Annual Report - Information and Computer Science

Program Goals  

Degree Goals:

Course credits are transferable at the bachelor's degree level. The curriculum leading to an Associate in Science Degree in Information and Computer Science (ICS) is designed to prepare individuals for employment as technical assistants to professional and administrative personnel using computers. Students pursuing an Associate in Arts Degree may also concentrate in ICS and earn an academic subject certificate.

Students may choose one of three areas of specialty: Network Support Specialist, Database Support Specialist, or Web Master.   Skills in writing, speech, accounting, economics and mathematics complete the preparation for employment. All ICS courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better to count toward completion of A.S. degree.

Certificate Goals:

The goals of the Certificates of Completion in Basic and Advanced Networking (15 and 12 credits, respectively) are to provide students with a strong foundation in networking and data communications that is not vendor specific and to train entry-level network specialists who can be nationally certified by the National Association of Communication Systems Engineers (NASCE). The eight networking courses required for these Certificates make up the Netprep College Curriculum.

 

Program Description

The U.S. Department of Labor says, "In the last decade, computers have become an integral part of everyday life, used for a variety of reasons at home, in the workplace, and at schools. And almost every computer user encounters a problem occasionally, whether it is the disaster of a crashing hard drive or the annoyance of a forgotten password. The explosion of computer use has created a high demand for specialists to provide advice to users, as well as day-to-day administration, maintenance, and support of computer systems and networks."

The growing interdisciplinary use of information processing systems continues to support the need for a comprehensive program in computer science. Such a program is offered by Leeward Community College through the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Division.

Employment Outlook:

The U.S. Department of Labor identifies broad categories of computer specialists which give definition to the kinds of jobs community college graduates can expect to find. These descriptions are included at the end of this report.

On a national level, computer support specialists and systems/network administrators held about 758,000 jobs in 2002. Of these, about 507,000 were computer support specialists and about 251,000 were network and computer systems administrators. Although they worked in a wide range of industries, 35 percent of all computer support specialists and systems administrators were employed in professional and business services industries, principally in computer systems design and related services. In Hawaii, organizations that employed substantial numbers of these workers included banks, government agencies, insurance companies, educational institutions, and wholesale and retail vendors of computers, office equipment, appliances, and home electronic equipment. Although many ICS students are either military personnel or military dependents and will eventually look for employment outside of Hawaii, the department's main focus remains in the training of a local workforce.

With the continued development of the Internet, telecommunications, and e-mail, industries not typically associated with computers-such as construction-increasingly need computer-related workers. Small and large firms across all industries are expanding or developing computer systems, creating an immediate need for computer support specialists and systems/network administrators.

Students interested in becoming computer support specialists or systems administrators must have strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills because troubleshooting and helping others are vital parts of the job. The constant interaction with other computer personnel, customers, and employees requires computer support specialists and systems administrators to communicate effectively on paper, via e-mail, or in person. Strong writing skills are useful when preparing technical manuals.

As technology continues to evolve, computer support specialists must keep their skills current and acquire new ones. Thus the community college will increasingly see students returning to school with the goal of taking courses rather than completing an entire degree. Many are hopeful these courses will eventually lead to an AS Degree or transfer to other institutions to count towards a Bachelor's Degree.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Program SLO Assessment

SLO #7: Work effectively as part of a group/team.

A successful outcome will be a score of 10 out of a maximum of 15 points on the rubric by at least 70% of the samples.

Results:
Sixty-five out of eighty samples scored ten or more points on the rubric indicating a successful outcome on 81.25% of the samples. This result exceeds our desired outcome by 11.25%. On the fifteen samples which were determined to be unsuccessful, seven scored nine points, three scored eight points, two scored seven points, one scored six points and two scored five points.

Analysis:
We are pleased with the results that indicate the students performed above our measure of success on this project.

  • We learned that we need to provide stricter guidelines for the submission of this project.
    • We had some difficulty determining if some of the projects were actually completed as part of a team.
    • We will instruct the students to list all of the names of the team members contributing to the project in the future.   
  • On a few of the projects, the student teams did not completely follow the directions.
    • We need to provide samples of completed projects for students so they will understand our expectations.
  • We learned that students are working successfully as a team to accomplish a stated program outcome.
    • Students should have a means of providing proof to prospective employers of their ability to complete tasks as part of a team.

