Computing Industry and WEEK 1 & 2 TOPICS

Computing Disciplines
Computing Disciplines and Majors
• Computer Engineering - Typically involves software and hardware and the development of systems
that involve software, hardware, and communications.
• Computer Science - The most popular of the computing disciplines; tends to be relatively broad and
with an emphasis on the underlying science aspects.
• Information Systems - This is computing in an organizational context, typically in businesses.
• Information Technology - Focuses on computing infrastructure and needs of individual users; tends
to involve a study of systems (perhaps just software systems, but perhaps also systems in support of
learning, of information dissemination, etc.).
• Software Engineering - Focuses on large-scale software systems; employs certain ideas from the
world of engineering in building reliable software systems.
• Mixed Disciplinary Majors
Computer Engineering
• Study the design of digital hardware and software systems including communications systems,
computers and devices that contain computers.
• Programming is focused on digital devices and their interfaces with users and other devices.
• An important area within computing engineering is the development of embedded systems.
Devices such as cell phones, digital audio players, digital video recorders, alarm systems, x-ray
machines, and laser surgical tools all require integration of hardware and embedded software,
and are all the result of computer engineering.
• Computer engineering majors are offered by a fairly large number of universities, almost always
within engineering. This major requires significant study of mathematics.
Computer Science
• Spans the range from theory through programming to cutting-edge development of computing
solutions.
• Offers a foundation that permits graduates to adapt to new technologies and new ideas. The
work of computer scientists falls into three categories:
• designing and building software;
• developing effective ways to solve computing problems, such as storing information in databases,
sending data over networks or providing new approaches to security problems; and
• devising new and better ways of using computers and addressing particular challenges in areas such as
robotics, computer vision, or digital forensics (although these specializations are not available in all
computer science programs).
• Most computer science programs require some mathematical background.
 Computer Science Career Paths
• Career Path #1: Designing and implementing software. This refers to the work of software development which has grown to include
aspects of web development, interface design, security issues, mobile computing, and so on. This is the career path that the majority of
computer science graduates follow.
• Career opportunities occur in a wide variety of settings including large or small software companies, large or small computer services
companies, and large organizations of all kinds (industry, government, banking, healthcare, etc.).

• Career Path #2: Devising new ways to use computers. This refers to innovation in the application of computer technology.
• A career path in this area can involve advanced graduate work, followed by a position in a research university or industrial research and
development laboratory; it can involve entrepreneurial activity such as was evident during the dot-com boom of the 1990s; or it can involve a
combination of the two.

• Career Path #3: Developing effective ways to solve computing problems. This refers to the application or development of computer
science theory and knowledge of algorithms to ensure the best possible solutions for computationally intensive problems.
• As a practical matter, a career path in the development of new computer science theory typically requires graduate work to the Ph.D. level,
followed by a position in a research university or an industrial research and development laboratory.

