As a master student, Jakupovic explored if and how computer science education may be up-to-date, when the computer engineering area is such a moving target. The results of the presented thesis are worthwhile to present to engineering educators. Jakupovic interviewed former students, now working as programmers or project managers in industry, and found the following themes: The education laid the foundation for the programmers’ careers, but the transition from school to industry was rather difficult, and furthermore, what was taught, and expected by industry, did not correspond to students’ expectations of what to learn at university. In this study, we use these interviews and continue to answer the following questions: How can we make the transition into work life more smooth? How can we motivate students that what we are teaching is not outdated and obsolete? There are many studies on motivation, and especially using CDIO-courses as a motivating factor. The students speak of: specific content they learned, the theory-practice gap and how teachers either teach or facilitate students’ learning. They also reflect on the fact that they prior to the interviews had not realized that the university courses had made such an impact on their career. Our hypothesis is that motivation will be enhanced, and courses will feel up-to-date if we may align students’ expectations to the needs of industry.
Jakupovic, J. (2016) Educated to Learn - How to enhance the education of computer science and informatics. Master thesis, Jönköping School of Engineering, Jönköping University
Proceedings of the 13th International CDIO Conference in Calgary, Canada, June 18-22 2017