IT: Characterization, Education, Profession

ISECON 2000,

Philadelphia, Pa.

November 11, 2000

Susan M. Merritt, Dean

School of CS and IS

Pace University

smerritt@pace.edu

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IT : Characterization

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IT • IT refers to computer-based systems:

hardware, software, networks• IT spans the design and production of chips

(e.g., Intel) to the design and creation of

complex computer-based systems (e.g., the IRS)

to the end-use of such systems (e.g., e-business)

• IT includes all aspects of managing and processing information

Source: “The Supply of Information TechnologyWorkers in the United States,” Peter Freeman And Bill Aspray.1999, Computing Research Association, Washington, D.C.

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IS

• IS refers to computer-based systems that provide information for decision-making in organizations

• IS and IT are used in closely related ways

• The underlying technology of an IS is IT• IT is not restricted to any one application

area

Source: Freeman and Aspray

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IT

• Design and development of computing• Organization/managing of computing• Human factors of computing• Application of computing

Source: Peter J. Denning, George Mason University (from “Computer Science and Engineering Education,” Tony Greening, Ed. 1998)

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IT Fields

• CS and Engineering

IT- Intensive Fields

• Biotech and e-Business

Source: Denning

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The National Research Council: Eight Areas of IT (1993)

• The three most common are:

- Computer Science- Computer Engineering

- Information Systems

Source: “U.S. Degree Programs in Computing “ in Computing Professional - Changing Needs for the 1990’s, National Academy Press, 1993.

• All three are related, but none cover all aspects of IT.• The other five are CS&E, SE, CISc, MIS, and ISc.

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Computing and IT (1998)

• Computer Science• Information Systems• IScience• Software Engineering• Computer Engineering• Database Engineering• Network Engineering

Source: Denning

Continued on next slide

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Computing and IT, continued

• Systems Engineering• Software Architecture• Human Computer Interface Design• Computational Science• Computational Statistics• Numerical Modeling• Library Sciences• More

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Informatics and IT

It would be more reasonable to use informatics as the name of a science which deals with the basic ideas, methods, and means of collecting, processing, storing, retrieving and disseminating any one type of information.

Source: J. G. Dorfman, 1966

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Informatics and ITInformatics is the discipline of science which investigates the structure and properties (not specific content) of scientific information, … The purpose of informatics consists in developing optimal methods and means of presentation (recording), collection, analytical- synthetic processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination of scientific information. Informatics deals with logical (semantic) information, but is not involved in qualitative estimation of this information.

Source: A. I. Mikhailov, A. I. Chernyi, R. S. Gilyarevskii, 1967, “Informatics: New Name of the Theory of Scientific Information”

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Informatics

• Art, Science, Human Dimensions of IT• Borrow the word coined by Mikhailov/Dorfman (1966)• Word is (almost) synonymous with computer science in Europe: informatique, informatik, etc.• Best known in the U.S. in the context of medical informatics, bioinformatics, etc.• Build on that to mean “information technology applied to human problems”

Source: J. Michael Dunn, Indiana University

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“Five Corners” of Informatics

Source: Dunn

y = human

x = technicalNew

Media

Human ComputerInteraction

Social/Organizational

Logical/MathFoundations

DistributedInformation

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IT: Education

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IT-Related Academic Disciplines Offered in the United States

1. Computer Science2. Information Science3. Information Systems4. Management Information Systems5. Software Architecture6. Software Engineering7. Network Engineering8. Knowledge Engineering9. Database Engineering10. System Security and Privacy

continued on next slide

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IT-Related Academic Disciplines Offered in the United States, continued

Source: Peter J. Denning, “Information Technology:Developing the Profession,” Discussion Document,December 4, 1998

11. Performance Analysis (Capacity Planning)12. Scientific Computing13. Computational Science14. Artificial Intelligence15. Graphics16. HCI (Human Computer Interface)17. Web Service Design18. Multimedia Design19. System Administration20. Digital Library Science

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IT, Computing and Informatics

• These have a common intellectual core

- Doctoral degrees in IT, Informatics, or Computing (GMU, UNC Charlotte, CMU, NJIT, Pace, RPI (in preparation)).

• They have different preferred practices and conventions

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IT Schools and Programs

• Snowbird: Three dozen “Deans of IT”• Organizing Concept: IT is well beyond the

scope of CS, IS, Engineering• “It’s hard to imagine that any university will

not fundamentally reorganize it’s structure to address IT within the next four decades. Some rising institutions have already made this bold move.”

Source: Duke University, Planning Document, 1999.

