Running head: THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA The University of Africania Name: HE523: Curriculum Design and Implementation Purdue Global University THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 2 The University of Africania Introduction Institution Description The University of Africania is a public university located in Nairobi, Kenya with an estimated capacity of 5000 students. The institution is suited to offer 4-year programs with courses being completed by attending on-campus lessons. However, some courses that belong to the same programs are offered online to increase the ease of people accessing them. The online lessons tend to target people who are busy but seek to advance their education. The mission of the institution is to make innovation possible through the use of technology. Specifically, the university will offer the Bachelors of Science and Technology. The program will only be offered at the undergraduate level, as the institution will be still at its inception stage. It will be accredited by the CISCO Kenya and Kenya Institute of Science. The Ministry of Education, Kenya will also oversee it. Therefore, the specifics of the course will need to align with the requirements established by the ministry. The aim will be to ensure that the students provided by the institution bear the appropriate skills and, therefore, able to serve the Kenyan market effectively. For a student to be deemed to have successfully undertaken the program, he or she must complete eight units per semester for a total of seven semesters. The total number of units for the whole program is 56 units. A session will consist of 2 hours each. (2 hours x 16 weeks x 8 units) 256 hours per semester. The university faculty has determined that the completion of the units as THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 3 stated will be imperative in building the capacity of the student and ensuring that he or she is fully competent in the field. Rationale for the Proposed Program The Bachelors of Science and Technology fits well within the mission of the institution. The degree program offered within will have a technology bearing, to increase the insights of the students into the field. It will also take into consideration the different trends that take place within the technology sector. Therefore, it will need to align the information that students receive to the general changes that take place within the field. The measure will be imperative as it will increase the ability of the students trained by the institution to compete favorably with their peers in the market. Since Kenya’s economy is thriving, they will be able to support this program in its totality. According to the World Bank, the economic growth rate of Kenya has stabilized at 5.8%. The index has, therefore, earned the country a position as among the fastest growing countries in Africa (Gil‐Alana & Mudida, 2018). Some of the sectors that are likely to continue experiencing growth in the country include the manufacturing industry, information technology and the oil and petroleum industry. All these sectors either directly or indirectly need to tap into the technology labor. Therefore, students trained by the institution will be well-placed with respect to providing the necessary services in the assorted sectors to ensure they run smoothly (Awino & Francis, 2018). Other corporations within the country, such as Safaricom, are also expanding. Moreover, companies rooting from other countries in the area, and the expansion of government institutions, will require people who know new technology to maintain continuity within these organizations as well as to fill new positions opening up to maintain the requirements of supply THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 4 and demand (Chirwa, 2018). With the expected growth in various industries, the level of growth of the macro and micro-financial institutions is also expected to flourish. The sector also has an immense need for technology service to capture the wide market that is likely to be created. Since the Bachelors of Science and Technology will be, somehow, of hybrid nature, the institution will need to satisfy the requirements established by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Telecommunications (Gil‐Alana & Mudida, 2018). The requirements are based on both on-campus and online learners to complete the established total number of units set out in the course curriculum. The measure will be to ensure that all students attain the same standards of training that will create some level of uniformity and, therefore, not compromise the continued growth of the technology sector of the country. The Ministry of Education also needs the use of external examiners for key papers that students undertake. The measure is to reduce the level of bias and, thereby, ensure that the institution has a chance to determine the extent of understanding of the students concerning the different concepts they are taught (Gil‐Alana & Mudida, 2018). It will also clearly establish some of the gaps that may be experienced in the training of students within the university. The requirements are an impetus for the degree program offered by the institution as they are bound to improve on the quality of students (Gil‐Alana & Mudida, 2018). Therefore, the institution will have a chance to attain a good name and image in the technology sector as a center of excellence in the provision of a high-quality technology-oriented, program. The move will also increase the willingness of other students willing to enroll in the university to pursue the program. THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 5 Program Outcomes In relation to the mission of the University, a graduate in Bachelors of Science