Information technology skills in the workplace: Implications for Bachelor of Arts degrees

Changing work practices have increased demands for information technology (IT) skills within non-IT professions. Many employers want experience in desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and Internet skills, in addition to the 'traditional' areas of file management, word processing and databases. The demand for these skills was evident in our survey of Bachelor of Arts graduates with a Computing Studies major. However, whether workplace needs are being met by non-IT tertiary degrees, such as the BA, is open to investigation. Therefore this paper proposes a re-thinking of computer literacy in BA degrees to a two-tier competence. It also seeks to promote discussion and debate on the integration of advanced IT skills into higher education, with a particular emphasis on BA degrees. Barriers to effective IT integration include technical issues, lack of training and incentives for staff, students' unpredictable IT skill level on entry to tertiary education, and their access to resources. The discussion is limited to administrative and teaching careers, as these were the dominant non-IT career choices of BA graduates in our survey. However, the issues related to the integration of IT across discipline areas in higher education to satisfy the needs of the workplace are quite generic. If the IT skills demanded by employers are to be supplied, then a higher priority needs to be placed on IT skills of academic staff, and on integrating advanced IT skills across and within the teaching and learning framework for students in tertiary education.

Introduction

The development of networks, new ways of teaching with computers, and the emergence of the Internet are topical issues. Some academic staff are motivated by the possibilities they offer for the flexible delivery of university courses. Others are resisting the pressure to adapt in a time where universities are changing as places of traditional learning. One of the challenges is the question of whether a different type of academic staff member is needed (Collens, 1993); one who, regardless of discipline, is computer literate and able to integrate IT into their teaching to complement other teaching and learning experiences.

For academic staff to be able to integrate IT into their teaching, computers must be meaningful to them on a personal level (Cheung, 1996). Many academic staff use computers for preparation of teaching materials, research papers, correspondence and collating marks. Some researchers believe that this use of computers on a personal and management level is the first stage of a two-stage model, and is essential before moving to the second stage where computers can be integrated into teaching (Snyder, 1993, cited in Overbaugh, 1993). IT has no respect for academic boundaries, and has penetrated all disciplines and become a focus for changing modes of subject delivery within universities (Yetton, 1997; Ward, 1994). It is important then for non-IT disciplines within a BA degree - a traditional non-IT domain - to examine whether IT can effectively be incorporated into its teaching programs, not at the expense of content or teaching and learning strategies, but to enhance them.

The aims of this paper are: to investigate the trend in demands for IT skills in the workplace; to examine experiences of BA graduates in using IT skills gained during the degree; and from this to explore implications for BA degrees, both within the framework of teaching and learning, and for academic staff.

Survey of BA graduates

Between 1994 and 1997 seventy-three BA graduates from UWS, Macarthur had undertaken a Computing Studies major. Thirty-one graduates (42.5%) responded to the survey. The aims of the survey were to track graduates' career paths, further study undertaken and to determine the perceived value of undertaking a Computing Studies sequence as part of a BA program. Table 1 sets out the area of work of graduates and their job classifications.

When asked why they chose to undertake a Computing Studies major, this group of graduates made the following responses:

* The UWS Macarthur BA requires all students to achieve a basic level of computer competency by successfully completing the subject, Introduction to Computers.

In addition, 80% indicated that it had been the right decision to undertake a Computing Studies major. Comments included:

"We can't live without computer knowledge these days" (Administrator, 1994 graduate)

"It helped me gain employment and was a good basis as the start of my career" (Analyst/Programmer, 1995 graduate)

"Department of School Education likes to employ computer literate teachers - our studies are quite diverse" (Teacher, 1996 graduate)

"I've developed an unmatched passion for computers" (Police Officer, 1997 graduate)

Further study since completing the BA included Masters degrees (16.7%), teaching qualifications (33.3%) as well as other training courses relevant to their careers. The reason for undertaking further study was job requirement (33.3%), personal interest (50.0%) and better qualifications (16.7%). To enhance their job satisfaction and career prospects 53.3% indicated that they intended to pursue further study. Is part of the reason for this intention related to the rapidly changing nature of IT in the workplace and the need to keep up to date?

