training programs. What we really need are more people who understand information and who can use it effectively. This requires that we approach the notion of IT in a completely new and revolutionary manner and then educate people along these lines so that they can adequately deal with new technology challenges as they arise. We must not limit ourselves by addressing only the current workforce. We need to focus on people as young as kindergarten (probably even younger) and on up through all the years of life (K-LL).
Our proposal includes the development of a number of programs addressing the needs of a variety of learners ranging from elementary school through college and beyond. Seven programs, each with a specific emphasis for various groups, are being developed. Such essential issues as industrial-academic liaisons, workforce (re)training, promotional and awareness programs, teacher training, and IT professional role redefinition, are integral pieces of this project. All developments will be firmly founded on the scientific framework of information science and engineering [2]. This work is supported by NSF grant DUE-9950168. 1
Introduction
We believe that a layered approach to pedagogy relating to the information principles is required, as information has to be understood, practiced and continuously mastered. The research question that has to be posed is therefore what aspects of information could serve as the foundation. Thus far, different groups have developed their own understanding (and interpretation) of the concept of information with virtually no connection between the diverse perspectives. For example, in the case of a hardware designer, it implies bits, whereas for a consumer such as multimedia content producer, it is the collection of the specific media of interest and what it conveys. Thus, a systematic development of the various layers of information representation and understanding is extremely vital.
The concept of information is no longer specific to certain domains of academic endeavor (such as computer science, management information, etc.) but is instead becoming an integral part of the every day activity of human life, analogous to the pervasive influence of mathematics.
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Program Overview
The first and most important task at hand is to define the fundamental science behind this discipline. This science component is currently lodged in atomic quantities in the individual information disciplines. For example, in the domain of information theory, Shannon’s coding theory is a fundamental concept that helps quantify the redundancy and therefore the "true information" at the signal/bit level. The relevance and applicability of this theory for nonquantitative domains of information is at best minimal. In other words, a fundamental science concept that unifies the various facets of these seemingly disparate components is crucial. Without such a unified science component, a structured organization of information related concepts cannot be derived.
The nature of the operations that are performed on the “raw” bit stream depends on how the bits are interpreted. We may take a sequence of bits to make up a letter of the alphabet, a number, an audio sample, a pixel, a symbol, or any other atomic unit. Then the information processing factory alluded to in Figure 1 may be customized to perform the necessary operations to process the information represented by each medium. For example, when interpreting the raw bits as pixels, the individual steps in an information factory is are as shown in Figure 2.
The authors have been working on the development of a preliminary science framework for “Information Engineering” for a number of years [2,5]. Our efforts were motivated by drawing comparisons between computer science and information science. This analogy clearly shows the inadequacy of Shannon's coding theory as the basis for information science. Numerical analysis was once perceived to be the appropriate cornerstone for theoretical foundations of computer science. Once the importance of semantics and formal methods became clear, mathematical logic -- a non-quantitative framework -- proved to be a much more appropriate setting. Likewise, we are exploring a non-quantitative counterpart to Shannon’s theory. There are many possibilities, among which conservative logic has been shown to be most appropriate. Although this serves as a starting point to our research, the magnitude and scale of the overall proposed science framework is much larger [6]. Most engineering disciplines, such as electrical, civil, mechanical and structural, begin with an important principle, namely the conservation theory from which conservation of force and energy is explored in such courses as statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. It is timely to study the foundations of information engineering starting with the idea of “conservation of information” based on conservative logic. Our results thus far indicate that, instead of cellular automata as the traditional basis for computation, a reversible Turing machine that could embody the principles of conservative logic would be more appropriate. We aim to synthesize the conservation theory framework and demonstrate its applicability at all levels and facets of the information discipline. Information is stored as bit streams on digital media. Information processing (Figure 1) may be viewed as a sequence of manufacturing-like operations that transforms the bits into human understandable information units.