and Technology from The University of Africania will give the students the innovative and technological skills required in the current job market, since one of the objectives of this institution is to equip the learners with the knowledge on how to be entrepreneurs through the use of unique and innovative skills that will enable graduates to have a problem-solving mindset. After the completion of the four-year program, individuals that graduate from this program will be a much-needed help around the African countries that are currently lacking innovative minds and Information Technology specialists. As a graduate of Bachelors of Science and Technology from The University of Africania, individuals will have gained enough Information Technology knowledge that is necessary for dealing with the issues that face the African continent as a whole. The advantage of the institution's locality is that the students will be able to relate the real situation in the region with what they have learned and therefore develop problem-solving models through the use of their acquired skills in the Information Technology sector. Issues that are new to the African countries such as information security, cybercrime, data analysis of major companies, and management of information in businesses will be some of the issues that these graduates should be able to solve after completion of the four-year program. The University of Africania intends to develop these skills in its graduates in such a way that it will be easy for them to integrate into all sectors within the economies of the African nations. Although these graduates will join their counterparts in the IT sector at the job entry level, through the implementation of their acquired knowledge they should be able to climb up the ladder to be at the middle management level in about five years in the field of Information THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 6 Technology. This is particularly so in Kenya which is the technological hub of East Africa, where banks need IT experts, to deal with emerging issues that arise with the application of technology. Other sectors that need technology expertise apart from the financial one, include government institutions, businesses, and manufacturing companies. These graduates will be able to apply technological skills to collect data, store it in databases, secure it through the use of data security procedures, process the data into meaningful information that can be used by business entities, and be able to retrieve it. Analyzing this information will equip businesses and institutions with enough knowledge required for major decision making in these institutions. Therefore, the IT specialists will be a very important tool for the success of businesses according to the current technology trends. Graduates of Bachelors of Science and Technology will be able to design and implement new applications that are tailor-made for the issues confronting Africa such as the native banks of Kenya. Through the use of innovative knowledge, they will create applications that will be able to solve many of the unique challenges Kenya and the neighboring nations are facing. List of Courses FIRST YEAR First Semester Course Name Course Code Credit Hours Category THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 7 Communication Skills I XYZ 2018 32 General elective General Mathematics RST 2018 32 Introduction to Accounting UVW 2018 32 General education requirement Introduction to Microeconomics UVW 2019 32 Principles of Management UVW 2020 32 Computer systems I BST 2018 32 Computer Operating Systems BST 2019 32 Information Technology Essentials BST 2020 32 Major elective Major elective Major elective Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement Second Semester Introduction to Ethics XYZ 2019 32 General elective Management Math I RST 2019 32 Introduction to Business UVW 2021 32 General education requirement Introduction to Accounting II UVW 2022 32 Business and Law UVW 2023 32 Computer systems II BST 2021 32 Computer Programming I BST 2022 32 Computer Networking I BST 2023 32 Major elective Major elective Major elective Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement SECOND YEAR First Semester Course Name Course Code Credit Hours Category THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 8 Development Studies and Ethics XYZ 2020 32 General elective Organizational Behavior XYZ 2021 32 General elective Probability and Statistics I RST 2020 32 Marketing Principles UVW 2024 32 General education requirement Business and Finance I UVW 2025 32 Programming Languages I BST 2025 32 Information to Database Systems BST 2026 32 Systems Design BST 2024 32 Major elective Major elective Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement Second Semester Ethics II XYZ 2022 32 General elective Philosophy XYZ 2023 32 General elective Management Maths II RST 2021 32 Cost Accounting UVW 2026 32 General education requirement Business and Finance II UVW 2027 32 Programming Languages II BST 2027 32 Digital Logic BST 2028 32 Computer Algorithms BST 2029 32 Major elective Major elective Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement THIRD YEAR First Semester Course Name Course Credit Category THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 9 Code Hours Entrepreneurship Skills XYZ 2024 32 General elective Probability and Statistics II RST 2022 32 Project Management UVW 2028 32 General education requirement Accounting Essentials UVW 2029 32 Communication and Networking BST 2030 32 Internet and Applications BST 2031 32 Multimedia Systems BST 2032 32 Systems Analysis and Design BST 2033 32 Major elective Major elective Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement Major requirement Second Semester Sociology XYZ 2025 32 General