Plan of Action

  • We will provide stricter guidelines for the completion of this project.
  • We will also provide samples of completed projects for our students.
  • Beginning in Spring 2006, we will require all ICS students to use "iWebfolio" by Nuventive Systems to collect and assess their projects. iWebfolio allows students to create an online portfolio of their work.
    • It gives faculty the opportunity to provide feedback to students and collect data for program and course assessment needs.
    • Students comment on what they feel they have learned as a result of the project.
    • Students can share their portfolios with various groups including prospective employers by producing a copy their portfolio on optical storage media.

Budget Impact:
Funding is required for ICS faculty to be trained on developing templates and assessment tools available within iWebfolio. A total of four hours of training w\is initially required, scheduled in two two-hour time blocks. ICS faculty will also need reviewer and user accounts. Students will cover the cost of their personal account, currently priced at $35 - $40 per semester.

SLO #9 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of computer networking.

75 percent of the students taking the test were to score at least 70 percent of the questions correctly.

Results: Based on the test given in May 2004, 80% of those tested scored at least 70% or higher.

Analysis:
It was learned that our students met or exceeded the standards set at a national level. However the number was right at the passing level of 70 percent. It was felt that if ICS instructors were trained in current network technology and certified at this level, perhaps the scores the next time around would improve significantly. The terminology and general concepts are taught beginning in ICS 100 and follow through programming languages into the basic networking class.

One of the ICS instructors did not complete the training. Another ICS instructor did not take the certification tests. All others who participated in the class took the tests and passed with scores in the 90 percentiles. One lecturer participated in the class as did the digital media instructors, one instructor from West Oahu and one of the Media Center specialists. (He, too, passed the tests and is now certified at both the entry level and advanced levels of networking specialists.)

Plan
Because networking fundamentals touch almost every course we teach and is the foundation for two of our specialties-specifically networking and webmaster-and is identified as a core program course, corrective action for this program outcome is the following:

  • Train all ICS instructors in networking fundamentals.
  • Certify all instructors at the NACSE NANS level.

We will now retest our ICS 184 classes at the end of Spring 2006 to determine the effectiveness of the training on our students completing ICS 184.   It is not possible to test any sooner since the effects will not be seen until students have passed from ICS 100 to ICS 184. Spring 2006 is the earliest possible timeframe for retesting.

Budget Impact
Cost of this training was requested from the Carl Perkins distribution of funds for school year 2004-2005. Approximately $12,000 was received from Carl Perkins for this training that was conducted by WestNet Inc. from Colorado. An instructor came to LCC and delivered a two week class-40 hours per week for a total of 80 hours.

Program Analysis

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that nationally computer support specialists and network administrators are projected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the 2002-12 period. The trend in Hawaii follows this prediction but not in the same clear-cut occupational paths. According to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations there are many paths of entry to computer-related occupations. Job prospects should be best for college graduates who are up to date with the latest skills and technologies; certifications and practical experience are essential for persons without degrees. According to the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies "1 out 3 jobs in the U.S. is an IT related job with an IT firm or depends on IT skills. Soon all jobs will required IT skills."

With this in mind the ICS Department at Leeward Community College continues to offer programs of study that allow students the opportunity to earn an AS Degree and/or Certificates of Completion in the areas most in demand in Hawaii. Jobs in the state are not always easily identifiable as computer related. In a recent conversation with the advisory committee members, it was noted that there is almost no occupation that will not have a computer component to it. Some students begin by taking jobs that may not meet their expectations of technology related employment only to find that it is. For example one student took a job upon graduation at HOPACO. He thought it would be primarily office work to start with. Within days he was in charge of the company's migration to a new network configuration. That job lead to another and today he is a network specialist contracted to the Army.  

Program Demand

The statistics above show a decrease in the number of majors. This is due, in part, to the demise of academic advising by faculty when the Carl Perkins Grant ended. During the period of academic advising, all ICS students were seen by faculty members and encouraged to declare their major if the student had made this determination. In addition, the students from the Kunia Regional Security Operations Center (KRSOC) program did not declare ICS as a major and as a result a large number of ICS majors were not identified. This is particularly noticeable when the number of majors is compared to the number of semester hours. Although the number of majors decreased, it is still above the minimum level previously set.

According to the Association of Computing Machinery, the trend in fewer students declaring ICS as their major is reflected nationwide. This includes UH Manoa, UH Hilo and other community colleges throughout the State of Hawaii. Increasingly, students attend LCC to earn certifications or learn essential skills to meet employment demands. This does not require a degree necessarily. Many of our students take only a class or two and disappear. But certainly they have met their goals. This decrease in majors does not reflect a decrease in demand for ICS classes. The statistics above show an increase in student semester hours, student registrations and course FTE.

