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Computing Curricula
Information Technology Volume
Version: October 2005
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Lessons from Past Reports
Chapter 3. Changes in the Information Technology Discipline
Chapter 4. Principles
Chapter 5. Overview of the IT Body of Knowledge
Chapter 6. Overview of the Curricular Models
Chapter 7. The Core in the Curriculum
Chapter 8. Completing the Curriculum
Chapter 9. Professional Practice
Chapter 10. Characteristics of IT Graduates
Chapter 11. Computing across the Curriculum
Chapter 12. Institutional Challenges
Bibliography
Index
Appendix A. The IT Body of Knowledge
Appendix B. IT Course Descriptions
Appendix C. Learning Outcomes/Knowledge Areas Matrix
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Computing Curricula
Information Technology Volume
Executive Summary
This document represents the final report of the SIGITE Curriculum
Committee 2005 project (IT2005)
- an undertaking of SIGITE (Special Interest Group on Information
Technology Education) of the
ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), for baccalaureate programs in
Information Technology.
This report dates back to December 2001, as described in Chapter 2.
This volume of the report outlines a set of recommendations for
baccalaureate programs in Information
Technology. As described in Chapter 1, the full Computing Curriculum 2004
report (CC2004) consists
of several volumes, each containing separate recommendations for computing
disciplines, including
Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information
Systems, and
Software Engineering. Each of these separate volumes of CC2004 is under the
control of separate
committees and has been or is being published as it is completed.
Highlights of this report include the following:
. The IT body of knowledge. We have identified a body of knowledge
appropriate to
baccalaureate Information Technology programs. Drawing on the structure of
earlier
curriculum reports (most notably the CS2001 volume), we have arranged that
body of
knowledge hierarchically, subdividing the field into knowledge areas, which
are then broken
down further into units, which are defined in terms of individual topics
and learning outcomes.
An overview of the body of knowledge appears in Chapter 5.
. Learning outcomes. For each unit in the body of knowledge, we have
developed a set of
learning outcomes. These learning outcomes appear as part of the detailed
description of the
body of knowledge in Appendix A. In addition to the individual learning
outcomes, the report
outlines a set of characteristics that all Information Technology graduates
should possess in
Chapter 10.
. The IT core. From the 81 units in the body of knowledge, we have selected
76 that represent the
core material, accounting for approximately 281 hours of instruction. As
noted in our statement
of principles in Chapter 4, we defined the core as the set of units for
which there is a broad
consensus that the material is essential to a baccalaureate degree in
Information Technology.
The philosophy behind the definition of the core is described in more
detail in Chapter 5.
. The IT electives. The core is not a complete curriculum, and must be
supplemented by
additional material. This document proposes IT elective learning outcomes
that may be used to
complete a curriculum.
. Curriculum models. The report identifies four approaches to undergraduate
instruction in
Information Technology, as described in Chapter 6. Building on that
foundation, Chapter 7
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describes the core material of the Information Technology curriculum, and
Chapter 8 describes
the additional material necessary to constitute a complete baccalaureate
curriculum in
Information Technology.
. Course descriptions. Appendix B contains a detailed model of one
curricular approach,
including course descriptions for 13 courses.
The process of developing this report has been highly inclusive. More than
30 people have been
directly involved in the focus groups established to contribute to the
process. In addition, the report has
been widely reviewed by academics and practitioners through a series of
three public drafts. Since
2003, this volume has been continuously available at the SIGITE website
(http://sigite.acm.org/activities/curriculum/).
We have held a plenary feedback session at the last four SIGITE
conferences. This material has been
presented at national and international conferences, including the American
Society for Engineering
Education (ASEE) in 2003 and 2004, the International Conference on
Engineering and Computer
Education (ICECE) in 2003, the International Conference on Engineering
Education and Research
(iCEER) in 2004, and the World Engineer's Convention (WEC) in 2004.