Figure 2: A specific information factory Similar processes may be defined for information processing in any medium. In fact, we can illustrate the entire spectrum of information handling (in its broadest sense) in the form of multiple paths all leading to perceptible and useful information units, as presented in Figure 3. Therefore it is timely to view information as an end product and look at its creation/generation process from an engineering standpoint. There are clearly many processes for manipulation and management of information and, as yet, there is no discipline that studies these processes collectively.
Figure 3: Information types. A variety of perspectives at different layers (horizontally) and across different media types (vertically) may be identified. Information representation, regardless of the medium through which it is conveyed, begins with the notion of “bits”. Designation of these bits would determine their subsequent treatment. In Figure 3, each of the vertical paths represents a medium of information abstraction and communication, namely audio, text, images, animation, alpha-numeric data and mathematical theories. Starting with the atomic objects at the bottom layer, each subsequent layer represents a more complex object. Note that every single notion included in Figure 3 deals with an aspect of information at a certain level of abstraction.
Figure 1: A generic information factory
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Washington Elementary School District and the Roosevelt Elementary School District [3].
The above structure illustrates the richness and value that such an organization can bring to the derivation of a formal curriculum as well as shedding light on new areas of exploration. Although the above layering is an interesting first step, there are really no linkages or associations that have been explicitly realized in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. For example, Shannon’s theory, applicable mostly to the lowest layer, does little to help in the design of a database, generation of computer graphics, or the interpretation of objects of different media types at the highest level. This situation resembles closely the state of affairs in the computer communications area before the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layers were introduced. Prior to development of the OSI model, although the relationships between application, network and the links were known, there was no clear way of illustrating all that was involved. The OSI model presented a clear organization, and allowed all of the requirements to be discussed in one uniform structure. Thus we aim to develop a layered information framework, firmly based on a formal science framework which will serve as the foundation for the design of a curriculum that brings together the concepts that proliferate in information science, engineering, technology and management, spanning the K-LL (kindergarten – life long) spectrum. There is also another interesting dimension to our research that is quite specific to the nature of the problem: teaching information. The variety of information (multimedia) tools and techniques that are available (which should make the learning an enjoyable and visual experience) is indeed a great asset to providing information instruction. The plethora of new approaches to learning complex concepts such as mathematics and science has only confirmed the value of instruction using information technology tools. New learning paradigms, such as the constructivist approach, are being researched and experimented with by various groups. 3
Figure 4: Programs under implementation 2. IT Career Awareness: This is an information-centered curriculum for grades 7-12 and IT career shows to be hosted at ASU, Mesa Community College (MCC) and local industries. Special attention is given to disadvantaged groups in society, such as inner city school children, rural schools and the Native American schools. 3. IT Associate Degree: An information-centered curriculum leading to an IT Associate degree to be provided by Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the largest in the nation. 4. BS Degree: Our first implementation is a BS degree in Information Engineering. With the aid of a grant from NSF, the authors are currently developing a complete four year curriculum in the area of information engineering. One of the authors was part of the national task force whose work resulted in the development of Information Systems Engineering 99 [4]. 5. MS Degree and PhD: Graduate programs in Information Engineering leading to MS and PhD degrees. The master’s degree program will have a specific track for teacher training in the area of information education. 6. Teacher Preparation Programs: A teacher professional development program, for a variety of teachers with respect to the grade they teach and the subject they cover. This will include teachers of K-6 students, grade 7-12 students, Community College students, undergraduates, graduates and life-span learning students. 7. Life-Span Learning: An information-centered curriculum for life-span learning, leading to career development and reorientation certificate degrees for managers, entrepreneurs, professionals and laborers. This program will provide prospective and current workers and managers with concepts related to the management of information in the corporate and entrepreneurial contexts.