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Schools of IT

• 7 IT (or IT is part) – Drexel, GMU, RPI• 7 CS (or CS is part) – CMU, Cornell,

Northeastern• 6 ISc (or ISc is part) – Cornell, Penn State• 5 as yet unnamed• 2 Informatics – UC Berkley, Indiana• 2 Computing – Georgia Tech, Utah• 2 Engineering (or Engineering as part) – GMU,

UTexas• 1 Telecom as part – DePaul• 1 IS as part – Pace

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RPI• B.S. in IT

- IT Core: programming (2), architecture (2), Web-based systems, IT Revolution, Politics/Economics of IT, HCI, Creativity/AI, Managing IT Resources, Capstone project, 3 technical electives, plus 8 courses in a second discipline

- Second discipline: MIS, communications, finance, e-commerce, psychology, medicine, computer hardware, entrepreneurship, bioinformatics, economics, aeronautical engineering, electronic arts, networks, software usability, industrial engineering, multimedia data, ecoinformatics

• M.S. in IT• Ph.D. in IT (under development)

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Interdisciplinary Nature of IT Research

Humanities andSocial Sciences

Source: “IT, Informatics, and Computer Science: Experience With New and Existing Programs,” presented at the Computing Research Assoc. Conf. at Snowbird 2000, July 10, 2000,By Boleslaw Szymanski, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.

Science

ComputerScience AndEngineering

ITResearch

Commerceand Services

Engineering

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Indiana University• BS in Informatics

- Core areas

- Mathematical and Logical Foundations

- Distributed Information and Knowledge Systems - Human Computer Interaction

- Social and Organizational Informatics

- New Media- Cognate areas - Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Communications, - Computer Science, Computer Technology, - Economics. English, Fine Arts, Geography, - Interior Design, IST, Journalism, Linguistics, - Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, - Public and Environment Affairs, Telecommunications

Source: Dunn

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IU

• MS in IT

- Health Informatics

- Bioinformatics

- Chemical Informatics

- Human Computer Interaction

Source: Dunn

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IT at Other Institutions

• Georgia Tech

CS core with networking, graphics, future environments, experimental software, intelligent systems, educational technology

• SUNY Albany

MIS, CS, ISc and policy, geography, education, sociology, marketing

• NJITCS, IS, telecommunications, biomedicalinformatics

continued on next slide

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IT at other Institutions, continued• DePaul Univ.

CS, IS, telecommunications• UNebraska

Currently: CS, MIS, telecommunications Planned: ISc, IT, bioinformatics

• UNC Charlotte CS, MIS, Information Systems Technology

• Duke CS, mathematics, sciences, engineering, medicine, business

• Pace CS, IS, Telecommunications, TS

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IT: Profession

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IT WorkforceIT-Enabled Workers

Source: Freeman and Aspray IT Knowledge

Business/IndustryKnowledge

IT Workers

CIO

CTO

ApplicationDeveloper

Software ProjectManager

SystemAdministrator

OSDeveloperCall Consultant

CFOMarketingVP Product

DeveloperBusinessProjectManager

BankTeller

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Categorization of IT Jobs

Conceptualizers: those who conceive of and sketch out the basic nature of a computer system artifact

• Entrepreneur• Product designer• Research engineer• Systems analyst• Computer science researcher• Requirements analyst• System architect

Continued on next slide

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Categorization of IT Jobs, continued

Developers: those who work on specifying, designing, constructing, and testing an IT artifact• System designer• Programmer• Software engineer• Tester• Computer engineer• Microprocessor designer• Chip designer

Continued on next slide

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Categorization of IT Jobs, continued

Modifiers: those who modify or add on to an IT artifact

• Maintenance programmer• Programmer• Software engineer• Computer engineer• Database administrator

Continued on next slide

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Categorization of IT Jobs, continued

Supporters: those who deliver, install, operate, maintain, or repair an IT artifact

• System consultant• Customer support specialist• Help desk specialist• Hardware maintenance specialist• Network installer• Network administrator 

Source: Computing Research Assoc., Intersociety Study Group on Information Technology Workers, April 1999.

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Typical Knowledge, Skill Mix for IT Jobs (Scale 1 to 4)

Scale: 1 – least important, 2 – moderately important,3 – important, 4 – critically important

Source: Computing Research Assoc., Intersociety StudyGroup on Information Technology Workers, April 1999

Information Business and Communication andTechnology Industry Organization

Conceptualizers 4 2 3Developers 3 2 3Modifiers 2 3 3Supporters 1 2 3

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A Profession of Computing• ACM IT Profession Initiative• Most users of computers and

communications do not understand the inner workings of hardware, software, and networks.

• People have concerns about the design and operation of reliable hardware, software, and network systems to help them do their work.

• These people seek professional help in taking care of their concerns. They expect computing professionals to be responsible, competent, ethical, and able to anticipate future breakdowns

Continued on next slide

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A Profession of Computing, continued

• The Profession of Computing is coming into existence to provide that help.

• The education of computing professionals must account for practices as well as descriptive knowledge.

• Individual computing professionals should embrace boundaries between their specialties and others in the profession.

Source: Denning

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Disappearing Dichotomies

• Computer Science vs. X• Research vs. Application• Researcher vs. Practitioner• Education vs. Training

Source: Denning