» INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

– OVERVIEW (FET)

IEB Matriculation 2010
Christopher Grose was ranked within the top 1% of IEB examinations in Information Technology
7 out of 17 candidates received over 80% for Information Technology.

Information Technology (UIV – UV)

Information technology (IT) is an FET subject offered to College students as an IEB subject.

Why should students study programming?
Isn't it enough to study how to use computer applications for school and business?

It is certainly very important for students to be comfortable using computers for their work and for their own enjoyment, and to have a good comprehension of what common applications do and how to use them well. Much of the basic curriculum focuses on this aspect on computing. In our experience, however, it is also important to teach programming, an entirely different aspect of computing, for several reasons.

Programming is an empowering experience; students learn to recognize how the computer is instructed to do things and can be shaped to perform whatever task is necessary. This helps students feel more comfortable with computers, solidifying the understanding that they are truly in control of the computer.

Programming is challenging, and success requires skills in deduction, problem solving, and learning how to put together powerful and complex solutions built out of simple pieces. Students learn how to diagnose their own errors and how to solve them in a deterministic setting with tools at their disposal that will help them succeed. These skills help students to become better problem solvers in a general sense, applying deductive skills and the ability to analyse results relative to their changes to problems in computing and problems in the world at large.

Along with this challenge, programming is very fun and rewarding. Students will feel the thrill of solving a difficult problem, the satisfaction of discovering a bug that has eluded them for some time, the excitement at viewing the completed, functioning result, and the joy of having their own work mould the computer into a useful tool. Though there is frustration in programming, students also report that success in the face of these challenges is very rewarding. The overall result is that students find programming to be a fun experience.

Why Should I Study Information Technology?
As a college student, you are likely to know how to use a computer for many tasks - from word processing to surfing the Web to managing your music, photo, and movie collections. You are probably also aware of the pervasive presence of computers in everyday life - in transportation, communication, entertainment, household appliances, educational institutions, government, and business.

Information Technology is the discipline that has made this entirely new way of life possible. The study of Information Technologywill give you a broad and deep understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles underlying much of our world.

There are several special aspects of Information Technology that make it an important and useful field of study.

Algorithmic Thinking
Information Technology focuses on the discovery and development of algorithms, or methods of solving problems that can be automated. No matter what field you work in, if you can conceptualize the solution of a problem as an algorithm, that problem can be solved with a computer. Algorithmic thinking that you learn to do in Information Technology is a systematic and general-purpose approach to problem solving that cuts across all of the disciplines in science, engineering, and the arts.
Designing and Making Things
Information Technology has sometimes been called the "science of the artificial". Programmers design and construct descriptions (algorithms) of entirely new processes never before encountered in nature. These processes can make or bring into being an entirely artificial world. Unlike the real world of artefacts created by artists, craftsmen, and engineers, the world created by programmers can be entirely virtual. By learning how to design and program in Information Technology, you will become a better designer in any field.
Information Architecture
The "things" that the programmer makes and manipulates with algorithms are pieces of information. Many of these "bits" are digitized representations of "real things", such as photographs, musical tunes, and movies. The computer programmer focuses on how to organize and control the complexity of this information so that it can better represent reality. The skills of organizing and managing the complexity of information that you acquire in Information Technology are important in almost any area of work or study.
Information Technology is cool
Another reason for interest in Information Technology is excitement about social media and mobile technologies. "The perception that Information Technology is cool is spawned by all the interesting things on the Web. The iPhone and Web 2.0 reinforces the excitement, and that attracts the best students," says Peter Harsha, director of government affairs with the Computing Research Association.
Conclusion
Technology and science are transforming our world, changing the way we do business, the way we learn, the way we communicate, and even the way we entertain ourselves. Success in any field – law, medicine, business, education, entertainment, finance and investment – requires a command of technology. As the convergence of telecommunications and computing, information technology is the foundation of the 21st century economy. The USA bureau of labour statistics ranks the profession as the number one fastest growing profession over the next ten years. IT offers fascinating, mission-critical, high paying jobs, and multiple career paths.

Sources:
http://cs.wlu.edu/dept/curriculum/WhyCS.html
http://www.cio.com/article/485086/Computer_Science_Major_is_Hot_Again
http://it.njit.edu/whystudy/index.php
http://bermuda.stanford.edu/curricula/FAQ/programming.html