elective Research Methodology UVW 2030 32 Major elective Accounting Essentials II UVW 2031 32 Major elective Information Systems BST 2034 32 Major requirement Data Structures BST 2035 32 Major requirement Systems Development Methodology BST 2036 32 Major requirement BST 2037 32 Major requirement BST 2038 32 Major requirement Systems Development Project Systems Project I FOURTH YEAR First Semester THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 10 Course Name Course Code Credit Hours Category Social Impact of ICT XYZ 2026 32 General elective Artificial Intelligence BST 2039 32 Major requirement Systems Simulation and Modeling BST 2040 32 Major requirement Distributed Systems BST 2041 32 Major requirement Operation Research BST 2042 32 Major requirement Software Engineering BST 2043 32 Major requirement Computer Graphics BST 2044 32 Major requirement System Project II BST 2045 32 Major requirement Accreditation, Standards, & Professional Development The Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC), which is a regional accrediting association, would be the ideal one that will impact the new program of study that I am developing. The reason for selecting this is because this is a nongovernmental body and offers a variety of accreditations and it doesn’t focus on only specific ones. It also collaborates with both private and public institutions and its policies and practices seek to maintain vitality among those institutions (ASIC, 2018). This association is also comprised of experienced volunteers who help institutions by sharing knowledge on the importance of accreditation; it is also cost effective and affordable, and gives quality accreditation services for any investment made. Guidelines and Requirements THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 11 In developing an online or hybrid program, ASIC will assist with giving proper accreditation guidance needed since it deals with online, distance and blended learning accreditation. It will ensure that our online/hybrid program meets high standards of education, welfare and good practice through continuous improvement. The guidelines and requirements for all institutions seeking accreditation vary from one institution to another according to the type of courses being offered there, so for our online product, the guidelines are quite specific. These include having 51% of the programs we’re offering online, proper licensing and documentation, authorized and approved by the applicable educational institutional authority (ASIC, 2018). At the time of initial application, the institution must have been enrolling students in current programs for at least two consecutive years under the present ownership and evidence that the institution is financially sound. In addition, the name being used by the institution should be free from any association with any activity that could damage the reputation of the Accrediting Commission, good reputation and integrity for the board members, and also agreeing to do background checks of management personnel (ASIC, 2018). The impact these guidelines will have to our plans is that there might be some delay in the start-up of the planned online program courses due to the many processes that are done with scrutiny and survey by the accrediting body. These guidelines will have a positive impact on our plans, in that we will be careful when selecting the kind of products that we wish to offer and also the kind of people we will hire. Teaching to standards Teaching to standards means offering education that is desired by the students, goals and expected end results. Students should get value for their money by being taught what is relevant to their course and what will impact their lives positively. It also means administering education THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 12 and knowledge in line with the provided curriculum. All disciplines have to teach to standards as it’s the only way accreditation can work, and to also help students get value for their money (Hegji, 2017). The professional associations that will influence the curriculum as we develop the program of study will be those that allows for flexibility and encourage experimentation and innovation of the new program, suggest methods of assessing the achievement of goals and objectives, provide means for continuous improvement and also associations that encourage openness and positive response to criticism (Hegji, 2017). It is important to ensure that the faculty is teaching to the standards set by the program and accrediting bodies, therefore as Department Chair, it is important to offer enough support, mentoring and professional development opportunities to my team and communicate effectively on all times emphasizing all areas. It is also important to take into consideration recommendations or advice from the departments on how to improve teaching practices through meetings and scheduled appointments and keep members informed on any actions taken in a timely manner (Bland, 2009). It is also important to implement college rules and policies within departments to make sure that standards are met, recommend purchase and supply of equipment that will empower both the students as well as the teachers to acquire high quality education and also supervise attendance, time commitments and work assignments of the staff. I would also pay attention to timely reporting and proper college documentation and problem solving in order to conform to the required standards. Mainly, I would be keen in articulating between the budgets and strategic plans. Finally, I would engage the students who are already enrolled and those seeking to enroll in any of our programs in order to gain feedback and recommendations on the programs being offered. Innovative Curriculum THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 13 Curriculum innovation implies that students or learners in all courses, especially technology and science-based courses get a hands-on perspective due to the changing nature of the world driven by increased need for innovative practices to respond to emerging challenges. Experiential learning is considered as one of the innovative ways of transforming the curriculum for students undertaking their Bachelor of Science and Technology (Berkeley Haas, 2018). A plan for experiential learning as an innovative curriculum based on its features, and benefits to students is outline below. Experiential Learning: Model and Benefits Educators have indicated that experiential, hands-on, and student-based learning are effective ways of ensuring that students get skills and knowledge to solve emerging problems. For instance, experiential learning through activities like field trips, investigations and experiments in the laboratories, and interdisciplinary activities are effective in enriching and extending the curriculum in the science and technology course (Girvan, Conneely & Tangney, 2016). These activities offer students the chance to utilize various components of the skills they have acquired from their education in various situations and problems. Experiential learning allows students to create knowledge because of its stages as proposed by Kolb (Siddique et al., 2010). The four steps in experiential learning include: 1) concrete experience where a learner must be willing and actively participate in their learning experience; 2) reflective observation requires a learner to reflect on their learning experience through the activities that they have undertaken; 3) conceptualizing abstract/ idea means that a learner has the ability to use their analytical skills to understand and conceptualize their learning activities and experience; 4) active experimentation implies that based on their learning experience, a THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 14 learner needs to have decision making and problem-solving abilities and skills to understand and generate solutions that are relevant to his/her situation. It is evident that experiential learning programs should be designed in the curriculum so as to promote student-focused learning, activities, and experimentation using innovative materials (Girvan et al., 2016). The faculty needs to schedule time throughout the program so that learners use guided analysis to reflect on their observations, interpret their experiences, and relate their learning to their college, or the learning context and make informed and elaborate plans. For instance, reflective practice is the foundation of experiential learning because it not only triggers curiosity but also fosters a long-term perspective on the study of the change process (Siddique et al., 2010). Reflective learning requires learners to investigate, analytically question long-held assumptions in technology and science, and have the ability to seek alternatives and new ways of doing things and understanding. Experiential learning is associated with the increased ability of a student to acquire realworld applicable capabilities and enhancing their capacity to learn and nurture "soft skills" like professionalism, team management, and communication among others. Through experiential learning, students in science and technology engage in complicated practical problems in the world through their internships and project-focused learning. For instance, Moretz and others (2015) consider that an innovative curriculum model based on experiential learning is founded on necessary skills required and learning outcomes that are based on industry needs from a technology perspective. The model has the potential to produce people in the industry with increased levels of aptitude in attaining soft skills that employers need in the market today (Moretz et al., 2015). Experiential learning integrates certain project or challenge from an industry in the classroom learning situation and accords the students an opportunity to reflect and THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 15 connect their knowledge with real-world problems with the aim of generating effective, viable and sustainable solutions. Experiential learning activities are critical and necessary, especially in science and technology courses to respond to the emerging changes in technology and the need to address various real-world scientific problems like climate change and environmental pollution. In addition, many firms seek innovative solutions in managing the fast-changing technologies that have increased redundancy among employees. Therefore, having an experiential curriculum would offer these benefits to the students and the communities. Curriculum Revision Inclusion and Justification At a university or college, all courses or units offered have some importance. In some instances, students wonder why they have to take some courses, which in their opinion does not help them. For instance, if one is taught communication skills as a freshman, when they are pursuing a Bachelor of Science and Technology (Diamond, 2008). During this stage, a student is not likely to see the value the communication skills unit will add to them in the long run. In the understanding of students, some students enter a college that they expect is going to teach them units that will address their program of study. However, each course offered at a university has a purpose or objective and they act as buildups for their program of study. Therefore, it is important to analyze and justify the inclusion of some units for a Bachelor of Science and Technology course. This portion is structured in terms of prerequisites, core courses, major courses, thematic or