Confirming the results of the survey

When considering the issue of computer literacy for administrators, it seems predictions that IT would deskill work have proved false. On the contrary, administrative workers who use advanced IT skills have reported increased job satisfaction (Long, 1993). Managers now type their own reports, and administrative assistants are becoming desktop publishers, data analysts and researchers. Interestingly, employers have become more discerning, valuing not just a general ability to use a computer, but valuing specific and more advanced skills (Hawke, 1998). For example, production of a brochure or a web page can be viewed as two inter-related tasks: content and design. Both tasks can be performed using a computer, but the design task requires advanced IT skills.

When considering the issue of computer literacy for teachers, the question of where to start provokes debate. Should the analysis start in the schools, before students reach university? Or should it start at university, before teacher trainees are released into the school system? The importance of IT is incorporated into the curriculum and a move towards integrating IT into teaching is occurring in Australia, but only in some parts of the school system. The NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) have technology advisers, and some in-service training, ie the Technology in Learning and Teaching (TILT) program, but teachers still need to rely on their own resources to acquire the necessary skills to feel comfortable in integrating IT into their teaching (Jackson, 1998). If the school system requires that all teachers should be computer literate, and be able to integrate IT into their teaching, then pre-service education needs to have IT fully integrated into teacher education programs, and target the integration of IT into classrooms (Downes, Perry and Sherwood, 1995).

What are the current it skills needed in the workplace?

IT skills for employment in administration

IT skills in the teaching profession

IT skills for Computing Studies teachers

In recent years, due to a shortage of Computing teachers, Computing Studies has been taught by teachers from other discipline areas, without appropriate qualifications. However, as from 1998 graduates are required to have a major Computing sequence to be employed by the NSW Department of Education and Training (Manuel, 1999).

General IT skills for all teachers

Has the desired level of it skills increased over time?

In 1992 advertisements for administrative positions, revealed that a higher priority was placed on organisational and communication skills, with computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets and knowledge of computer systems lower in priority, or not mentioned. By 1995 more emphasis was placed on computer skills in general, with skills in desktop publishing, presentations and database appearing in some job advertisements. In 1998 interest in new technologies, Internet skills such as web page design and more specialised software skills emerged. This trend would indicate a dependence on computers, and that advanced IT skills are highly valued for administrative careers.

The progressive changes in demand for IT skills in the teaching profession is not quite as clear to chart. In recent times, the use of IT in teaching can best be described as ad hoc, and IT skills gained by teachers were primarily through self-motivation (Dailhou, 1999; Harriman, 1999). However, DET has introduced a number of initiatives over the last few years, including provision of hardware resources, Internet access, curriculum support materials, technology advisers and in-service teacher training, under the Government's Computers in Schools Policy (DET, 1997). Today we are on more confident ground with a definition of computer proficiency for beginning teachers developed in 1997 by the Ministerial Advisory Council on the Quality of Teaching (MACQT). The table below lists the levels of computer proficiency teaching graduates will now have to meet. Universities are expected to implement programs to achieve the recommended levels by the year 2000, and employment agencies are being encouraged to use this set of competencies as criteria for employment as teachers in NSW (MACQT, 1997).

The trend since 1992 is towards more sophisticated IT skills for careers in Administration which reflects increased use of IT, and is in line with the emergence of new technologies. These definitely include skills that could be met within the BA structure. In Teaching, while pedagogical issues are the domain of pre- and in-service teaching courses, most of those under Basic Operations and Information Technology (see Table 4) are candidates for IT skills within a BA degree.

Implications for Bachelor of Arts degrees

The introduction of computer competencies into university degrees has seen students develop basic skills. However, in some degrees the use of IT for teaching and learning is not considered unless the individual lecturer has an interest in using computers (Downes, Perry and Sherwood, 1995). A number of interesting innovations have emerged in universities that move towards integrating IT into teaching. Not surprisingly, a number of these innovations have come from traditional Computing, as well as from lecturers who have an interest in computing. The next step involves encouraging and supporting all academic staff to acquire the necessary IT skills to enable them to firstly, effectively use computers on a personal and management level, and secondly, to participate in flexible delivery initiatives that include the integration of IT within their discipline.

