STRATEGIES FOR KNOWLEDGE UPDATE AND CONTINUOUS EDUCATIONOF IT PROFESSIONALS

ByProfessor Charles O. Uwadia,FNCS

couwadia@unilag.edu.ng, couwadia@yahoo.com

APaper presented at the 2014 Information

Technology Professionals’ Assembly

Outline of Presentation

• Imperatives of Knowledge update and continuing IT education

• Approaches / Strategies

• Knowledge update and continuing education – a lifelong process

• “When a man is tired of learning, he is tired of life”

Case for knowledge update and continuing education of IT professionals

• Dynamic nature of information technology – paradigm shift, change in Techniques, Tools and Platforms, Principles, Processes

• Rapidity of change and need for currency

• Change driven by Innovation and Competition

Objectives of Approaches

• Availability of instruction/courseware• Ease and convenience of learning• Qualitative instruction• Affordability• Relevance of knowledge and skill set –

provision for diverse categories of professionals

• Ubiquity and Open access

Approaches

• Self learning – www.chamilo.org, www.elearningindustry.com, www.webdesigncrate.com, www.olat.org

• Mandatory (Institutional) learning

Approaches

• Conventional/Traditional approach– CPN-organised continuing education seminars,

conferences, trainings and workshops at designated venues

– Develop a credit system for knowledge acquired from other certified/recognised sources

– Partnering with Accredited Training institutes to serve

as Knowledge update centres

Approaches

• The learning landscape has changed, is changing, and will continue to change due to developments in:– Broadband connectivity

– Handheld/Mobile devices

– New media technologies

Approaches

• E-Learning/Online platform– Use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) e.g MIT

Open Courseware, Coursera

– Envisioning a future where IT professionals update their knowledge by offering courses online

– Credits are awarded for offering such courses

Approaches

– Alternatively, Blended learning model combines online platform with the traditional model for improved quality instruction and learning experience

– CPN’s Easylearning Online campus facility can be scaled up through content provisioning to serve as a Blended learning model for its continuing education programme

Approaches

– Content provisioning• Use of existing standard courseware

• Developing indigenous courseware culturised to our environment

• Partnering with corporate bodies and institutions of learning to produce courseware in areas of need

Conclusion

• Knowledge update and continuous education in IT should be a continuous, lifelong exercise

• Strategies to make it happen should be multifaceted and driven by IT

• Credit-based system that is Blended/SPOC (Small Private Online Courses) and gradually tends towards MOOC