disciplinary groupings of electives and innovative curriculum for my program of study. Prerequisites Course Name Course Justification THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA Communication Skills I Number XYZ 2018 General Mathematics RST 2018 Introduction to Accounting UVW 2018 Introduction to Microeconomics UVW 2019 Principles of Management UVW 2020 Computer Systems BST 16 Good communication literally is like oil that allows the workplace machine to run uninterruptedly. Throughout the Bachelor of Science and Technology, students need superior communication skills to improve their relationship with their instructors and in their professional career. The graduates in this program of study will require listening and speaking skills to execute their roles and on that account the course seeks to improve the students’ communication skills to enable them to pitch ideas, guide other employees on technology and build work relations. Mathematics is an integral part of science, and a student pursuing any science needs mathematical or numerical skills. General Mathematics is chosen, because it brings out the students’ natural ability to work with figures, shapes, numbers as well as reason logically. General Mathematics gives students integral and knowledge skills that can help then comprehend statistical data, compute data, and generalize data especially in abstract thinking. In addition, graduates of this program can only be innovative, analytical and critical thinkers if they study this course. Besides, General Mathematics is added value to the study of Bachelor of Science and Technology, because it improves students’ basic computer programming skills, reasoning (deductive and inductive), and manipulation and interpretation of data. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science and Technology will be managing organizations and offering technological solutions to business transactions. Therefore, this course will assist students to understand classification, summarization and recording of business transaction and also provide solutions that can support problems that can occur during business transactions. The relevance of this course is to enable students to understand the need of the economic aspects of technology. Technology is key in managing microeconomics, and therefore students will be able to understand and appreciate the role technology plays in microeconomics. This course is offered to the students of Bachelor of Science and Technology, because it imparts them with managerial skills. People with technical skills in technology can be appointed to managerial positions. Therefore, this course is of relevance; because it enables students to see themselves as managers especially in the information and technology departments. This course is relevant, because it gives the students THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 1 2018 Computer Operating Systems BST 2019 Information Technology Essentials BST 2020 Introduction to Ethics XYZ 2019 Management Math I RST 2019 Introduction to Business UVW 2021 Introduction to Accounting II UVW 2022 Business Law UVW 2023 Computer systems II BST 2021 Computer Programming I BST 2022 Computer Networking I BST 2023 17 understanding of computer systems. Computer use in Science and Technology is essential and therefore this course enables the students to understand computer applications and operations. In addition, this course will prepare the students to handle future computer-based courses or problems. This course gives students comprehension of software management. In upper-level courses, the students will definitely be managing program files and databases on computers; therefore, this unit allows them to appreciate the value of the operating systems and manage them. This course is relevant to the curriculum, because it informs the students the fundamentals of information systems. IT essentials broadly inform the students about technology concepts, trends, and future changes in information technology. For example, building of software in an industry, cloud computing and computer security. This course is important because it teaches students the values or virtues expected from them in the information technology world. Generally, the course encourages students to be ethical professionals. This course allows students to develop the ability to use mathematical knowledge to solve practical or theoretical problems in management. This programs outcome requires students or graduates to be entrepreneurs. This course equips the students with business knowledge that enable them to use innovative skills in entrepreneurship. This course will provide the students with financial management or knowledge, which will allow them to offer technological expertise to institutions like government institutions, business, and manufacturing companies. The students of Bachelor of Science and Technology will be managing businesses and therefore business law is necessary for them to understand the legal environment in which they will be operating. This course continues to insist on the application of computers to information technology. It is of significance, because it places emphasis on how computer use is carry out through business activities. This course is of essence, because it introduces the programming concept which is essential in the program. The Bachelor of Science and Technology relies heavily on programming, which is taught in the course. This course is critical, because it outlines or introduces the use of internet. The sharing of information and data, relies on computer connectivity, which is why this course will discuss THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA Development Studies & Ethics XYZ 2020 Organizational Behavior XYZ 2021 Probability & Statistics I