New Curriculum Process

From IS Curriculum

The Task Force has identified the process of creating a new architecture for curriculum development as a task that is at least equally important as proposing a new model curriculum. We believe that the Web 2.0 era needs a new way to develop and maintain curricula, and we intend to use the current IS undergraduate development process to explore how modern collaboration technologies can be used for this purpose.

Key Principles Guiding the New Curriculum Process:

1. The model curriculum should represent a consensus from the IS community.
2. The model curriculum should be designed to help IS faculty produce competent and confident entry level graduates well suited to work-place responsibilities.
3. The model curriculum should guide but not prescribe. Using the model curriculum guidelines, faculty can design their own courses.
4. The model curriculum should be based on sound educational methodologies and make appropriate recommendations for consideration by IS faculty.
5. The model curriculum should be flexible and adaptable to most IS programs.
6. The model curriculum is not restricted to a specific domain; all information systems programs are, however, linked to some domain.
7. The model curriculum has a core of content that is common to all information systems programs.
8. The model curriculum has career targets that include both core and elective content.

We recognize that there are several issues that need to be resolved to create an effective open source model for curriculum development. These include the following:

• How will the process be managed?
• What type of editorial control will be needed?
• Will there be official approved versions of the curriculum?
• Who will be authorized to participate in the process?
• Who will make decisions regarding the architecture of the system?