Complete thesis - Murdoch University

• focused on the needs of the workplace, as seen collectively by the academic and industryTask Force – requirements for the curriculum were developed by the industry membersas a profile of the graduate that specified the technical and personal attributes neededto function effectively as an information systems specialist; enterprise collaborationis required to deliver and maintain the curriculum by providing meaningful projectactivities, site experiences, case studies, and assistance in updating the curriculum• examined the process by which students obtain the knowledge and skills that are neededto practice in large information systems-centric domains – pedagogical aspects such asteaming, just-in-time learning, and coach and mentor roles for the instructor, wereincorporated into the curriculum• embedded personal and interpersonal skill development in the curriculum – interpersonalskills, systemic thinking, and problem solving techniques were explicitly integratedinto the technical components of the curriculum• explored new approaches to learning and teaching – the curriculum is designed aroundpractical experiences that result in the incremental development of portfolios thatdemonstrate students’ preparation to function effectively as IS specialists, and appliesan inverted model, in which students experience first the context of information systems,later master details, and then return to the systems view to complete their experience.This curriculum prepares graduates to work in teams with process owners andusers. It prepares graduates to identify information systems solutions to largeproblems, and communicate their concepts to others. The graduate of the curriculumwill decompose problems, develop alternative solutions, evaluate alternatives,conceptualize designs, build, test, validate, and deliver large or complex informationsystems in a team environment. Graduates also will understand the socialimplications of their actions.(Lidtke et al, 1999)The outcome is a recommended set of courses accompanied by defined learning activities andpedagogy for both student learning and instructor teaching to achieve the attributes of agraduate noted in Table 2.24.It is notable that RE activities are very sparse in the 13 courses defined, and generally havea lower expected proficiency level (hovering around 3). The focus of this model is on the ‘softskills’, which are expected to be mastered generally to a level 4 competency over a maximumof 4 years. Enabling concepts must be understood, exercised and utilised in the curriculum.These include what is classically the content knowledge of BoKs.90