A Course Sequence For Integrating Problem Solving And Critical Thinking In A Hybrid Outcome Based Is/It Curriculum

In this paper we propose a curriculum for the information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) fields that follows the ABET criteria and the IS 2002 recommendations. The proposed curriculum is driven by two sets of learning outcomes: the university learning outcomes, which are a set of higher level outcomes and the college learning outcomes which are embedded in all core courses. A course sequence was developed to facilitate student learning of problem solving and programming concepts. The sequence includes courses in problem solving, algorithm design and development, solution modeling and coding. VB.Net, a visual programming environment, was the language of choice to introduce object oriented programming. The master course syllabi for the sequence provide clear details about learning outcomes covered in that course as well as the piece of evidence for that outcome. The master course syllabi with clearly defined learning outcomes can help instructors focus their lessons. The proposed course sequence can help students learn problem solving concepts naturally and facilitate the programming learning process. It is anticipated that such a curriculum will reduce students’ fear of programming and renew their interest in the computing field in general as well as the IS/IT field in particular.