RST 2020 Marketing Principles UVW 2024 Business Finance 1 UVW 2025 Programming Languages 1 BST 2025 Information to Database Systems BST 2026 Systems Design BST 2024 Ethics II XYZ 2022 Philosophy XYZ 2023 Management Math II RST 2021 18 the underlying connectivity in computer networks. The development studies and ethics is vital because they help students understand how technology can be incorporated into economic development ethically. Information Technology is used to manage organizational behavior. This course will help in understanding organizational behavior and how technology can be incorporated to manage and facilitate organizational development. This course is key to achieving program outcome, because it will inform the students on the importance of statistical data. In addition, probability will develop inductive and deductive reasoning of students in problem-solving. Organizations apply marketing principles to guide them on developing marketing strategies. Therefore, this course is of importance because it can provide IT experts the ability to use data analytically to improve marketing strategies of businesses. This course is a must, because it helps students understand the use of IT in financial management. The students can understand the link between IT and finances once they are taught this course. IT relies on programming, which has its own language. This course will enable the students to understand the technical language use in programming. This course is important, because it teaches the students the nature of database systems and how they are managed. One basic role of an IT expert is to manage database systems of organizations they work for; therefore this course is critical in informing the students’ about business database management systems of organizations. This course is of value because it teaches students about website designs, and also database management systems. Throughout this course students will understand systems underlying IT use in organizations. Ethics are essential for professional development, and failure to observe ethics can impact a person’s career. Therefore, this course fundamentally is important because it outlines the ethical practices within the IT sector for students. When students are taught ethics, they will reflect on professional behavior expected of them during their studies and practice. Philosophy is taught substantially to improve the logical reasoning of students or IT professionals. IT experts are problem solvers, critical thinkers and innovative, and therefore this course informs the students on the importance of critical thinking or rational thinking when solving problems. This course is an advancement of Management Math I, and its main objective is to help students develop mathematical skills THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA Cost Accounting UVW 2026 Business & Finance II UVW 2027 Programming Languages II BST 2027 Digital Logic BST 2028 Computer Algorithms BST 2029 19 necessary to manipulate and interpret statistical data. This course is important, because it brings out further analytical reasoning of students. This course is of relevance to cost accountants, but it can also help the students of the Bachelor of Science and Technology program to develop accounting management skills. Students or IT graduates are supposed to offer innovative solutions to recording of costs, and by taking this course they would see the essence of developing technology to improve cost management at organizations they are working for. This course is a continuation of Business and Finance I, and it enables students to realize their role in financial management and business improvement. This course is an advancement on programming languages, and if the student failed to understand the first one, it will be difficult to comprehend this one. However, this course places an emphasis on the use of technical language for IT. This unit is a major requirement, because it informs the IT students or experts how to represent signal sequences of a digital circuit using numbers. This course will educate students on digital computing and inform them on how hardware and circuits communicate on a computer. Computer is the basis of IT, and this course teaches the students on how to instruct the computer to perform their tasks. The students will also understand how to develop algorithms to accomplish certain computer-based tasks. Core Courses Course Name Course Title Computer systems I BST 2018 Justification Computer Operating Systems BST 2019 The Bachelor of Science and Technology requires computer use, applications and operations for the execution of IT. This is a course that purely requires computer applications, which is why a student fundamentally requires this course. This is a core course that fundamentally teaches students how computer applications operate or communicate. Information Technology Essentials Computer systems II BST 2020 Computer Programming I BST 2022 BST 2021 This is a core course that informs students of the fundamentals of IT, and therefore it must be taken in order for them to understand cloud computing, computing, and cyber security. This course is a core course, because it allows students to understand the software and hardware of the computers they will be using. One requirement for an IT expert is programming and therefore this course is core to the students. THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 20 Computer Networking I BST 2023 Programming Languages I BST 2025 Information to Database Systems BST 2026 Students will be using computers at the university and organizations they will be working. Therefore, this course is a major requirement to their studies, because it gives them technical skills in computer networking. This course is a must, because