Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Tertiary-Level Information Systems Students: A Graduate Development Framework

Abstract

This article forms part of research-in-progress aimed towards creating a comprehensive graduate development framework that will assist Information Systems (IS) departments in increasing the quality and quantity of their enrolments and graduates.In this article we present the IS Graduate Development Framework (ISGDF). This framework combines measurable, tested variables from four IS education related fields of study into a single framework for measuring the graduate development potential of IS institutions, courses, and development projects. These four fields of study are (i) Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), (ii) economic labour market theory that relates to IS labour, (iii) a study of IS education variables and course structures, and (iv) a study of IS labour within the Creative Industries. We present the ISGDF based on literature from these fields of study, and show how this framework can be applied by means of a comprehensive case study example. The case study gives a detailed account of how the framework was used to measure, and improve, an IS graduate development project.Findings from the case study include several areas for possible improvement of IS curricula to increase the graduate development potential of IS departments. Although the case study was conducted in a South African context, we suggest that the ISGDF, and case study findings report in this article, can be useful for informing IS departments towards increasing graduate quality and quantity in their own contexts.

Can we Learn from Down Under How to Rise Up in E-Government? A Comparative Analysis of the Public Sector Competences in the German and Australian Higher Education Systems

“…For this purpose, they analyse online databases and websites of existing programmes and universities around the world. In another study, [3] use Information Systems (IS) education concepts and course structures to develop a framework to counteract the IS skills deficiency in South Africa.…”

Unfulfilled need

“…There have been several studies in South Africa which aimed to investigate the supply and demand of ICT jobs (Alexander et al, 2014; Breytenbach and De Villiers, 2012; Breytenbach and De Villiers, 2015; Merkofer and Murphy, 2009). All of these studies found that there was a shortage of skills in ICT.…”

“…This in turn leads to increased demand for ICT skills with a more price-elastic supply, which is translated as higher wages. In another research, Breytenbach and De Villiers (2015) investigated concerns and key concepts influencing IS graduate quality and quantity in South Africa. The authors also developed a framework that will assist IS departments in increasing the quality and quantity of their enrolments and graduates.…”