Balancing theory and practice

Theory and practice - how to strike a balance in academic programmes has prompted endless debate in academic institutions right throughout this century and is still fuelling argument in the field of computing and information technology. Everyone seems to have an opinion - the industry, employers, the scientists, the academics. But the CAO applicant in this last week before the deadline, must be finding it hard to make sense of it all.

In 1991, the US National Research Council published an expert assessment of the future educational and research needs of the computing discipline. It identified priorities - to sustain the theoretical and experimental base of computing, to broaden the discipline and become more applied and to improve graduate education.

With these pragmatic recommendations, computing had finally emerged from the science lab to become an applied discipline to serve the needs of industry and the community, much like medicine, engineering and law had developed in previous generations.

A recent report on computing curricula produced by the US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers draws a very clear distinction between the science and application of computing, stating that "the work of computer scientists is usually judged by other scientists, but the work of computing practicioners and engineers is evaluated by real customers".

Computing professionals then must satisfy all of the safety, security, privacy, usability and reliability standards expected by the general public. As we become more dependent upon computer software to control aircraft, cars, entire factories, stock exchanges and so forth, the importance of rigorous applied computing education becomes apparent.

Ireland has a strong tradition in computer science but we have also taken a lead in the development of applied computing degrees, variously called computer applications, information and technology, computer systems, computer engineering etc, now on offer on most of the third-level institutions. These have become the cornerstone of Ireland's very successful software industry which now produces a revenue of more than £4.5 billion each year.

These applied degrees strike an important balance between the theoretical and professional aspects of IT and are usually based on the best international standards of the professional accreditation bodies. The more applied principles and methods of software engineering, computer systems, hardware and communications, information management, computing techniques etc, then provide the professional orientation and disciplines required. Supporting studies in European languages and business complement these topics.

A N important element in many computing degrees is industrial placement. This provides a critical link between academic subjects and professional practice for students who will ultimately graduate and work in the design of systems for real-world applications. For the sake of a few weeks of academic teaching time over a four-year degree, the student gains enormously in overall educational value.

This experience serves to enforce formal classroom understanding and enhances the student's comprehension and ability to deal with advanced topics on return to university. Only by applying the concepts required at lectures can computing students develop a true appreciation of these subjects. To isolate the theoretical from the practical would be similar to learning anatomy without ever seeing a cadaver.

Dr Gerry Lyons

IT Centre, NUI Galway