Whether the IT skills demanded by employers can be supplied within the framework of tertiary education will depend on how tertiary education responds to integrating higher level IT skills, and how well computer literacy is managed. We have divided the broad needs of commitment to IT in tertiary education, with particular emphasis on the BA style of degree, as follows:

1. Preparation for working in certain IT related professions

"...BA graduates have a lot more to offer to industry than our Computer Science colleagues..."

2. Preparation for administrative and other non-IT areas

3. Preparation for the teaching profession

To judge pre-service teaching Bachelor degrees is, as stated earlier, beyond the scope of this paper. However, there are special implications for non-teaching undergraduate degrees. As many students enter the teaching profession via a BA (or similar undergraduate degree) followed by a one or two year postgraduate teaching degree, it is desirable that the undergraduate degree should provide adequate training in IT. This would allow the graduate teaching degree/diploma to concentrate on the delivery of IT to support curriculum objectives and outcomes and on other pedagogical issues rather than on basic IT skills. IT needs for BA graduates entering postgraduate pre-service education could be met through point 2 above.

In the case of BA students who wish to specialise as Computer Studies teachers, a major within the BA structure, as outlined in Point 1 above, would be a desirable option. If this is encouraged, it may help the integration of IT within secondary education by breaking the perceived nexus of Maths/Computing or Science/Computing method combinations that typically come out of Science undergraduate degrees. Through a BA, Computing Studies could be combined with other disciplines leading to greater dynamism within Computing Studies, and blurring the traditional barriers between departments thus aiding integration of IT across the curriculum.

To summarise the above, we have identified three separate dimensions within the tertiary education sector where IT skills can be integrated:

• advanced technical skills for IT professionals
• IT across the discipline structure:
  - two-tier computer literacy: basic and advanced skills
  - integration of IT in teaching and learning
• IT skills for entry to postgraduate teaching degrees

Re-thinking computer literacy

The needs of IT professionals, the first dimension above, can best be regarded as part of specialised Computer Science/Engineering degrees (technical) or as a major sequence of a BA degree (IT management). Of special relevance to this paper is the second and third dimension. To provide both generic and specialised advanced IT skills, computer-based teaching and learning experiences need to be incorporated across discipline areas in BA degrees. The application of skills in the second-tier of computer literacy are best experienced as part of a particular discipline area, or as specialised computing subjects. For example, the uses of technology in historical research are best learnt as part of Humanities subjects, or in the social sciences as part of a social science degree, etc. This is an extension to the current generic computing subjects, which are usually limited to basic computing skill acquisition - ie to the first tier of computer literacy. Introductory computing subjects now need follow-on discipline-specific subjects (the second-tier), which offer more advanced computer skills.

While universities in Australia assume a level of computer literacy for graduates, the level of competence required is defined in general terms, eg familiarity with terminology and strategies associated with computers (Reid, 1997). Some universities offer separate introductory computing subjects, while others have integrated computing with discipline specific subjects. Perhaps both these approaches are feasible if scheduled sequentially, as a two-tier program of computer literacy. Further research could include a study of computer literacy programs at overseas universities. Also, BA graduates without a Computing Studies major could be surveyed to ascertain and compare their experiences with BA graduates with a Computing Studies major.

Barriers to effective IT integration

1. Not all lecture theatres are set up for IT, and the use of computers has been assigned to computer labs, which are usually heavily booked, and considered for the sole use of practical 'hand-on' classes, particularly by Computer Centre administrators. The ad hoc booking for special classes during the semester, or for intensive week-long workshops is viewed by Computer Centre administrators as a hindrance, particularly for classes that are not "real computing" (Nanlohy, 1995).

2. In addition to the hardware and software, adequate instructional materials to complement course content are needed, as is trained support staff for maintenance of the resources.

3. Some academic staff have completed their own degrees before IT was introduced and consequently lack the requisite skills in the use of IT. Available training is not tailored to the needs of particular discipline areas. Faculty members who use IT usually have some computing background, or have pursued knowledge and professional development in their own time. In non-computing disciplines, some academic staff are as uncomfortable with IT as their students (or perhaps more), and pretend no interest in computers to avoid the need to use them.