Additionally, this material
has also been published in the Journal of Information Technology Education
(JITE) in 2004. These
meetings have provided us with critically important feedback, which we have
used to shape the final
report.
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Computing Curricula
Information Technology Volume
Acknowledgements
Members of the IT Curriculum Committee - Writing Subcommittee: (in
alphabetical order)
Joseph Ekstrom Brigham Young University Provo, UT
Sandra Gorka Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA
Reza Kamali Purdue University - Calumet Calumet, IN
Eydie Lawson Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
Barry Lunt Brigham Young University Provo, UT
Jacob Miller Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA
Han Reichgelt Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
Members of the IT 4-Year Curriculum Committee: (in alphabetical order)
All seven of the above members of the Writing Subcommittee, plus:
Al Biles Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
Kitty Daniels Pace University New York City, NY
David Eggert New Haven University West Haven, CT
Gordon Goodman Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
Kent Jackson Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
Vladan Jovanovic Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
Keith Morneau Capella University Minneapolis, MN
Jim Leone Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
Soleda Leung University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
Dick Malone Macon State University Macon, GA
Anne Mannette-Wright St. John Fisher College Rochester, NY
John Mendonca Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
Evelyn Rozanski Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
Rebecca Rutherfoord Southern Polytechnic State University Marietta, GA
Russell Shackelford Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Cheryl Willis University of Houston Houston, TX
Bill Wolfe Calif. State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
ACM Support
The IT 4-Year Curriculum Committee and the IT 4-Year Curriculum Writing
Subcommittee would
like to thank the ACM and their representative Russell Shackelford for
generous support. Their
providing of a substantial grant has made much of this work possible.
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Computing Curricula
Information Technology Volume
Chapter 1
Introduction
In the Fall of 2003, the Special-Interest Group for Information Technology
Education (SIGITE) of the
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) established an IT Curriculum
Writing Subcommittee to
undertake the task of drafting a preliminary version of an IT volume for
the CC2001 document. The
charter of this committee was to take the material already created by the
SIGITE Curriculum
Committee and organize it into the form of the CS volume of the CC2001
document.
1.1 Overall structure of the CC2001 series
In light of the broadening scope of computing, it was decided to divide the
CC2001 report into several
volumes. This volume focuses specifically on Information Technology. To
encompass the many other
disciplines that are part of the overall scope of computing and Information
Technology, however,
IEEE-CS and ACM have created additional committees to undertake similar
efforts in other areas,
including Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, and
Software Engineering.
1.2 Overview of the process for developing this IT volume
The IT Curriculum Committee acknowledges the process used in developing the
structure and content
of the CC2001 document, and has made every effort to have the same
structure in this document. The
process is described in detail in the CS volume of the CC2001 document, and
will therefore not be
discussed in this volume.
Developing the recommendations in this volume is primarily the
responsibility of the SIGITE
Curriculum Committee-Writing Subcommittee, the members of which are listed
at the beginning of
this report. The CS (Computer Science) volume was the first volume
completed of the CC2001
document, and has served as a model for the development of this IT volume.
1.3 Definition of Information Technology as an academic discipline
Information Technology (IT) in its broadest sense encompasses all aspects
of computing technology.
IT, as an academic discipline, focuses on meeting the needs of users within
an organizational and
societal context through the selection, creation, application, integration
and administration of
computing technologies.
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1.4 Broad goals of an IT program
IT programs aim to provide IT graduates with the skills and knowledge to
take on appropriate
professional positions in Information Technology upon graduation and grow
into leadership positions
or pursue research or graduate studies in the field. Specifically, within
five years of graduation a
student must be able to:
1. Explain and apply appropriate information technologies and employ
appropriate methodologies to
help an individual or organization achieve its goals and objectives;
2. Manage the information technology resources of an individual or
organization;
3. Anticipate the changing direction of information technology and evaluate
and communicate the
likely utility of new technologies to an individual or organization;
4. Understand and for some to contribute to the scientific, mathematical
and theoretical foundations
on which information technologies are built;