Complete thesis - Murdoch University

If we summarise the findings on each element of this model, we may gain a perspective as towhy the educational dilemma exists.Figure 3.5: Derived education modelThe educational model prescribed by the BoKs, model curricula and texts is shown to be simplistic:based on traditional professional education it places emphasis on discipline-specificskills and knowledge: Aurum et al (2003)’s suggestion that traditional IT education focusseson developing analytical and systems-thinking skills rather than creative and innovativethinking skills is borne out by Waks (2001) discussion of the problems of the normativeprofessional education model.RE is revealed as a complex, creative activity, where ill-structure and opportunism feature.Higher order learning is seen as essential in order to acquire the skills to deal with thesecharacteristics. Too simplistic an educational process is seen as detrimental to the developmentof competent REs: just as the creativity of the RE process is hampered, so too is theeducation of its proponents hampered by adherence to traditional learning models. Giventhat creativity is a component of RE, then it seems reasonable, as Aurum et al (2003) suggest,that students studying RE (they refer to systems analysis) should be well versed inthe importance of creativity within the software development process, and also be skilledin applying creativity-enhancing techniques. The poor fit between the characteristics of thedomain and those of the learning model (which produces an ‘incorrect’ learning environment)impacts on further learning.152