it introduces students to programming languages, which are essential or indispensable in IT. This is a core course, because this is where the students understand database systems management. Systems Design BST 2024 This is the only course that gives students skills for developing or innovating computer systems and applications. Programming Languages II BST 2027 This is a core course, because it puts more emphasis on programming languages, which is a requirement in IT. Digital Logic BST 2028 Computer Algorithms BST 2029 Communication and Networking BST 2030 Internet and Applications BST 2031 This is a core course in the sense that it teaches students representation of signal sequences of a digital circuit using numbers. This is a core course, because it gives students an understanding of commanding computer communication to accomplish certain tasks. This is the only course that will inform students’ data communications between or among computers. Also, it informs how computers exchange data. This course holistically informs students underlying details of internet and its applications. Multimedia Systems BST 2032 This course is a core course in the sense that it informs students how multimedia data is process and some of its applications. Systems Analysis and Design Information Systems BST 2033 BST 2034 Data Structures BST 2035 Systems Development Methodology Systems Development Project BST 2036 Through this course, students will be able to plan on how to develop, analyze, and maintain information systems . This course teaches IT students’ software to be used to run computerized databases. It also informs how people and computers work synergistically to process information. This course is mandatory and major, because it is the only one that is capable of teaching students on how to organize or layer data. This course is essential, because it gives students approaches to develop information systems. BST 2037 This course is important because it’s the one that enables students or graduates to develop innovative projects and outline their implementation at organizations. It is also through this THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 21 Operation Research BST 2042 Software Engineering BST 2043 course that students will plan, create, test and deploy information system. It is through this course that students will prepare, plan, monitor, and adapt their IT projects. This course is a core course, because it will enable students to think creatively, critically and innovatively to develop or create machines that work like humans. This course will give students skills to develop techniques that can help computers to imitate real life happenings. Therefore, through this course students will learn how to simulate and model systems. It is through this course that students will get the understanding of connecting various computers to work as one system as they share similar information with the end users. This course will help IT students or experts to use analytical approach to solve problem and support decision making at organizations. IT students can only know how to test, develop, maintain and deploy computer softwares through this course. Computer Graphics BST 2044 This course is mandatory, because it will teach students about graphics design or how to configure computers graphically. System Project II BST 2045 This course adds more information to system project I, and will provide students with excellent skills in developing IT projects. Systems Project I Artificial Intelligence BST 2038 BST 2039 Systems Simulation and Modeling BST 2040 Distributed Systems BST 2041 Major Courses The upper level courses methods to finish the program are as follows. Communication and Networking BST 2030 This course will be teaching through theory analysis and a written final examinations. Internet and Applications BST 2031 This is a theory based and students’ assessment course that can be completed through sitting examinations. Multimedia Systems BST 2032 This course is also theory based and can be completed through sitting examinations. Systems Analysis and Design BST 2033 Information Systems BST 2034 This course is also theory based and can be completed through sitting examinations. In addition, it will be practical, because the students practical skills will be tested. This course can be completed through lectures and taking continuous assessment tests, before taking the final exam. Data Structures BST This course will be completed through theory analysis and a THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 22 2035 written final examination. Systems Development Methodology BST 2036 Systems Development Project BST 2037 This course will be completed through theory analysis and a written final examination. It also can be completed through practical tests. This course will be completed through theory analysis, continuous assessments and practical projects. Systems Project I BST 2038 BST 2039 This course will be completed through a practical project. Systems Simulation and Modeling BST 2040 This course will be completed through theory analysis and a final examination. Distributed Systems BST 2041 This course will be completed through theory analysis and a written final examination. Operation Research BST 2042 This course will be completed through theory analysis and a written final examination. Software Engineering BST 2043 This course will be completed through a practical project, where students develop softwares. Computer Graphics BST 2044 This course will be completed through theory analysis, a written sitting examination and carrying out a practical project. System Project II BST 2045 This course will be completed through students doing a practical project. Artificial Intelligence This course will be completed through theory