Andre Prakash

Creating Curriculum to Prepare Individuals for Software Development

Started July 25, 2023

Abstract or project description

In recent years, the computer science (CS) field and its subfields, most notably software-development, have gained notoriety and risen to one of the most sought-after careers globally. While this modern shift brings advantages in human advancements, difficulties arise in ensuring educators are equipping students with tools to study CS and join the software development workforce. Thus, it’s imperative to uncover the specific skills necessary for such a result, as well as how the educational process could further prepare individuals for the industry. This paper intends to examine and unearth these processes. This study involves numerous interviews with individuals from varying specialties, such as teachers, pedagogy experts, students, and most prominently: computer science educators and software developers. Through thematic analysis, certain fundamental elements of education were revealed to be imperative to preparing individuals for careers in software development. Specifically, the soft skills of communication and collaboration, the idea of how computer science should be approached uniquely, and the teaching practices of fostering problem-solving skills, presenting relevant instruction, and utilizing project-based learning (PBL). The teaching practices were proven to be beneficial in a past study in a live curriculum, and the aforementioned soft skills were shown to be crucial in Agile Software Development: a method of developing software products efficiently and successfully. These elements, if implemented in general school curricula, would benefit rising generations by preparing them for a wholly unique and rapidly growing field.