[kictanet] The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in Kenya

Muthoni Masinde muthoni at uonbi.ac.ke
Thu Nov 12 12:58:59 EAT 2009


Harry,
Your recommendations are quite demanding but I do agree with you that this
path will yield better results.  I am summarizing all these comments for our
academic members of staff.  We highly appreciate the valuable input and we
intend to incorporates as much as we can.

I will would like to pick out your statement on employers being
Œunrealistic¹ in their demands.  I for example don¹t understand why an
employer would ask for a First Class in Computer Science and CPA V from the
same human candidate!

Cheers,
Muthoni


On 11/11/09 9:21 PM, "Harry Delano" <harry at comtelsys.co.ke> wrote:

>  
> John W,
>  
> I agree with you to an extend. However, I feel that clustering of all these
> disciplines in one particular curriculum, either way or Cramming
> one course with all that can possibly be taught in class, and meet what the
> employer might be seeking for may not be practical in the long
> run. Infact this seems to be the case with the current curricula, where most
> of the disciplines within the current course outlines really never
> get applied anywhere. This is wasted knowledge. Just like, much of the physics
> and the Chemistry you and me learnt in High school may
> just have been a real total 'waste' of  time, effort, and money. It might only
> serve to create some walking encyclopedias with knowledge that
> never gets applied. Let us develop Specialized Training Curriculas way before
> even the university entry..
>  
> Muthoni, if you would ask me, I would recommend that even before you overhaul
> the current University curriculum, a crucial section of
> stakeholders that comprise the High School, and probably the upper primary
> School fraternity, need to be brought into the fold in order to
> develop and adopt what I would call a "Bottoms-up"  approach in arriving at
> curriculum that flows right through the entire Education system
> as currently structured, with vision 2030 in mind.
>  
> Of course the other end of the production - The employers, who are consumers
> of the Finished products, are equally important, but also
> will need to make "Realistic" demands on the graduands.. When you demand that
> you need graduates who have done computer Science,
> Electronic Engineering etc, all compressed in one,  it tends to lock out
> deserving prospects for the job. It may be cost-saving to look at it
> that way but in the long run it won't augur well for skills development that
> we have at our disposal.
>  
> Please cast the net far and wide, it's just as a multistakeholder issue, at
> hand, just as the Constitutional Review is..
>  
> Regards,
> Harry
> 
> 
> From: kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf
> Of Walubengo J
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:18 AM
> To: harry at comtelsys.co.ke
> Cc: skunk; waema at uonbi.ac.ke; moturi; sci-acad at uonbi.ac.ke; KICTAnet ICT
> Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in Kenya
> 
>   
>  Muthoni M,
> 
> I think its good to see Academia going  back to the industry to ask for input
> in curricula development.   Previous University Dons would rather claim it was
> their sole prerogative  to say what needs to be taught and when and how it
> would be  taught.
> 
> Indeed just looking at the recent post from Eng. Kariuki  regarding "ICT Jobs
> at Huawei" it shows the gap between industry and  academia. Whereas most ICT
> University Curricula continues to be strictly  segmented along EITHER
> "Computer Science/Info Technology" OR  "Electrical/Telco Engineering" most
> employers seem to be looking for BOTH  CompScience/IT and Engineering
> components from their  candidates.
> 
> The Challenge then becomes, should IT students be  taught some
> Telco-engineering concepts or Should Electrical and other  Engineers be taught
> IT concepts? I know I have not answered your question  regarding inputs for
> the Computers Science program, but it is just that  your question provokes
> more questions than  answers...
> 
> walu.
>  
> 
>  
> 
> --- On Tue,  11/10/09, Muthoni Masinde <muthoni at uonbi.ac.ke> wrote:
>  
>> 
>> From:  Muthoni Masinde <muthoni at uonbi.ac.ke>
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet]  The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in
>> Kenya
>> To:  jwalu at yahoo.com
>> Cc: "moturi" <moturi at uonbi.ac.ke>, "KICTAnet  ICT Policy Discussions"
>> <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>,  "sci-acad at uonbi.ac.ke"
>> <sci-acad at uonbi.ac.ke>,  waema at uonbi.ac.ke
>> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 2:39 PM
>> 
>>  Dear Nancy,
>> I agree with you; we actually review  our curriculum every 4 years; the
>> current one is 4 years old and that  is why we are reviewing it.  We have
>> always done it through the  approach you have described but this time round,
>> we would like to  incorporate stakeholders views.  Quality assurance issues
>> are  well taken care of.
>> 
>> The issue of specialisation from 2nd year  seems to be favoured by many and
>> we consider this.
>> 
>> Thank you  very much for the comments and indeed I will be glad to receive
>> more  ideas from ICSIT-JKUAT.
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> Muthoni
>> 
>> 
>> On  11/10/09 12:03 AM, "n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk
>> </mc/compose?to=n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk> "  <n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk
>> </mc/compose?to=n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk> >
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> >  Muthoni,
>>> > 
>>> > This is a brilliant idea. In my view you  benefit by eliciting very
>>> valuable
>>> > and resourceful ideas for the  Curriculum from experienced and sharpened
>>> staff.
>>> > 
>>> > An all  stakeholder involvement in either curriculum review or development
>>> is
>>> > an IUCEA and CHE requirement. Its the right process for both  academic
>>> quality
>>> > assurance and towards offering demand  driven(ICT industry, Kenyas vision
>>> 2030)
>>> > and custom  built  training.
>>> > 
>>> > The revision is long overdue. In any case the  requirement is one cycle
>>> which
>>> > is in the period of five  yrs.
>>> > 
>>> > On CS, the direction focus should be  specialisation from 2nd Year of
>>> study
>>> > after the foundation  units.
>>> > 
>>> > We in academia, believe in sharing "cable", here  knowledge and ideas.
>>> Will
>>> > share this with ICSIT colleagues in  JKUAT and come back to you.
>>> > 
>>> > Nancy Macharia
>>> >  Deputy Director
>>> > ICSIT  JKUAT 
>>> > Sent from my  BlackBerry®
>>> > 
>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>> > From:  Tuma Barua <tumabarua at gmail.com
>>> </mc/compose?to=tumabarua at gmail.com> >
>>> >  Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 17:19:40
>>> > To: <n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk </mc/compose?to=n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk> >
>>> >  Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> </mc/compose?to=kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> >;
>>> >  moturi<moturi at uonbi.ac.ke </mc/compose?to=moturi at uonbi.ac.ke> >;
>>> <waema at uonbi.ac.ke </mc/compose?to=waema at uonbi.ac.ke> >
>>> >  Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in
>>> Kenya
>>> > 
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