Program Efficiency

Program efficiency closely follows program demand and shows similar patterns of improvement. Even with the decrease in majors, the numbers remain above the satisfactory levels.

The number of sections show an increase of only one and the average number of students per class remains constant at 18. It should be noted that upper-level classes are traditionally lower enrolled than entry-level classes. This has allowed the department to off-set these lower enrolled upper-level courses that lead to the A.S. Degree.

Program Effectiveness

The trend in educational demand for certification is clearly shown in these statistics. While the A.S. degrees awarded decreased by one, the number of certificates increased by 109.09%. This number should continue to increase in 2006.

Summary

This is one of the few fields that changes so rapidly. Instructors need constant training in newer techniques and technologies.   This is a challenge in times of low budgets and fewer degrees awarded. However, workforce demands are not likely to decrease in the foreseeable future. When the unemployment rate dips to 3% and lower, it is likely the demand for updated skills will increase and some will postpone a college degree or certificate. This trend towards taking an occasional course will remain prevalent over the next few years and should not adversely reflect on the value of the program.

Overall the ICS program at Leeward Community College looks to be quite healthy. The statistics are supportive of the number of fulltime faculty and the number of classes offered. To maintain strong numbers, a closer relationship between faculty and students should be encouraged. This could perhaps be part of the reduced workload that faculty now enjoy.

Additional Sources Where Information Was Found:

The Association of Computer Support Specialists (ACSS), the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), and the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET), Bureau of Labor Statistics; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Occupational Descriptions:

Computer support specialists provide technical assistance, support, and advice to customers and other users. This occupational group includes technical support specialists and help-desk technicians. These troubleshooters interpret problems and provide technical support for hardware, software, and systems. They answer telephone calls, analyze problems using automated diagnostic programs, and resolve recurrent difficulties. Support specialists may work either within a company that uses computer systems or directly for a computer hardware or software vendor. Increasingly, these specialists work for help-desk or support services firms, where they provide computer support to clients on a contract basis.

Technical support specialists are troubleshooters, providing valuable assistance to their organization's computer users. Because many non-technical employees are not computer experts, they often run into computer problems that they cannot resolve on their own. Technical support specialists install, modify, clean, and repair computer hardware and software. They also may work on monitors, keyboards, printers, and mice.

Technical support specialists answer telephone calls from their organizations' computer users and may run automatic diagnostics programs to resolve problems. They also may write training manuals and train computer users how to properly use new computer hardware and software. In addition, technical support specialists oversee the daily performance of their company's computer systems and evaluate software programs for usefulness.

Help-desk technicians assist computer users with the inevitable hardware and software questions not addressed in a product's instruction manual. Help-desk technicians field telephone calls and e-mail messages from customers seeking guidance on technical problems. In responding to these requests for guidance, help-desk technicians must listen carefully to the customer, ask questions to diagnose the nature of the problem, and then patiently walk the customer through the problem-solving steps.

Help desk technicians deal directly with customer issues and companies value them as a source of feedback on their products. These technicians are consulted for information about what gives customers the most trouble, as well as other customer concerns. Most computer support specialists start out at the help desk.

Network or computer systems administrators design, install, and support an organization's LAN (local-area network), WAN (wide-area network), network segment, Internet, or intranet system. They provide day-to-day onsite administrative support for software users in a variety of work environments, including professional offices, small businesses, government, and large corporations. They maintain network hardware and software, analyze problems, and monitor the network to ensure its availability to system users. These workers gather data to identify customer needs and then use that information to identify, interpret, and evaluate system and network requirements. Administrators also may plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures.

Systems administrators are the information technology employees responsible for the efficient use of networks by organizations. They ensure that the design of an organization's computer site allows all of the components, including computers, the network, and software, to fit together and work properly. Furthermore, they monitor and adjust performance of existing networks and continually survey the current computer site to determine future network needs. Administrators also troubleshoot problems as reported by users and automated network monitoring systems and make recommendations for enhancements in the implementation of future servers and networks.

In some organizations, computer security specialists may plan, coordinate, and implement the organization's information security. These workers may be called upon to educate users on computer security, install security software, monitor the network for security breaches, respond to cyber attacks, and in some cases, gather data and evidence to be used in prosecuting cyber crime. This and other growing specialty occupations reflect the increasing emphasis on client-server applications, the expansion of Internet and intranet applications, and the demand for more end-user support.

Advisory Committee

Contact Us | Updated on July 2, 2006 | ©2006 Leeward Community College