Design and Delivery of the Proposed Curriculum
We are engaged in seven innovative curriculum-based research programs that are based on the proposed layered approach to IT education. The two main research focal points of these programs will be on (1) new methods of content delivery and (2) longitudinal studies to research the effectiveness of the various programs and their methods of delivery. This project will enable us to put in place an allencompassing curriculum and to initiate the first comprehensive set of programs based on “Information Science and Engineering”, and it will allow other learning establishments to adopt and improve the model. The seven programs are illustrated in Figure 4. 1. IT Fundamentals: A K-6 information-centered curriculum, mobile road show and Internet-accessible modules in support of IT awareness. The program focuses on making IT understandable and interesting at the elementary grade levels. We have teamed with the
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A Concentration Engineering
Track
on
Information
In the remainder of this paper, we report on the development of a concentration track leading to a BS
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degree in Information Engineering. Whereas the ultimate goal is to define a standalone BS program, we decided that an appropriate and timely intermediate goal was to create a concentration track within an established computer science program leading to a specialization in Information Engineering. Thus we have developed such a concentration track leading to a BS degree in Information Engineering. This curriculum will be launched as a formal program at ASU. Key characteristics of the new program include the following. · Full collaboration with industry, particularly in definition of requirements and profile of graduate. · The program has a clear engineering perspective – both information concepts and information systems levels. · Pedagogical aspects such as teaming, collaborative hands-on projects, and just-in-time learning. · Integration of problem solving techniques, practical experiences, and meaningful project activities. · Development of interpersonal skills are promoted. · Business related issues are built into the courses. Related to this are the entrepreneurship activities, often neglected by engineering programs. The proposed track, with a clear emphasis on the science foundation as the cornerstone, is the focal point of this effort [5]. Figure 5 illustrates the Information Engineering specific topics and their dependency on the information science course.
order to maintain accreditation and other requirements, minimal changes have been made to the basic and advanced core, except for an additional lower division course on the Science of Information Engineering, titled “Information Science”. This course is a prerequisite for all other specialization courses in the Information Engineering track. A total of five courses constitute the required upper division component. They are: Information Processing, Information-based Applications, Information Practices, Information Systems Engineering Concepts I, and Information Systems Engineering Concepts II. The flow diagram for the required courses is shown in Figure 6, and the details of each course are presented below.
Figure 5. program
INFE 401: Information Processing, 3 hours Objective: This course expands on the basic concepts taught in the core course (INFE 299) to encompass all aspects of information processing and processors. This course will prepare the students to embark on the design concentration of the capstone courses INFE 431 and 432. Course Outline: Review of the fundamentals of information processing, information creation, acquisition, sampling, quantization, and synchronization; Information filtering, transformation, and analysis; Information storage, compression and coding techniques; compression standards; Information processors, information networks, issues of transmission over narrowband, broadband and wireless networks; Information abstraction, indexing, browsing, and retrieval; Information protection, watermarking, security, and cryptography.
Figure 6: Required courses for the proposed track INFE-299, Information Science: 3 hours Objectives: Train computer science students to develop a clear understanding of formal foundations of information engineering with the objective of becoming effective information specialists capable of dealing with all aspects of information handling. Course Outline: Major topics covered in this course include: Information Types (alphanumeric, multimedia, continuous, multi-sensory, etc.); Engineering principles, conservation theory, information entropy; Overview of Shannon’s coding theory, its relevance and implications; Foundations of information science, reversible automata, conservative logic; Information Life Cycle: acquisition and generation, protection, marketing, sharing, presentation, communication, analysis and integration, management, discard; Mathematical principles of information processing, compression, and security.
Components of the Information Engineering
This program (a realization of program 4 in Figure 4) is housed in the department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) of Arizona State University*. The CSE Department currently offers two distinct undergraduate degree programs, namely “Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science” and “Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in Computer Systems Engineering”. In *
The CSE Department at ASU has a total enrollment of approximately 1600 students - around 1300 undergraduates and nearly 300 graduates. These figures clearly indicate that there is enough demand for yet another track within the Computer Science and Engineering Department.
