Education for Industry

1. Education for Industry The Structure and Practices of the School of Computing Dr Bing Wu BSc MSc PhD Bing.Wu@DIT.IE +353-1-4024819 School of Computing Dublin Institute of Technology

2. School of Computing PresentationOverview • Overview of Ireland • DIT Structure in Faculties and Schools • School of Computing • Industrial Focus of School • Educational Practices of School • Masters Program • Summary

5. School of Computing Nature of DIT • Long-standing Institution with track record at third level • Significant output of graduates to industryand the professions • Strong commitment to research, development and consultancy with a focus on industry • Multi-level, multi-discipline Institution with extensive ‘Ladders of Opportunity’

6. School of Computing Ladders of Opportunity PostDoc 3 Years PhD PhD 2 Years MPhil 1~2 Years MSc Advanced Entry Transfer 4 Years BSc BSc (Honours) 2.1 3 Years Dip. 2 Years Cert. Central Administration Office (CAO)

7. School of Computing DIT Structure • Faculty of Science • Faculty of Engineering • Faculty of The Built Environment • Faculty of Business • Faculty of Tourism and Food • Faculty of Applied Arts

8. School of Computing The Faculty of Science • School of Computing • School of Biological Sciences • School of Chemistry • School of Physics • School of Mathematical Sciences

9. School of Computing When a Newly Graduated Student of School of Computing Could Make Money for His/Her Employer/Company? Within Weeks!

10. School of Computing The School of Computing • 40 Full-time and 20 Part-time Academic Staff • ~700 Students • 1 MSc (2 years) • 2 BSc (Honours. 4 years) • 1 BSc (General, 3 years) • 1 BSc (Honours, Flexible and P/T) • Research Degrees (MPhil, PhD) & PostDoc

11. School of Computing School Ethos • Unique among Universities • Staff Profile - 20% academic career path - 80% senior Industrial path • Staff encouraged to attend specialist courses offered by industry • Course Committee Structure • Industrial Attitude • Quality Standards for Software Development • Quality Assurance - Extern Examiners - Course Documents - Validation Procedure

12. School of Computing Administration Management Team The School Structure 1 Head of School & 2 Assistant Heads 1 School Secretary Academic Staff Technical Team 5 Course Chairs 1 Examination QA Coordinator 3 Technicians 12 Year Mentors 2 Work Placement Coordinators ~20 External P/T Lecturers ~17 Normal F/T Lecturers

13. School of Computing Course Committee Structure within School • Responsibility with authority • Chairpersons have major industrial experiences • Including student representatives

14. School of Computing Responsibilities of Course Committees • Operation of academic matters • Monitoring of the course • Curriculum development • Staff/student dialogue

15. School of Computing Chairpersons • MSc – Head of IT Services for National Television Service (RTE) • BSc (Honours)– Senior Software engineer (10 Years) • BSc (Honours P/T) Senior Software Developer for Largest Bank in Ireland (AIB) • BSc (Ordinary)– Senior Engineer of National Electricity Company

16. School of Computing Industrial Attitude and Focus • Appreciation that graduates will work in the Software Industry • Industrial experience of staff • Staff available to students • Industrial external examiners • Guest lecturers from industry • Staff maintain personal links with industry • e.g. social, phone calls, lunch

17. School of Computing Educational Practices and Objectives • CREATIVITY, QUALITY, RESEARCH/LIFELONG-LEARNING • Provide our graduates with • seamless progression into industry (e.g. work placement) • the necessary skills to function as IT developers and advance to management positions • the ability to progress to further study

18. School of Computing Educational Practices and Objectives CREATIVITY? Creativity  Algorithm

19. School of Computing Educational Practices and Objectives CREATIVITY = ? Merriam-Webster Dictionary • 1: the quality of being creative2: the ability to create Encyclopaedia Britannica • the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form

20. School of Computing Achieving Our Objectives • Academic work with a practical emphasis • Lectures provide only the essential core of a topic, students must add to the content • Industry standards applied continuously • Guest lecturers from industry • Continuous assessment • Work Placement • Project

21. School of Computing Student Projects • Ideally student provides his/her own project • Encourages self-development • Encourages CREATIVITY • Student will take ownership of project

22. School of Computing Approach • Identify a project topic and main objectives of the project • Submit a proposal articulating clearly the aims and objectives of the project • Research and/or analyse the project area to gain an understanding of the work involved • Design, implement and test a solution if appropriate • Write a manual/report which clearly documents the project and how each of the above stages were carried out • Present the project

23. School of Computing Key Points • The project is the one area where the student must work independently under light supervision • Student has considerable flexibility in the choice of project topic • Student gets the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge gained across the whole course

24. School of Computing Key Points • A successful project calls for considerable creativity and independent thought • The project has value beyond the marks awarded – employers view it as an important measure of ability • The project process is vital in creating and maintaining links with industry

25. School of Computing Masters Degree • MSc in Information Technology for Strategic Management • MBA in Computing • Seminars • Students offer papers of their choice as examination topics • Dissertation • Industry/Consultancy focused

26. School of Computing Summary

27. School of Computing Summary • A Industrial-Oriented Education Ethos/Philosophy • An Education Team of Highest Quality with Substantial Industrial Experiences and Comprehension • Devoted Lecturers who enjoy Teaching+Learning • A comprehensive QA mechanism and structure • An Encouraging Education and Social Environment

28. Education for Industry: the structure and practices of the School of Computing Thanks for Your Attention 谢 谢 Go Raibh Maith Agat Dr Bing Wu School of Computing Dublin Institute of Technology Dublin, Ireland