Integrating IT Certification into Irish Institutes of Technology

IT industry certification is prevalent in industry today. Employers are constantly looking for computing graduates with the skills necessary to perform competently in the workplace. Internationally, efforts have been made to integrate IT industry certification into the computing curricula, however little evidence suggests that it has been attempted in an Irish context. This book investigates the potential for integrating IT industry certification into the undergraduate computing curricula in Irish Institutes of Technology (IoTs) from two key stakeholders perspectives: Heads of Department (HoDs) and lecturing staff. A rich contextual framework is derived and five propositions are identified and investigated. This work analyses the potential impact of certification integration on areas including existing work practices, training and resourcing. It also explores the opinions of both stakeholders in terms of the merits of integrating IT certification in higher education. This book may be useful to academic staff and computing professionals interested in integrating IT certification into the undergraduate computing curricula.

Autorentext
Lucy B White, BSc, MSc: Studied Commercial Software Development at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in Ireland. Lecturer in Information Technology at WIT. Research interests include Management Information Systems and IT Curriculum Development in Higher Education.