The Perceived Impact of Information Technology Experiential Learning on Career Success: A Pilot Study
- Conference
- Location
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Seattle, Washington
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2015
- Start Date
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June 14, 2015
- End Date
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June 17, 2015
- ISBN
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978-0-692-50180-1
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
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Cooperative & Experiential Education Division Technical Session 2
- Tagged Division
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Cooperative & Experiential Education
- Page Count
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10
- Page Numbers
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26.1563.1 - 26.1563.10
- DOI
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10.18260/p.24900
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/24900
- Download Count
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767
Paper Authors
Dalton Bishop Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Dalton Bishop is an MS Tech graduate student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He works as a full-time IT Systems Administrator for KSM Consulting in Indianapolis, Indiana. His primary areas of interest are server operating systems, data communications, and IT education.
Connie Justice Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis
Connie Justice is a Clinical Associate Professor in Computer and Information Technology (CIT) at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and a faculty member of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) at Purdue University. Professor Justice has over 20 years experience in the computer and systems engineering field. Professor Justice is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, CISSP. She created the networking option and security option for CIT majors and a Network Security Certificate Program. She has also designed and modified many courses in networking and networking security. Professor Justice is noted for her creation of the Living Lab, an experiential learning environment where students gain real world experience running an IT business.
Professor Justice takes extreme pride and is a great innovator in the area of experiential learning and service. Experiential learning and service contributes to the integration of theory and application by creating an environment where the students learn by doing or apply their theory in service learning projects, practica, internships, games, and simulations. The Living Lab for CIT was created out of the need to provide a business environment for students to give them a taste of a “real” IT environment. A secondary purpose is to provide service to internal and external clients. The Living Lab has served many internal and external clients.
Professor Justice has consulted for and managed IT departments in small and medium sized businesses. Her areas of research include: experiential and service learning, information and security risk assessment, risk management, digital forensics, network security, network and systems engineering, network and systems administration, and networking and security course development.
Eugenia Fernandez Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Eugenia Fernandez is an Associate Professor of Computer and Information Technology and Chair of the Department of Computer Information and Graphics Technology in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She is a Fellow of the Mack Center at Indiana University for Inquiry on Teaching and Learning and an Editor of the Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Her research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning related to learning with technology.
Abstract
The Perceived Impact of Information Technology Experiential Learning on Career Success Employers in the Information Technology field place significant value on the amount of real-‐world experience prospective employees possess. Recent IT graduates face a competitive job market against seasoned professionals with years of experience. Students must build a solid experience base from which they can advance professionally. This cannot be done without first holding an IT position. The key to solving the experience paradox is experiential learning – the process of learning by doing. The Living Lab at is a non-‐traditional undergraduate course based on the concept of experiential learning in the field of Information Technology. The Living Lab is structured similarly to a corporate IT department, with students playing the role of IT personnel. Students learn to apply their previous course material and gain resume-‐worthy experience, while working in teams to complete IT projects for their university and local businesses. Projects are fully documented and reported on throughout the course with a final presentation at semester end. This study investigates what, if any, benefit graduates gain from the Living Lab experience. Graduates who were involved in the Living Lab were electronically surveyed about their professional careers after college. Questions focused on how the student felt their time in Living Lab helped them gain employment and enhance their ability to perform as an employee. Results will be used to gauge the validity of the Living Lab program and experiential learning as an effective tool in terms of IT education. Data from this study can be used to improve the program, and help prospective students to make an informed decision when considering the Living Lab. Ultimately, other institutions may be encouraged to consider implementing a Living Lab or similar IT experiential learning environment of their own.
Bishop, D., & Justice, C., & Fernandez, E. (2015, June), The Perceived Impact of Information Technology Experiential Learning on Career Success: A Pilot Study Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24900
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