• Career Path #4: Planning and managing organizational technology infrastructure. This is the type of work for which the new information
technology (IT) programs explicitly aim to educate students.
Information Systems
• Concerned with the information that computer systems can provide to aid a company, non-
profit or governmental organization in defining and achieving its goals. It is also concerned with
the processes that an enterprise can implement and improve using information technology.
• IS professionals must understand both technical and organizational factors, and must be able to
help an organization determine how information and technology-enabled business processes
can provide a foundation for superior organizational performance. They serve as a bridge
between the technical and management communities within an organization.
• A majority of IS programs are located in business schools; however, they may have different
names such as management information systems, computer information systems, or business
information systems. All IS degrees combine business and computing topics, but the emphasis
between technical and organizational issues varies among programs. For example, programs
differ substantially in the amount of programming required.
 Information Technology
• Often used to refer to all of computing. As a name of an undergraduate degree program, it refers to the
preparation of students to meet the computer technology needs of business, government, healthcare, schools,
and other kinds of organizations.
• IT professionals possess the right combination of knowledge and practical, hands-on expertise to take care of
both an organization’s information technology infrastructure and the people who use it.
• They assume responsibility for selecting hardware and software products appropriate for an organization. They
integrate those products with organizational needs and infrastructure, and install, customize and maintain those
applications, thereby providing a secure and effective environment that supports the activities of the
organization’s computer users. In IT, programming often involves writing short programs that typically connect
existing components (scripting).
• Planning and managing an organization’s IT infrastructure is a difficult and complex job that requires a solid
foundation in applied computing as well as management and people skills.
• Important software systems concerns such as reliability, security, usability, and effectiveness and efficiency for
their intended purpose; all of these concerns are vital.
Software Engineering
• Concerned with developing and maintaining software systems that behave reliably and
efficiently, are affordable to develop and maintain, and satisfy all the requirements that
customers have defined for them. It is important because of the impact of large, expensive
software systems and the role of software in safety-critical applications. It integrates significant
mathematics, computer science and practices whose origins are in engineering.
• Software engineering focuses on software development and goes beyond programming to
include such things as eliciting customers’ requirements, and designing and testing software.
• SE students learn how to assess customer needs and develop usable software that meets those
needs.
Mixed Disciplinary Majors
• Bioinformatics - combines elements from at least biology, biochemistry, and computer science,
and prepares students for careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, or for
graduate school in informatics.
• Computational Science - means science done computationally, and serves as a bridge between
computing technology and basic sciences.
• Computer Science and Mathematics - combines computer science with mathematics of course.
• Gaming and Animation - students interested in creating computer games and computer
animations are being developed at a number of schools. Work with either or both of art and
(digital) media studies.
• Medical (or health) informatics - students interested in students who want to work in a
medical environment. Some students will work as technology experts for hospitals; some in
public health; some students may be premed or pre-dental.
 The Information Technology Discipline
The Role of IT within the Computing Disciplines
◦ The emergence of IT discipline was based on the increased importance and global reach of computing
technology in all aspects of today’s society
◦ Youngest among the current five computing disciplines
◦ Born in 2008 with the release of the first ACM/IEEE – CS report on the curriculum guidelines for
baccalaureate programs.
◦ Since then, it has undergone series of revisions and updates.
 The Information Technology Discipline
The Role of IT within the Computing Disciplines
◦ As computing filed continues to advance ACM, along with leading professional and scientific computing
societies will continue to align curriculum recommendations of existing disciplines.
◦ New computing disciplines such as data science and cybersecurity.
◦ Developing curriculum guidelines poses multiple challenges:
◦ Rapid technological advances in computing
◦ Emergence of new computing areas of study
◦ Persisting skill gap between employer’s expectations and graduate’s preparations
◦ Continuing participation of women and other underrepresented groups in IT programs and careers
◦ Limiting the size of a realistic and implementable curriculum
◦ Increased variety of careers in IT
◦ Evolving professional practices
◦ Differentiating the information technology from other computing disciplines
 The Information Technology Discipline
The Role of IT within the Computing Disciplines
◦ Computing includes theory and science of computation, designing and building of software and hardware
systems, and creating and managing new computing technologies for a wide variety of purposes to meet the
needs of people, organizations and society at large.
◦ Three (3) inter-related perspectives on computing:
◦ Scientific and theoretical perspective: Advancing the underlying science and theory of computation that enables computing discoveries.
◦ Technical and engineering perspective: Designing and building computing machines (device, systems, services)
◦ Business, professional and societal perspective: The purpose of creating and managing computing technologies is to serve individuals,
organizations, and society at large.
◦ Computing technologies become the fabric that connects diverse participants, producers, and consumers, and
enables meaningful value exchanges among all participants.
◦ Of all computing disciplines, information technology is the most integrative: “the depth of IT lies in its
breadth”.
The Information Technology Discipline
 The Information Technology Discipline
Driving Forces through IT Innovations
◦ The proliferation of web services, the emergence of mobile computing, social media, and high-speed wireless networks, and
the expansion of data centers marked the birth of the academic field of information technology in 2008.
◦ IT capabilities have become embedded in everything around us.
◦ The most notable IT innovations that inform the IT domains:
◦ Mobile applications
◦ Social platforms
◦ User experience
◦ Internet of Things (IoT)
◦ Cybersecurity
◦ Automation
◦ Garner Research’s forecast for 2025 IT innovations proposes three themes that will transform the digital economy [Cea1]:
evolving digital mesh of smart machines; the rise of algorithmic business models and automation; and IT platforms that
enable new ecosystems, whether in retailing (Amazon Prime platform), taxi business (Uber platform), or lodging (Airbnb
platform).
 Definition of the Information Technology
Academic Discipline
Information Technology is the study of systemic approaches to select, develop, apply, integrate, and
administer secure computing technologies to enable users to accomplish their personal,
organizational, and societal goals.

