Georgia State and Penn State Universities Receive Major Grant to Research Technologies for Revitalizing Information Technology Programs

August 1, 2007 - (ATLANTA, GA) -  The National Science Foundation announced last week that it is funding a collaborative research project between Georgia State University and Penn State University.  The project is to revise and enhance the methods being used to teach information technology classes at the undergraduate level.  The $705,000 grant will be divided between the two universities in an effort to transfer and adopt Penn State's AESOP Program - Augmenting Education of Systems-of-Systems Professionals - to Georgia State. 

The "Systems-of-Systems" concept refers to technology being used to develop integrated systems of smaller independent applications, rather than large, monolithic, multifunctional applications. The advantages of this technology are obvious; take, for example, the automobile.  Each function of the automobile operates independently. Therefore, if the lighting system fails, the car still runs.   The development and implementation of these "Systems-of-Systems" utilizes innovative, state-of-the-art technology.  However, as these Systems progress and mature from one generation to the next, the complexity of their technologies also changes and evolves.

In order to prepare students to build and support these intricate, inter-organizational systems, universities must continually alter the way IT courses are taught.  Penn State has experienced considerable success with a curriculum using, problem-solving, exploration, and experiential learning based on sponsored, real-world projects. 

Simply put, students are not given the answers.  They are given real-world problems in real-world situations and expected to find appropriate solutions.  The professor assumes the role of mentor and coach and guides the learning process.

According to Professor Sandeep Purao, the project leader at Penn State, "Our success is evident in both our high placement rate for graduates (our graduation classes have averaged a 95-percent placement rate) and in our increasing enrollments at a time when there has been a significant nationwide downturn." Determining whether this approach to learning can be replicated in other universities is a large part of this National Science Foundation project.

Specific elements of the Penn State program will be piloted in Georgia State's new undergraduate CIS Program in Services Computing.  Scheduled to be included in the program by the fall of 2008 are features such as problem-based learning, building resources for guided exploration, and experiential learning in industrial and government projects.   Each component of the teaching methods adopted from Penn State will be evaluated and documented for possible transferability to other universities.

Leading the team at Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business are professors Vijay Vaishnavi of the highly ranked CIS Department, Richard Welke of the Center for Process Innovation, and Faye Borthick in her role as Director of Georgia State's Center for Teaching and Learning.  According to Welke, "Georgia State's CIS Department has a long history of being early originators and adopters of innovative topics, curricula, and methods.  The faculty here is currently ranked as number one in the world for published research.  Combining our efforts with the success Penn State has experienced, provides an excellent opportunity for evaluating and documenting both the advantages and disadvantages of this type of learning environment."

According to Vaishnavi, "The timing could not be more perfect for this project.  The external demand for IT professionals is growing very rapidly.  The further development and evaluation of the AESOP pedagogy has the potential for preparing exceptionally talented computer technology graduates to meet the ever-increasing needs of business and industry."

The success of this project will address two major business and industry concerns.  First, it responds to the demand for more highly trained IT professionals to meet growing industry job opportunities. Second, the program addresses today's critical need for IT employees with the ability to solve problems creatively, to think independently, and to be productive members of interdisciplinary teams.