scottish heads of computing from school to university computing 27 th november, 2008
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Scottish Heads of Computing From School to University Computing 27 th November, 2008. Greg Michaelson School of Mathematical & Computer Sciences Heriot-Watt University. Scottish ICT Growth. Strong Demand for Staff but Skills Shortage. Strong Demand for Technical Skills. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Scottish Heads of ComputingFrom School to University Computing
27th November, 2008
Greg MichaelsonSchool of Mathematical & Computer
SciencesHeriot-Watt University
Scottish ICT Growth
Strong Demand for Staff but Skills Shortage
Strong Demand for Technical Skills
Scots studying UG Computing
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, Data Request 28450, Nov 2008
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
6000
Scotland
UK
Scotland 4850 4970 4820 4590 4460
UK 5080 5565 5460 5160 4875
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07
•steady decline in Scots study UG Computing•most Scots study Computing in Scotland
Scots applicants for UK UG Computing
Source: UCAS Nov 2008; NB Applicants are classified according to the subject listed most frequently on the application form. For some subjects this creates the impression that there are more people accepted than applied. Acceptances are classified according to the subject of acceptance.
Scots applications for UK UG Computing
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Applications
Acceptances
Applications 1776 1624 1453 1344 1190 1109
Acceptances 2040 1982 1747 1696 1494 1399
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
•steady decline in Scots applying/accepted for UG Computing
Computing SQA Candidate Numbers
All SQA candidates
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
AH
H
I2
I1
SG
AH 15,745 16,986 17,185 17,140 18,264 17,831
H 164,004 166,885 165,575 164,142 159,140 161,081
I2 67,509 72,327 80,283 87,100 94,686 107,340
I1 20,352 24,613 31,231 36,653 45,174 53,840
SG 490,485 453,598 434,002 411,324 416,052 404,850
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Computing SQA candidates
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
AH
H
I2
I1
SG
AH 439 495 512 499 450 349
H 4,480 4,753 5,090 4,628 4,356 4,180
I2 2,180 2,102 2,153 2,094 2,742 2,682
I1 832 1,023 1,488 1,674 1,552 2,024
SG 22,114 21,723 18,849 17,237 16,508 16,040
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: SQA Nov 2008
•steady decline in SQA Computing candidates
Computing SQA Candidates % 2002
All SQA candidates % 2002
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
H
AH
all
H 102 101 100 97 98
AH 108 109 109 116 113
all 97 96 94 97 98
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Computing SQA candidates % 2002
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
H
AH
all
H 106 114 103 97 93
AH 113 117 114 103 79
all 100 93 87 85 84
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: SQA Nov 2008
•2% decline in all; 16% decline in all Computing•2% decline in all H; 7% decline in Computing H•13% increase in all AH; 21% decline in Computing AH
Computing SQA Candidates %All SQA candidates %
0
20
40
60
80
100
AH
H
I2
I1
SG
AH 2 2 2 2 2 2
H 22 23 23 23 22 22
I2 9 10 11 12 13 14
I1 3 3 4 5 6 7
SG 65 62 60 57 57 54
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Computing SQA candidates %
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
AH
H
I2
I1
SG
AH 1.461142 1.644737 1.822583 1.909536 1.757263 1.380811
H 15 16 18 18 17 17
I2 7 7 8 8 11 11
I1 3 3 5 6 6 8
SG 74 72 67 66 64 63
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: SQA Nov 2008
• 22 % of all SQA at H; 17% of Computing at H
SQA Computing centresCentres offering SQA Computing qualifications
0
500
1000
1500
AH
H
I2
I1
SG
AH 109 126 137 122 118 106
H 289 302 306 318 301 306
I2 174 176 182 193 209 219
I1 103 120 132 114 114 134
SG 395 384 367 352 342 326
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: SQA Nov 2008
•31 less Advanced Higher centres since 2004•12 less Higher centres since 2005
Computing SQA % All SQAComputing SQA as % of all SQA
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
H
AH
all
H 2.731641 2.848069 3.074136 2.81951 2.737213 2.594968
AH 2.788187 2.914165 2.979342 2.911319 2.463863 1.957265
all 3.963224 4.097989 3.857329 3.647892 3.492083 3.392882
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: SQA Nov 2008
•0.5% decline in proportion taking Higher since 2004•1.0% decline in proportion taking AH since 2004
SQA Subject Groupings
• Accounting; Mathematics• Biology; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Geology;
Human Biology; Managing Environmental Resources; Physics
• Administration; Architectural Technology; Building Construction; Business Management; Care; Care Practise; Computing; Design; ...; Home Economics; Hospitality; Information Systems...
• source: SQA list of 2007 Higher papers
School & Uni Curricula
SCQF level SQA qualification University UG year
6 Higher
7 Advanced Higher 1st
8 2nd
•Universities: •accept Higher Computing for 1st year general entrance •do not require Higher Computing for entrance to 1st year Computer Science•are diffident about Advanced Higher Computing for 2nd year direct entrance
School & Uni Curricula• in other subject specific Highers (e.g. Maths,
Physics, Chemistry) , Universities can assume:– appropriate minimum skill– uniformity of content/attainment
• programming is key to University Computer Science
• in SQA Computing:– programming methodology is not prescribed
• most Unis teach object orientation/UML
– programming language is not prescribed• most Unis teach Java
School & Uni Curricula• SQA Higher Computing:
– core programming content is relatively low• covered in typical Uni 1st year 1 semester module• so can easily be taught to those without prior
experience– amount of programming varies depending on options
• e.g. more in AI option
• SQA Advanced Higher:– has considerably less programming than 1st year
Computer Science
IT v Computing v Information Systems
• IT is the “4th R”– word processing; Internet; spread sheet;
database; presentations
• Computing is a specialism– modelling/designing/constructing/evaluating
systems
• Information Systems is a specialism– how organisations & people deploy systems
to manage information
Perceptions of School Computing
• Universities think:– students don’t understand what Computing involves– school curricula do not sufficiently distinguish IT,
Computing & Information Systems
• school/1st year UG students say:– SQA curricula do not take account of what is learnt at
home and in primary school – they meet same material in different places– SQA Computing boring/not sufficiently challenging
Perceptions of School Computing
• Computing teachers say:– school managers don’t understand Computing– status of Computing weakened because SQA
Computing not requirement for University Computer Science
– demarcation disputes with Business Studies– subject develops more quickly than curricula– Universities out of touch with School needs
Proposal
• short life/light touch joint working party to:– review SQA & University curricula– survey teacher/student/Uni attitudes– clarify misconceptions & mismatches– elaborate longer term structure for optimising
school/University articulation in Scotland for Computing
• representatives from:– Scottish Government– SQA– SHoC