Figure 2.3: Generic tapestry (Courtesy of Richard Fry)

 IT Graduate Profile and Professional
Readiness
• An IT graduate is:
• a collaborative problem solver, skilled practitioner, or applied research investigator who enjoys getting technology to work
effectively and meet user needs in a variety of settings;
• work collaboratively to integrate new technologies in the workplace and community and ensure a superior and productive
experience for the user and all the organization’s functions.,
• apply their understandings of system integration, development, and operation and deploy and manage IT services and
platforms that meet the business goals and objectives of the organization.
• use their expertise in implementing a wide range of IT solutions to support community members’ projects and activities.
• professionals prepared to perform duties in an ethical manner. They are familiar with the various laws and regulations that
govern the development and operations of the IT platforms they maintain.
• can explain and justify professional decisions in a language that both management and clients understand. They are aware of
the budget implications of technological alternatives and can defend budgets properly.
• have extensive practice with properly securing IT networks, applications, data centers, and online services. They seek secure
technology solutions without unduly adversely affecting the ability of users to accomplish their goals.
 IT Graduate Profile and Professional
Readiness
The competencies that students develop progressively through their program of study and can
demonstrate upon graduation. The educational outcomes that define the IT graduate profile follow:
1. Analyze complex, real-world problems to identify and define computing requirements and apply
computational approaches to the problem-solving process.
2. Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing
requirements in the context of the IT discipline.
3. Communicate effectively with diverse audiences the technical information that is consistent with the
intended audience and purpose.
4. Make informed judgments and include unique perspectives of others in computing practice based on legal
and ethical principles.
5. Function effectively on teams and employ self- and peer-advocacy to address bias in interactions, establish
goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, manage risk, and produce deliverables.
6. Identify and analyze user needs and consider them during the selection, integration, and administration of
computer-based systems.
Research in IT
IT is evolving rapidly. Making definitive statements about research in IT continues to be a
challenge for several reasons, including the following:
• Focus on practice - IT emphasizes proficiency in learning IT core concepts combined with
authentic practice. This emphasis is well matched to the challenge of successfully applying
information technology in organizational and societal contexts.
• The computing milieu - overlap, misunderstanding, and sometimes even contention
among the disciplines.
Research in IT
Given these considerations, the following observations seem reasonable in considering IT
research:
• As a practice driven discipline, IT builds upon a rich base of existing research. A role of IT is
to apply research from the other computing disciplines. Part of the research contribution of
IT is to feed new questions and results back into the research streams on the foundations of
IT.
• Research unique to IT emerges from the practice of IT. IT research addresses questions
related to the content of practice; that is, questions about computing. IT research also
addresses questions related to the process of practice.
• IT research overlaps research in other computing disciplines. All the computing disciplines
have overlaps, and IT is no exception.
Grounds for IT research
• Continuous integration
• Trade-off analysis
• Interface issues
• Cybersecurity
• Development and operations interplay
Industry Perspectives on Information
Technology
• The field of information technology (IT) continues to develop, morph, and expand in its importance
to the world economy. IT professionals apply their skills in a broad range of diverse career sectors
that include business, industry, government, services, organizations, and other structured entities
that rely on computing to automate or drive their products or services efficiently.
• A recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that by 2024 employment in IT in
the United States will increase by 12% [Bls1], with information security leading by 36.5% [Bls2].
1. The Academic Myth
Students who graduate from a university program assume that the baccalaureate degree is a
sufficient qualification to attain a position.
A general understanding exists in IT and other fields that a successful professional must be a
good communicator, a strong team player, and a person with passion to succeed.
2. State of IT Skills Gap
◦ Infrastructure: Jobs that include network management, project management, help desk and service
desk, as
well as managing cloud implementations.
◦ Development: Programming and software development for the Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, and
cloud
devices.
◦ Security: Jobs that focus on ensuring that systems are less susceptible to attacks.
◦ Data: Job roles that focus on database management, as well as analytics of stored data.
3. IT Job Situation
General IT Skills
• Soft Skills
• Communication Skills
• Teamwork Skills
Soft Skills
-Desirable qualities for certain forms of
employment that do not depend on
acquired knowledge: they include
common sense, the ability to deal
with people, and a positive flexible
attitude [Dic1].
-Character traits and interpersonal
skills that characterize a person’s
relationships with other people
-Character traits and interpersonal
skills that characterize a person’s
relationships with other people
Communication Skills
• Industry managers also agree that communication skills are a necessary criterion for hiring a
graduate in an IT position.
• “the ability to convey information and ideas effectively.” [Col1] The definition is simple;
however, the meaning is deep.
• In industry, good communication skills mean conveying information to people in a clear and
simple manner. It’s about transmitting and receiving messages clearly, and being able to read
your audience. It means you can do things like give and understand instructions, learn new
things, make requests, ask questions and convey information with ease … [to] adapt yourself
to new and different situations, read the behaviour of other people, compromise to reach
agreement, and avoid and resolve conflict … communication is a two-way street, so being a
good listener is vital
Teamwork Skills
• It is necessary to understand the different dynamics that can and will occur in an industry setting.
• When thinking of an information technology team, we envision a group of individuals working together toward a
common goal.
• The idea of teamwork is the “cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a
team or in the interests of a common cause” [Dic2].
• Teamwork skills could expand via interdisciplinary opportunities where teams that include IT students and students
from other areas of study work together to explore mission or organization challenges beyond IT.
• Team members must be good communicators because they must engage in a multi-way transfer of facts and ideas.
They must also put aside personality issues and focus on the job at hand.
• Attendance and punctuality are important to be a good team player; chronic latecomers place an unnecessary burden
on the team because of repetition and loss of momentum.
• Team members should exercise leadership roles and volunteer to assume roles such as becoming a team leader or
facilitator if the role is not pre-designated.
 Technical Skills
• It is natural for industry to assume that a graduate from a reputable four-year
information technology program will have basic IT skills required for industry
employment.