analysis and a written final examination. Thematic or Disciplinary Groupings of Electives Discipline Communication Communication Skills I Business Introduction to Accounting Introduction to Microeconomics Principles of Management Introduction to Accounting II Skills Ability to communicate and share information Accounting, accounting management, managerial, planning, entrepreneurial, understanding of business law, ethical professionalism, human skills, financial management, decision making, numerical, and marketing THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 23 Introduction to Business Business and Law Development Studies and Ethics Organizational Behavior Marketing Principles Business and Finance I Cost Accounting Business and Finance II Entrepreneurship Skills Accounting Essentials Sociology Understanding of society Philosophy Logical reasoning Innovative Curricula All in all, experiential learning has been fundamental in guiding the intellectual justifications given for the major elective, major requirement and core courses. Also, experiential learning has enabled me to appreciate the value of all courses that will be taught in the Bachelor of Science and Technology. In addition, experiential learning makes it apparent that technology does play a role in shaping up economic development, organizational management and decision making. Data Collection for Curriculum Revision Curriculum assessment involves evaluating the program in order to make decisions on whether the program is functioning as intended, or meets its goals and objectives as a component of curriculum development. It looks into educational reforms and innovations that happen in the teaching environment, the school, and the whole education system. This entails systematic information collection about the characteristics, activities, and results of the curriculum. Data THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 24 collection methods that can be employed for a curriculum are broadly classified into two categories: direct and indirect method. Indirect methods of evaluation assess the ability of students to reflect on their learning. These methods include surveys/questionnaire and interviews. These can be conducted in the following categories: 1) Alumni survey measures the degree to which past students believe they have gained and achieved, overall satisfaction with the program, overall satisfaction with the program delivery, and information on the current professional or academic status (Diamond, 2008). This survey can be conducted on a continuous period of time by using open-ended questions and Likert-rating scale through either online or manual filling of the documents. At the same time, surveys can also be conducted with students currently in the program with the intention of measuring the extent to which current students believe they are achieving program-level learning results and students overall satisfaction with the program. Likert-rating scales and open-ended scales are suitable for this survey and can be conducted consistently every two years. 2) Survey and interview can also be conducted in order for students to measure the strengths and gaps within the curriculum, i.e. their general satisfaction with the program and its delivery. Students can also comment on their perceptions of the learning outcomes. This type of survey can be conducted during graduation where forms are available to students in order to get their response. In addition, faculty/schools/ departments and instructors can also help provide vital information about the program strengths and gaps likely related to a specific area and also help in identifying emerging disciplinary trends (Diamond, 2008). Industry or employers can also aid with the program by describing the strengths and expectations of graduates, the fitness of students to industry expectations and emerging industry trends. THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 25 3) Focus groups are also important sources of information on curriculum assessment. Having a group of about six to twelve students with a clearly defined topic in a facilitated discussion of the program. This gathers information about opinions from group members which can help in evaluating program strengths and gaps, students should be involved in these groups. 4) A course evaluation surveys can also be administered to students in order to evaluate student satisfaction and experience with individual courses. They provide the faculty, department, and institution with student perceptions on classroom aspect of their educational experience. Direct methods that can be employed entails; embedded or classroom-based assessment which assesses the individual student performance, the course, or the program for purpose of grading as well as provision of data in the assessments of service level objectives (SLO). For instance, evaluating research done by students as part of a college-wide outcome to demonstrate information literacy. Other methods in this category are; test questions, lab work, exhibits, presentations, and certification or licensure exams-standardized tests developed by outside professional organizations to assess general knowledge in the discipline (Warner, 2008). Institution data evaluation can also aid in evaluating the program, this is an evaluation of existing information that may already be collected by other programs; examples of such information are course exams, course assignments/ projects, essays, written exams, research papers, second-year assignments or projects. Conclusion THE UNIVERSITY OF AFRICANIA 26 References Anderson, D. L. (2017). Improving Information Technology Curriculum Learning Outcomes. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 20, 119-131. 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