How can I tell whether a technology-focused curriculum will still be useful in ten years?
To judge whether a technology-focused curriculum will remain useful in ten years, look beyond specific products or fashionable tools. Check whether it develops foundations in areas such as mathematics, science, and information, together with problem finding, design, testing, explanation, collaboration, and the ability to learn new technologies. Review the official curriculum and syllabi for the balance of fundamentals and applications, the nature of experiments, projects, and assignments, and how course content is updated. No curriculum can guarantee future usefulness.
Key points
- Look for transferable principles, ways of thinking, and problem-solving skills rather than dependence on particular products.
- Check whether students learn through experiments, projects, design, testing, explanation, and collaboration.
- Use official syllabi to examine the structure of foundational and applied courses, their content, and signs of updating.
Things to check
- Course content and updating practices vary by university, faculty, program, and academic year, so check the latest official information.