4. Lack of incentive is another barrier. Release time, promotion and support is provided on research and publication efforts, not on time or energy spent on improving teaching methods by integrating IT.

5. Students have an unpredictable IT skill level. A definition of an appropriate level of computer competency needs to be developed by the Faculty/University and appropriate programs put in place to ensure this level. This would allow lecturers who do wish to incorporate IT into their subjects to assume a certain level of competence. For instance, lecturers may want to assume knowledge of the Internet rather than having to spend time teaching students how to use it.

6. Access for students to appropriate computing facilities to complete IT-related tasks cannot be assured. Home access cannot be assumed, and computing labs often have limited availability due to classes, and/or limited resources.

Conclusion

Due to factors affecting the integration of IT at primary and secondary levels, students are entering the tertiary system with levels of IT skills and awareness which are unpredictable, and range from non-existent to proficient (Tapper, 1997). This puts pressure on universities to develop and fund courses to provide basic IT skills across multiple non-IT disciplines. If this is not done, universities have to face the question of whether they are doing enough to prepare today's students for tomorrow's encounters with the rapidly evolving world of IT in the workplace. Jevons (1984) believes "it is not education's job merely to adapt to technological change" (p 95). He claims that education should be more active, and help shape change, by providing a range of suitable IT skills. Certainly, incentives for staff such as release time, promotion criteria and support for energy spent on integrating IT could be a starting point. This would, perhaps, result in reaching full integration more quickly.

The challenge facing academic staff in tertiary education is very similar to the challenge facing teachers in schools. Academic staff must first feel comfortable using computers themselves, and then take on the task of integrating IT into their teaching, as suggested by Cheung (1996) and Snyder (cited in Overbaugh, 1993). Staff teaching in computing disciplines are ideally placed to integrate IT into teaching, and, this is evident, despite lack of resources. Partnerships with staff teaching in non-computing disciplines are now being suggested as a way of moving to full integration of IT into teaching and learning frameworks. This, along with establishment of a policy at university level, may alleviate the current ad hoc approach to acquiring IT skills, and integrating IT into teaching and learning.

The incorporation of computer literacy into tertiary education is imperative, as is the acknowledgment of tiers within the meaning of computer literacy for students. A computer-literate tertiary-educated workforce and teaching profession will produce computer-literate children, as well as providing workers with the necessary IT skills. If positive experiences with IT begin in the primary and secondary years, computing could become an essential skill to complement those in reading, writing and numeracy. In fact, perhaps it is time to reject the idea that IT is purely a technical skill, and realise it fully as a form of literacy in the 'traditional' sense (as with reading, writing and numeracy) that is required to function effectively in the broader context of society. In the long term, integration across the primary and secondary curriculum could create a 'flow down' effect in the education system. This may mean the day will come when there will be an expectation that students (and staff) entering tertiary education will already have these skills, and there will be a requirement only for remedial courses in much the same way as there currently exists for reading, writing and numeracy. This will allow universities to concentrate on teaching advanced IT skills, ie the second-tier, and on the integration and delivery of IT across the discipline structure.

This, of course, is not a scenario for the near future. In the meantime, the main challenge is to overcome deficiencies in IT skills of academic staff and students, as well as in access to resources. Since the acquisition of IT skills is beneficial to industry (as it saves money spent on training or retraining hired staff) one answer to be investigated and pursued may be in more extensive partnerships between tertiary institutions and industry. Due to the dynamic nature of IT, there is a need for continuous dialogue between tertiary institutions and industry to meet the constantly changing IT needs of employers.

Certainly for tertiary education to fully meet the needs of students and the workplace, IT skills beyond the basic level need to be incorporated into courses to ensure that graduates can embrace the emerging technologies facing society, both today, and in the future.

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Authors: Robyn Lawson, Lecturer in Computing, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Western Sydney Macarthur, Campbelltown, NSW 2560. r.lawson@uws.edu.au Christine de Matos, Postgraduate Student, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Western Sydney Macarthur, Campbelltown, NSW 2560. c.de-matos@uws.edu.au Please cite as: Lawson, R. and de Matos, C. (2000). Information technology skills in the workplace: Implications for Bachelor of Arts degrees. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 16(2), 87-103. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet16/lawson.html