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Improving Education in ICTD: Thoughts from CCC Workshop Participants

Improving Education in ICTD: Thoughts from CCC Workshop Participants. CCC Workshop on Computer Science and Global Development August 1, 2009. Master's and Undergraduate Curriculum. Should teach large undergraduate class in ICTD Many young students have enthusiasm for subject

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Improving Education in ICTD: Thoughts from CCC Workshop Participants

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  1. Improving Education in ICTD:Thoughts from CCC Workshop Participants CCC Workshop on Computer Science and Global Development August 1, 2009

  2. Master's and Undergraduate Curriculum • Should teach large undergraduate class in ICTD • Many young students have enthusiasm for subject • Helps with visibility of field in university, employers, NSF, … • Allocates slots for FTEs at university (professor, lecturer, etc.) • Should produce more Master's students in ICTD • Train them to be practitioners; same benefits as above • Facilitate development enrichment for technical majors • Provide minor program (e.g., global poverty minor, Berkeley) • Prepare / encourage students to switch fields • B.S. in EECS, Ph.D. in development economics • Also provide ICT enrichment to non-technical majors • Teach role of CS to students in other areas (public health, etc.) • Infiltrate other departments with ICTD education agenda

  3. Ph.D. Curriculum • Due to increased breadth, need flexibility to add and remove courses • Students possibly propose their own course sequence, seek approval from committee • Courses to add: history, economics, development, research methodology in the social sciences, etc. • Will also need to REMOVE courses • Important to integrate time in field as part of school • Recent graduates perceive value in having a "Ph.D. in computer science" as opposed to Ph.D. in ICTD • So that organizations trust their background

  4. What's Missing from Current Education Structure • Ethical training and approval (what's the IRB of ICTD?) • Preparing students to deal with bureaucracy • Train not only scientists, but effective bureaucracy • Possibly need to adjust entry requirements for grad. school • Like computational biology students, allow dropping of certain CS requirements and place value on other backgrounds • Also adjust recruiting to go after non-technical backgrounds • Field experience for undergrads • Enrich "study abroad" semesters with ICTD partners, curriculum • Possibly build on “gap year” between high school and college as springboard for ICTD context and collaborations

  5. What Else Schools can Provide • Inter-institution summer school for graduate students • Perhaps on location in the field • Gain critical mass of specialized students by gathering them across institutions • Attract faculty to teach by increasing their audience • Incubator for social enterprises • Help go from prototype to product • For students to pursue full-time post-graduation • Managed relationships with community partners • For research collaborations • For internships in diverse areas (see job placement) • For immersive field observations

  6. Planning for Job Placement • Opportunities today: • Academic • Emerging market divisions of companies • Multi-national organizations • NGOs • Government • Increasingly: • Social enterprises based on student idea / research • Long-term goal: • Foundations hire CS people for expertise and perspective • Prepare students for lack of jobs? Like other liberal arts programs • We are spoiled in CS by expecting jobs for everyone?

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