Scottish Heads of ComputingFrom School to University Computing

27th November, 2008

Greg MichaelsonSchool of Mathematical & Computer

SciencesHeriot-Watt University

Scottish ICT Growth

Strong Demand for Staff but Skills Shortage

Strong Demand for Technical Skills

Scots studying UG Computing

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, Data Request 28450, Nov 2008

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

Scotland

UK

Scotland 4850 4970 4820 4590 4460

UK 5080 5565 5460 5160 4875

2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07

•steady decline in Scots study UG Computing•most Scots study Computing in Scotland

Scots applicants for UK UG Computing

Source: UCAS Nov 2008; NB Applicants are classified according to the subject listed most frequently on the application form. For some subjects this creates the impression that there are more people accepted than applied. Acceptances are classified according to the subject of acceptance.

Scots applications for UK UG Computing

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Applications

Acceptances

Applications 1776 1624 1453 1344 1190 1109

Acceptances 2040 1982 1747 1696 1494 1399

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

•steady decline in Scots applying/accepted for UG Computing

Computing SQA Candidate Numbers

All SQA candidates

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

AH

H

I2

I1

SG

AH 15,745 16,986 17,185 17,140 18,264 17,831

H 164,004 166,885 165,575 164,142 159,140 161,081

I2 67,509 72,327 80,283 87,100 94,686 107,340

I1 20,352 24,613 31,231 36,653 45,174 53,840

SG 490,485 453,598 434,002 411,324 416,052 404,850

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Computing SQA candidates

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

AH

H

I2

I1

SG

AH 439 495 512 499 450 349

H 4,480 4,753 5,090 4,628 4,356 4,180

I2 2,180 2,102 2,153 2,094 2,742 2,682

I1 832 1,023 1,488 1,674 1,552 2,024

SG 22,114 21,723 18,849 17,237 16,508 16,040

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: SQA Nov 2008

•steady decline in SQA Computing candidates

Computing SQA Candidates % 2002

All SQA candidates % 2002

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

H

AH

all

H 102 101 100 97 98

AH 108 109 109 116 113

all 97 96 94 97 98

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Computing SQA candidates % 2002

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

H

AH

all

H 106 114 103 97 93

AH 113 117 114 103 79

all 100 93 87 85 84

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: SQA Nov 2008

•2% decline in all; 16% decline in all Computing•2% decline in all H; 7% decline in Computing H•13% increase in all AH; 21% decline in Computing AH

Computing SQA Candidates %All SQA candidates %

0

20

40

60

80

100

AH

H

I2

I1

SG

AH 2 2 2 2 2 2

H 22 23 23 23 22 22

I2 9 10 11 12 13 14

I1 3 3 4 5 6 7

SG 65 62 60 57 57 54

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Computing SQA candidates %

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

AH

H

I2

I1

SG

AH 1.461142 1.644737 1.822583 1.909536 1.757263 1.380811

H 15 16 18 18 17 17

I2 7 7 8 8 11 11

I1 3 3 5 6 6 8

SG 74 72 67 66 64 63

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: SQA Nov 2008

• 22 % of all SQA at H; 17% of Computing at H

SQA Computing centresCentres offering SQA Computing qualifications

0

500

1000

1500

AH

H

I2

I1

SG

AH 109 126 137 122 118 106

H 289 302 306 318 301 306

I2 174 176 182 193 209 219

I1 103 120 132 114 114 134

SG 395 384 367 352 342 326

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: SQA Nov 2008

•31 less Advanced Higher centres since 2004•12 less Higher centres since 2005

Computing SQA % All SQAComputing SQA as % of all SQA

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

H

AH

all

H 2.731641 2.848069 3.074136 2.81951 2.737213 2.594968

AH 2.788187 2.914165 2.979342 2.911319 2.463863 1.957265

all 3.963224 4.097989 3.857329 3.647892 3.492083 3.392882

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: SQA Nov 2008

•0.5% decline in proportion taking Higher since 2004•1.0% decline in proportion taking AH since 2004

SQA Subject Groupings

• Accounting; Mathematics• Biology; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Geology;

Human Biology; Managing Environmental Resources; Physics

• Administration; Architectural Technology; Building Construction; Business Management; Care; Care Practise; Computing; Design; ...; Home Economics; Hospitality; Information Systems...

• source: SQA list of 2007 Higher papers

School & Uni Curricula

SCQF level SQA qualification University UG year

6 Higher

7 Advanced Higher 1st

8 2nd

•Universities: •accept Higher Computing for 1st year general entrance •do not require Higher Computing for entrance to 1st year Computer Science•are diffident about Advanced Higher Computing for 2nd year direct entrance

School & Uni Curricula• in other subject specific Highers (e.g. Maths,

Physics, Chemistry) , Universities can assume:– appropriate minimum skill– uniformity of content/attainment

• programming is key to University Computer Science

• in SQA Computing:– programming methodology is not prescribed

• most Unis teach object orientation/UML

– programming language is not prescribed• most Unis teach Java

School & Uni Curricula• SQA Higher Computing:

– core programming content is relatively low• covered in typical Uni 1st year 1 semester module• so can easily be taught to those without prior

experience– amount of programming varies depending on options

• e.g. more in AI option

• SQA Advanced Higher:– has considerably less programming than 1st year

Computer Science

IT v Computing v Information Systems

• IT is the “4th R”– word processing; Internet; spread sheet;

database; presentations

• Computing is a specialism– modelling/designing/constructing/evaluating

systems

• Information Systems is a specialism– how organisations & people deploy systems

to manage information

Perceptions of School Computing

• Universities think:– students don’t understand what Computing involves– school curricula do not sufficiently distinguish IT,

Computing & Information Systems

• school/1st year UG students say:– SQA curricula do not take account of what is learnt at

home and in primary school – they meet same material in different places– SQA Computing boring/not sufficiently challenging

Perceptions of School Computing

• Computing teachers say:– school managers don’t understand Computing– status of Computing weakened because SQA

Computing not requirement for University Computer Science

– demarcation disputes with Business Studies– subject develops more quickly than curricula– Universities out of touch with School needs

Proposal

• short life/light touch joint working party to:– review SQA & University curricula– survey teacher/student/Uni attitudes– clarify misconceptions & mismatches– elaborate longer term structure for optimising

school/University articulation in Scotland for Computing

• representatives from:– Scottish Government– SQA– SHoC