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industry co-supervised by a faculty member and an industry mentor. Students will spend a portion of their time working at the sponsoring industry. Course Outline: Design specification of an information product; Implementation of the product, testing and evaluation; Interaction with the industry mentor and the team including attending weekly design meetings of the industry group.
INFE 411: Information Based Applications, 3 hours Objective: Students will learn how to analyze existing information systems to articulate the physical and logical structure as well as identify strengths and weaknesses in terms of functionality, system components, cost and performance. It will also introduce the students to realworld examples of information systems ranging from a simple system to distributed mobile computing systems. Course Outline: Overview of information application domains, Characterization and classification of information applications; Criteria for comparing individual designs and relative performance evaluation; Justify and assess costs and benefits associated with system components and configurations across application domains; Team projects for application prototype building; Analysis and performance evaluation; Class discussions and projects.
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Conclusions
We have attempted to provide a completely new and innovative understanding of information and information technology that promises to establish new boundaries among the disciplines that are currently a part of the academic program. This project addresses research issues in fundamental information science, delivery methods, curriculum definition and workforce development for information topics at all age levels. The proposed curriculum responds to educational needs by training students at all levels, and it addresses the needs of pre-service student teachers as well. As a first step toward the discipline of Information Engineering, we present a concentration track that may be implemented within an existing computer science program. Whereas in future we expect to see Information Engineering programs offered routinely at different universities, we feel that a concentration track would be a suitable interim plan for many institutions interested in IT education [7].
INFE-421: Information Practice, 3 hours Objective: The purpose of the course is to enable the students to understand the important issues related to the practice of information engineering such as management, ethical and legal issues. It will help students understand the important components, including information policy, intellectual property, and international standards. Course Outline: Planning and management of information; Copyright and protection of Intellectual property; Data Protection and Information Security; Electronic Information and legislation; Health and Safety: relating to electronic displays, wireless devices, etc.; Standards; Information Policy and Regulation; Economic, Social and Political issues, Information Society and Globalization; Entrepreneurship Issues.
References [1] M. Goul, H. Shredrick, “The IT workforce shortage is real” Report, Soc. for Information Management, 1999.
INFE 431: Capstone I Information Systems Engineering Concepts I, 3 hours Objective: The objective is to expose the students to the fundamental concepts of engineering design and engage them in the design and implementation of a specific detailed project in the domain of information engineering. Emphasis on case studies for understanding the design alternatives for various sub-components and trade-offs. Course Outline: Fundamentals of engineering design; Overview of information content, resources, management, processing and communication; Quality, Standards and Performance measurement issues; Methods and basic structures to design efficient information systems; Information system life-cycle; Benefits of structured system analysis and design methodologies; Standards and Specifications to be followed in the design of information systems.
[2] F. Golshani, S. Panchanathan, O. Friesen, “A Model Program in Information Science and Engineering: A timely engineering discipline created with the help of industry”, Proc. FIE 2000, Kansas City, MO. [3] F. Golshani, et al, “Visualization and Multimedia in K12 Education” Scientific Computing & Automation, 1997, 23-6. [4] ISCC’99, “An information systems-centric curriculum – Program Guidelines” NSF Task Force 1999. [5] F. Golshani, S. Panchanathan, “The Science Foundation of an Information Engineering Curriculum”, submitted for publication, accessible at http://ise.eas.asu.edu/materials/cnc_dev/cnc_dev.htm. [6] E. Fredkin, T. Toffoli, “Conservative Logic”, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 21, Nos. 3/4, pp 219-253, 1982.
INFE 432: Capstone II Information Systems Engineering Concepts II, 3 hours Objective: This course is unique in that it will serve as a bridge between the worlds of academia and industry. The students will execute a real-world project in an information
[7] P. Denning, “The Future of the IT Profession” Interview with P. Denning, in ACM Ubiquity, URL www.acm.org/ubiquity/interviews/p_denning_1.html
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