• Information technology degree programs worldwide should establish relationships with

industries to optimize learning of the IT curricular framework are most valuable to
those potential employers.

• For example, if an IT program at a university lies within a geographic area that is a

major region employing network specialists, they may want to increase the focus of
their network applications, since they are able to develop an IT curriculum framework
that is most beneficial to local employers.

• From an industry perspective, hiring technically competent graduates is important.

However, with few exceptions, technical competence may not be as important as the
non-technical attributes mentioned earlier such as soft skills, communication skills, and
team skills.

• If a potential, new, or established employee lacks a specific technical skill, the employer
usually allows him or her to enter a set of seminars or preparation sessions to achieve
the missing skill.
Certification as an indicator of experience
• One indicator of experience is IT certification.
• Individuals who take and pass certification exams can use these credentials to supplement the
value of their academic education to potential employers. Educated employees can use
certifications to demonstrate their job readiness and pursuit of extra-curricular activities to
demonstrate IT skills to potential employers.
Certification as an indicator of experience
• Certifications also help employers provide a
baseline of set of knowledge for certain IT
positions; this baseline allows employers to
quickly “drill down” to essential skills that they
need. Employers also find that IT certifications
allow them to choose potential candidates more
quickly.
• As a result, if potential employees have IT
certifications, they will find themselves more
attractive in the marketplace.
• Benefits of certified IT employees include longer
retention, higher likelihood of receiving a
promotion, and better job performance than
non-IT certified staff. It is clear, then, that the IT
Industry values certification and education.